Help with cooling loop(s?)

[Thannatos]

I have a stacker 830A (the black revision with less room) that's currently being water cooled by a swiftech mcp 350, 2 120x2 swiftech rads, and 1 120x1 black ice xtreme. The whole thing is internally mounted: one 120x2 up front (hard drive bay removed, 2 hdd's screwed into the floppy adapters for 5" slots, and 1 dvd burner taking the 3 top slots, rad on the bottom with 4 fans push/pull putting air in the case), one 120x2 mounted on the side (i removed the plastic fan door, and zip tied a rad to the right of the mesh, up against the 5" bays, with 2 fans pushing air in), and 120x1 mounted on the rear fan slot (with 2 fans push/pulling air out).

The loop is cooling a q9450 @ 3.4 and 2 gtx280's @ 754/1620/1300 (core won't go higher, but shaders can be pushed) with an ambient temp of 25C. I am using an apogee gt and 2x mcw60's. q9450 cores get up to ~61C under IBT, gtx's get up to 54C in furmark. After playing crysis for 2 hours the cards never exceed 50C, and the cpu cores get just as warm.

The current setup is thus: pump -> 120x1 -> 120x2 -> 120x2 -> cpu -> gpu -> gpu -> res -> warp back to beginning (particle in a box?).

I'm currently using a stock top and 3/8" ID tubing (from home depot ), and KingWin 2000 rpm 120x25cm 79CFM 30 dB fans (volt modded to 7v).

I'm currently debating doing the following:

1) Switching all tubing to 1/2" ID tygon.

2) purchasing another mcp350 and doing 2 loops:

Loop 1: pump -> 120x2 -> cpu -> res -> repeat.

Loop 2: pump -> 120x1 -> 120x2 -> gpu -> gpu -> res.

(I place the 120x1 first, despite adding tubing, because it won't cool the water as much as the 120x2's pulling fresh air in).

3) replacing the stock tops with xspc tops.

4) Switching the fans to 64CFM, 24dB Scythe s-fdb's.

I was wondering specifically if this will reduce my temperatures by a noticeable amount while keeping my low noise profile, and if anyone had any suggestions with the loop or build.

Thanks in advanced!

 

[lollerskater69]

Wouldn't you want to do 120x1 120x2 gpu 120x2 cpu?

 

[Thannatos]

I've actually taken the loop apart several times, and put it back together using just about every block/rad order combo. The loop infact stays coolest running all the rads first, then all the blocks (I would chalk this up to water's heat capacity: its difficult to turn its delta T around, but once it starts moving in one direction it moves rather quick. So, by doing all the rads, you effectively thrust it deep into the -dT, and once it hits the blocks, they get to have fun trying to first stop the -dT, then change it to +dT, then increase it from there.)

 

[magoo]

DO you have any inclination to buying just a bigger pump, like the MCP 650.

Instead of spending 60 bucks for a new small pump, get a bigger pump that will circulate the water faster.....especially if going to 1/2" tubing.

just a suggestion. I'm no expert......but I had a 120mm.2>Res>GTZ>bitspower MOS>back again......with an MCP355........I changed to a 650 and was able to drop the temps by about 3-5C. I use 3/8 " tubing.