Need advice for new water cooling setup....

C

chrsharvick29

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 28, 2007
Messages
121
I will be setting up a new CPU loop in a few weeks with the new Heatkiller Rev3 1366 block (CU or LT, probably LT), Feser X-Changer 360, and Laing DDC-3.2 (w/XSPC Reservoir Top) in a Cosmos S case. I'll use 1/2" Feser UV Red tubing with Bitspower compression fittings. I might add a 285 GTX later(hence the larger rad).

I want to know 3 things:
1) What loop order is the best for this setup?
2) Would it be better if I pull in air from outside the case or vice-versa?
3) What would be the best cooling fluid to use(distilled water, or premade coolants) and what additives do I need to add?

And an additional question, what sort of UV light could I use to light up the tubing without much more ambient light. A link would help allot with this. Thanks for any help.

Specs will be
EVGA X58 Classified
Intel i7 920
CORSAIR Dominator GT 6GB DDR3 2000
EVGA 285 GTX 1GB
Thermaltake 850W
 
Let me begin by saying you will make the CORRECT choice in buying the HeatKiller 3.0 CU, which you can buy HERE

Here is a pic of mine, which is getting nickel plated...

3577400702_b98a69f7ee_b.jpg



1) I recommend this loop order:

pump / cpu / rad

2) I prefer to "pull" air through the radiator. So I recommend pulling outside air into your case through the radiator.

3) I prefer Distilled Water and my homemade .999 Silver Coils. It is a whole lot better that putting additives in your loop.

4) I have 4 sets of these, they work great... Logisys Dual UV 12 in. CCFL Light Kit
 
I really like the CU version but consider that I'm going to do custom paint job to the case and the copper would stick out allot(might be a good thing). Black/Red theme is what I'm going for. I hear that the LT and CU performance aren't far off each other and the LT's price is much cheaper. Correct me if I'm wrong, there really hasn't been much chatter about that.

Thanks for the suggestions, I saw the silver coil on sidewinder a few minutes ago but really didn't know exactly how well it works.

Do you know if I can call sidewinder and reserve some parts(i.e. block, rad)? Thanks for the help.
 
Gary doesn't allow pre-orders or reservations.

Gary will also be closed until 8 June 2009. He and I are traveling to Taipei, Taiwan to attend Computex2009. w00t

Send me a PM of what you are wanting and I'll see if I can't help you out. ;)

fyi, Gary doesn't carry the silver coils.
 
Ok, it'll be a few weeks until I see myself ordering anything, so maybe you guys will be back by then. Having fun in Taiwan!

BTW, I found the coil, it's was at petra's. So many places to look for this stuff, lol.
 
Ok, I have another question.

I'm mounting the radiator to the top of the case. I want the best temp for CPU but I don't want to suffer from very high case temps. Should I exhaust through the radiator or intake. I'm running the clear sidepanel so no big intake fan on the side. There will be 3 other fans inside the case. The back, HDD bay and bottom. How should I configure those?

I went with the XSPC RX360 for the rad, no problems mounting fans. Should I just use the included 4 short screws or should use more for support.
DSC00325.jpg


Thought I'd add a few pics of my HK
DSC00313.jpg


DSC00317.jpg
 
I think I found a solution. I might just put on the sidepanel with the fan and have it exhaust instead of intake. I'll change the panels out to see the differences in temps. I'll keep my clear panel on most of the time though.
 
Dude i have the exact same case w/ CM clear side panel as well. The only difference is I have Asus Rampage 2 Extrme n 6Gigs of crappy GSkill ram @ 1600. Also, in a few weeks im gonna start buying all the parts. Same parts as urs, the rad, CPU block, tygon tubing (clear), swiftech pump n reservoir...

This also will be my first watercool setup so, i hope we can help each other out man =)

Looking at ur question: i was thinking about this... Why dont u keep ur clear side panel on, so it'll look cool. n have a 120mm fan on top of ur HDD cage (it'll take up to 3 drive bays) n have something like scythe fans (high cfm) doing push n pull method for ur intake fans. and just let the radiator sucks the air from ur intake fans and blow the warm air out through ur radiator...

That is my plan for my future setup. Idk bout u, but i have 2 stacks of GTX 275, n when playing heavy games such as warhead/crysis. those 55nm cards will produce hot air throughout ur case (including ur 285) so have 2x any high airflow intake fans (doing push pull) do the air will cool ur cards and ur radiator.. dont forget to add one 120mm intake fan at the bottom.

Good Luck w/ ur build...

Post some pics of ur build, and so will i. it'll be fun.

Cheers !!
 
RedRaider said:
Let me begin by saying you will make the CORRECT choice in buying the HeatKiller 3.0 CU
Click to expand...

idk if youre still monitoring this thread redraider, but may i ask why you say the CU is best? it is $22 more, and only performs less than half a degree cooler. besides looks, i dont see why you would encourage this block over the LT. the LT is such a better value.
 
OK boys this is how it is done.

According to this (provide link or detail personal experience) the LT only performs less than half a degree cooler but costs $22 more than the CU. To me unless you really wanted the CU look it seems a high premium for such a small increase in performance.

AND LEAVE IT AT THAT.
Now, ekuest read one way your post is a polite query as to RedRaiders thinking. Read another way it is baiting/trolling and in either instance it qualifies as thread hijacking - A new thread titled something like Heatkiller CU vs. LT worth the $ ? would be the way to go and leave the OPs thread alone.

Now ekuest, buddy, please don't feel like I am jumping on you specifically, well sure I did but with the goal of reminding everyone the correct way per forum rules to do things including having knock down drag out arguments ( I love those when done properly ).

Also to ensure this thread does not degenerate. I will close it in a heartbeat if it gets nasty. So I am taking your query as read as a polite inquiry.

I expect a polite response if a response is offered.
 
I want to know 3 things:
1) What loop order is the best for this setup?
2) Would it be better if I pull in air from outside the case or vice-versa?
3) What would be the best cooling fluid to use(distilled water, or premade coolants) and what additives do I need to add?
Click to expand...
1. Loop order does not matter, the only thing you should not do is put the output of the pump into the reservoir. Personally I would do the following: Reservoir -> Pump -> Radiator -> Cpu Block -> GPU block -> back to reservoir
2. Pulling cold air from the outside would be ideal but if you have proper airflow already I don't see this significantly affecting temperatures. If you could do both at the same time It could help case temps as well.
3. Distilled water would be the best fluid to use along with some PT nuke or killcoils. Using distilled won't cloud the tubing and offers the best carrier of heat away from parts.
 
I wonder if the HK 3.0 is still #1 (or ever was)... I just havent seen it compared directly to alot of other coolers... you know? Maybe the Koolance 350 and the Enzotech Luna are worth looking at too... you know? The Swiftech GTZ Ci7...???

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&number=8&artpage=4162&articID=931

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3585048#post3585048

I have yet to see a real review base for this cooler. I am using one (along with their GTX 285 cooler), and I am happy, but I dont really have a basis for comparison, other than the Apogee GTZ I had on there before.
 
Last edited:
foxtrotniner said:
1. Loop order does not matter, the only thing you should not do is put the output of the pump into the reservoir. Personally I would do the following: Reservoir -> Pump -> Radiator -> Cpu Block -> GPU block -> back to reservoir
2. Pulling cold air from the outside would be ideal but if you have proper airflow already I don't see this significantly affecting temperatures. If you could do both at the same time It could help case temps as well.
3. Distilled water would be the best fluid to use along with some PT nuke or killcoils. Using distilled won't cloud the tubing and offers the best carrier of heat away from parts.
Click to expand...

To add to this, i saw less than 1 degree difference when using case air to cool my gpu radiator and using fresh air. So it all comes down to what you prefer. Unless you have REALLY bad case airflow, the air inside the case is not going to be warm enough to really affect how well the radiator cools the system.
 
cosmos s w/ clear side panel is poor in air circulation. i added 2 more 120mm fans just for intake (i have the same case n sidepanel). If u want, u can mount the rad on the front sucking fresh air into radiator n into case. then have 3 exhaust fan on top. also use that one 120mm on the bottom for intake.
 
BillParrish said:
OK boys this is how it is done.

According to this (provide link or detail personal experience) the LT only performs less than half a degree cooler but costs $22 more than the CU. To me unless you really wanted the CU look it seems a high premium for such a small increase in performance.

AND LEAVE IT AT THAT.
Now, ekuest read one way your post is a polite query as to RedRaiders thinking. Read another way it is baiting/trolling and in either instance it qualifies as thread hijacking - A new thread titled something like Heatkiller CU vs. LT worth the $ ? would be the way to go and leave the OPs thread alone.

Now ekuest, buddy, please don't feel like I am jumping on you specifically, well sure I did but with the goal of reminding everyone the correct way per forum rules to do things including having knock down drag out arguments ( I love those when done properly ).

Also to ensure this thread does not degenerate. I will close it in a heartbeat if it gets nasty. So I am taking your query as read as a polite inquiry.

I expect a polite response if a response is offered.
Click to expand...

ARGH IM ENRAGED! jk :p im very sorry bill. i did not in any way intend to bait or troll anyone, and in fact i love the HK 3.0 CU and agree with basically everyone that it is the single sexiest cpu block currently on the market (IMO!)

however i have seen this image a couple times in different threads and thought it was pretty well accepted. i do not know the original source, and hope someone can provide it, because i cant. perhaps langer knows if he is still alive. thats his imagebucket link.

as for the price, here is the LT for $62.95 and here is the CU for $84.95. at this particular vendor, that is a $22 difference.

i do not have any personal experience with these 3, because i cant afford even one of these blocks on my current WC budget, let alone all 3. i can only dream. however, i had looked up the prices before and also seen that performance comparison chart and thought i would offer my findings on the matter.

because i did not have any personal experience, i inquired as to why redraider only recommends the CU, because i know from exerience that he knows much much more than i do. :) i honestly wanted to know why he recommends it over the (seemingly) not-worth-the-price-increase CU.

again, sorry to nearly ignite a fire. not my intention at all. i just wanted to help the OP and perhaps other hard users who find this thread in the future when trying to decide which block to buy. i dont think the CU was meant for everyone, and to my knowledge the LT is nearly as good, for a lot less money. if i am mistaken, i would very much like to know, as i am sure other interested users would be. i can start a new thread if needed. please dont hurt me bill! :D
 
RedRaider said:
Let me begin by saying you will make the CORRECT choice in buying the HeatKiller 3.0 CU, which you can buy HERE
Click to expand...

btw bill, why didnt RRR get any flack for this? i mean the guy knows his stuff sure, but at least i said WHY i recommended what i did and gave some numbers, even if i didnt cite where they were from. RRR gave absolutely zero reason for his recommendation. the more i think about it, the more i dont understand why you jumped on me, seeing as this type of stuff happens in every single thread from every single user. :rolleyes:
 
I am keeping an eye on everyone. RR too. Mainly he got his recommendation in first so the burden of proof rests with you. Frankly I had no clue about the two blocks pricing or performance so his initial recommendation did not raise any flags. I happen to agree with your observation regarding price/performance increase, but I am a cheap bastid.

Look please, here is all it is, I have (well susposed too) to read every post/reply looking for trouble because [H] wants this to be a friendly or at least civil place. And while I take that very seriously I do not like giving out formal infractions or warnings. Yes - we have an internal system that does that and tracks them by user. So every now and then if I see something that looks like it might cause trouble I like to try to head it off and when I post one of those it is an attempt to inform/remind EVERYONE that hangs out here what the forum expects and prevent a sitituation where I would be forced to take formal action. (The powers that be have recently been much stricter on name calling and civility issues with short "vacations" handed out more often than in the recent past).

So as I mentioned there was nothing wrong with your post. it was all in how it was read and read one way it was a challenge, abeit a polite one and even then perhaps I was over-reacting. But another minor issue is that it was taking the thread off topic into a discussion of CU vs LT . So a couple of minor issues I wanted to stop. I will even admit, every now and then I like to pick a post and beat my chest to let people know I am watching , a couple of years ago this forum was a snake pit and the management does not what that to happen again

I cant hang out here all the time 24 x 7 and your post caught my attention and I didnt want it to get out of hand and later have to edit/move/close blah blah , freaking takes time I could be drinking. So in one way you just got the bad luck of the draw.

You are regarded as a welcome and a poster in good standing

, dont let it bother you, I was making a point in general to everyone and your post happened to be a good example. You had no infractions/warnings and you still do not. Perhaps this is not a good way to do it but I do not have a lot of alternatives when trying to address everyone.

So ekuest, please, no worries, . thats why I mentioned it in public and am making this reply in public, When you get a PM from me - worry :D .

For the Record,

Everyone - We need to work harder at keeping posts on topic and creating a new different post if the OP does not express interest in where the thread evolves. And everyone has just as good a chance of me picking their posts to rant with. About 1 a month seems to be my norm, right when the medication runs out.

I am a moderator, so I try to moderate sometimes without calling in the guys with the big clubs and hammers.
 
chrsharvick29 said:
1) What loop order is the best for this setup?
Click to expand...
Mostly irrelevant. First of all, go with the shortest, most efficient loop possible. Now once you achieve this, then you might consider loop order and put the rad immediately before the CPU block, but only as long as it does not add much to your loop.

chrsharvick29 said:
2) Would it be better if I pull in air from outside the case or vice-versa?
Click to expand...
First option only. Neutral about pushing or pulling as long as you get cool air from outside the case either pushed or pulled through your radiator. Do not go with your second option and run hot air through the rad. This sounds obvious, yet some people do it for airflow reasons. (see all the comments from the Corsair H50 thread asking for a retest by pushing or pulling hot air through the rad).

Don't forget that if this happens to reverse or interfere with the natural airflow of your case, you may have to adjust your other case fans.
 
I guess I should have subbed to my own thread lol, I haven't even looked over here.

My build is done and I'm having excellent temps with PUSHING through from the outside of the case. I have the clear panel on the case and everything seems fine. OC'ed to 4Ghz fine. The processor wasn't stable at stock with the intel cooler so I know this helped my out allot. My idle with the stock cooler at stock clocks was 55C and load approaching 85C. My idle at 4Ghz is 35C and load 60C at 1.425v. My C0 seems to be needing allot of voltage to go higher so I'm content with 4Ghz for everyday but when I go for higher clocks, I might need to go for 1.5v.

Oh, BTW, don't use the XMP profile for the memory when OCing on the Classified. The board wouldn't post at 3.3Ghz with it so set the timings manually.

Here is my worklog: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1425968
 
chrsharvick29 said:
I guess I should have subbed to my own thread lol, I haven't even looked over here.
Click to expand...

too bad, you missed some fun times. ;):rolleyes: but really, awesome job with that mod, ive been following it since you started. it looks fantastic. and im glad youre getting some good temps with minimal hassle. enjoy!
 
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