Taking the plunge, need some questions answered

G

goodgod

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
77
Hello guys, I've been around these forums for almost 2 years now but I'm more lurking than posting :). It's been over 16 months since i built my last rig and since i got into computer customization and modding, and I love it. Almost 10 months ago, after my current rig was completely tweaked, I thought about a new project, which would be my ultimate computer.

I am now almost ready to launch this project, which will use of course Water cooling.

The main objectives of this build are:

1) Aesthetics
2) Quietness
3) Overclocking and performance (that will be my first time overclocking too)

I'm looking for some suggestions on points I'm not sure about. If you want to critize or suggest anything about the hardware, water cooling parts or anything I'm writing please do it, I learned more that way than when people say everything is perfect :)

I'll be using the current hardware:

Lian Li PC-V1200B Plus with full view window (from performance-pcs.com)
E6600
Crucial Ballistix tracer pc6400 ddr2 800 4-4-4-12 (already have)
evga 8800 GTS 320 mb
Silverstone Decathlon 750w or Silverstone Strider 750w (I'm not sure if the decathlon is really better for the price, I just want a powerful/quiet/modular/good looking psu)
WD 250 gb sata 16 mb HDD
Asus p5n-e mobo
Samsung 931c 19" lcd, 1280X1024 res (already got)

I'll be buying all these at NCIX.com, since i live in canada

I'll be using the following Watercooling parts:

Swiftech Apogee GT
EK 8800 GTS block acetal
NB/SB waterblocks? (I know about restriction, but the mobo I'm taking needs some additional cooling when ocing)
Petra's Laing DCC 18w /w custom top (from petra's tech shop) along with the " gel stuff " to hold the pump in place
Black ice gt stealth 360 rad
Black Rad Grill
DD Delrin Fillport
T-line
Yate loon D12SL-12 fans @ 7v
ClearFLEX 60 Tubing 3/8" ID / 5/8" OD
Cool cases usa uv orange coolant

Here's the setup:

pcv1200bplusii02zn7.jpg


Aesthetics

I'm looking for a real clean and professionnal setup.

1) All the wires will be sleeved with green uv reactive sleeving and heatshrink. The wiring job will be as clean as possible.
2) The Orange/Green theme will be respected in the lightning throughout the build. (UV green sata cables and such)
3) I might paint the interior black, to make the uv effect even better.
4) I'll be using some dual UV ccfls of course.
5) This case as a huge window, and I want to make the case look the cleanest possible, even on the bottom part. (the modular psu will help)

And now for a few other bling acessories:

1) Lian-li bezel guage, a temp monitor for the water, which I'll do by putting a temp probe in a closed T-line.
2) I'll install a fan controller to undervolt the fans to 7v, and make the setup quiter.
3) My hdd will stand in a 5,25 slot in a Scythe "quiet drive enclosure"
4) I'll make a custom plate for a 5.25" bezel that will show my project's name with some logo (to be decided)
5) I'll change the front leds (hdd and power, along with power button) to match my color theme.

That's about it. Let me point that this isn't really a modding project, more of a clean build project, because I'm not really skilled when it comes to modify or customize stuff.

Questions for the pros:

1) Where's the best spot for a T-line in my loop, and is my loop in the right order?

2) Should I add a NB or SB Waterblock (those from ek seem perfect), because the p5n-e mobo doesnt even have a sb heatsink or anything?

3) Is the clearflex tubing any good, or should I go with the popular masterkleer or even with the pricy tygon?

4) What paint should I use to paint the inside of the case? Any guide on how to do this?

5) Suggestions, insults? Overkill? (of course!)

Oh, and thanks for your answers :)
 
You sure you want to mess with T lines? Small reservoirs like the one from Swiftech are much easier.
As for the NB/SB I think your better off using an aftermarket heatsink like the Thermalright HR-5 series. If you put them in the loop, you'll only dump extra heat into the loop. You probably won't even see lower NB/SB temperatures since you'll be putting them after the CPU. Unless of course you plan to volt mod.

Oh and I recommend wal-mart distilled water. It's very clean, not to mention cheap. Just make sure it says distilled and not spring water. I've actually analyzed that water on an IC and picked up nothing.

PS:performance PC rocks
 
hl3395 said:
You sure you want to mess with T lines? Small reservoirs like the one from Swiftech are much easier.
As for the NB/SB I think your better off using an aftermarket heatsink like the Thermalright HR-5 series. If you put them in the loop, you'll only dump extra heat into the loop. You probably won't even see lower NB/SB temperatures since you'll be putting them after the CPU. Unless of course you plan to volt mod.

Oh and I recommend wal-mart distilled water. It's very clean, not to mention cheap. Just make sure it says distilled and not spring water. I've actually analyzed that water on an IC and picked up nothing.

PS:performance PC rocks
Click to expand...

I don't know about a res, because I'll be moving the computer around often (lans, stuff), and I'm afraid of res leaks :(

I would get an alphacool bullseye, as it seems more solid than acrylic reservoirs, but it cost alot. I'll think about it tho.

I'll try and find a good looking aftermarket cooler for the sb and nb, i wont use that huge silver tower in my clean setup! :)

And yes, I'll be using standard distilled water, along with the cool-cases-usa mix, for the uv glow.

thanks
 
The RAD may starve for air with those fans at 7v. I have the xflow version of the stealth and its fairly restrictive. Needs cleaning often. If you intend to run low cfms I'd look for a model with a lower fin count.

The alhpacool bullseye would definitely contribute towards aesthetics. Personally I have the repak res and can vouch for Alphacool build quality. Wouldnt worry about leaks if you go Alphacool route.

You dont need the gel. The ddc's dont need any special isolation, virtualy no vibration. Have mine bolted directly to my case and its totally silent, cant hear it at all. In fact gel pads have been implicated as a potential factor in the failure rate of these pumps due to reduced air circulation behind the pump, causing pump to run hot. PS the Alphacool top is more flexible in its mounting options.

Orange - should look nice, be curious to see that. Tygon is best in terms of aesthetics due to its superior optical clarity.
 
calvin_q said:
The RAD may starve for air with those fans at 7v. I have the xflow version of the stealth and its fairly restrictive. Needs cleaning often. If you intend to run low cfms I'd look for a model with a lower fin count.

The alhpacool bullseye would definitely contribute towards aesthetics. Personally I have the repak res and can vouch for Alphacool build quality. Wouldnt worry about leaks if you go Alphacool route.

You dont need the gel. The ddc's dont need any special isolation, virtualy no vibration. Have mine bolted directly to my case and its totally silent, cant hear it at all. In fact gel pads have been implicated as a potential factor in the failure rate of these pumps due to reduced air circulation behind the pump, causing pump to run hot. PS the Alphacool top is more flexible in its mounting options.

Orange - should look nice, be curious to see that. Tygon is best in terms of aesthetics due to its superior optical clarity.
Click to expand...

For the rad, would the swiftech MCR320 Quiet Power be better?

I still don't know if the res would worth the price, those are kinda expensive :rolleyes:
 
Never owned that specific rad model but it gets recommended a lot. The res is something that you can always add down the road if you find a T line is not to your liking and you have some extra cash.
 
goodgod said:
1) Where's the best spot for a T-line in my loop, and is my loop in the right order?
Click to expand...

There really isn't such a right or wrong loop order. The only thing is to make sure your T-line or reservoir comes before the pump.

2) Should I add a NB or SB Waterblock (those from ek seem perfect), because the p5n-e mobo doesnt even have a sb heatsink or anything?
Click to expand...
The northbridge can affect stability if you're pushing past 400fsb on some boards and many will find some way to get better than stock cooling on it. The SB doesn't benefit much from it but many will say "what the hell" and put it on water anyway since they've already got the NB on water.

3) Is the clearflex tubing any good, or should I go with the popular masterkleer or even with the pricy tygon?
Click to expand...
Different strokes for different folks. I find Tygon's b-44-3 as the best tubing as its soft, clear, and won't degrade like all other tubing. Make no mistake, any tubing not Tygon B-44-3, 2075, and 2275 will eventually absorb stuff from the loop and eventually break down into the loop. The time period in which it takes to break down (or cloud) is different from loop to loop depending on the amount of additives used and various other factors. This comes directly from St. G (who manufactures BOTH Tygon and Masterkleer).
 
Thanks for the advice guys, ill get that res and the tygon tubing.

I'm thinking of getting the AC bullseye res and to mount it on the front, below the 5.25" slots, where the 120mm fan is supposed to be.

v1200bbow1t01lrgod6.jpg


If the res is at the same level than the pump, would it be harder to bleed or would it cause any problem? :confused:

My tubing route will probably be res>pump>cpu>gpu>nb>sb>rad, because this is the easiest route imo

That should look like this

v1200bbow1t02lrghx1.jpg


What do you guys think about this setup?
 
Watercooling both NB and SB chipset + also mosfets around CPU if possible, is absolutely essential when looking to OC and have a quiet system at same time!

That is the only way to get the heat out of your case and keep it quiet. Also when you already have the whole expensive "infrastucture" in place with radiator, pump etc, you should make the most of it, and put watercooling on everything possible.
The additional heatdump into the water doesn't matter - in fact, that is the very purpose of watercooling: to dump heat into the water and transfer it outside the case.

Putting a passive aircooler on NB chipset is a bad solution when watercooling - unless you have strong case fans or a fan directed right at the chipset area (in which case it is not really "passive cooling" anymore) - and then it is really not that quiet anymore.
 
I suggest you get an Innovatek or Aqua Computer reservoir. Alphacool appears to be on the rocks and you may be waiting a long time for delivery. ;)
 
I suggest you get an Innovatek or Aqua Computer reservoir. Alphacool appears to be on the rocks and you may be waiting a long time for delivery
Click to expand...

:eek: I certainly hope they can survive, they make great stuff.
 
The SB absolutely does NOT need watercooling. In most systems the SB only handles extremely menial tasks, such as communication with hard drives, USB ports, and other light loads. The NB is handling communication between the memory, CPU, and expansion slots so it has a much higher load, and hence more heat. You should never need more than a passive sink on your SB, there is a reason why some chipsets have done away with the SB entirely and moved everything into one chip....
 
jvhb said:
Watercooling both NB and SB chipset + also mosfets around CPU if possible, is absolutely essential when looking to OC and have a quiet system at same time!

That is the only way to get the heat out of your case and keep it quiet. Also when you already have the whole expensive "infrastucture" in place with radiator, pump etc, you should make the most of it, and put watercooling on everything possible.
The additional heatdump into the water doesn't matter - in fact, that is the very purpose of watercooling: to dump heat into the water and transfer it outside the case.

Putting a passive aircooler on NB chipset is a bad solution when watercooling - unless you have strong case fans or a fan directed right at the chipset area (in which case it is not really "passive cooling" anymore) - and then it is really not that quiet anymore.
Click to expand...

Yeah you're right man, I'll stick to the nb and sb blocks, and with that little exhaust fan airflow I should be fine with the case temps :)

Top Nurse said:
I suggest you get an Innovatek or Aqua Computer reservoir. Alphacool appears to be on the rocks and you may be waiting a long time for delivery. ;)
Click to expand...

I don't know, Performance-pcs seems to have these res in stock right now, so if they really do I'll get the alphacool.


I got a question that may seem noobish: on my setup, is it better to like to push the air through the rad from the inside to the outside by putting the fans below the rad, or to pull the air from the inside to the outside by putting the fans over the rad?

Whats the best setup?
 
goodgod said:
I got a question that may seem noobish: on my setup, is it better to like to push the air through the rad from the inside to the outside by putting the fans below the rad, or to pull the air from the inside to the outside by putting the fans over the rad?

Whats the best setup?
Click to expand...

hmmm neither I think...
I think you want to pull/push the air from the outside into the case, that way you won't be pushing heat from your GPU through your rad, but rather the cooler air from outside your case going through your rad, and even blowing on your GPU.
 
rdmty said:
hmmm neither I think...
I think you want to pull/push the air from the outside into the case, that way you won't be pushing heat from your GPU through your rad, but rather the cooler air from outside your case going through your rad, and even blowing on your GPU.
Click to expand...

But i thought that to blow hot case air to the outside was the best, because hot air rises?
 
I need some opinions on the airflow direction for the rad's fans.

Fans pushing or pulling? Cool air from the outside going in the case or hot air from the case going outside? Which is better?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top