please help a WC noob

[bearvolticus]

hello all. long time reader, first time writer here. i've been building my own pc's for years now and am finally starting to seriously consider water cooling. in the past i've never really needed it as my oc'ed pc's ran around 110 F on a max load. apparently, however, my new apartment becomes a sweltering inferno during the summer time as i've had to under clock my comp just to keep the temps under 160 F.

i would like to cool my P4 2.4 and my ATI X800Pro. i'm leaning towards the danger den maze 4 for the gpu but i am still open to suggestions for the cpu waterblock and all of the other WC components. however, that's not why i'm writing. specifically my concerns are as follows:

1. considering the high ambient temp of my room, will i even see much improvment in temps w/ a WC setup? (bringing the temps back down to 110 or 120 would be considered an improvment to me) should i consider adding a peltier too? if so i would need to safeguard against condensation wouldn't i?

2. my current comp is powered by a 350W enermax psu. that psu is powering 2 cd burners, 1 floppy, 3 hdds (2 sata, 1 ide), my mobo, my cpu, my vidcard, an sb audigy, and a couple of case fans. will the addition of some kind of WC system be too much for the psu?

3. besides the waterblocks, the pump, the radiator, and of course the tubing, exactly what other components will i need? i don't mean clamps and stuff like that that i could get at a hardware store, i mean is there some important piece that i'm forgetting? i've seen various sites that allow you to select your own parts for your kit, but many of them list different 'accessories' and i am unsure of what i really need.

4. how will the WC system be turned on? will it turn on when i turn on my computer? i've seen people talking about using relays. will i need one of those to activate my pump?

as the title suggests, i am a noob in this area. thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer.

 

[Animal982]

1) Watercooling is going to always be a more efficient way to remove heat from your CPU and GPU compared to air cooling. Obviously the lowest temperature the water can go is the ambient temperature of your room so the lower the ambient the lower the water temp. Heck you might just want to stick with air cooling and buy yourself an air conditioner. As for peltiers most people reccomend getting the basics of watercooling down before you jump into peltier cooling as much more can go wrong and the added heat from them would only raise your ambient room temp even more.

2) The only thing you'd be plugging into your PSU would be a couple more fans that are on the heatercore/rad unless you choose to get one of the 12V pumps which tend to be more expensive than the 120V ones you plug into the wall.

3) You listed everything you'll need except some sort of anticorrosive additive like Water Wetter if you are mixing Aluminum and copper. Some people dont like Water Wetter and there are quite a few old thread on ocforums and Procooling about different additive choices.

4) If you have a 120V pump you can leave it on 24/7 or choose to plug it into a relay so that it starts when you turn your computer on. Most 120V aquarium pumps are designed to be on 24/7 and I've read a few places that turning them on and off daily can lower their lifespan.

 

[bearvolticus]

thanks animal for the response. actually, i do have an AC. a small hand-me-down one that kinda works. i had thought about shelling out the cash for a bigger one but i'd kinda rather spend it on a water cooling system. besides the lower temps, i would like something quieter and uh ... i just want something to tinker with. on the other hand, a noisy AC might drown out my noisy computer.

seriously though, will water cooling help lower my temps enough to make it worth it? of course i want to get the best system i can for the least amount of money. i am shooting for < $250. will that amount of money be enough to buy me a WC system capable of bringing my cpu temp back down to ~110 F?

 

[Sun_tzu617]

get fluid xp too... it doesnt need any additives, and is siad to be non-conductive....if u dropped a whole thing of it onto ur comp, nothing owuld happen....im getting some!

 

[Animal982]

You should be able to get a very nice watercooling setup for under 250 easily. Right now the best avalible CPU block is the SwiftTech 6000/6002(I know the Cascade is the best but we all know Cathar isnt making any more). HERE is the Procooling review showing the SwiftTech 6000 beat the Danger Den TDX at pretty much all flow rates.

As for pumps there are quite a few out there that people use. Many people like the Danner Mag 3 or Hydor series of pumps for 120V and the SwiftTech MCP600 or Danger Den DD12V-D4 pumps for 12V pumps. Im not sure on the SwiftTech pumps noise but I have read the DD 12V pump is quite loud.

For radiators do yourself a favor and ignore all the high prices Hardware Labs Black Ice series of rads. They perform well but you are paying a HUGE premium simply because they look pretty. The Heater Core or Double Heater Core on DD's site have more surface area for cooling and are much cheaper. The only downside to them is that they are big and you are probably going to have to mod your case a bit to fit one of them. If you arent willing to mod your case, consider building an exterior cooling box that sits under your tower like the Prometias and Vapochills.

As for GPU blocks many people like the Danger Den Maze 4 series but I personally try to have no aluminum and copper mixed in my loop due to possible corrosion over time. Take a look at the Silverprop SL or HL series on GPU blocks which have brass tops. Also for any GPU block make sure in advance that they will fit on the newer X800 series as Im not sure if ATI change the hole locations from the 9800 series.

For tubing you want 1/2" Inner Diameter tubing. The Outer Diameter can be either 5/8" (means 1/16" walls) or 3/4"OD (means 1/8" walls). The thicker the tubing the less kinking you'll have. You'll want hose clamps at any connection where tubing meets a fitting so make sure you get enough of them.

You have a choice between a reservoir or a T-line. Reservoirs are easier to fill the system but T-lines are cheaper.

As I mentioned in my above thread make sure you get an anti corrosive additive if mixing aluminum and copper and/or a biocide to keep stuff from growing in the water.