The best water cooling system

C

Craz_3

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 6, 2004
Messages
84
Im leaning towards the koolance or the thermal take... any suggestions?
 
If you are looking for the best watercooling overall, building your own system would be many times better than any of those pieces of junk.

If you are looking for the best self contained unit, I would stay away from the thermaltake, and take a good strong look at the Corsair unit and the Koolance Exos AL. Both seem to give good performance, equal to the very best air cooling.

Check out DangerDen www.dangerden.com at their kits. Any kit from them or Dtek www.dtekcustoms.com would be sooooo much better than those tiny units.
 
Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
They're both shit.

Build your own:

http://s88005051.onlinehome.us/articles/water1.html
Click to expand...

This from someone who obviously never owned a Koolance :rolleyes:

Koolance is great, Thermaltake I have never used but I have bought fans from them and other stuff and those wheren´t very high quality so I don´t know.

Thermaltake makes me think of cheap and bad quality but I haven´t had it so I can´t say. Koolance however have a long and good track record in water cooling.
 
I have owned a koolance, and I can firmly say:

Yes, it is shit. For a first-timer in watercooling its great, but as far as the best cooling solution, it simply cannot run with a 1/2 ID, 300+ GPH, 120mm radiator system. The DIY systems also run on less and larger fans and are extremely quiet. Much more quiet than the Koolance at low fan speeds.

Thats my opinion. Think of it what you will.
 
Originally posted by OneMadPoptart
I have owned a koolance, and I can firmly say:

Yes, it is shit. For a first-timer in watercooling its great, but as far as the best cooling solution, it simply cannot run with a 1/2 ID, 300+ GPH, 120mm radiator system. The DIY systems also run on less and larger fans and are extremely quiet. Much more quiet than the Koolance at low fan speeds.

Thats my opinion. Think of it what you will.
Click to expand...

I think what I will since I find it funny that you currently got a DangerDen RBX system and there was just a review and though the RBX of course was better the difference between the Koolance and that was really small. So if Koolance is shit what is then your RBX setup ;)

You have to put things into perspective. If you want all the features and the cooling Koolance gives you you often need to pay AT LEAST as much as for getting a Koolance and then you are doing all work yourself plus the fact of ev. warranty issues.

No Koolance isn´t the best but it´s in no way "shit". Your system isn´t "shit" either btw.

The best wc setup should cost at least 2000$ if not more if he really wanted the best and that won´t help since if he could build the best wc setup in the world he wouldn´t ask for it ;)
 
I'd like to see that review if you can link it for me. I don't doubt that a koolance system could hang close to an RBX system given the right conditions. That is why actually looking at what was tested and HOW it was tested is important.

Note: I did not say an RBX system is right for everone, and I did say that the koolance is a good way to go for a first time watercooling system. Personally, I just got to a point where I wanted to build something myself that would outperform the Koolance in MY system. It did, so I am happy.

I apoligize, I shouldn't have said the Koolance was shit. I have just had a much better experience in terms of cooling and noise than with my old Koolance. I was mearly using the words of Giblet Plus! in agreement that a DIY has worked out much better for me. Maybe not everyone else, but ME.
 
Originally posted by oqvist
This from someone who obviously never owned a Koolance :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yeup. I don't buy shit just because kyle bannit does.

Koolance makes toys. If someone is going to spend $220 on a toy watercooling setup, it better be way better than a $30 heatsink. Koolance setups aren't.

Show me a Koolance setup that can handle 2.15V.
 
The best watercool system would be manually configured and would be no kit at all.

You need the best of the best so. The best block, the best rad, the best pump etc.

Couple good products: Cascade/RBX, BIX/BID/Heatercore, swiftech mcp600, 1/2" Tygon tubing, reservoir.
 
Originally posted by jungleslang.nl


You need the best of the best so. The best block, the best rad, the best pump etc.

Couple good products: Cascade/RBX, BIX/BID/Heatercore, swiftech mcp600, 1/2" Tygon tubing, reservoir.
Click to expand...

No, you need the best parts to match the other parts in the system.

Example: The Iwaki MD15R is a great pump, but it would be worse than an Eheim 1046 in a system with a dinky BIX radiator.

BTW, a res will do nothing for performance.
 
Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
Yeup. I don't buy shit just because kyle bannit does.

Koolance makes toys. If someone is going to spend $220 on a toy watercooling setup, it better be way better than a $30 heatsink. Koolance setups aren't.

Show me a Koolance setup that can handle 2.15V.
Click to expand...

In that case don´t say Koolance is shit since you have absolutely no experience with it ;)

Such comments aren´t helping anyone who is out on the watercooler setup.

My Koolance do 2,15 V just fine however I try to keep it at 2V or under to increase my CPU life span.

Koolance setups are 100 % better than high performance air cooling. Believe me I know. I used to have 6 case fans a Alpha 8045 coupled with a delta 68 cfm fan and a 50 cfm fan on top of it. I live in Sweden so I can easily get low ambient temps too.

That setup didn´t come close to my current Koolance setup so it´s by no means a "toy" so why don´t you read up a bit.

I think you are one of the guys who thinks it hard to do everything yourself and sure by all means but that won´t mean that prebuild setups like Koolance sucks.

If you look at the overclocks some people got with the Koolance you would see.

Sure it´s not the best. But for it´s price range it performs really really good and air cooling come nowhere close it´s performance.
 
the Koolance, Corsair and Asetek Waterchill kits are easy to install, deliver good performance and introduce you into watercooling; If you want more performance and a better setup you'll have to look at custom setups like Dangerden/Swiftech/D-Tek and others offer. Or go all out and build your own waterblock in combo with a Porsche radiator :)
 
Originally posted by JMke
the Koolance, Corsair and Asetek Waterchill kits are easy to install, deliver good performance and introduce you into watercooling; I you want more performance and a better setup you'll have to look at custom setups like Dangerden/Swiftech/D-Tek and others offer. Or go all out and build your own waterblock in combo with a Porsche radiator :)
Click to expand...

Yup that´s it :)
 
Originally posted by oqvist

Koolance setups are 100 % better than high performance air cooling. Believe me I know. I used to have 6 case fans a Alpha 8045 coupled with a delta 68 cfm fan and a 50 cfm fan on top of it. I live in Sweden so I can easily get low ambient temps too.
Click to expand...

Fans on high - c/w of .29, Fans on low - c/w of .34
http://overclockers.com/articles550/

SLK700 with TMD fan - c/w of .29
http://overclockers.com/articles649/
 
For what its worth. I get better temps on my Koolance 200g and exos al than I did with a swiftech mcw500, a eheim 1250 and a dtek heater core with 2 120mm fans shrouded on it pulling in cool air from outside the case, the eheim was loud and ratteled everything in my case even with a layer of rubber and a mouse pad under it. I allways assumed that koolance was crap, and I will allways think the block "look" like crap until they get rid of that cheasy assed orange plastic, but I gotta tell you it does perform, alot better than I expected.
 
Originally posted by JMke
seems like a mounting issue with the mcw500 :)
Click to expand...

Well Koolance do great waterblocks. Have heard many say they perform better than ever would be possible with such low flow ;)
 
Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
Yeup. I don't buy shit just because kyle bannit does.

Koolance makes toys. If someone is going to spend $220 on a toy watercooling setup, it better be way better than a $30 heatsink. Koolance setups aren't.

Show me a Koolance setup that can handle 2.15V.
Click to expand...

I have one. Tempsnever go above 40C Its also cooling my 9800 pro.
 
Asetek and Corsair don´t beat Koolance in the prebuild section. I think it´s quite a good testimony that you have to DIY to beat Koolance ;)
 
Originally posted by kronchev
but if you DIY, whats better, a D-tek system or a Dangerden system?
Click to expand...

Dtek White Water
Swiftech MCP600
Dangerden "dual" heatercore (or just buy the real thing, a chevy caprice heatercore from autozone)
1/2" ID 3/4" OD tubing

Avoid getting a bayres, especially if it has 90 degree fittings. They just make your system more complicated when you should be following KISS.

If you really want to run a res, make a big one out of a nalgene or something and connect it to the inlet of your pump with big (5/8 or 3/4" ID) tubing.
 
Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
Dtek White Water
Swiftech MCP600
Dangerden "dual" heatercore (or just buy the real thing, a chevy caprice heatercore from autozone)
1/2" ID 3/4" OD tubing

Avoid getting a bayres, especially if it has 90 degree fittings. They just make your system more complicated when you should be following KISS.

If you really want to run a res, make a big one out of a nalgene or something and connect it to the inlet of your pump with big (5/8 or 3/4" ID) tubing.
Click to expand...

bah, look at my other thread for what i was considering. hydor pump, maze4 OR spir@l, and I wasnt sure if I could easily attach a fan to the heatercore (as in just screwing it in place), or besides the retardidly expensive shrouds. i mean if it performs much better than a black ice or similar then i will defiantly get one.

also I would do inline but no place has any info on how to.
 
Originally posted by kronchev
bah, look at my other thread for what i was considering. hydor pump, maze4 OR spir@l, and I wasnt sure if I could easily attach a fan to the heatercore (as in just screwing it in place)

also I would do inline but no place has any info on how to.
Click to expand...

Why spend $45 for a decent block when you can spend $50 for a great one? Get the white water.

You can just screw fans to a heatercore, but using a shroud is better. If you're one of the 90% of the people on this forum that like having stuff done for you, Dtek sells premade shrouds for their Pro and JR120 heatercores.

Inline is easy. Most setups that use a res are inline anyway. I would recommend a t-line setup (KISS again). You just need the T fitting, some extra tubing for a fill line, and something to cap the fill line with.

I would avoid Hydor pumps. They have some impeller problems. Go with the swiftech MCP600, a Danner Mag 3 or an Eheim.
 
Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
Why spend $45 for a decent block when you can spend $50 for a great one? Get the white water.

You can just screw fans to a heatercore, but using a shroud is better. If you're one of the 90% of the people on this forum that like having stuff done for you, Dtek sells premade shrouds for their Pro and JR120 heatercores.

Inline is easy. Most setups that use a res are inline anyway. I would recommend a t-line setup (KISS again). You just need the T fitting, some extra tubing for a fill line, and something to cap the fill line with.

I would avoid Hydor pumps. They have some impeller problems. Go with the swiftech MCP600, a Danner Mag 3 or an Eheim.
Click to expand...

the dtek spir@l is $25. thats a huge difference. also i really dont want to deal with the problems of a dual output block.

how does me wanting a shoud mean I want things done for me? i cant cut straight, i dont even have any damn cutoff wheels, and they probabily do a 1000% better job than anyone could do by hand.

what do I cap the line with, thats what I dont know. no places online sell it, at least places that sell the other WC stuff, and im trying to get it all from just one place, to save shipping.

ive never heard that about hydor. i will never buy a swiftech anything. i dont know who sells danner. i cant afford an eheim.
 
Originally posted by kronchev

what do I cap the line with, thats what I dont know. no places online sell it, at least places that sell the other WC stuff, and im trying to get it all from just one place, to save shipping.

ive never heard that about hydor. i will never buy a swiftech anything. i dont know who sells danner. i cant afford an eheim.
Click to expand...

I cap my fill line with the top of a crayola marker.

The danner is sold at www.petsmart.com, www.marinedepot.com, and lots of other places. You have to buy your own barbs for it, and use teflon tape on them. The Mag 3 is a great buy at $40-$50. It has a 10' maximum head height (eheim 1250 is something like 6.5'), and pushes 350 gph at 0' of head.
 
Originally posted by oqvist
No it looses in 9 tests out of 10 to the Koolance Exos.
Click to expand...

http://overclockers.com/articles373/waterkit.asp

What are you looking at???

This page containes 1 test, the overall thermal dissapation in C/Watts. The lowest overall C/W is the best. Look at the top of the graph. What do you see??? The Corsiar unit. Where is the Exos??? 3 Down from that.

Right after that, the Corsiar unit is listed (at LOW fan speed) rated right behind the Exos at high fan speed.

Where do you get 10 tests from this???
 
Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
I cap my fill line with the top of a crayola marker.

The danner is sold at www.petsmart.com, www.marinedepot.com, and lots of other places. You have to buy your own barbs for it, and use teflon tape on them. The Mag 3 is a great buy at $40-$50. It has a 10' maximum head height (eheim 1250 is something like 6.5'), and pushes 350 gph at 0' of head.
Click to expand...

petsmart doesnt have it, marine depot only has parts for it. pet stores seem to sell the pumps for more than any WC store.

head height doesnt matter for me at all, it wont have to go over at most a foot. always best to have a better curve but i dont want to pay a premium for it.

and for the t-line, so you just get one of the T-splitters they sell on those WC websites, hook the two lines in, and just put a marker top on the perpendicular line? and its fine? as in water tight?
 
I wouldn't bash Koolance. I just got my Koolance black external unit installed last night with cpu cooler, chipset cooler and video card cooler. Clocked cpu to 2200mhz 1.8v vcore, Geforce 3 video is overclocked to the max and chipset is at 1.7v... I have yet to see it hit 40 degrees under load! I bought the entire kit for $260 US complete with all water blocks off of ebay the other day.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...83&category=162&sspagename=STRK:MEBWN:IT&rd=1
 
well here's what I'm looking at, for the system in my sig.

Hydor L20 Pump
MAZE4 Block, Lucite Top, None, 1/2 Fittings, Chrome Fittings,
Heater Core Radiator with Shroud and Mounting Hardware, 1/2 Fittings
Clearflex Tubing 1/2 Inch ID 7 ft
Adjustable Plastic Hose Clamp, 11/16 - 13/16 x 10
Barbed Polypropylene T, 1/2 Fittings
4oz Water Wetter
SUNON 120mm Fan - With 4 Pin Molex

150.94 + ~10 shipping

I have 50 in my paypal now, if a certain few people who are interested in stuff would get back to me, id have the money. alas :(
 
Originally posted by kronchev
well here's what I'm looking at, for the system in my sig.

Hydor L20 Pump
MAZE4 Block, Lucite Top, None, 1/2 Fittings, Chrome Fittings,
Heater Core Radiator with Shroud and Mounting Hardware, 1/2 Fittings
Clearflex Tubing 1/2 Inch ID 7 ft
Adjustable Plastic Hose Clamp, 11/16 - 13/16 x 10
Barbed Polypropylene T, 1/2 Fittings
4oz Water Wetter
SUNON 120mm Fan - With 4 Pin Molex

150.94 + ~10 shipping

I have 50 in my paypal now, if a certain few people who are interested in stuff would get back to me, id have the money. alas :(
Click to expand...

I have found the L20 a bit small for a pump. Are you buying from dangerden ?
 
Originally posted by camay123
I have found the L20 a bit small for a pump. Are you buying from dangerden ?
Click to expand...

yes. the L20 will just be pushing thru a rad and the block, i'm doing inline, no other blocks, so itll be OK i think.
 
Yup. I agree. only only one block is enough. Plus the L20 is cheap and more compact.
 
Originally posted by camay123
Yup. I agree. only only one block is enough. Plus the L20 is cheap and more compact.
Click to expand...
well right now i'm fighting the urge to order with my bank account. its about 160, i have about 220 in my bank account. i really dont want to drain it all. i wanted to use my paypal account, problem is i only have 50 in there. i dont think itll pull from my bank account if I try to charge more to it than is in there.

SOMEONE BUY MY MINI ITX BOARD, 600 MHZ FANLESS ONLY 140 SHIPPED

PLZ
 
Originally posted by camay123
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=733077

Have I offer you tubing, clamps and T fitting . Could make a special price :p
Click to expand...

heh, yeh you did, i decided I wanted to get everything from one place.

i just went and ordered the cooling. i have 50 in my bank account with a 30 check coming thursday. i really hope something doesnt happen :rolleyes:

i DO hope someone buys my stuff. i transferred the 47 from paypal to my account but its so damn slow to do that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top