Water Cooling Question(s)

[ViciousGnome]

Hello , and thank you for trying to assist me. Here is my situation.

I recently upgraded my son's computer (we both play Planetside 2, and his computer needed the upgrade) with the following upgrades:

MOTHERBOARD:
ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

CPU:
AMD FX-8350 FX-Series Eight-Core Processor Edition, Black AM3 FD8350FRHKBOX

RAM:
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

GPU:
GIGABYTE GV-R787OC-2GD Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Exp

Now, the CPU, the GPU, and the case all have fans on/in them, and the collective noise is quite loud. So, I thought that perhaps I would use a water cooler. What I am unsure of is, does the water cool system replace the fans on the CPU, the GPU, and/or the fans in the case itself? The water coolers I have seen thus far appear to replace the air fans on the CPU, but what about the case fans and the GPU fans?

Also, any product recommendations you may have would be appreciated. I have been looking at the CoolerMaster Seidon 120XL and the Corsair Hydro Series H80i, but I am not sure if they will suit my needs.

LOL, I release that I have actually rambled, and asked a lot of questions. I guess my single question is, what water cooling system can I use to replace the fan on my CPU and the fans in my case and do I need to purchase a "water cooling case"? If I need to purchase a new water cooling case, any recommendations?

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide.

 

[Rustyy117]

Hi,

Are you looking to build your own custom watercooling loop, or use a AIO (All In One) water cooler like the H80 ?

Do you have a budget in mind?

And what case do you have?

Sorry I've replied to your questions with aload of questions but more info is required.

 

[ViciousGnome]

Thanks for replying!

As I am new, I would imagine an AIO would be easiest and best for me, but i am a noob to water cooling so what is best for eliminating as much noise as possible?

Budget, well, I want to spend as little as possible, but I would spend what I need to accomplish my goal, which is to eliminate as much noise as possible. Let's say $100-$500 US.

I am on my way home now and I will check and see what case I have when I get home.

Thanks again!

 

[ministros]

Watercoolers are good for performance but to cool down the water, you still need fans. Your best bet is to buy some noctua's fan and replace the fans with those. Also, if you're using the stock AMD cooler, you might want to upgrade to a custom cooler (its probably the major cause of noise in your system).

 

[Motopsychojdn]

The watercooling sticky can answer a lot of your questions but some general points you've covered,
watercooling replaces the Cpu (and sometimes the Gpu) heatsinks, this does not mean you neglect the case airflow, you still need cool fresh air coming into the case to help cool the motherboard and other components,
The allonines usually just cool the Cpu although there are Cpu and Gpu variants out there,
but a $500 budget is very much in line with a good Cpu/Gpu loop that will be quiet and cool,
Do the necessary sticky reading and post back any further questions that come up
Moto

 

[ViciousGnome]

Watercoolers are good for performance but to cool down the water, you still need fans. Your best bet is to buy some noctua's fan and replace the fans with those. Also, if you're using the stock AMD cooler, you might want to upgrade to a custom cooler (its probably the major cause of noise in your system).

Thank you for replying!

 

[ViciousGnome]

The watercooling sticky can answer a lot of your questions but some general points you've covered,
watercooling replaces the Cpu (and sometimes the Gpu) heatsinks, this does not mean you neglect the case airflow, you still need cool fresh air coming into the case to help cool the motherboard and other components,
The allonines usually just cool the Cpu although there are Cpu and Gpu variants out there,
but a $500 budget is very much in line with a good Cpu/Gpu loop that will be quiet and cool,
Do the necessary sticky reading and post back any further questions that come up
Moto

Thanks for replying!

I did read the sticky, but didn't quite get the total picture. Your response helped a lot though. I will re-read the sticky when I get home and see if, having read your response, I get a better understanding. Thanks again!

 

[Motopsychojdn]

No problem, we are here to help but we won't write shopping lists for folks,
Its better in the longrun that you have a good grasp of the what/why/how's of W/c and we can easily guide you to making the right choices for your set up and that way you know what your loop is made of, and why
Moto

 

[ministros]

He is using an AMD setup, not Intel. Even the 2013 Corsair H60 in a push/pull config outperforms the more expensive Noctua NH-D14. I have his exact graphics card and a Phenom 955 140w with the new H60. I idle at about 37C and full load is under 50C with a mild OC. I never hear the fans on my graphics card, even full OCed to 1150/1400. I'm using an HAF 922. I don't think the OP is far off in silencing his setup with a Corsair H60 or H80i. Just need to make sure his case fans are halfway decent and it should be a pretty quiet setup.

haha yeah I noticed it right away and I changed it

But you can still hear pump noise with any AIO system. Im a little back in tech but my 2500k on a cm hyper212+ @4.5ghz never goes over 60c (celcius) and my gpu is still noisier.

In my eyes, if he doesnt overclock the hell out of it, he should go air.

 

[ViciousGnome]

What case are you using?

Ok, I am home, and I just checked the computer and I know which case it is. The computer that I am looking to address the fan noise has a CoolMaster HAF 932 Advanced
case. I turned on the computer, and I deduced that the biggest culprit for producing a lot of noise is the rear stock CoolMaster case fan (Rear: 140 x 25mm Standard Fan x 1, 1200 RPM, 17 dBA (support 120 x 25mm Fan x 1). Should I just replace that fan, or go ahead with installing a water cooling system? My computer runs nice and quiet, and it uses a water cooling system.

So, I have established that I have two computers, one for myself, and one for my ten year old son. I have listed the upgrades that I made to my son's computer, which is the one that has the aforementioned case. What I have not mentioned is that I am going to upgrade MY computer this weekend with the exact motherboard, CPU, and RAM that I listed initially. Originally, my computer was faster than my son's, however, since the upgrade, his is faster, and well, I can't have that. :lol:

My current computer does have a water cooling system, and now, as I am learning a little more about it, I am wondering if I am going to have to upgrade that water cooler once I upgrade the motherboard, CPU, and RAM. Here are the GPU, case and cooling specs for my computer as it is now:

GPU:
EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD

CASE:
CoolerMaster HAF 912 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Adjustable HDD Cage

CURRENT COOLING METHOD:
Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Single Standard 120MM Fan)

Will the HAF 912 case and the Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System be able to handle the AMD FX-8350 CPU on the ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 that I am planning on installing tomorrow, or will I have to get a new case and cooling system for my computer as well?

Sorry for all the questions. I am going to re-read the water cooling sticky now, as I wait for further responses. From what I see in my computer, the water cooler is for the CPU only, the GPU has it's own fan, and the case has no fans. I am satisfied with the sound output from this setup. In my son's computer, there is no water cooler, the CPU has an air fan, the GPU has it's own air fan, and case has three CoolerMaster stock air fans, two of which are not even connected. Only the rear air fan of the case is connected, and it is making 85% of the noise.

 

[ViciousGnome]

He is using an AMD setup, not Intel. Even the 2013 Corsair H60 in a push/pull config outperforms the more expensive Noctua NH-D14. I have his exact graphics card and a Phenom 955 140w with the new H60. I idle at about 37C and full load is under 50C with a mild OC. I never hear the fans on my graphics card, even full OCed to 1150/1400. I'm using an HAF 922. I don't think the off is far off in silencing his setup with a Corsair H60 or H80i. Just need to make sure his case fans are halfway decent and it should be a pretty quiet setup.

Thanks! This reply is a little technical to me (what is a "push/pull config" and what do "37C and 50c" mean/refer to), but I appreciate your input. I will be home in 5-10 minutes and I will have the case info. I am using a stock AMD CPU fan btw.

 

[manofchalk]

Push/Pull is when you have fans on either side of the radiator, both blowing in the same direction. On thicker and higher FPI (Fins Per Inch) rads, it can lead to a decent boost in performance.

Degrees Celsius, the Metric Systems way of measuring temperature.

 

[diellur]

Just to add to that, 37 deg C would be an idle temperature (what your CPU temp would be when not running tasks) and 50 deg C would be a load temp, when you have your CPU performing tasks.

When you upgrade your system, just check your existing cooler will be compatible with the socket type. I'm not familiar with how AMD heatsink mounting arrangements have changed with time, I'm guessing it'll be OK, but just confirm that. A closed-loop cooler should be fine for your needs...a custom loop will perform better, but is a hobby in and of itself and you may have better uses for the funds if you're looking after two PCs.

If fan noise is the issue, then you may be better off investing in some quieter case fans. A lot of the newer ones come with rubber mounting grommets which helps remove vibration and they run quietly, also. Noctua and Be Quiet! are good, but there are others. You can also reduce noise by getting some fans better suited for water-cooling...the Scythe Gentle Typhoon AP-15s are meant to be good for radiators as they provide decent pressure to get air through the radiator. You can get AP-13 and AP-14 variants, which spin slower...less cooling, but also quieter. The best bet is to get AP-15s and a fan controller so you can balance the noise to performance.

 

[ViciousGnome]

Push/Pull is when you have fans on either side of the radiator, both blowing in the same direction. On thicker and higher FPI (Fins Per Inch) rads, it can lead to a decent boost in performance.

Degrees Celsius, the Metric Systems way of measuring temperature.

Thank you!

 

[ViciousGnome]

Just to add to that, 37 deg C would be an idle temperature (what your CPU temp would be when not running tasks) and 50 deg C would be a load temp, when you have your CPU performing tasks.

When you upgrade your system, just check your existing cooler will be compatible with the socket type. I'm not familiar with how AMD heatsink mounting arrangements have changed with time, I'm guessing it'll be OK, but just confirm that. A closed-loop cooler should be fine for your needs...a custom loop will perform better, but is a hobby in and of itself and you may have better uses for the funds if you're looking after two PCs.

If fan noise is the issue, then you may be better off investing in some quieter case fans. A lot of the newer ones come with rubber mounting grommets which helps remove vibration and they run quietly, also. Noctua and Be Quiet! are good, but there are others. You can also reduce noise by getting some fans better suited for water-cooling...the Scythe Gentle Typhoon AP-15s are meant to be good for radiators as they provide decent pressure to get air through the radiator. You can get AP-13 and AP-14 variants, which spin slower...less cooling, but also quieter. The best bet is to get AP-15s and a fan controller so you can balance the noise to performance.

Thank you for all the info!

 

[ViciousGnome]

Thanks all for the info. I went with the Corsair H80i, and I'm quite pleased with it's performance.