Water Cooling System (Help Needed!!!)

atomsk_canti

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This will be my first attempt at water cooling, and after reading around various forums and doing a lot research I came up with the following:

It will be going in Lian Li PC-V2010B with a Intel 920 on a EVGA Classified (760) mobo. I don't want to have to cut at all and there are two blow holes built into the to top of my case. I was going to but the rad on the back 120.

$44.95 EK-Supreme LT CPU Water Block (S 775 & 1366) - Plexi

$6.99 Arctic Silver 5 - 3.5 grams

$49.95 Alphacool AP700 Centrifugal Pump 12 Volts

$35.95 Black Ice Xtreme Radiator

$9.99 Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Case Fan

$4.90 10ft x 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) Masterkleer General Purpose Clear PVC Tubing

$5.34 6x Primochill Reusable Hose Clamp [16mm, 5/8" OD] - Black

$1.99 Polypropylene "T" Fitting 1/2" - Black

$6.99 Enzotech Drain Plug G 1/4 Threaded Cap - 1/2" Barb

$3.95 40" PrimoChill Anti-Kink Coils - Black (5/8 OD Tubing)

$11.95 PrimoChill ICE Non-Conductive Liquid Cooling Fluid (32 oz.) - UV Red from my local Micro Center

I was trying to go as cheap as possible with out sacrificing to much quality or the red with black coil look.

Any thoughts on this build would be much appreciated because I have never liquid cooled.

edit:

Case: Lian Li PC-V2010B
CPU: Intel Core i7 920
GPU: 2x Evga 285 1GB
Ram: G.skill Trident PC-2000MHz
PSU: Enermax Revolution 85+ 1050W
HDD: Segate 1TB 7200.12 as primary
2x WD Black 640GB Raid-0 as game drive
Soundcard: Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series
CD/DVD: Sony Optiarc DVD Burner
 

Conumdrum

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LOL, better learn about watts vs dissipated watts. The rad is wayy to small to begin the cool the CPU. Old rad too you listed. Crap pump.

Distilled water at $1 a gallon at Walgreens and Petras PHN nuke, go to Petras to find it.

Fill syringe, why?

My standard cut n paste, nothing new, I post it every week or so for posts like this, don't take is hard, but ya need to learn.
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CYA in a week or so, ya got a TON to learn. Read, read, read...........

lUs guys have done the WC thing, there are basics you gotta know. Take a look, don't take it as a diss on you or a rebuttal, look at as a friend saying "Dude, you gotta know what to say and how to communicate".
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CPU HS $65
GPU HS and air HS for vram and mosfets $95, full cover block, $100-$200
Radiator $60 min, up to $130
Pump $50 +
Resiviour $25
Hose, some barbs and clamps etc (min $25, more like $35)
Fans $15-30

I went top notch and spent close to $600 to cool my CPU and GPU.
First you gotta learn about WC. It's not like walking into Best Buy.
Spend a while (weeks is best for your sanity) at these links.
Look at the hundreds of loops close to your case and components in the stickies, read a couple 50 or so threads over the next week or so, you'll be on the ball to make the right choices and by then know how to put it together.
Not 'Roket Sience', but basic knowledge is required.
And you should spend a few hours on the listed sites reading threads. It's how we learn. Once the goodies show up on your doorstep your on your own.
For your benefit please spend a few days reading a LOT. At the busiest places for WC masters. Guys who have done it for YEARS at OC Forums and xtreme forums. It took me a while (I was OCing on air, aftermarket stuff, bios settings, best chipsets etc etc) to learn the language and the tricks to a easy install.

Don't expect miracles or SUPER DOOPER over clocks. What you will get is a quiet system that can handle OC to the max of your hardware IF you buy quality and buy smart. And minor maintenance too, a bonus for the water cooler.

Also while there please read on case mods etc. The radiators are not for small cases, pumps and hose routing, wire management and other things are important. Google your planned case and the word water-cooled in one line. You might get lucky. Look here too…. http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=223835
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Edit: The next paragraph was from 2008. With the advent of the HOT i7 and bigger GPU's, it has changed. A 220 size MIN rad for an i7, you want big overclocks, better go 320 sized rad.
................................

IF you just cool your CPU and your NB if you want, you can get by with a 120.2 sized radiator (RAD). And MAYBE fit in inside depending on your mod skillz. You want to cool your GPU too, you'll need a 120.3 sized rad, and it probably won't fit inside. The rear external rad really works great. No matter what your adding 10lbs to your PC.

Once you got an idea of what is good/bad then start getting your system for WC put together and we'll be glad to help.
…………………………………………………………
Cleaning a loop, not a new loop: I do this once a year, I drain and refill at 6 months, the next time I do this……
Wash hands very well, getting rid of hand oils.
For pumps and blocks, fittings, clamps, acrylic res/block parts.... not hose, tear it to smallest pieces, put in a bowl, heat water up not to boiling add 10% vinegar, when hot, pour over parts. Rinse in 10 min or so. Put aside.
The bocks will probably have some black oxidation. Take the copper parts out of the pile of parts you took out of the water. Dry well and pour ketchup on them, and set aside. Only the copper parts need this.
Rad cleaning: fill with very almost boiling hot water. Let sit 10 minutes, drain half out and shake for 5 min. Repeat till liquid is clean.
All the pump, block, fittings, and clamps, inspect, get in the tiniest corners with a tooth brush. Kind of meditative, time consuming, you learn a lot about o-ring size, how it all feels. Run a rag using a coat hanger and dish soap through the tubing, rinse well.
Rinse all the parts and hose with distilled, dry then really dry with an air compressor (nice extra step to get rid of water spots). Don’t need to dry the inside of the hose.
Now on to the copper parts, they should have been soaking an hour or two. A toothbrush and ketchup should clean much of the oxidation. It probably won’t be like new, but pretty darn good. Rinse, dry, and blow the parts.
That’s it.
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Benching software and such is very varied. I use these for each purpose:
These are pretty standard and used by many.
Monitoring the PC temps overall: HWmonitor aka hardware monitor
CPUZ for CPU info
GPUZ for GPU info
CPU only: RealTemp
GPU only: ATI Tool, I have a Nivida GTX280, so it works on Nvidia

Loading/benching tools:
CPU loaders: Prime95 and OCCT
GPU Loaders: ATI Tool and the best one is Furmark, nothing pushes the GPU harder right now.
Benching for overall graphics/gaming performance is 3DMark06
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Guides
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=282232 Pretty up to date info and buying guide
http://gilgameshreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75:hokiealumnus&catid=40:eek:verclocking-and-cooling&Itemid=86 Another good guide
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=312743 What to do once all the stuff is in the door
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=223835 Many build logs on MANY cases, great learning tool.

My latest rig:
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=604016

Forums
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/index.php? Not a noob site, but great stickies
http://www.ocforums.com/ My fav, good peeps, know their stuff, less hardcore
http://www.over-clock.com/ivb/inde [...] opic=20277 A GREAT Europe site
http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/ Decent site

Tests on equipment, not reviews, truly scientific tests
http://translate.google.com/transl [...] n&ie=UTF-8 Info on rad testing
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=220593 More rad testing
http://skinneelabs.com/ Host for Martins lab and some newer tests
http://www.skinneelabs.com/MartinsLiquidLab/ Test results, very technical


Stores
http://www.dangerden.com
http://www.petrastechshop.com/
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/
http://www.jab-tech.com/
http://www.performance-pcs.com
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All you need is a new Air heatsink for $50 or so. A basic 'good' CPU only watercooling setup thats better than a great air cooled heatsink will set you back about $200, maybe a bit less. That's not the great stuff, but wayyy better than any TT stuff.

A proper WC loop of top parts starts here for a GREAT CPU loop.
A pump for watercooling that you can keep for a longgg time will set you back about $70+. A rad you can build on is about $60, up to $130. A good CPU block, $60. A res, $25+. Hose etc 30+.

You could benefit BIG time for watercooling the GPU's. Noise is gone and GPU's scream. If your gonna do the GPU's, might as well to the CPU too. But now we are talking over $500 very easily. Depending on the GPU's heatload, you might need TWO rads and possibly a fully second loop. Price really climbs then.

Please ohh please DON'T think of buying a Thermaltake kit. I can put you on many forums where every single one of the hundreds of watercoolers will tell you please don't. It's crap.

The TT kit you linked to will reduce your temps on the CPU. It's only a 120x2 size rad, a very inefficient one at that. It, just by physics can't handle the heat from the GPU's added to the loop. Impossible. The TT pump isn't known to be powerful, and the teeny hose won't help flow rates when you attempt to add any more blocks to it.

You DON'T need a watercooling loop. You need a better heatsink and probably better case airflow due to the GPU's. Modern hobby cases have more than two fans. If they are 80mm fans on your case you really really need a new case.

For support and help on getting a new air cooler, learning about watercooling, and maybe a new case, here is a buncha links. OC Forums is my home forum, and a bunch of great folks there.

 

overshocked

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HOLY $HIT conundrum,

You really took some time with that one and didnt just post your normal "informative" links...

NICE JOB

im gunna bookmark this one!

It really pains me how you could spend so much on good components

i.e. an evga classified

and not get a cooling setup that can even overclock an i7. even though your mobo is made to ...

can i have the rest of the specs on ur system?
 

overshocked

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what he is saying is dont skimp on the pump.

Why pay $50 for a pump when you could spend $70-100 and you could use it for a larger rad, more blocks, etc. etc.

Not to mention you could use a nice pump for systems for years.


Ebay is a great place to look if you are looking for a nice pump that is fairly cheap (= ;)
 

overshocked

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For a pump i would go for something like this
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2128/ex-pmp-27/Swiftech_MCP655-B_12v_Water_Pump_w_38_Conversion_Kit_317_GPH.html?tl=g30c107s155

At the very very least this

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7505/ex-pmp-64/Danger_Den_DD-CPX_Pro_12V_3_Pin_Powered_Pump_-_237_GPH_DD-CPX_Pro.html?tl=g30c107s155


For a rad i would go for a 120x2 MINIMUM and a 120x3 would future proof you.

here is a decent 120x3
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5069/ex-rad-93/Danger_Den_Black_Ice_GT_Stealth_360_X-Flow_Radiator_-_Black.html?tl=g30c95s161

if your looking for better performance go for this
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8523/ex-rad-146/XSPC_RX360_Triple_120mm_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s161

As far as a 120x2 goes i wouldnt do it because you could get a 120x3 for nearly the same price.
 

atomsk_canti

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Jun 15, 2009
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Where can I get something to mount a 120x3 on my case because I just measured it and it will not fit hanging from the 120mm fan mount I have one the back.
 

overshocked

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Usually a 120x3 goes screw in up in the top of your case.

But if you cant find a way to mount it... i am going to have to welcome you to the world of case modding (=

you would nee to mount it outside like this.

img0078wi7.jpg


img0077if4.jpg



Get it?
 

overshocked

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HEHE...

shoulda seen my case when i was overclocking to 4.9 on air.

it was COVERD in yate loon fans (= [:jaydeejohn:4]
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
Isn't that how it always is? Complete overkill for typically useless adaptation?

"Hey Bubba! I reckon we take this 'ere hemi outta my old Winnebago and put it on the lawn mower. That way, when we run over rocks or sumpin' it'll jes chop 'em all up. I get tired of hittin' all those old cinder blocks under the weeds outside the trailer. Heck, maybe we can even rig up the waterheater to cook meth and barbeque wise scholar at the same time!"