Water cooling options

belezeebub

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Okay after a Long hiatus I decided to get back into Water cooling, I started in water cooling with an aquarium pump, homemade block and a heater core out of a Pinto I ended with Triple 8800 GTX rocking a HE 120.3 in push pull with Danger Den Blocks
This system will be a Thermaltake Overseer RX-I VN700M1W2N, i7-3770k on a Gigabyte Z77X UP5 MB

Been out of the game a while so I am rusty so I am going to start out with just the CPU I am hoping for a STABLE!! 4.2 to 4.5GHZ and the only noise I want to hear is the clicky clack of my keyboard.

The Case has room for Dual 200MM Fans but I can adapt to get the dual 120MM radiator installed looking for input on the options below, I know the H100I will not outperform the other stuff but if it will do the job its 100 bucks that can go towards other gear upgrades.

Black Ice Xtreme II Dual 120mm Radiator (Black)

XSPC Rasa High Performance Acetal CPU Liquid Cooling Block

XSPC X2O 750 Dual 5.25” Bay Reservoir Pump - Black Acetal Updated Version 4

VS
XSPC Raystorm 750 RX240 Extreme Universal CPU Water Cooling Kit (New Rev. 4 Pump Included) w/ Free Dead-Water!


VS

H100i

Total Budget for cooling is 200




 
Solution
Welcome back to watercooling then :) though my question is for someone like yourself who has built work own custom loop out of your garage, would you be willing to go down a closed loop cooler? :)

But back to the topic, If your question was which one to get now? I'd say go XSPC RX 240 route. Or if you must, spend the $200 on your much needed hardware and save up for a good loop, not that the XSPC kit is bad, but with your prev experience I think a kit isn't what you'll want. Another full custom approach is my assumption :)

* on a side note, I'd suggest checking out the watercooling sticky in case you'd want to bring yourself upto speed on the latest blocks and hardware. We can still expand this thread to see what suites your taste and...

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Welcome back to watercooling then :) though my question is for someone like yourself who has built work own custom loop out of your garage, would you be willing to go down a closed loop cooler? :)

But back to the topic, If your question was which one to get now? I'd say go XSPC RX 240 route. Or if you must, spend the $200 on your much needed hardware and save up for a good loop, not that the XSPC kit is bad, but with your prev experience I think a kit isn't what you'll want. Another full custom approach is my assumption :)

* on a side note, I'd suggest checking out the watercooling sticky in case you'd want to bring yourself upto speed on the latest blocks and hardware. We can still expand this thread to see what suites your taste and budget.
^you could also assert your overclocking goals and the consequent TDP you'll need to address i.e: rad space.

Closed loop coolers aren't doing well these days, there's reports of these "i" units having glitchy motor and fan grinding firmware issues. Others range to poor performing units.

Hope these help.
 
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belezeebub

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The Reason I have been out of the WC for so long is I had a catastrophic loss, one of the UV green tubes I had in my last system split open which pretty much showered the inside of my case with nearly 1 gallon of Di/RO water with UV dye, it killed the MB, CPU and two of three Video cards as well as costing me dearly when I moved out of that apartment I had to pay to replace the carpet in that room. I take 60% of the blame I was using one of my old aquarium pumps 750 GPH with 14” of HH it was most likely too much pressure that cause the tube to split but it was still a loss and soured me on WC I asked about the CL system because they are all in one simple cheaper and I am not looking to hit 6Ghz just a bit cooler then on air, I won’t have 15 UV green fans or triple wide cases I only use my computer for maybe 7 hours a week for games the rest of the time when I find any is for converting the latest video my wife took at one of my children’s school function.

but I digress

If I get the H100i it is in my budget to get dual 670 GTX video cards if I get a full loop I would end up with a single GTX 680 I have 2 to 2.5K to spend and around 400 of that is set aside for a new WI-Fi Router and a NAS for System backups, it isn't a simple get this now and upgrade later this is my yearly bonus what I get will have to last me my next bonus belongs to my wife we switch off.

 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Then I say settle this thread by getting a Hyper 212 as you want something that's cooler than the stock KSF. Shelling out on the H100i is the same as a high end air cooler but with a near 3x price tag. So with your above situation mate, I'd say get the rest of the stuff. Sit the CL out of this build :)
 

belezeebub

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I should have said I fold and do SETI when I am not using my PC which is pretty often, the reason I was even looking at the H100i is frostytech and a few others have shown it beating most of the good air coolers and its like 10 bucks more then a Nocu or Silver Arrow the CM 212 is great and cheap I have used it on many build for friends but figured it was time to dip my big toe back into the WC world.
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
please read other reviews before jumping to a few sites conclusions. The H100i is similar, if not, identical to the H100 ... only change is some blingy features that apparently are causing havoc across all user platforms with their firmware bricks.

Oh , the CL's are anything but real watercooling. C'mon mate you know what watercooling is about right? the hobby, the tearing down, the upgradabilty options and the streaks of tubing...

* what sort of an OC are you looking forward to?
reason I ask is, the i7-3770K is an Ivy bridge that apparently is one of the best thermally efficient proc's from intel right about now. You can also hit that 4.2~4.5 GHz OC with probably no overclocking knowledge, its that easy and simple. People running Hypers are satisfied with it.

Getting an H100i isn't a justified upgrade - its more of a downgrade really.
 

belezeebub

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I have been reading reviews like this one
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5054/corsair-hydro-series-h60-h80-and-h100-reviewed/5

I don't consider Anandtech a fly by night website and it shows the h100 beating the silver arrow on a 4+ GHZ OC on high, and right now the h100i is on sale for like 90 bucks. toss in a push pull and it should be GTG


truth be told the reason I even ask is for every negitive review of the h100i I can find a possitive review I have looked at dozens on line and it seems that is slighty beats good air cooing and is a bit less noise but I have never seen one in person only listen to them on you tube.

I don't take any offense but I have done real water cooling including making my own block with trips to lowes and a dremal tool on a dx4 100 CPU, burning my fingers trying to braze together coper plates to make a block and leak testing it in the sink with a bike pump, not too many people here have soldered/brazed cooper nubs on to a block to raise the surface area.

I want a modest Stable OC that is quiet and something I can forget about and not have to explain to the wife what the green stain on the new tile is :) I am 40+ I don't need a bigger e-pen

if the RX240/H100 can do it for me I am fine if a good Air cooler can do it and not sound like my dysen turning on that will work also.

 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
all your posts indicate that you've made your mind up on getting that closed loop cooler. Who are we to stop you ? :) your cash anyway.

I don't consider Anandtech a fly by night website and it shows the h100 beating the silver arrow on a 4+ GHZ OC on high,
There's more than just the good performer tales. Alot of the stories on the net are suggesting Corsair and all of the their closed loo makers are slacking in the QC dept(software and hardware), meaning another green stain in your house.

I often say this, If the testers would mention/state their ambient temps then a whole new picture will emerge and on that note alot of people aren't aware of deltas. Afterall, ambient temps do determine the capacity of a rad...right?

2nd note, that Sandy Bridge(used in testing) is hotter compared to the Ivy Bridge you'll be getting, thus not needing a beefier cooler like a silver arrow.

right now the H100i is on sale for like 90 bucks. toss in a push pull and it should be GTG
so that is more than $100 when you'll add a 2nd set of fans that are designed for rads to have a push/pull config for performance on par with a good air cooler.

if the RX240/H100 can do it for me I am fine if a good Air cooler can do it and not sound like my dysen turning on that will work also.
I'd drop the H100 from that line :) but an air cooler will do you better on your hardware expenses side.

I got the H50 in the same hopes as you have right now, but they were quickly dashed when I began to understand what the real workings of watercooling were.

as a final gesture, you could read this before deciding any further

Hope these help, sir.
 

belezeebub

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I am going to pick up a Silver Arrow Ex with triple fans thank you for your input let me repeat I was hoping someone that had a h100/H100i or the Rasa would have chimed in on this topic like I said before for every bad review I can find a good review and everyone has their opions but I deal in facts Frostytech rated the H100 as Better then even the silver Arrow as did a good number of other review sites I'll keep this on the back burner and go with the SAE if it doesn't work it is easy to switch out.
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
I'm an owner of an H50 that I modded into my fusion block system and now, if you look into my sig, I have 2 build logs with custom watercooling in it. So that should be some indication of what a closed loop cooler is.

* The Alphacool Monsta 240 rad is comparable to the XSPC RX240 rad but with more performance and for about $20 more

**
let me repeat, I was hoping someone that had a h100/H100i or the Rasa would have chimed in on this topic
please perform a search on this forum, it'd yield that every newcomer to watercooling is on the same dilemma boat as you are and consequently move to the XSPC kit or a custom selection of parts, after realizing the future yields. If they are uncertain, they stick with air cooling.

***
but I deal in facts
reviews and real world experiences are two worlds apart. The rate at which these closed loop coolers are breaking are... :pfff:

glad to see you've decided on a cooler, you may have this thread closed or wait and have others post their opinions :)