wanting to start water cooling

S

slightlyhuman

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jan 20, 2003
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When summer time gets here I plan to be using h20 kits because my room is in the front and it can get HOT:(

I just have some questions that you may can answer so I will be more acknowledgable about it.

I was look a the Tt Aquariues water kit for starting off. Ive read very good reviews on google but I know its not hardcore. Right Now I have a 2.4c @ 3.2. I have good temps but I want as little as noise as possible. Is it better to buy a kit or start from scratch?

Also, I will be wanting to water cool my video card. Can someone list every part I would need to have a decent water cooling kit.


What are prices of these items and how much can a setup usually run? I am not looking for a vapochill, would be nice but just aroud 200 or under or so.


Thanks for your time.
 
If you get a kit, avouid those kits like the aquarius. Those are only good for a quiet alternative to stock cooling.

I reccomend picking your own gear, you learn more that way.

First step is to find out if you can fit a radiator. Then work on the pump, then resvoir, then waterblocks. Once you know you can fit them all, then buy the setup and work with it.

The tubing size is not as big a deal as made out. i get great temps on 3/8" tubing, especially considering I run 3 blocks on my loop. The key is to have as few 90 degree fittings, and as few kinks (you should have 0 kinks) as possible. I have one 90 degree fitting on my intake of my pump, due to space restrictions, but that's it.

For a radiator, you can get a black ice extreme (or pro, etc), or a heatercore. There are differences in performance, but the balck ice fits easier, while the heatercore takes up more room. A heatercore costs far less though, even after buying a shroud.

Your pump. Good rule is the more blocks you have, the more powerfull pump you should get. Eheim pumps are very nice, and very quiet, but pricey. The Hydor pumps seem to have a good following as well. Danner mags are anohter pump worth looking at. If you get a mains powered pump, make sure to get a relay for it.

Resvoir...get whatever you like best. There are bay-reseviors, tube resevoirs, or go the cheap route and make a t-line.

Blocks, read the reviews, and pick what you can fit on your board.
Most blocks use the bolt-thru mounting system, so if you ahve a board that cant use mounting bolts, youll have to get one with a clip system.

Tubing. You can go cheap with home depot vinyl, or get the good stuff and get either silicone, tygon, or clearflex. I only reccomend vinyl for temporary jobs, like trying out new layouts.

Basically a setup is something like this:

pump/relay -> radiator/fan -> resevoir -> CPU block -> VGA block -> pump/relay

You can throw in a chipset cooler if you want as well, just tuck it in around the other waterblocks.
 
Build your own. I did see a Swiftech kit at the local Fry's for $199.

But, here is what I'm spending on mine. Mind you, I'm not just cooling the CPU, so the price is dramatically higher.

Swiftech CPU Cooler - $55
Swiftech GPU Cooler - $55
Swiftech Mobo Cooler - $35
Hose / Misc. - $10
Res. - $2
Radiator - $15
Eheim 310gph Pump - $65

My radiator is a car radiator and is about 240mm high x 360mm length, and 60mm wide. :)

You could make it (without the GPU/Mobo) for about $150ish, and it'd be a lot higher quality to the Aquirius II.
 
Originally posted by thebliX
what is a "mobo cooler"
Click to expand...

they are referring to a chipset cooler, aka a waterblock for the northbridge.

good northbridge cooling is important when you push the fsb up really high.
 
I went the easy way and got a koolance exos kit for my computer, its about 200-250 dollars with the water block and it works great, If I ever get another one, ill probaly build my own, but the exos is really easy to put together, thats why I went with it. (And it cools very well)
 
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