First time watercooling - General advice so I don't Derp

Romeomium

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
211
Always wanted to watercool, but never had the budget. I'm at the point where if I don't do it now, I never will! First PC I built was ~14 years ago, and I am an engineer by trade, so I wouldn't call myself completely helpless. I will be going all-out with PETG tubing, and using a combination of heated bends and compression fittings.

TLDR; GTS 280 XFLOW or Alphacool XT45? D5 or VPP755? Recommendations for pump/res setup in this case as shown? Should I have my PSU fan up or down?

I'm in need of a new PC, so I figured now is a great time to start assembling parts in preparation of the Ryzen launch (unless it sucks, so Kaby Lake or better for me). At this time, it doesn't look like Ryzen will be a complete furnace, with a 95W stock TDP rating. I only have an RX480 right now, but will look to upgrade when Vega comes out. I am still at 1920x1200p, so I don't really need more than an RX480, and I am waiting to buy a monitor unless the ultrawides catch up in Hz, and prices are not so crazy. I don't plan on a multi-GPU setup at this time.

I picked up a Dark Base Pro 900 for my case, as I wanted an inverted motherboard chassis. Since I now have an utterly unnecessary case (with tempered glass), I might as well add to the crazy. For those of you who don't know the case, here it is inverted.

Dark Base Pro 900.png

I chose this case because it allows for an inverted motherboard, but also because it has room for 5.25" drives as well as 7 hard drives. I plan to only use 4-5 hard drives ever in here, with 4 being most likely (3 data, 1 parity). I started to model the case in AutoCAD, dimensions are generally accurate if not rounded up slightly. I read through lots of reviews, and it seems like the Nemesis GTS 280 is the best slim radiator that will fit in the front. The case comes with a pair of Silent Wings 3 (SW3) PWM 1000rpm fans up front, which push 59.5 cfm @ 1.08 mm H2O. There is another SW3 fan at the back which is already mounted as an exhaust.

I'd like to use another pair of SW3 (1000rpm DC version) up top in a pull configuration, unless another fan will be significantly better. For the top radiator, I am somewhat stuck between a GTS 280 XFLOW and an Alphacool XT45. Even though my dimension shows 31mm clearance, there should be room above the motherboard still for cables. If needed, I can always drop the tray, however that will force the PSU forward due to the case fan interference. See picture for reference:

Dark Base Pro 900 - Model.jpg


For a pump, I know I want either a D5 or the new Alphacool VPP755. I don't care if I have a separate or integrated reservoir. Being an engineer, I have modeled a bunch of pump systems, so I am hesitant to delete the reservoir altogether (cavitation = bad). It looks like the best mounting options for me are on the bottom of the case (2x 240/280 fan mounts), otherwise I could look into fabricating an adapter for the drive cage vertical support piece, which main support at the bottom. I do not want to drill into the motherboard tray at this time I am stuck on what setup would be best for this case/system. Some of the options I am considering are:
  1. Alphacool Lighttower 150mm
  2. XSPC - Tank Reservoir
  3. XSPC - Ion Reservoir
  4. Heatkiller Tube 100
I'm not really interested in any EK reservoirs. From what I've seen their logo is too big and everywhere, it bothers me.

Now, onto my questions:
  1. What is the best/cleanest way for me to route my tubing for the pump/reservoir/radiator at the bottom left? Should I route my tubing into the top of the reservoir, or directly from 1 radiator to the next, behind the reservoir?
  2. Is there any concern for me to have my PSU fan pulling air from inside the case? I figure this helps keep a negative pressure for the system, BUT it now opens up a large area for water to leak into from the CPU/GPU.
  3. XT45 or GTS 280 XFLOW?
  4. Pump/Reservoir advice for this case?
Thanks for looking, and let me know if there is anything else that I am missing!
 
For a first time build, especially if you are new to watercooling, I would really advise you to skip the PETG tubing and fancy fittings for a 1st build and just go with quality soft tubing (Primochill or Tygon) and use regular hose clamps over standard compression fittings. I've also always preferred mounting radiators outside of the case in a push/pull fan config with shrouding to maximize performance. Some good info here: http://martinsliquidlab.petrastech.com/Radiator-Fan-Orientation-And-Shroud-Testing-Review.html
 
I'll take a read through the link!

I cannot easily mount the radiators outside the case; I would need to cut a bit of sheet metal to do so. I may be able to mount the top one above, but it would restrict me to a 30mm thick (which the GTS280 is). I may also have enough room to go for a push/pull up top, but I don't want to count on that until all the components are in and I can actually mock it up. There is no room to do so in the front however.

Soft tubing would certainly be easier, and since I am not going to be adding the GPU immediately anyway, probably not a bad idea. If anything, I may elect to try SOME of the links with PETG, just to get a feel for how hard it will be in the future.
 
If you happen to change your mind on the hard tubing, I am using xspc tubing and xspc compression fittings and I love them (7/16 id)

I also have the 755 pump and I really like it, I'm just not exactly happy with the xspc pump tank that I went with... looks great but I don't like it (if that makes sense)
 
If your putting cpu and gpu in your loop your really going to need either a bigger radiator or just a second one...

If you happen to change your mind on the hard tubing, I am using xspc tubing and xspc compression fittings and I love them (7/16 id)

I will be using two 280mm radiators, I just have not picked out the top one yet - stuck between GTS XFLOW and Alphacool XT45. The front will be the regular GTS280, as it appears to be the best thin radiator for lower fan speeds.
 
I'll take a read through the link!

I cannot easily mount the radiators outside the case; I would need to cut a bit of sheet metal to do so. I may be able to mount the top one above, but it would restrict me to a 30mm thick (which the GTS280 is). I may also have enough room to go for a push/pull up top, but I don't want to count on that until all the components are in and I can actually mock it up. There is no room to do so in the front however.

Soft tubing would certainly be easier, and since I am not going to be adding the GPU immediately anyway, probably not a bad idea. If anything, I may elect to try SOME of the links with PETG, just to get a feel for how hard it will be in the future.

Ya, going external with at least the top radiator would require you to hack the case a bit... But it would also give you more room for push/pull, be a bit easier to work with and give you room for shrouding... not to mention it opens up the possibility of stepping up to a 360 rad instead of a 280! Definitely go soft tubing for now on the parts of your loop that you plan to add/modify later. And go with GT1850's for all your radiator fans. They are pricey, but well worth the investment as to long term performance, reliability and noise reduction. Take your time, it looks like you have a good initial plan!
 
I will be using two 280mm radiators, I just have not picked out the top one yet - stuck between GTS XFLOW and Alphacool XT45. The front will be the regular GTS280, as it appears to be the best thin radiator for lower fan speeds.

Low speed fans on thin rad? That's not the best combo imo. I'd run at least 1000rpm fans. However between those two rads, the GTS. The AC rads are not great until you get to the 60mm thick and up. A thin rad I like is the Koolance hx-cu, probably the highest dissipating thin rad considering the full range of fan speeds. Also, I wouldn't bother with shrouds. Martin retested some years later and the gains were marginal when it worked. And the space requirements... you're better off running push/pull than shrouds, just a waste of space.
 
Not arguing that shrouds add a lot to the cooling performance, but from my observation at least, they do tend to help reduce fan noise somewhat as air turbulence below the blades is reduced and airflow around the fan motor hubs is improved which also helps keep the fan motors running cooler. I run push/pull as well as shrouds on my top rad (easy to make shrouds from old/gutted fans - or buy dirt cheap ones for gutting). With a rad mounted externally up top, space also becomes much less of an issue, but ya, for the internal vertically mounted rad, I would definitely forgo shrouds due to space constraints.
 
Low speed fans on thin rad? That's not the best combo imo. I'd run at least 1000rpm fans. However between those two rads, the GTS

I have (3) 1,000rpm fans that came with the case. I figured I'd stick with ~1,000rpms for the rest, but could bump up to 1,500. I won't be running multi-GPU so I don't think I will be generating too much heat to warrant 1,850+ fans, and I don't want the noise. Also, the GTS tops all the slim radiators, and there doesn't appear to be a very large boost for going thicker. http://www.xtremerigs.net/2016/02/15/hardware-labs-nemesis-280gts-radiator-review/5/

I can likely do a push/pull on top of the case without having to cut the case, as there is room above for fans. I just can't stick a radiator up here for push only. The only thing I will have to worry about is fan clearance. The nice thing about this case though is that I can always drop the motherboard tray to fit a bigger radiator up top. I just have to scoot the PSU forward to accommodate it. I am hesitant to push the PSU forward though because it blocks some mounting points on the bottom for a pump bracket.
IMAG0843.jpg
 
Fans that come with cases are typically not designed for rad duty. Most completely suck for such a purpose. It's like buying a high end sports car and running stock econobox tires on it. You really should consider investing in some quality rad fans...

My GT1850's are dialed way down - I usually keep them hovering just over 1000rpm via a fan controller. They run whisper quiet... but very easy to crank up if benching or if a little more airflow is needed in the summer months. I like having the ability to dial them up/down as needed. Quality rad fans with a high static pressure capability are a very good investment in a loop. I've upgraded my system 3-4 times in the past 6 years, still have the same fans. They are built like tanks.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I have (3) 1,000rpm fans that came with the case. I figured I'd stick with ~1,000rpms for the rest, but could bump up to 1,500. I won't be running multi-GPU so I don't think I will be generating too much heat to warrant 1,850+ fans, and I don't want the noise. Also, the GTS tops all the slim radiators, and there doesn't appear to be a very large boost for going thicker. http://www.xtremerigs.net/2016/02/15/hardware-labs-nemesis-280gts-radiator-review/5/

I can likely do a push/pull on top of the case without having to cut the case, as there is room above for fans. I just can't stick a radiator up here for push only. The only thing I will have to worry about is fan clearance. The nice thing about this case though is that I can always drop the motherboard tray to fit a bigger radiator up top. I just have to scoot the PSU forward to accommodate it. I am hesitant to push the PSU forward though because it blocks some mounting points on the bottom for a pump bracket.
View attachment 17399

Yea the GTS is best from 1300rpm and under. The Koolance is right there just a lil bit under the GTS until the rpms go over 1300rpm. The difference is like 10-15 watts which is not much. That's why I wrote it's a rad with a wider range than the GTS, ie. its more flexible since it still scales all the way to 3000rpm.

There are most definitely gains above the GTS rad, hell yea. When you start applying higher heat loads while maintaining 10c delta you start to see big gaps appearing. For ex. at 1850rpm there's a 69w gap between the GTS and the EK XE rad at 10c delta. That's a lot of wattage. You're just not looking at enough data from that individual review. However the GTS is, as you found your best best if you stay at 1300rpm or below. I like to run AP15s, ie. 1850rpm at 1000rpm give or take for daily use, then run them at 1850rpm when benching. It's all a balance, we give a lil here for a lil more there.

http://www.xtremerigs.net/2015/02/11/radiator-round-2015/5/

Yeap as recommended above, everything is predicated on good quality rad fans and most fans actually suck as rad fans.
 
Ok, I have spent a bunch more time reading through the data, and while a thicker radiator might help, a push/pull setup will help more. I also think a single pass radiator, while technically less efficient at higher pump rates/fan speed rates, will greatly improve the routing and aesthetics of the case, since it's an inverted motherboard. I looked the Koolance and Magicool, and they are better suited for higher fan speeds. I really want to stay below 1,500 rpms because my PC room is also my wife's office. A quiet PC is a must. With that said, there's really only 1 choice: The GTS Xflow. This will allow me to run push/pull, while the 60mm+ radiators would allow pull only without hacking the case apart, or dropping the motherboard tray all the way down.

As for fans, it actually looks like the fans that came with the Pro 900 case are very good. Since they are new, there is not as much data out on them. I am still going to look into some higher speed PWM fans to run up top, but I don't think I will need to switch these out. In the below review, he mentions that they are now his recommended sub 1,500 rpm fans. Thoughts?
http://thermalbench.com/2016/09/22/be-quiet-silent-wings-3-140-mm-fan/
 
Too lazy to read past a few sentences on mobile so I'm sorry if I repeat or miss anything from above. My first venture into water cooling was a mid range kit. From there I just upgraded pieces at a time every time I broke it down. Other than video card and mobo blocks most of the hardware is universal. Getting something like the ek kits are a cheap easy and quality way to introduce yourself into watercooling without missing or over thinking anything.

The ek logo is typically removable from the res. It's just used as a baffle if it's desired/needed.

I see you didn't like ek stuff but there are other makers I'm sure that will do the job as well.
 
Ok, I have spent a bunch more time reading through the data, and while a thicker radiator might help, a push/pull setup will help more. I also think a single pass radiator, while technically less efficient at higher pump rates/fan speed rates, will greatly improve the routing and aesthetics of the case, since it's an inverted motherboard. I looked the Koolance and Magicool, and they are better suited for higher fan speeds. I really want to stay below 1,500 rpms because my PC room is also my wife's office. A quiet PC is a must. With that said, there's really only 1 choice: The GTS Xflow. This will allow me to run push/pull, while the 60mm+ radiators would allow pull only without hacking the case apart, or dropping the motherboard tray all the way down.

As for fans, it actually looks like the fans that came with the Pro 900 case are very good. Since they are new, there is not as much data out on them. I am still going to look into some higher speed PWM fans to run up top, but I don't think I will need to switch these out. In the below review, he mentions that they are now his recommended sub 1,500 rpm fans. Thoughts?
http://thermalbench.com/2016/09/22/be-quiet-silent-wings-3-140-mm-fan/

P/P only nets average 1c lower delta on a 360mm rad. Depending on your fans, that's like buying a whole other rad.
 
The ek logo is typically removable from the res. It's just used as a baffle if it's desired/needed.
I'm an idiot for not noticing this. Thanks!

P/P only nets average 1c lower delta on a 360mm rad. Depending on your fans, that's like buying a whole other rad.
So are you saying it's worth it or is it better to get a thicker radiator in pull only? I also realized I can put a P/P setup for the bottom half of my front radiator. The HDDs block the top half.

Also, I would prefer quiet fans than the absolute minimum temps. My house is never more than 70F (21C), so with a 40c temp in the loop, I will almost double the capacity of the radiator. I could do a full engineering analysis, but it's probably not necessary.
 
Looks like I found the answer to my own question. Push/Pull it is!
http://www.xtremerigs.net/2015/02/2...tups-learned-stop-worry-love-fans-less-noise/

That data is fucking whacked. They took martins test data from years ago to create a narrative in their setup w/ different components never mind the kukri fans vs push/pull ap15s. What the crack? This sort of reduxing of data is not kosher.

If you look at just theiur numbers, the GTS gets 344w in push at 1gpm/1850rpm. It then does 365w in P/P this crazy P/P test.

"Here we can see, that a “good” radiator in push can in fact out perform a “bad” radiator in push/pull. This is contrary to our earlier claims which were based on poorly correlating data."

These guys are all over the map.

Anyways, not sure which direction you are going but if you go P/P with a thin rad, you are wasting your efforts on the GTS. The Koolance HX becomes a monster in P/P above 800rpm.
 
Last edited:
That data is fucking whacked. They took martins test data from years ago to create a narrative in their setup w/ different components never mind the kukri fans vs push/pull ap15s. What the crack? This sort of reduxing of data is not kosher.

Oy. So don't trust the data.

Thanks for the help. I will have to keep reading!
 
Last edited:
Oy. So don't trust the data. Back to my question then - ~60mm radiator, or ~30mm radiator with push/pull?

As a rule of thumb, doubling the number of fans = much more noise. Thus if low noise is the #1 goal, thicker rads allow you a high level of cooling w/o having to resort to P/P, ie. push is a quieter setup vs P/P . We can see P/P with the Koolance kicking some serious tail, but it is the same size as the EK XE. The thermal differences are 430w dissipation vs 470w with the Koolance. However is that 40w difference worth the big increase in noise? And at lower rpms say 1300rpm P/P, the Koolance's edge drops to 30w. It will shrink more as the rpms drops and we get out of each rads individual efficiency range. Its still a difference but not very big, and weigh that difference vs the noise.

Fundamentally I always go with the biggest rads, most surface area that I can achieve reasonably in a case. I always opt for more rad vs P/P. I only go P/P when I have so much damn space that I don't care anymore.
 
As a rule of thumb, doubling the number of fans = much more noise. Thus if low noise is the #1 goal, thicker rads allow you a high level of cooling w/o having to resort to P/P, ie. push is a quieter setup vs P/P . We can see P/P with the Koolance kicking some serious tail, but it is the same size as the EK XE. The thermal differences are 430w dissipation vs 470w with the Koolance. However is that 40w difference worth the big increase in noise? And at lower rpms say 1300rpm P/P, the Koolance's edge drops to 30w. It will shrink more as the rpms drops and we get out of each rads individual efficiency range. Its still a difference but not very big, and weigh that difference vs the noise.

Fundamentally I always go with the biggest rads, most surface area that I can achieve reasonably in a case. I always opt for more rad vs P/P. I only go P/P when I have so much damn space that I don't care anymore.


I would say this is driving it in the wrong direction a bit. If your objective is silence then you really want to go with a thin radiator that was designed for low rpm fans. The thicker the radiator the worse they perform on low speed fans, other differences not withstanding. However you do have less performance doing this, but I would wager any water cooling setup with 2 280mm radiators will be fine for cooling an overclocked system whether you go with slim radiators and low speed fans or thick radiators and fast push/pull fans. You will just see higher temps on one than the other but both setups will be well within spec.

For some data to back it up: http://thermalbench.com/2016/09/16/alphacool-nexxxos-st30-x-flow-480mm-radiator/5/

Notice how slim radiators like the Black Ice Nemesis GTS are near the top in performance at 700rpm fan speed. However as you up the fan speed thicker models like the GTR catch up and eventually surpass it in performance. This trend is pretty typical.
 
Stick with 30mm or 45mm thick rads. I use two 60mm rads and wish I had gone with a thinner ones.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I just realized I made my first derp. I only need (1) 5.25" bays. Which means I don't need to put a 280mm rad up top. I can put a 360 or 420mm rad up there! So I now need to start looking all over again, LOL. I will say though the front-most fan will be partially blocked by the Qi charger at the top of the case. Probably not a big deal, but it's something to note.
 
Hi! I love your post. I have watercooled every system of mine since 2006 and I have tried many configurations.

My advice for a first timer:
Get a syringe and a small funnel to inject the coolant into your reservoir or fill tube.

For nicely cut tubing, i have found that garden trimming shears worked perfectly for me.

Make your own coolant using distilled water and automotive radiator fluid. Use a 10% coolant and 90% water ratio. The water is what takes the heat. The fancy non-conductive coolant is crazy expensive and isnt non-conductive anymore after its been in the loop for a while. The automotive coolant will last you years. Dont use 50/50 pre mixed coolant.

Use a spare power supply with an external on/off button to run just the pump when you fill the system, instead of using your system power supply and power cycling the PC. You can hotwire the spare PS to be able to start by using a paper clip to connect the green wire to a black wire on the ATX connector. This is DC power - dont worry. You can buy a fancy hot wire connector if you really want but its a waste.

Practice filling and draining with your system power supply removed from the chassis. I see your power supply is at the bottom of the chassis and gravity would possibly send an accidental spill right into it.

Run the system in test for 24 hours to detect leaks. Place paper towels or printer paper in the bottom of the chassis to detect any drips. Feel the tubing and fittings to check for any moisture.

Have a spare bucket and paper towels ready!

After a successful 24 hour test, consider installing your system power supply. Consider performing a test drain of the system.
 
Thanks for the advice!

I do have a spare power supply I will use, as I do not want to ruin the brand new one...all other components could survive a leak, so long as they are not powered on. I do plan to use distilled water, and a few drops of a biocide. I didn't want to utilize glycol because it reacts poorly with PETG.
 
I think I'm going to purchase Alphacool XT45 420 for up top. It has a few extra ports for filling or temp sensors, and I don't think it's too wide to block the IO ports. It's a little thicker than I initially wanted, but I believe it will fit just fine. The 420 GTS has much too high of a restriction, and the GTX is too thick/wide (10mm wider!). There is not a lot of data/testing for radiators this size, as most people stick with 360's. I definitely want a 420mm as it has 36% more surface area. It will be a little tight, but I think it will be worth it.

I will essentially have greater cooling capacity than 2x360 radiators, which I am hoping will give me plenty of cooling support to run 1,000 rpm or lower!
 
I think I'm going to purchase Alphacool XT45 420 for up top. It has a few extra ports for filling or temp sensors, and I don't think it's too wide to block the IO ports. It's a little thicker than I initially wanted, but I believe it will fit just fine. The 420 GTS has much too high of a restriction, and the GTX is too thick/wide (10mm wider!). There is not a lot of data/testing for radiators this size, as most people stick with 360's. I definitely want a 420mm as it has 36% more surface area. It will be a little tight, but I think it will be worth it.

I will essentially have greater cooling capacity than 2x360 radiators, which I am hoping will give me plenty of cooling support to run 1,000 rpm or lower!

Restriction is easily dealt with by using stronger pump/s. If a single D5 is not enough, use a 35x or a 50x if on a budget. That said, if you've settled on mid size rads, I would not be looking at the XT45 as it's only average. And if you are buying new, for the difference in price get the best rad you can. The XTX is top 8 at 750rpm, #2 at 1300rpm, and #2 at 1850rpm however it doesn't come in 140mm sizing, EK choosing to use a different model name the CE. Look where the XT45 is in comparison to the XTX. I'd go CE@140mm or XTX@120mm at medium to slow speed.

http://www.xtremerigs.net/2015/10/06/ek-ce-420-radiator-review/5/

Note how they compare the CE to the much more expensive SR2. The CE holds its own vs the SR2. An interesting tidbit is the wattage dissipated difference between the XTX360 and the CE420 which is 16%. That is the samee as the difference in their core sizes. If you are really set on 140mm sizing, look at the first page of the extremerigs round up because it has links to a few 140mm rad tests. I'd start comparing there instead of extrapolating from 120mm reviews.
 
Pulled the trigger on a bunch of stuff. Thank you all for the help thus far, I would tag you if I knew how to...

Here is what I purchased - Going to wait on tubing/fittings, etc. until I can spend more time looking through the options and laying it all out inside the case.
Radiators:
Black Ice Nemesis 280 GTS (30mm)
EK-Coolsteam CE 420 (45 mm)

Pump/Res:
Watercool Heatkiller Tube 150 D5
Alphacool VPP755
"Short" Bottom Mount Stand

CPU Block:
Watercool Heatkiller IV Pro - Nickel (AMD)

Fans:
(3) 1,000 rpm DC Silent Wings 3

Misc.
Decoupling Kit for Pump/Res
Bitspower Fill Syringe
Round Black Grommets (In case I decide to drill some holes...)

I am going to have a somewhat tough time fitting the CE 420 in the case due to the length, but I will see what I can do to make it work. I have the MOBO tray dropped 20mm, which will fit it no problem. If I put the tray all the way up, I am shy ~2mm (based on preliminary measurements. I have not found a ton of people using the DBP 900 case, so compatibility with radiators is not thoroughly tested.

420mm up top, 280mm front, open 5.25 bay and 4 HDD's? Very versatile case so far!
 
Last edited:
You realize xtremerigs data backs up that assertion as well? Nemesis GTS is near the top in low RPM, but is surpassed by the GTX as fan speed increases.

Sorry, what? Who has said otherwise because its pretty darn obvious the GTS is a low rpm rad. I know I've been saying that since post 11. And that is not the point with that shitty review. They omit metrics half the time and are not clear and concise with their data points. They don't even use a proper wattage load control. Hell I can't stand reading their confusing charts. Even their fans reviews are fubar, like with the ML fans where they show static pressure but omit fan speed or voltage, you never get all the data in a chart to actually judge something on its merits. That's why I can't take that site seriously.
 
Sorry, what? Who has said otherwise because its pretty darn obvious the GTS is a low rpm rad. I know I've been saying that since post 11. And that is not the point with that shitty review. They omit metrics half the time and are not clear and concise with their data points. They don't even use a proper wattage load control. Hell I can't stand reading their confusing charts. Even their fans reviews are fubar, like with the ML fans where they show static pressure but omit fan speed or voltage, you never get all the data in a chart to actually judge something on its merits. That's why I can't take that site seriously.

You had just posted to go for thicker rads if low noise was the goal. I was merely showing, and backing up with data, that thinner radiators are usually better with low speed fans, and therefore better for low noise goals.
 
You had just posted to go for thicker rads if low noise was the goal. I was merely showing, and backing up with data, that thinner radiators are usually better with low speed fans, and therefore better for low noise goals.

You're reading things out of context or just looking to post or something? With any system there are limits as you only have so many places for rads. If you fill all your spaces with thin rads and low speed fans, sure for that surface area and speed the thin rad is best but you've just neutered your loop. 190w cooling at 750rpms... lol smh, that is not a lot of cooling for the resources. Those are decent for idling on the desktop and any top performing thick rad will not be far off, for ex. 20w difference at 750rpm. Hell a lot of thick rads are single digits away from the GTS at 750rpm. I'd much rather get a thick rad to have the wider curve at my disposal because I don't just idle around so I want to have great performance at 2000rpm and am willing to give up a few watts at 750rpm. And also, the poster was asking my opinion in regards to push/pull with thin rads because when ppl ask about push/pull with thin rads they sort of realize that 750rpm cooling power will not be enough.
 
Pulled the trigger on a bunch of stuff. Thank you all for the help thus far, I would tag you if I knew how to...

Here is what I purchased - Going to wait on tubing/fittings, etc. until I can spend more time looking through the options and laying it all out inside the case.
Radiators:
Black Ice Nemesis 280 GTS (30mm)
EK-Coolsteam CE 420 (45 mm)

Pump/Res:
Watercool Heatkiller Tube 150 D5
Alphacool VPP755
"Short" Bottom Mount Stand

CPU Block:
Watercool Heatkiller IV Pro - Nickel (AMD)

Fans:
(3) 1,000 rpm DC Silent Wings 3

Misc.
Decoupling Kit for Pump/Res
Bitspower Fill Syringe
Round Black Grommets (In case I decide to drill some holes...)

I am going to have a somewhat tough time fitting the CE 420 in the case due to the length, but I will see what I can do to make it work. I have the MOBO tray dropped 20mm, which will fit it no problem. If I put the tray all the way up, I am shy ~2mm (based on preliminary measurements. I have not found a ton of people using the DBP 900 case, so compatibility with radiators is not thoroughly tested.

420mm up top, 280mm front, open 5.25 bay and 4 HDD's? Very versatile case so far!

Should be a good setup, and I doubt you will have any issues with keeping everything cool at low fan speeds. I have a bit more rad space than you with two 480s but it is also cooling sli gfx and cpu, but I never have to increase my fans above minimum to maintain overclocks.
 
It fits! Slowly, starting to come together. I need to order a fan mounting plate for the bottom so I can mount the pump/res to that. I needed to drill some holes to enlarge the mounting channels, otherwise the radiator was too close to the panel knockouts. Motherboard tray is in the highest position, so I have lots of room for everything.

This case really gives a lot of options.

View attachment 18184

Nice, looks like its moving along good. Watch out for trapped air in the gts, air loves getting stuck in an orientation like that. Also keep in mind your airflow route as feeding the top rad with warmed air greatly reduces its effectiveness. You might want to think about pushing air out of both rads if you have more intake points.
 
That heatkiller tube looks amazing...
Kind of thinking I should have gone with the 200, instead of the 150. It's really sharp, and should match my build well. And it's glass! If I do go the copper tubing route I am thinking, I will have an all metal/glass loop!
 
yeah - that would be seriously baller. Plus the lower maintenance is a huge boon..
 
Why didnt you go MoRa3 ?

and yeah,, the tube is way cool, if there wasnt the D5 needed.
 
Just came across this thread (all the more inspiring) as I'm looking to dive into a custom loop after all these years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: usul0
like this
Back
Top