First Liquid Cooled PC - Completed

[volks1470]

Just wanted to share a first, Just got done piecing my own setup together. Mainly consists of a Heatkiller Rev. 3.0 block, Black Ice Xtreme III (triple 120mm) radiator, and the standard Swiftech MCP655.

A Phenom II X3 720 @ 3.6GHz + 1.4V I'm not seeing temps above 32C. Everything is set on the lowest speed. Pump is low and so are the fans.

I know that a triple radiator is overkill for the setup, but i built it for being future proof. I'm going to add a GPU loop sometime later when I get a new one. I'll also probably upgrade the CPU sometime as well.

 

[Shadow703793]

Looks good.

Btw, you probably want to put that HOT running GTX295 on a separate loop in the future and NOT on the CPU loop. 320 rad is not much overkill for that set up btw, esp if upgrading CPU down the road.

What fans (on rad and front intake),btw?

 

[rodney_ws]

After having built one water cooled PC I swore that was my last. It was quiet, cooled better than air (at the time) and to be perfectly honest... it looked bad-ass. Although I'm not exactly a nomad, there are times when I need to move my PC around and I swore to myself I'd never go down that road again.

Anyways, awesome looking rig. Hope it brings you many years of service.

 

[Shadow703793]

^ lol, true. It's a PITA to move, but higher OCs and silence are well worth it. Besides, it's not that harder to move an internal mounted system. Try moving an outside rad mounted system, lol.

 

[rodney_ws]

Yeah, I guess that was my problem... I had an external radiator. Major PITA. My current case (CoolerMaster Scout) is not too big/heavy and even has a handle on top. I've been spoiled by it.

 

[volks1470]

I put 3 38mm Scythe Ultra Kaze fans pulling air through the rad.

I'm pretty sure it's the chip but I haven't been able to get it past 3.7GHz stably.

I've been wondering, when people say separate loop...what exactly does that mean? I'm going to wait till I get another graphics card before water cooling the GPU.

 

[Shadow703793]

^ Separate loop means just that. It's a COMPLETELY different loop than the CPU loop you currently have, meaning, a new pump, rad, tubing, block.

 

[volks1470]

heres some pics on temps and speeds

IDLE

Prime95'd

 

[tkgclimb]

Legit, Thinking about doing it with my cosmos 1000, and doing a sick mod I saw done to the bottom of the case.

 

[volks1470]

Well instead of making a new thread i'll just bring back my old one.

I was wanting to know...

How come the temperatures are not sensitive to any adjustments such as fan speed, water flow? Under stress for awhile let's say temps are at 35C, if I crank the fans to 100% the temps don't budge. If I turn the speed of the pump up, nothing changes again.
I don't know if this might be because i'm using a triple 120mm radiator to cool a X3 720...

EDIT! Due to lack of actual testing on this, I found some different results when properly tested. I will post up in a couple min.

 

[Conumdrum]

With those fans turned up a bit that rad can handle that CPU and a 295. Just keep the GPU stock too. That rad with your fans is one of the best. As long as you can handle the noise.

Nice setup!

 

[volks1470]

I was thinking about replacing my GTX 295 with a couple of 5870s and watercooling those two. Then get a separate triple 140mm (420mm) radiator for the GPUs only.

I want to go kind of overkill on the radiators so I don't have to listen to the fans turned up, lol.

 

[volks1470]

Pump @ 100% ----------------------------------------- 34C
Fans Only @ 100% ----------------------------------- 32C
Pump and Fans at 100% ---------------------------- 30C
4HRs+ on Prime95 with everything low ---------- 35C

Validation on 30C

 

[one-shot]

^ lol, true. It's a PITA to move, but higher OCs and silence are well worth it. Besides, it's not that harder to move an internal mounted system. Try moving an outside rad mounted system, lol.

I've actually read a review on Skinnee's that shows quick disconnects that drip very little. If you had the disconnects on the outside of the case you could just simply disconnect it easily. If a person just had the tubing to the CPU block, it would make it much easier to move and much lighter. All other parts would be mounted externally on something else making it very user friendly. That's what I plan to do. I don't want to chop up and mod my case. I like it the way it is. It also has the holes for tubing in the back of the case.

PS. Even if the loop is tested leak proof for 2 weeks, I would still be paranoid with all the liquid and joints in my case. My way would only have 2 joints to leak and those are both on the CPU block. This would also make it easier to sleep at night knowing my PC isn't taking a midnight bath. .

 

[Conumdrum]

volks, you could look at getting rads meant for lower RPM fans. Black Ice SR-1, Thermochill PA, XSPC RX series, Feser. They have low FPI, made for under 2000 RPM fans. I run low FPI rads, run bigger rads than I need = quiet and great temps.