Is this good enough for starting with WC? ^^

[redpanda]

I did research the ENTIRE Sunday. LITERALLY.


I came up with this:

Radiator: XSPC RX360
Res+Pump Combo: Swiftech Maelstrom w/ MCP35x pre-installed
Fans: 3x Scythe Gentle Typhoon
CPU Block: XSPC RayStorm
GPU Block: Koolance VID-NX680 for GTX 680
GPU Backplate: EVGA Backplate for GTX 680
Tubing: Primoflex LRT Black 3/8 ID / 5/8 OD
Coolant: Distilled Water+PT Nuke
Fittings: XSPC 3/8 ID 5/8 OD Black-Nickel Compressed Fittings


Is that everything I need? A good set?

The total is about $525 before shipping.

 

[rubix_1011]

Don't necessarily think you need the backplate other than for looks.

Pretty decent setup, but you could go cheaper, depending on what you decide for on tubing and fittings:

EX 360 kit w/D5 pump

And simply add your GPU block, but this is just an option...not necessarily performance difference as a D5 and MCP35x are very close in flow and head. RX and EX rads also perform very similarly. CPU block is the same- Raystorm.

Can you add links to your list so we can compare pricing? I think you have a very good grasp on what you want, just wanted to see if there are any other options out there that can trim some cost for you (if desired).

Nice work, you're on the right track here.

 

[redpanda]

Don't necessarily think you need the backplate other than for looks.

Pretty decent setup, but you could go cheaper, depending on what you decide for on tubing and fittings:

EX 360 kit w/D5 pump

And simply add your GPU block, but this is just an option...not necessarily performance difference as a D5 and MCP35x are very close in flow and head. RX and EX rads also perform very similarly. CPU block is the same- Raystorm.

Can you add links to your list so we can compare pricing? I think you have a very good grasp on what you want, just wanted to see if there are any other options out there that can trim some cost for you (if desired).

Nice work, you're on the right track here.

I was going mainly for a quiet setup. I saw that the RX had low FPI so I could use lower RPM fans. My goal is to quiet the system.

I can provide links, sure.

Radiator: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/xsrx3xrare2.html
Res/Pump: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swma5dubayre1.html
Fans: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/scge120mmsic.html
CPU Block: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/racpuwai.html
GPU Block: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/kovifornvgeg.html
GPU Backplate: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/evgtx680bam0.html
Tubes: http://www.jab-tech.com/PrimoFlex-Pro-LRT-Black-Tubing-3-8in.-ID-X-5-8in.-OD-pr-4189.html
PT Nuke: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/peptpcobi1.html
Comp. Fittings: http://www.jab-tech.com/XSPC-G1-4-to-3-8-ID-5-8-OD-Compression-Fitting-Black-Nickel-pr-4861.html

If you can personally recommend one of the kits for silence; I would look at it. (I'd prefer for somebody with experience to give their opinion rather than me hoping a pre-assembled kit will be good enough!)

My ultimate goal like I said is to lower the noise level of the pc.

And thanks! I really did sit here for 15 hours researching and learning :x.


Edit: There is a Rasta 750 RX360 WC kit...is it a bad kit compared to the previous one? The kits were more confusing to me than just picking parts personally. http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/xsra750rxwak1.html


And yes: I would like to trim the cost; but not lose performance.

My goal is to eventually get into SLI'ing and slight OC (don't feel comfortable OC'ing on just air due to noise levels).


Right now the PC is a 3570k w/ a single GTX 680. Had a little typo in there :3


The case will be a Switch 810 and the 360 radiator will be at the top with a push configuration for now. (The typhoons seemed to get the best review and they're quit expensive, so ...plus they match the case!)

You said in another topic that the res/pump combo can be quite noisy.

Any help in getting a good balance of performance, price and audible noise levels would be helpful. (I have zero experience with water cooling so I can't do much outside of looking for dbA levels in reviews)


This is the 680: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127671


Everything is compatible with that one, right? =)

 

[Motopsychojdn]

You are right with the RX liking slower quieter fans, I have both series of rad and the EX like the highspeeds to get full effect,
You have a good list and as Rubix says, maybe an Ex kit with D5 is a better option, but as its a real loop you can always add/swap parts like gfx blocks and rads
If real silence is your aim, then you need to look at heavy over-radding, this lets you run fans at very low speeds yet still get maximum cooling from the loop, however this is the hardcore expensive route, it gets silly and costly very quickly hehe
Moto

 

[redpanda]

I didnt want to get it very quiet. Around 28-40 decibals is around my goal. I know i need to overrad but my primary concern is just noise over whisper level.

I plan on getting a second 2x120

Id really like to decide because im excited to start!

 

[rubix_1011]

The X20 750 pump might be more noisy than the D5 pump/res, but I can't say as I don't own either. My D5 is a standalone and it's very, very quiet.

Most people looking for silence and watercooling don't always find both. When you add radiators, you also add fans...while retaining the system cooling fans to keep case airflow. So essentially, you're adding noise as you are adding additional fans, even if they are low RPM. Yes, low speed fans do work well with low FPI rads, but they also work surprisingly well with higher FPI rads as well; not as well as high RPM/static pressure fans, but still quite well. I'd have to find the article where Martin tests various fans and speeds on low and high FPI rads. Even he was shocked at how well lower speed fans worked on higher FPI rads.

 

[redpanda]

I dont necessarily want silence.. case fans are not too loud from my experience, it mainly the gpu fan. I usually have like 2500 rpm case fans but i wouldnt mind trying GT-15s for case fans.

Like i said i dont want to eliminate sound. I just want to cut it down under load. With controllers i can reduce it while sleepimg via pwm.

 

[abbadon_34]

Love my Reservator

http://zalman.com/eng/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=183

No fans, just fins. No LAN parties though

 

[redpanda]

Now that I'm home I will elaborate for Moto and Rubix. I appreciate the effort and help you have provided so far. It is greatly appreciated.


It takes about 40-50 to wake a person from their sleep...

So I would like anywhere from 28-40 for my total decibel level.


I plan on putting the 3x120mm at the top with air blowing in. Not sure what else to do yet! (Obviously I plan on getting more rads and more fans...but I have to start somewhere )

@Moto


I don't want real silence. I want it to be under normal conversation level - and above whisper level (30) is acceptable - AS long as it's under 40.

If I remember right, a dbA 25 is about hushed conversation levell. So if I just stocked EVERYTHING with max AP-15s (wanted 13's, but rethinking that)...

I don't need super cold temperatures at first. I want good numbers - moving into great numbers as I expand my water cooling collection. (I'm not an unrealistic person - but I also don't want to drop all the cash up front even though I have it.)


How much raddage do you think I'd need in the long run?

I'm just looking for the best setup to reach sub-40 decibels is all. (The closer to 30 the better).


@Rubix

Are you suggesting that by using 2000 RPM fans I could get a higher fpi rad and achieve greater cooling while maintaining my personal goals of decibel levels?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

I don't endorse the Zalman range at all, some folks like them, I see aluminium and walk away

Rubix was saying you can use lower speed fans on high fin rads with decent results, 2k fans aren't what most would class as slower fans though,
Without knowing your Cpu or overclocking intentions its ballpark but I could guarantee good results from an Ex360 per block, both tempswise and noise,
I'll link a vid of my rig later so you can see if the noise level is around what you are after, then we can look to getting you a 'best approach' list drawn up
Moto

 

[redpanda]

The cpu OC is more of a secondary thing to cooling and OC'ing the GPU. As I stated I do want to maximize my radiator potential (but I'm still learning so I'm not sure how to mount, where to mount, etc.).


If at all possible I'd like to take the CPU to at least / about 4.5 GHz.

As for the GPU - that's undecided yet (just depends on my rad usage!)


I didn't mean that 2k fans would be slower; just that it was on the closer spectrum to the quieter yet more powerful for the high fpi rads.

Edit: Is there a quicker way to communicate with either one of you? I feel like this will take a month due to my work schedule . (I posted twice on my breaks tonight from my Galaxy SIII xD)

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Where/how to mount? oh are you talking to the right guy lol,
You can mount rads on top of the case, hanging off the rear, on the back sidepanel, or even consider an external radbox, options are almost limitless
I wasn't knocking the 2k fans, but I use 1650 rpm units on my Ex360's on low and get good results, full blast is unnecessary noise so I rarely use that,
I'd definitely consider an external setup though, it opens up a lot of potential that most don't see, I'm in another similar thread at the moment and the guy thinks he can only put in the rads that the manufacturer says will fit in the case, I'm trying to get him to think outside the box as well hehe
Moto

 

[redpanda]

Where/how to mount? oh are you talking to the right guy lol,
You can mount rads on top of the case, hanging off the rear, on the back sidepanel, or even consider an external radbox, options are almost limitless
I wasn't knocking the 2k fans, but I use 1650 rpm units on my Ex360's on low and get good results, full blast is unnecessary noise so I rarely use that,
I'd definitely consider an external setup though, it opens up a lot of potential that most don't see, I'm in another similar thread at the moment and the guy thinks he can only put in the rads that the manufacturer says will fit in the case, I'm trying to get him to think outside the box as well hehe
Moto

I have considered external but I feel like it'd be more of a pain for me. Where i live right now is very restrictive - and I will probably be moving soon; and maybe even a second time after that. Due to that I kind of want to keep it all internal so I have more room (my room is literally like 8 feet by 8 feet...I don't even have room for a bed.)

I have considered the back thing, etc. I meant in particular to the Switch 810. I've seen several mounting options but I haven't learned about every available option for it yet.

And I have thought about external mounting on the case . I would do it for a 120 on the rear if I did that one.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Our Pc room is pretty small as well, so I built up instead of out
Heres the rig anyhow,
two EX360's in the box 14x Xspc 1650 Rpm fans in there
one Rx240 on top 4x Gelid blue wings 1500 Rpm
and five Blue wings, one 40mm Nb fan, four 100Mm gfx cards fans and the Psu fan in the case, the one modded over the Cpu is Mobo controlled btw
Heres the video

If you use some brackets to extend the rad out, theres no reason you can't use a 240 or larger on the back
i'll have a better look at the 810 and see what I can come up with for you
Moto

 

[redpanda]

That picture looked like a desk to me xD.

Edit: Stupid adblock made it look like a single picture.


Hm..


It's relatively close to what I want noise-wise.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Too loud on max?
I thought it may have looked like a pic so thats why I stated it was a vid
If you had 2k fans it would be a decent bit louder on full, but the cooling would ofc be better on low, what you need to consider is that after about halfway, the cooling performance to noise ratio will drop, and at a certain point the cooling power is maxed, any increase in fan speed after that is pointless and just creates more noise, it takes some playing to find the sweet spot but on my rig, I have all the fans off in the morning when i get in from work so as not to disturb the better half, and even gaming I'll only have the Rx fans on full, the radbox fans stay on low and that still gives me a very good delta, cores and gfx cards never exceed 40'c,
the only time I max the fans is on clocking sessions and thats more of an announcement to the Gf that I'm not to be disturbed hehe
Moto

 

[amuffin]

Moto's rig is too quiet.....he's running over 20(is that right?) fans? Too quiet.....

My rig is decently loud, the Alphacool VPP655T is the loudest....

 

[Motopsychojdn]

29 at last count
Moto

 

[amuffin]

I'm only running 9.....

 

[abbadon_34]

I don't endorse the Zalman range at all, some folks like them, I see aluminium and walk away
Moto

And what's wrong with aluminum? It a 3qt external reservator and raditor, quite overkill actually. Been using the same reservator with distilled water for almost 10 years, no problems, sees me through all my high end builds oc'd to hell, from cpu + 2 x gpu + nb to just cpu.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

I don't like mixing aluminium with copper or nickel, even my fire extinguisher reservoir mod got lined with varnish to keep the water away from the aluminium,
Zalmans pump are on the weak side as well, plenty of reserator owners have upgraded them as a mod,
I know some folks like them, yourself included obviously but I wouldn't have one,
if Op decided to get one as his loop thats all well and shiny, but as I originally said, its not something I'd consider using on my own Pc.
Moto

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Ok, If I had the 810 it would go like this,

360 inside the roof, probably RX thickness,
240 in the base, same
360 mounted on top of the roof, ex thickness
and possible a 240 on the rear, again a 30mm job
they are all mountable without any cutting, a few sets of brackets would do fine, and I'd also install a separator sheet between the two top rads to avoid any sandwich airflow issues,
I'd go for a dual pump res on it, just to keep the flowrates up
Moto

 

[redpanda]

That is extremely confusing but I'll remember that.

Also...your fans were way too loud on max.

Goin' to bed will reply to the rest in a bit.

I wouldnt use that Zalman either, it looks silly.

Your fans were ideal soundwise while on low / mediumish.

I see you said 1650 / 1500 rpm fans. I would never run the fans on max. I only need a stable OC while gaming ..

How would i control all those fans though? Most controllers have six lines...

Having said that, is there anything I could change to drop price but not performance?

After all, a lower price makes it easier for me to get more rads!



What confused me was where exactly you'd mount a pump. If, like you said, I did the full radiators everywhere, there'd be no room for a pump :|. (That's why I thought of doing the res/pump thing).

 

[rubix_1011]

Reserator isn't good at all- aluminum construction and a very weak pump. Also, having a large reservoir isn't going to help you once the loop reaches working equilibrium. Depending on size, this might take a while, or only give you a few extra minutes. A reservoir does not improve cooling ability unless you are adding ice or otherwise cooling the water volume in addition to the reserator in your loop.

 

[abbadon_34]

That sounds reasonable theoretically, but in practice that much liquid and surface area are more than enough. I've never gotten anywhere close to a working equilibrium, it's more like a constant flow room temperature water. yes, some people had problems with their v1 pumps from years ago, but i didn't need to replace mine until 7 or 8 years.