Suggestions for a first water cooling system

[mattangle]

I am ready to invest into my first liquid cooling system and have purchased a new case that is suppose to be very liquid cooling friendly (NZXT Switch 810) or so many extensive reviews tell me. But I am unsure of what system to get? I did read the sticky on this forum but still have some questions. I know I need to liquid cool my processor because I am just not happy with the temperatures its running at with the heatsink it currently has (hyper 212 evo), but I don't know if I need to liquid cool my gpu or anything else. I very muchly enjoyed building this computer and plan on building more, and would like to take on liquid cooling as another hobby. So what I need is some recommendations of a good liquid cooling system to start off with, and wether or not cooling my cpu will suffice or if I need to cool gpu/anything else. I am not sure of the price range sense there is so much varience but I would say my price range is in the 100-300$ range, and if that is not a large enough budget then I can go higher if I understood the parts/why. I am putting a lot of time into keeping my computer on a black/green theme so if its possible to get the green tubing like I have seen in others setups that would be awesome. Below is my setup so you can help me identify my cooling needs. (I am about to switch out the graphics card for a much nicer one) Thank you very much for any who help.


Power Supply- APEVIA ICEBERG ATX-IB680W-GN 680W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Power Supply With 3-Color LED Lights.

Motherboard- GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard.

Processor- AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor FD4100WMGUSBX.

Graphics Card- GIGABYTE GV-N26UD-896M REV2.0 GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card. (about to replace this with a newer card)

RAM- G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL.

Hard Drive- I don't have its specs handy, but its a 1 TB HD.

 

[Roxas2030]

You can go with the XSPC Raystorm EK240 DC vario pump, it's really good for $250. Gives you everything you need to start off.
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16070/ex-wat-210/XSPC_Raystorm_EX240_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_w_D5_Variant_Pump_Included_and_Free_Kill_Coil_.html

It's cheaper in other stores.

 

[amuffin]

Power Supply- APEVIA ICEBERG ATX-IB680W-GN 680W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Power Supply With 3-Color LED Lights.

Motherboard- GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard.

Processor- AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor FD4100WMGUSBX.

Graphics Card- GIGABYTE GV-N26UD-896M REV2.0 GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card. (about to replace this with a newer card)

RAM- G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL.

Hard Drive- I don't have its specs handy, but its a 1 TB HD.

It'd be a complete waste of spending money on a watercooling loop when you have a system like this.


Your power supply is a POS model.

Your CPU is very low end, so it would get barely any gains even from overclocking.

The hyper 212 is perfectly fine for 4.5ghz overclocks.

Basically, spend your money on a better power supply, if possible a better CPU.

 

[mattangle]

I upgrade my system part by part, its a hobby that I am getting into and I enjoy. Water cooling is just another facet I want to take on and enjoy. Yes my system is not the best. Thank you for the suggestion roxas.

 

[amuffin]

You realise you would be wasting money?

 

[rubix_1011]

It's not our place to tell someone what they should spend their own money on. If they feel its an important purchase, we're here to help them learn how to spend it to the best of their ability as they intend.

If someone has the money to buy a Bentley, are you going to harass them and tell them to instead buy a Honda because you feel they are wasting money on the larger purchase?

 

[mattangle]

Please read my previous statement again, I want to do it as a hobby, not necessarily out of necessity. I would enjoy learning how to effectively install it and give it a nice look. Roxas you suggested the XSPC Raystorm EK240 DC vario pump and said you could get it cheaper other places then frozencpu, where might I find it cheaper? I use newegg.com for all of my computer related purchases and I can't seem to find it through them.

Thank you.

 

[rubix_1011]

I would enjoy learning how to effectively install it and give it a nice look.

Then you'll want to possibly learn as much as possible so you'll know how to choose parts, correctly install them, leak test and perform maintenance as needed.

Roxas you suggested the XSPC Raystorm EK240 DC vario pump and said you could get it cheaper other places then frozencpu, where might I find it cheaper? I use newegg.com for all of my computer related purchases and I can't seem to find it through them.

There are several listed in the watercooling sticky, which you said you've already read.

 

[cbrunnem]

You realise you would be wasting money?

ahh your age getting the best of you.

one day you will start biting your tongue in places like this.

 

[amuffin]

ahh your age getting the best of you.

one day you will start biting your tongue in places like this.

IMO it would be a better choice to upgrade the PSU/GPU and drop the rest of the money on WC.

 

[mattangle]

There were 7 water cooling kits I found recommended in the sticky. I am not a pro from reading a sticky and would still love advice as to which of the 7 might be best for my case/easiest to install as a beginner. As a moderator I would think you would come into posts to actually answer the question of the post. I mean chastising a response (amuffins) and then chastising me when I explain why I am looking to get a cooling kit is great and all, and something I would expect from the common troll. I am simply looking for some specific suggestions on a kit that based on what I said I am running/plans would be a good fit, the only actually helpful person to reply so far is (roxas). So please with your expertise on the subject, dig down deep and find those social skills and say: "hey this person is new to water cooling and doesn't need a real extensive system, I am a pro and think you should use so and so kit, its a good kit for starters" that right there would have been simple, helpful and most likely would have brought my post to an successful (and appreciated) end.

 

[amuffin]

You should build your own.

Sometimes you can get better parts for cheaper

 

[rubix_1011]

The point of a moderator is to address issues in forums, resolve or dissolve conflicts or to help guide people. NOT to just hand out answers. Moderators are not all-knowing about all forum topics, and even those of us who frequent certain forums are here to help you learn first and foremost.

No one is here to spoon feed you. If you simply do not wish to learn what is the best for YOU you'll find that we aren't here to tell you what that is. We're here to help you learn, not to just tell you what to get. This ultimately does you no good and will not assist you in any way when it comes to the time when you have to install and maintain the loop yourself.

All too often there is this assumption that there is a 'kit' that does everything for everyone. If you don't know what you need, this is why you need to learn.

You have yet to explain why you are considering the 7 kits in the sticky; they are somewhat different and for different reasons. If you don't care to find out the difference and just 'want us to give you an answer'.....that's on you, not me. Before you decide to start pointing fingers on who has or does not have social skills, perhaps you should consider some inner reflection: you are basically demanding that people give you the answers without you understanding anything about what you are about to purchase, install and maintain.

To add: any of those kits you mention are great for a beginner.

 

[mattangle]

How dare I come to a water cooling forum and ask for a suggestion for my first water cooling system! What ever was I thinking. Maybe it was in the sticky that I believe you wrote but I could be wrong,

Recommended Watercooling Kits



"The following are common recommendations for entry-level watercooling. Most are aimed at the beginner, but all offer very good to exceptional performance for the price. They include everything you'll need in a single box...just add water. Most, if not all, have the ability to expand into larger, custom loops capable of supporting multiple radiators and the addition of one or more GPU blocks."

Include everything I need in a single box...just add water, I some how got under the impression there were kits for beginners, and that maybe on a forum based completely around water cooling, I could get a simple suggestion as to what might be a good a good one. Spoon feed? You are being silly, I am just asking for some one with experience to say hey I have used this ____ kit and it was a good system, I would recommend it for a beginner like you. That could almost take them what......45 seconds? Maybe change up your sticky so people don't read it and see the phrase "everything you'll need in a single box".

 

[cbrunnem]

ah the amount of passive aggressiveness is so annoying.

 

[amuffin]

da sarcsm is to mach to hendl

 

[rubix_1011]

How dare I come to a water cooling forum and ask for a suggestion for my first water cooling system! What ever was I thinking. Maybe it was in the sticky that I believe you wrote but I could be wrong,

Recommended Watercooling Kits



"The following are common recommendations for entry-level watercooling. Most are aimed at the beginner, but all offer very good to exceptional performance for the price. They include everything you'll need in a single box...just add water. Most, if not all, have the ability to expand into larger, custom loops capable of supporting multiple radiators and the addition of one or more GPU blocks."

Include everything I need in a single box...just add water, I some how got under the impression there were kits for beginners, and that maybe on a forum based completely around water cooling, I could get a simple suggestion as to what might be a good a good one. Spoon feed? You are being silly, I am just asking for some one with experience to say hey I have used this ____ kit and it was a good system, I would recommend it for a beginner like you. That could almost take them what......45 seconds? Maybe change up your sticky so people don't read it and see the phrase "everything you'll need in a single box".

I answered your question with what you wanted; any of those kits that are recommended would be fine. I don't know what else you are looking for...if I go into any detail to tell you any of the differences, it isn't going to matter...you just want an answer.

Any of them are good for a beginner. Bar none. Just pick.

If you want to go into detail on future loop plans including multiple blocks, flow restriction, flow rates or desired delta; I'm all ears. The reason the list of 'recommended water cooling kits' is there is because you can easily select from any of them and be well off.

Furthermore- I would expect someone that is new to something like watercooling to read and re-read the sticky until they understand the concepts being discussed. If it isn't making sense at first, it helps to go through until you understand it or at least ask questions based on what you do understand that lead into what is still uncertain. Beginner kits are labeled just that because many people do not care to understand the principles behind watercooling...they just want a single box that has everything for the loop they want at a reasonable price. I'm not sure I can answer your questions any more than I already have as you haven't really asked anything but 'just tell me which one to buy'. Again, any of the kits will serve you well.

 

[johndnn]

I know this thread is old, but just in case, go to YouTube and look up jaystwocents, he has a post for almost everything you want an answer to when it comes to watercooling, also kits are way over priced, go to ebay and just buy the parts you want or need you can build a simple loop for way less then 100, also for the know it all out there, you can buy all copper, or all aluminum, or hey interchange the parts and drive these guys crazy, anti corrosive additive and distilled water, you can add color but the color additive has been know to create clogs, so a flow meter would be a good add, also custom build means you can add as you want, last for less then a 100 more you can cool gpu, Northbridge and southbridge, they even have ram coolers, but those will set you back more then they are worth. Hope this will help you out, it did me

 

[rubix_1011]

A flow meter isn't needed.

And I would strongly caution anyone buying cheap Ebay watercooling parts. You have no idea what they are actually milled from - aluminum? Terrible metal for watercooling a PC. You also are buying components that are just designed and produced without any R&D on 'why' watercooling parts are built the way they are. Companies like EK, Swiftech, AquaComputer, etc spend quite a bit of money developing loop components that improve flow, transfer heat well and are built for longevity.

There's also no real reason to NB and SB and depending on platform, these don't really exist as they once did. RAM or HDD watercooling is absolutely not needed.

This thread has been idle for 3 1/2 years. I'm going to close it. Please open a new thread, if needed.