First Water Cooling Setup - Question about a kit

[qwertyasdwek]

So I'll get right into it and say this is going to be my first time water cooling. I plan on cooling my Intel i5 2500k CPU with this kit.

XSPC Raystorm 750 RS240

I have 2 reason for doing this, first of all I currently have an extremely large heatsink installed, I think of the CoolerMaster Hyper Series, and it just leaves me with no room for other expansions. Second, I hope to lower temperatures of my CPU and of course, just to look cool. I am using a Xion Predator case so I have plenty of room for the radiator and the reservoir. I just want to know if this is all going to work as I'm new and don't really have an idea. If you need any more details just ask! Thanks!

 

[thequn]

This is a fine set up for a first timer the only issue I have is with the 750 pump its been know to catch on fire and is typically on the don't buy list.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/269021-29-xspc-reservoir-pump-caught-fire. personally I would stick to mcpx35, Dcc, or D5 pumps. there reliable. Of course there always a bad review of everything. so take the fire thing with a grain of salt.
As for all the other parts there all really good. I personally like to shy away from bay reservoir now but that not something that's really an issue for 99%.

 

[Buzz247]

That exact kit comes with a d5 variant instead. D5 rs 240 kit. Get that instead - little more but far more powerful and reliable pump

 

[Orlean]

Although a full custom loop is preferred by some people why just not go with a Swiftech H220 for your needs ? Performance is the same comparing to a 750 RS240 comes prefilled ready to install, and if choosing that kit with a D5 variant pump you are looking at an additional $80 for pretty much the same performance.

Martins comparison between a H220, 750 RS240 and a Larkooler Iskywater 300.
http://martinsliquidlab.org/2013/01/27/swiftech-h220-prefilled-2x120mm-water-cooling-kit/7/

 

[toolmaker_03]

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/17360/ex-wat-227/Alphacool_NexXxoS_Cool_Answer_360_DDCXT_-_Kit.html?tl=g30c83s137
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14572/ex-wat-187/Swiftech_H20-320_EDGE_HD_Series_Liquid_Cooling_Kit_-_Black_CPU_Block_Universal_Mount.html?tl=g30c83s137
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/19408/ex-wat-254/XSPC_Raystorm_Customizable_RX360_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_w_D5_Variant_Pump_Included_and_Free_Dead-Water.html?tl=g30c83s137
All of them are good kits and are setup to be upgraded later by adding a GPU block to the loop.

 

[toolmaker_03]

As far as performance I have a 360mm radiator CPU loop setup now and I am very happy with it, it preforms well for me and if I like I can OC the CPU without any worry of it over heating on me. I also have a second loop for my video cards but I found that to work better with two video cards.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274855-29-experimental-radiator-build/page-12

 

[qwertyasdwek]

That exact kit comes with a d5 variant instead. D5 rs 240 kit. Get that instead - little more but far more powerful and reliable pump

Is this the kit you're talking about?

XSPC Raystorm Customizable RS240 Universal CPU Water Cooling Kit w/ D5 Variant Pump

If it is and it's already that much more money, would it be worth it just spending the extra $15 or $25 to get the EX240 or the RX240 radiator instead?

 

[Buzz247]

That exact kit comes with a d5 variant instead. D5 rs 240 kit. Get that instead - little more but far more powerful and reliable pump

Is this the kit you're talking about?

XSPC Raystorm Customizable RS240 Universal CPU Water Cooling Kit w/ D5 Variant Pump

If it is and it's already that much more money, would it be worth it just spending the extra $15 or $25 to get the EX240 or the RX240 radiator instead?

Yes and yes! If you have the room, RX has the best thermal capacity of the 3, followed by EX, then RS. But keep in mind thickness and case room.

Above the h220 post: there is a reason it is cheaper and compared to the 750 kit and not a d5 kit. Expandable does not mean custom. Custom level kits mean you can actually truly expand them without caveats or limitations. The h220 is a good kit, but I would never try to add 2 gpu and rads on it and expect good performance. The d5 xspc however, would be more than capable of gpu blocks and an additional 240 or 360. Apples n oranges my friend.

 

[Orlean]

I understand where your coming from I was in the same boat when I was looking to get into the water cooling scene I too looked at the XSPC kits specially the D5 variant due it it being a very well built, good flow rate and reliable pump over the 750 , for arguments sake - sure if you plan on running a super complex loop with multiple blocks and radiators then without question a D5 based kit would be the best option.

The kit he was looking to use was the RS240 750 kit to cool his 2500k which at a $145 price point thus the reason for the H220 as a recommendation it's performance is on par while producing less noise. There are also other items that should be considered like warranty 750 kit has a 1 year warranty compared to the 3 year on the H220, PWM Pump, PWM fans for better control all out of the box without the need for a fan controller.

Also the reason it's compared to the 750 kit is because it's near the same price point, be kinda unfair to compare it to the more expensive D5 kit. In addition since everything is the same between the 750 & D5 kit except the pump the only performance increase would be due to the increased flow rate which would yield what maybe an average of 2-4c anyway for a 64% increase in price ? I am fully inclined to agree that the H220 has certain limitations regarding expand ability to name a few is G1/4 threading compared to the fixed swivel fitting that limits you to 3/8ID tubing which makes it harder to route tubing, lower flow rate compared to fully custom setups


In the end it's all up to the OP on what he plans on doing it, does he plan on using multiple block or radiators. It also depends on if the user generally just enjoys the DIY installation of it or plug and play convenience. To sum it all up I believe the H220 is a great value for what you get and certainly has enough power to push a couple of extra add on's which should be plenty for most users looking for a little expansion despite the possible cooling performance hit over a full blown custom setup. That being said I believe everything should be taken into account such as price, performance, noise, warranty, ease of use and the users actual needs.

 

[qwertyasdwek]

Well I've read all of your responses and I've narrowed it down to the 750 RS240 and the RS240 w/ D5 Variant Pump. What I need to know is is the extra $85 really going to make that much of a difference than just the 750. I also find it kind of annoying I'm going to have to spend another $30 for the fittings and another $15 for the tubing, according to FrozenCPU, if I get the RS240 w/ D5. That's nearly $300 and with that money I'd much rather get a much higher quality kit or even design my own loop and I just don't want to. So is it really worth it for my single i5?

 

[toolmaker_03]

For most of the people that have been using water cooling for awhile it has become more of a hobby than a necessity, but I can say that after 15 years of doing it, that yes, the initial cost of a good custom loop is high, but I have also used the same CPU water blocks across 4 generations of CPU's, and hope to do so again. I still have my universal GPU blocks and I will use them again as well. It started out as a necessity, but has turned into more of a, I want, than a, I need. OH well.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274855-29-experimental-radiator-build/page-12

 

[Orlean]

If you can justify the extra cost for a better quality and performing pump but mainly plan on watercooling more than just your CPU in the future then yes the D5 is the better option. If you don't plan on expanding in the future then spending double the money for something that's only going to be used to cool the CPU is unjustifiable to me, of course this is just my opinion. Hopefully some of the other W/C members on here chime in and share there 2 cents regarding your concern.

 

[Buzz247]

If you can afford the d5 version PLEASE go that route over the x20 750. Amoritized value in less headache, reliabilty, performance, and future expansion is more than worth it

Edit: yes you are looking at 300 - but you ARE designing your own loop you ARE running custom level quality. A custom loop is 3-400. So you are right there. Performance/value ratio is right at or slightly above expectations

I know that kit comes with 10ft of tubing, so not needed unless you want a certain color or something. There is something to be said for getti g a performance basic up n running and tweaking later too. And I could have sworn it comes with barb fittings too... I might be wrong