2 rads better than one?

[Banshee763]

I just built a new system and I am going to migrate the cooling loop that I put together on my old machine to the new one. I have extra WC parts that I have gotten over the years and wanted to see what you all thought of my setup/ proposed setup.
My existing loop consists of: (in order)
*aquacomputer modularity 240 w/ D5 pump
*aquacomputer inline temp sensor
*aquacomputer kuplex Kryos WB
*aquacomputer flow meter
*swiftech maelstrom dual bay res
*aquacomputer inline temp sensor
*all running thru 1/2" ID tubing.
I'm using ice dragon cooling fluid in the loop as well.
Running an aquero 5 and a poweradjust 2 ultra and using aa aquacomputer software for monitoring and adjusting.

Current system is a rampage II MB and the processor is a xeon w3680 processor. My water temps on idle are 28c and 36c on a decent load.

I was thinking about adding a 420mm EK radiator to the loop just for better water temps and will be running 2x 780ti cards on EK blocks on the new system. New MB is a rampage IV and the processor is an Intel 3960x.

Any critique would be appreciated as I only want to put this loop together once. I also have a new Koolance PMP 450s pump lying around.

 

[Skripka]

You most certainly want more than a single 240 radiator cooling 2 GPUs and 3960x.

 

[86 5.0L]

more rad surface area > less radiator surface area

 

[Banshee763]

I should be good with the D5 pumping thru the extra rad and 2 gpu blocks? My flow is 70LPH on 3/4 pump power.

 

[King Icewind]

A 480 would work out well and leaves room with the 240mm, or you could get a thicker 360mm. Every 120mm of rad space will cool about 130-150W to 10C delta depending on the speed of the fan (low to high). 780ti is 250w TDP before overclocking, so you will need 500w at a minimum. 500/130 = 3.8 worth of 120mm rad = 456mm total needed at least. This is of course given the average 30ish mm thick radiator.

 

[Banshee763]

Thanks for the formula for figuring out rad space. I guess next question would be placement of the radiators. I have an azza fusion 4000 case. Both rads in the top of case with 5" of space in between, one blowing thru another? Or one rad on top and one rad on bottom, both in taking cool air?

 

[SonDa5]

I think single rad design is better. If flow is problem set up single reservoir feeding a small pump for CPU and another larger pump for GPU blocks. Monster rad 80mm thick 4x120mm with multi in puts and outputs with a multi input outputs reservoir would be sweet set up and performance. 80mm thick 3x120 rad will work too... You need push/pull fans for best performance.

 

[ebduncan]

Thanks for the formula for figuring out rad space. I guess next question would be placement of the radiators. I have an azza fusion 4000 case. Both rads in the top of case with 5" of space in between, one blowing thru another? Or one rad on top and one rad on bottom, both in taking cool air?

you definitely don't want the hot air coming off one rad to be the intake air for the next rad. So don't stack them.

Ideally both rads would intake cool air, however, you have to make sure you have some place for all the heat to exit the case as well. Ie if you only have intake fans on your rads, all that heat is just getting dumped inside the case and doesn't really have a way out unless its open air, or has some sort of fan exhaust to remove all the hot air from inside the case.

In your case I would probably run a 420 up top, and a 240 in the front.

 

[Banshee763]

I have a separate compartment on the top of the case that I could intake from front and exhaust out the rear in a 6" gap between the radiators. Bottom rad might get some warm air but I would think that the cool air being pumped in would be sufficient.

 

[ebduncan]

I know what case that is.

I gave you my advice, as a seasoned water cooler. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[Banshee763]

Thanks, will setup tonight. Not disregarding your advice, just going thru options.

 

[SonDa5]

Again single 80mm thick 480 rad is perfect for that case and your needed cooling.

 

[Activate: AMD]

I think single rad design is better. If flow is problem set up single reservoir feeding a small pump for CPU and another larger pump for GPU blocks. Monster rad 80mm thick 4x120mm with multi in puts and outputs with a multi input outputs reservoir would be sweet set up and performance. 80mm thick 3x120 rad will work too... You need push/pull fans for best performance.

More frontal area is always better than less i.e. 4x120 40mm thick > 3x120 80mm thick. This has been shown time and time again in various benchmarks. Radiators are also some of the least flow restricting parts in the loop, so if OP already has a 240mm rad I would recommend keeping it in the loop and adding the biggest additional rad that can be easily fit. No need to trash a perfectly good rad that will help your cooling just so you only have 1 rad in the loop. 240+480 plenty enough to cool that loop very nicely

 

[SonDa5]

I lean more to max cubic cooling and rad fin design with proper fan flow to maximize rad cooling. 80mm thick monsta rads have a lot of cooling ability and being that this case can accommodate it to me it seems like making the most of the space in the case.

So my answer to question in the title of the post is if a single radiator can do the job then go with one.

Alphacool Monsta radiators also happen to be a good value. So you get 1 radiator that does that job for a good price. Now being that the OP already has another rad it may be cheaper to just get another rad but considering the cost spent if the OP would have just got a single Monsta 480 rad to begin with then the OP would be set.

 

[jedimasterben]

moar rad moar better

I have two Swiftech QP-320 for my CPU/GPU (i7 2600K 4.8GHz 1.41v, GTX 780 1.3GHz 1.2v) and I would not hesitate to add a third triple if it wouldn't look like a pile of dicks on my bench station.