• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Upcoming Build. WC Advice.

S

sysTERROR404

n00b
Joined
Feb 26, 2008
Messages
41
Greetings [H],

I've been here awhile, usually lurking. Always looking at what people are building, creating, modding, etc. All this time has gone by, and I'm upgrading from a x58 build I've had for years.

I'm planning on going 3x monitor setup and joining the x79 bandwagon for gaming/editing/sequencing/after effecting, etc. Point being: At some point in the near future, I want to go total H2O as I've always been interested in it.

That being said, here's the list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4930K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($567.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Rampage IV Black Edition EATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($479.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($545.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($545.91 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($263.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($263.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($263.99 @ B&H)
Other: Coolermaster Storm Stryker ($159.99)
Total: $3591.73
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-21 09:20 EST-0500)

I will be the first to admit, I'm extremely timid at the premise of dousing all of these components in water, however I've always believed it's not an eye candy obsession, moreso than it's an optimal cooling solution I've been dodging all of these years due to my timid outlook on the subject.

I was wondering if I could get advice as to what I can fit in this case, and what kind of pumps/rad(s)/resevoir(s), tubing (I want to go all white to match the case), and blocks I should take for the 780's. I'm aware EVGA has hydrocopper blocks, but I'm not sure I want to sit on those without knowing what kind of equipment to buy first...and perhaps get EK blocks for them later?

Anyways, I'm done shaking at the premise and I'm sincerely turning to my [H]ard brothers to help me out. This is seriously a HUGE jump for me.

In advance, I appreciate any feedback. Love you guys.

-sysTERROR404.

Edit: I'll be using the PSU/Optical Drive, and the HDD's in my sig and swapping them to the new build. So no, I didn't forget those. :)
 
Last edited:
All In one coolers are not much more difficult to install than a normal heatsink, don't stress about it. If you are looking for advice on your first custom loop, I'd read the stickies and probably start with a kit like XSPC or the like... It's not hard if you are willing to be patient and run thorough leak tests after assembly.
 
The Stryker is not a very watercooling-friendly case. I would highly suggest considering a different case. Good, low cost cases with great watercooling support are the NZXT Switch 810 and Azza Genesis 9000 (both in the $150 range). On the Stryker, it appears the most you can install is a 280mm radiator on top and a 240mm radiator on the bottom.

Until EK gets a new owner, I will continue to advise against buying anything EK.

Any particular reason for the RIVE Black Edition? Seems like you're going to be spending a lot of money for features you probably won't use. Then again, when your system costs $3.6k, what's another hundred or two.
 
The RIVE BE leaves me plenty of room as an upgrade path for quite a few years since I'm probably sticking with X79 for awhile as I have stuck with X58 for quite awhile.

Regarding EK's: These have been the majority of the WC'ing blocks I've seen people with, and also what has been recommended the most. This is one of the reasons I posted here, to gather input.

The main reason I'm going to spend 3.6k now is so I will have a PC capable of everything now, and slowly upgrade pieces here and there for another 4-5 years. It's the designing/implementing, and planning stage of WC'ing this new build that I need help with IE: How to direct tubing, where Rads should go, how many pumps, etc. I have absolutely no clue how to do any of that. I've seen people plan out the build to the exact number of angled fitting they need (which is understandable obviously) and I have no idea where to begin.
 
I can't offer you much support for parts, but I've been water cooling for years and I am not a guru. It's not hard or dangerous. Just take your time and use simple precautions (ie test the loop first, secure your lines, use good hardware, and don't cut corners) and you'll have nothing but fun.

There are a few reasons to water cool. I do it for noise, fun and looks. Building a computer with air was too 1-2-3 for me, so I wanted to up the ante. All that to say: it's doesn't always have to be about getting the best temps.
 
Last edited:
In terms of expandability and upgrade-ability, the RIVE doesn't have much extra that other x79 boards have. If you are truly concerned about expandability, you would get an x79 board with PLX PCI-E multiplier chips, like the ASRock X79 Extreme11 or the Asus P9X79-E WS. The only thing the RIVE Black Edition offers over other x79 boards is the OC panel, SupremeFX, and other overclocking/gaming features. None of which are for expandability or upgrade-ability.

EKs tend to be the first to the market with support for a particular card, and are sometimes the only ones to support custom card designs (MSI Lightning, for example). However, that doesn't mean they're better, as I said, their focus is on quantity over quality.

As for watercooling, I would highly suggest getting a different case first. A Caselabs case would most likely suit you perfectly.
 
I have a similar setup and this year tried my hand at watercooling. I went all out and got a mountains mods case that I configured on their site. It was fun to put together and made watercooling installation so easy because of the space. I got the xspc 3x360 kit and was really happy with the ease of install and the quality. I know it's a bit pricey but the mm case looks cool and offers so many ways to configure it and so much space to work with that I've never been happier with a case.
 
Thanks for the input guys. Most of this definitely helps with my future decisions regarding WC'ing.

This is why I come here. <3
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top