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200 Dollar Cooling Challenge

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Praggu

n00b
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
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61
So my friend and I are building a gaming ring with a budget of 200 dollars for cooling. I personally am for water cooling and would like to implement such a system, however my counterpart disagrees. He feels that a air cooled system will be quieter and cooler.

He wants to use a cohort of thermaltake silent fans with this as his main one: (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zerotherm/Nirvana120Premium/5.html).

I've looked through a bunch of the threads here, and I'm wondering, is it possible to build a 200 dollar water cooled system which would be better than the fan system I mentioned above? I know it is possible to build a water cooling system (whether package or custom) in that price range, I just was wondering whether it would be worth it, when compared to the alternative. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm relatively new to cooling, but if any of you had specific suggestions of custom sets or packaged deals, I would be very thankful.

EDIT: basically, I'm just trying to find the absolute best cooling solution under 200 dollars.
 
It would be very difficult to get a good liquid cooling setup that will beat a high-end air setup for under 200 dollars. push it to 300, and yeah, you can get a pretty amazing liquid setup for a single processor or a single processor and graphics card. If you want to try for a liquid setup, go for Swiftech Apogee GT/GTX block, with an MCR radiator, with an MCP350 pump. you might be able to pull that off. with 200 with some creative shopping

Your shopping list for water would look like (no GPU.)
Swiftech Apogee GT/GTX
Swiftech MCR220
Swiftech MCP350
Tubing
Res

For air, I would suggest a Scythe Ninja, if you want to go the air route.
 
I'd suggest shopping around on FSFT, got a cpu and vga loop for under 200 shipped. It just takes some time to snag the deals.
 
I find it hard to believe that you couldn't beat an air cooled setup... then again I havent been on air for 3 years...
 
Thanks for the info. I looked into the Scythe Ninja Copper, and I feel given my limited price range, it might be better that I stick with air. Any other advice pertaining would going with this route would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hmm.. $200 dollars, like someone posted above about the "for sale" thread, it's semi possible to get a "high end" water cooling loop for 200 clams it just takes time or a loaded gun (CPU, GPU loop) :)

The below is just some "rambling" on my part and FYI only ;)

Seeing patients is not one of my virtues (unfortunate sometimes) I went with a kit for a second WC'ed 24/7 folder (a kit, gasp :(). I kinda' got a Nautilus 500 by accident on Fleabay. (IMO not a bad kit for a cpu only loop with a C2D, no GPU, definitely not a gamming type cooler) :D

My primary boxen is a Q6600 replacing one of my E6600's so I installed the Nautilus 500 in my other E6600 boxen. The Nautilus 500 kept the E6600, if my memory doesn't decieve me, about 30c idle and 42c load with an ambient temp about 21c.

Liking the Q6600 so much I had in my primary boxen I went and switched the Nautilus E6600 from a E6600 to a Q6600 and OC'ed the quad to 3.0 GHz. Thats when I got in trouble, while I think the Nautilus or any good kit, is sufficient to cool a C2D dual, with or without a GPU. (Nautilus 500, Swiftech 120 and 220 all in one pump/block kits, etc) I don't think they have made a kit yet that can cool a quad, let alone a GPU, as well as some "top flight" air coolin'.

IMHHO (honest, humble opinion :p) if you can't get good loop componets, like those posted by Narisatu, in the "for sale" thread above or some other way you'd be better off going with air because I was runnin' about 62c to 67c loaded degrees with an ambient of about 21c degrees with the Naut + Q6600. IMHHO again, that's just too freakin' hot to run 24/7 at 100% 24/7 (folding) :(

If the above made any sense at all great, if it didn't I apologize :p

 
Define best, how would the "winner" be determined ? Lowest temp at some OC under load ? Idle temps etc. Would the cost/money spent be a factor as in if you spent $100 and he spent $200 would you get extra "points". Who gives a shit anyway.

IMO Best bang for buck on the planet for watercooling at the moment.

http://order.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bi...29846d63343&l=&s=FPav_yOIZ.2BN5McVyBamjHBEuI-

http://mysite.verizon.net/ressdxka/id3.html

Better jump on it if you are interested, I am buying 3 for clients and do not know how many are available.
 
Here's an old saying that applies to many things (time, money, patience):

"If you can't afford to do it right, be sure you can afford to do it over."
 
I got my watercooling all used for $130.

Parts:
Swiftech MCP665 ($35 USED)
Swiftech Storm Rev. 2 ($25 used)
Swiftech MCR320 ($35 used)
Danger den maze 4 GPU ($25 used)
Tubing + T-line: $10

I had 3 120mm fans already, so add maybe $15 to that for the fans and total's around $150 for all used parts. I think this setup would cost around $250 new. Just depends on how much you're willing to shop around.
 
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