First time water cooling

download376

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Sep 26, 2012
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10,510
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: OCZ Solid 3 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($334.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($334.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black/Green) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 1050W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1862.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
I'd like to use watercooling on it but since this would be my first attempt at it I'm a little hesitant and not entirely sure what I will need to make it work effectively. Any help you guys could give would be in immense help. If I need to change some parts around so be it but I would still like to keep with a 2011 socket.
 

download376

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Sep 26, 2012
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10,510

I'd like to cool the graphics cards and the CPU. I've been looking through other forums but I haven't seen many other SLI watercooling set ups
 

scopey86

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Oct 11, 2011
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There are plenty of SLI setups out there. Read through the watercooling sticky to get an idea of what youre getting into and to get an idea of what you need. Then draw out your system with your tentative watercooling loop and see how it will all fit. Then pick your parts out and post it all up here and from there we can help you figure out the details. You really should know what you're going to be doing and what you're getting yourself into first.
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
(raises hand)

"Hi, I'm rubix and I watercool. I've been watercooling for around 10 years and have watercooled my video cards for about 8 years. I've been an SLI watercooler for the past 6 years and while I admit I have a watercooling addiction, I don't want to quit."
 
G

Guest

Guest
hello Download376 this might be late but, i have got a few tips:

- to cool a CPU and dual GPU's you will need a high performing radiator that will be enough to cool the components - a good rad can be the XSPC RX360 or equvalent, (you can do push/pull for increased performance). Maybe one large rad wouldn't be enough, you can have two if necessary.

- you will also need a powerful enough pump, for water to travel through the tubing and you will use a lot of tubing for those components.

- i personally prefer XSPC or EK products for watercooling, which are the good ones.

- with liquid: i recommend to not go with premixed dye as they can cause allergies or growth in the system and clog up tubings and waterblocks after time. I personally recommend distilled water and add some additive to it to prevent bad things from happening in your system.
 

download376

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Sep 26, 2012
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download376

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Sep 26, 2012
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Other thing I'm somewhat lost on is the type of fittings on the cards and components, as to whether or not compression fittings are better than barbs or anything like that same with tube width.
 

scopey86

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Oct 11, 2011
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You're pump listed is not the one you should get for your reservoir. You should instead get this one:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13884/ex-res-300/XSPC_Dual_525_Bay_Clear_Reservoir_-_w_D5_Variant_Pump_Installed.html

Or this one:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16259/ex-pmp-197/XSPC_Dual_525_Bay_Reservoir_Pump_Combo_-_D5_Vario_Included.html

Or keep the pump you chose with this reservoir:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13883/ex-res-299/XSPC_Dual_525_Bay_Reservoir_w_Blue_LED_Light_-_Clear_Silver_Black.html?tl=g30c97s168

Personally I'd pick one of the first two options as the pump offers twice the flow rate of the one you listed (800lph vs 1500lph). Given you're running 3 blocks you'd definitely want a strong pump.

To be honest I don't think the radiator you've listed is enough for your CPU and 2 GPUs, you might want at least another 120mm, though i'd go for 240mm minimum frankly.

Compression fittings and barbs both work equally well, but compression fittings look much nicer and cleaner (comes with a price). They also for me at least give me a bit more peace of mind when I've screwed it in as much as i can. Tubing width it's up to you really. Most people go with the 1/2" ID (Inner Diameter of the tube) 3/4" OD (Outer Diameter of the tube). Whatever size you use make sure that the fittings (be they barb or compression) have the SAME ID and OD as your tubing. If you want to get colored tubing I'd suggest sticking with Feser, as for clear tubing go for Durelene or Masterkleer.

EDIT Remembered you were using X79 chipset, so that radiator alone is definitely not enough and you definitely need a 240mm radiator in addition IMHO.
 

scopey86

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Oct 11, 2011
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NZXT Switch 810 would be my top choice (same one I use). With that you could fit a slim 420mm radiator up top in push pull (HWLabs slim ones fit without needing to drill new holes in due to fan spacing) and then a 240mm rad on the bottom (I use the alphacool nexxxos ut60 240mm) in push pull. Normally I wouldn't by HWLabs because they're pricey radiators, the only reason I'm reccomending that one to you is if you don't want to do any drilling. However, if you're up to the challenge, then I'd go for the slightly cheaper XSPC EX420.
 

download376

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Sep 26, 2012
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Rubix, I apologize for not fully reading the sticky prior to posting I hop on here when I can between shifts out here but I have gone back through and reread your sticky on here and have a much better understand of the way this works along with realizing how dumb some of my previous questions were.

I switched the case to the NZXT Switch 810 and I'm intending on using the two Radiators Scopey pointed out as well as his Res/Pump.

Res/Pump http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16259/ex-pmp-197/XSPC_Dual_525_Bay_Reservoir_Pump_Combo_-_D5_Vario_Included.html

GPU Waterblocks http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16701/ex-blc-1190/XSPC_Razor_nVidia_GTX_670_Full_Coverage_VGA_Block_-_Reference_Design.html?tl=g30c311s1708

CPU Waterblock http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14845/ex-blc-1039/XSPC_RayStorm_High_Performance_Acetal_CPU_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_Special_Edition_Copper_Intel_Sockets_LGA_775_1155_1156_1366_2011.html?tl=g30c325s1572

Top Mounted 420mm Radiator http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9014/ex-rad-155/Black_Ice_GT_Stealth_420_Radiator_-_Black.html?tl=g30c95s931

Bottom Mounter 240mm Radiator http://www.aquatuning.us/product_info.php/info/p8642_Alphacool-NexXxoS-UT60-Full-Copper-240mm--High-Performance-Bundle--mit-2x-Noiseblocker-NB-BlackSilentPRO-PL1.html

And here is a tentative layout of what I hope to do

2ljq2di.jpg
 

rubix_1011

Contributing Writer
Moderator
I think you are getting it now...glad to see that. Not sure if you need the 420 + 240, but over radding is always a benefit. Even a 360 and 240 would do you well- it's all about calculating TDP of the loop and using that to evaluate radiator size.