Looking for advice on a basic water cooling set-up

rangerjoe0

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Nov 13, 2011
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Hey everyone, I'm looking into getting into water cooling but I'm not sure what to really look for. I prefer a kit that comes with everything I need so I can practice with something before making the jump to more intricate water cooling set ups. I found the "Larkooler (KU3-241) Extreme Performance Universal G1/4" Liquid Cooling Kit" ( http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_202_607&products_id=30378 ) and it looks like a good beginner set up. My case is the CM HAF 932 so it can easily fit the 240mm rad. I'm not sure it's worth the price of ~$200 but some websites gave it excellent reviews. My current cooler is the Noctua NH-D14 and it's kind of a pain to add components such as RAM without taking out the entire cooler. I also hope to add a video card(s) to the loop (maybe a 6950 or 2) so one of the all-in-one systems (Corsair, Antec, CoolIT) is not an option. It will be cooling an AMD 1090T at hopefully ~4-4.2 GHz. If you need any other information let me know. Any suggestions are more than welcome.
 

rubix_1011

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No to Larkooler, No to Thermaltake Big Water, No to Zalman Reserator. Trust me, you'll be happy you avoided them.

If you want an entry level kit, go with the XSPC Rasa kits. They use a great CPU block and have very good rads (RX series is thicker/better than the RS series).

Also, if you are going to add your GPUs, you are going to need to add at least 1 additional radiator- you can't cool a CPU and 2 GPU's on a single 240 rad. To determine this, you'll need to determine total system watt output and then determine what you will need to add when that time comes.

My suggestion is, if you are wanting to run a bigger loop like this, why not just start out with better components than even the Rasa kit provides? You don't need a 'kit'- just do some research and find what you need for your loop. Here is a hint: all-in-one kits (even the Rasa) come with components that are cheap and made for the beginner, but not meant to really stack up to a high-end watercooling loop. The one drawback to the Rasa is the pump- it's decent for a CPU and maybe single GPU loop. Past that, you'll want a better, stronger, higher flowing pump.
 

rangerjoe0

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Nov 13, 2011
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Thanks for the speedy reply! :) Do you think it's wise to get the 360mm rad RX series instead, or will I not notice much improvement over the 240mm RX? I'm probably going to getting a better WC set-up after experimenting with this one and making sure it's something I want to invest more time in. Also, do you recommend a good coolant that's non-conductive and non-corrosive? I'd also prefer if the coolant was red to match my case and fans.
 

Homeboy2

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Mar 21, 2006
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Get the 360, you'll be able to run quieter fans if nothing else, also you will need to add another rad if you add vid cards to your loop. The best coolant is distilled water, its non conductive (for a short time). Use dyes or red tubing for color.
 
Red tubes, not dye :)
distilled water, no premix fluids needed
For the eventual loop you seem to have sketched out, you'll be looking at a 240 and a 360 rads, may as well build them in from the start then all you have to do later for gpu's is block them up and add into the loop,
Check Rubix' stickies in his sig for some good starter advice :)
Moto
 

Homeboy2

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I agree on the dye, I would never use it in a loop.. but if you are willing to drain, clean your blocks and flush your rads often I don't see the harm.