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Beginners Water Cooling Kit Ideas

R

Ravennoir

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Messages
93
Hey Everyone,

I wondering what would be a good Beginners Water Cooling Kit, I have a Thermaltake Armour and would like a Incase kit to cool my 4400+ and possibly my 2 7600GTs

What would be the best Kit to start with ?

thanks

-Raven
 
are you going for silence, performance/ max OC, or just something to make your friends eyes pop out :eek:
 
Ravennoir said:
Hey Everyone,

I wondering what would be a good Beginners Water Cooling Kit, I have a Thermaltake Armour and would like a Incase kit to cool my 4400+ and possibly my 2 7600GTs

What would be the best Kit to start with ?

thanks

-Raven
Click to expand...

Kudos TN.

What are your goals, how much of a budget do you have to work with, and how many of your front 5-1/4" bays are being taken up? I have an old TT armor build I made for a family member. If you can get away with just using the top 3 5-1/4" bays and don't mind putting your HD's in the top rack near the PSU, then I think I have an installed kit I can show you.
 
A bit from column A, a bit from column B :)

I would like to be able to push my machine, but I would like it to look good too

Not to worried about the noise, my case is already noisy
 
Ravennoir said:
A bit from column A, a bit from column B :)

I would like to be able to push my machine, but I would like it to look good too

Not to worried about the noise, my case is already noisy
Click to expand...


You can choose just about anything to accomplish your stated goals. So how much moula we got to play with?
 
Ravennoir said:
A bit from column A, a bit from column B :)

I would like to be able to push my machine, but I would like it to look good too

Not to worried about the noise, my case is already noisy
Click to expand...

Waiting for your budget. I can propose a pretty sick performing and looking build, but it really depends on your budget.
 
Well, its a starting kit, so I dont really want to spend to much, mainly want something which is reliable and wont turn my PC into a fishtank
 
I would look at:

Pump: DDC-2 with mod top from petra's
CPU: Dtek fuzion
GPU: run two DD maze 4 with ramsinks
RAD: here money plays a big part as does case design.

If you can fit a tripple, get one of the Swiftec MCR rads they are really nice.
If you have the money to spend get a thermochill PA120.3, the best rad out there and while you are spending the big money ditch the ramsinks and pick up two full cover blocks instead of the maze 4s

Tubing: 7/16" Masterkleer (10 to 15 ft)
T fitting for a T-line

use zip ties for hose clamps, they will work fine when you push the 7/16" tubing over the 1/2" barbs on all the gear.

Fans: if you have the money and you want silence plus performance get the Scythe S-flex fans

for the money though its hard to beat the mid range Yate Loon fans, pick up a sunbeam rheobus and crank them down to 7v
 
Ravennoir said:
Well, its a starting kit, so I dont really want to spend to much, mainly want something which is reliable and wont turn my PC into a fishtank
Click to expand...

For $250 dollar you can start off with a Swiftech H20 Apex 220 kit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108076

It's got very detailed installation instructions with pictures and includes a bunch of performance parts that will grant you great temps if you decide to ramp up your OC. It can also handle GPU upgrades somewhere down the line.

However, if you're more technically minded and don't need instructions you can piece together an awesome performing loop for the same price:

D-Tek FuZion CPU waterblock: $65 @ Petrastechshop.com
Swiftech MCR220QP Radiator: $40 @ jab-tech.com
Laing DDC-2 w/ Petra's modded top pump: $100 @ Petra's
Swiftech mcres-micro reservoir: $20 @ Petra's
10 feet of Masterkleer 1/2" ID tubing: $5 @ Petra's.

It's about the same price after shipping and you'll have a system that will rival the cooling potential of many others out there. The clear tubing and reservoir can be light up with UV dyes added to your distilled water solution. This kit will allow you to expand itself by adding a GPU block down the line without any problems.
 
Ranker said:
For $250 dollar you can start off with a Swiftech H20 Apex 220 kit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108076

It's got very detailed installation instructions with pictures and includes a bunch of performance parts that will grant you great temps if you decide to ramp up your OC. It can also handle GPU upgrades somewhere down the line.

However, if you're more technically minded and don't need instructions you can piece together an awesome performing loop for the same price:

D-Tek FuZion CPU waterblock: $65 @ Petrastechshop.com
Swiftech MCR220QP Radiator: $40 @ jab-tech.com
Laing DDC-2 w/ Petra's modded top pump: $100 @ Petra's
Swiftech mcres-micro reservoir: $20 @ Petra's
10 feet of Masterkleer 1/2" ID tubing: $5 @ Petra's.

It's about the same price after shipping and you'll have a system that will rival the cooling potential of many others out there. The clear tubing and reservoir can be light up with UV dyes added to your distilled water solution. This kit will allow you to expand itself by adding a GPU block down the line without any problems.
Click to expand...

That Swiftech kit was my 1st foray into WC'ing. For a kit, you can't go wrong. I still have most of those parts in my loop today, I've just basically added to it. IMO, tho, the fans need changing. My fan controller uses PWM and Delta (loud to begin with) don't like PWM. Of course, they could simply be undervolted.
 
Gyrfalcon said:
Tubing: 7/16" Masterkleer (10 to 15 ft)
T fitting for a T-line

use zip ties for hose clamps, they will work fine when you push the 7/16" tubing over the 1/2" barbs on all the gear.
Click to expand...

Agree on the zip ties when using 7/16" over 1/2". Works just fine and looks better than worm clamps.

Gyrfalcon said:
Fans: if you have the money and you want silence plus performance get the Scythe S-flex fans
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I got. Excellent fans! But they do cost...:(
 
What about external water cooling????? I can help there as some people already know about;)
 
newls1 said:
What about external water cooling????? I can help there as some people already know about;)
Click to expand...

Tis a good question as we don't know if the OP wants to cut up a case or make an easy installation.
 
n00btard said:
What would make you think that:confused:

Although I would like to... paper route can't satisfy the monetary requirements of a 17-year old's computer hobby :p
Click to expand...

Your alias just sounded familiar to me and I thought I recognized it to be a guy who used to work at Sharka and then went to work at Zalman.
 
My first loop was a whitewater, ac pump and a heatercore. It cost me like $75 for everything but netted me AMAZING temps. You don't need to spend anywhere near $200 IMO
 
939 Socket, Ideally the easier the better at the moment until I get more into the water cooling
 
Well, the blocks you can change whenever, and at the end of the day they aren't the main thing.

The main thing is the radiator - they're cheap.

You need to A) Get the heat from the components into the water fast. and B) Get the heat out of the water fast.

B is the most important thing, without it then the water temperature will reach equilibrium too high, and you'll end up with bad temperatures.

Any block will take enough heat from components to allow them to run normally, or with a bit of an overclock.

It's also much easier to change a block than it is to change a radiator.

So I'd get the best radiator around - people say it's a Swiftech. And then get a good pump, people say the DDC+ is a great pump, but I suspect it's noisy.

Once you have those two, then you can decide if you want a res (or not), and then decide on tubing and blocks.
 
The best rads are Thermochills (but are probably too expensive to be considered by you). Swiftechs are the best in terms of price/performance. The DDC+ pump needs an aftermarket top to be at its best and to use anything other than 3/8" tubing. The noise level of the DDC+ has dropped with newer revisions. I had mine manufactured 5/07 and I can't hear it at all. But then again I'm using a Petra top and the gel material.
 
Just grab:

Fuzion CPU block
MCR320 or 220 depending on what you can fit
MCP655 or DDC+ with a modded top.
Some yate loons
Masterkleer tubing

You're done. Seriously, kits just arn't worth it these days.
 
Arcygenical said:
Just grab:

Fuzion CPU block
MCR320 or 220 depending on what you can fit
MCP655 or DDC+ with a modded top.
Some yate loons
Masterkleer tubing

You're done. Seriously, kits just arn't worth it these days.
Click to expand...

Some one make him Moderator of this forum already.
 
hmm, I agree kits aren't worth it. Much cheaper to do a custom loop. Also it's not close to hard to mod a ddc, I did it with a soda cap, a 1/2 threaded fitting and epoxy. Total cost was like $10 to mod it. Also, imo any dual or triple 120mm rad will do temp wise.
 
if you're a beginner and you're gonna build a custom kit you might wanna do what i was recommended back then... you should use the 3/8 (5/8) or 1/2 primoflex tubing as its alot more rubbery and makes a better seal around your gear... (zip ties work better on it too). granted its not as clear as tygon or masterkleer but it kept me from worrying about leaks. took me a while before i felt i was confident enough to just throw a custom loop together with no sweat.

just some words from someone who was in your boots not so long ago :)

my first performance kit i got an alphacool starter kit from Xoxide for 130 reduced from 200.. was a great starter kit for the money and i still now use the Eheim pump / res combo station II unit from the kit its very nice. i just upgraded the rad to a dual 120mm one and got a nice TDX block and that sorted me for a while
 
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