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WC Worth it?

well, are there any better ideas for the same price? i might get the Eheim 1048 or something like that if it would be better...but whatever works...

so, any suggestions for a retail CPU block for me? i'll still look for some used blocks. also, a GPU? what should i be looking for used/new? are the "maze"-like designs the best? Also, should i go for a "GPH=better" approach for pumps? or should i look at the GPH at certain distances? i'm just trying to grasp what i should get. I was looking on www.xoxide.com and i found a single 120mm radiator for $20, w/o a fan...is this good? i don't have the link, but if you just go into the watercooling section of xoxide.com you can find it...as for a res, should i do the PVC pipe, or should i get a 5 1/4" bay res, or should i get one of those tube res'?

sorry for all the questions, i just want to know what's the best for cooling and OCing...and one more question...if i do get WCing for my current CPU, if i would get an a64 or a p4 later on, could i buy an adapter for it? it would be kind of a waste to hafta get a new block...

thanks!


alex

EDIT: One more thing...i measured the top of my case with the dimensions of that 120mm rad i told you about on xoxide, and if i move my dvd+rw to the 2nd bay, it will fit, but otherwise, it won't...what should i do? is it worth it? (dumb question, i know)

also, i found a dual-pass 80mm rad, would that work better? http://www.xoxide.com/80mmradiator.html
 
http://www.xoxide.com/120mmradiator1.html won't be a bad radiator, assuming you won't be cooling an overclocked CPU AND a GPU. It will work for both stock blocks fine, but overclocking will likely raise temps higher than I would like on a WC system

If you can mount it in the top of your case, go for it

As for blocks, it doesnt really matter what "style" you get, as long as you get something decent. I have a swiftech 5002-A, and it works great for my CPU. Cheap to find used, too.

Just see what you can buy cheap, and look up reviews on it. As long as it's not a complete piece of crap, it should cool you CPU decently.

For the video card block, it doesn't really matter all that much, as video card's don't put out the huge amount of heat that CPU's do. They put out a lot, but almost any block should work for a GPU, assuming you arent OCing the video card much.
 
well, see, in my mind, getting watercooling just because is kind of dumb...i do want to overclock, so should i get a larger radiator? what about that dualpass? is that going to work better? i could do a push-pull with 2 fans...otherwise, should i just get a heatercore? i'm gonna see how much my dad wants to pay me for today, i'm just taking a lunch break...well, i'll look into the 5002-A or something generally similar...but, if i have the money, should i get the TDX? and if i do want to OC my proc and my vid card, what blocks/rad/pump should i get? right now, on air, i'm getting an okay OC, but i might sell my current proc and buy a mobile. whatever you guys think is best, cuz you know better than i do...
 
Alex41290 said:
well, see, in my mind, getting watercooling just because is kind of dumb...i do want to overclock, so should i get a larger radiator? what about that dualpass? is that going to work better? i could do a push-pull with 2 fans...otherwise, should i just get a heatercore? i'm gonna see how much my dad wants to pay me for today, i'm just taking a lunch break...well, i'll look into the 5002-A or something generally similar...but, if i have the money, should i get the TDX? and if i do want to OC my proc and my vid card, what blocks/rad/pump should i get? right now, on air, i'm getting an okay OC, but i might sell my current proc and buy a mobile. whatever you guys think is best, cuz you know better than i do...
Click to expand...

Serious overclocking on your budget will be tough, unless you get really old parts, which won't help you much anyway

I did my watercooling just to see if I could pull it off, and because I wanted my computer to be quiet. Before, it sounded like a 747 getting ready to take off - now, if I turn my fan on 7v, I can barely hear it sitting at my desk (case is right next to me, so thats saying a lot)

If you want to overclock, you will probably need a little more powerful fan, which means more noise. If you don't really care about the noise, and just want better OC's, you will want a big radiator and big fan, along with a high GPH pump. If you just want silence, you can get away with a smaller radiator and quiet fan.

As for the radiator, that one will work if you plan to OC your CPU, but it will need a more powerful fan if you want to keep your temps nice and low. I wouldn't put a OC'd CPU and a GPU on that, because the added heat of the OC will heat the whole system up.
 
well, i think i can push the budget up, cuz i'm pretty sure i can make a hefty sum today cuz i've been working practically the entire day...SO

my budget now moves from really cheap to midrange, such as $200-240 ish, does that open up a lot of doors?
 
With that kind of money, you could get something like this:

CPU block, $50

Pump, $23

Radiator, $30

Tubing, $1.35/foot - probably get about 6 feet

Then make yourself a PVC res, get some clamps (I got mine at Meijer actually, in the automotive dept. they sell packages of 4 for like $1.75
Add some anti-freeze (assuming you have some) to prevent corrosion and prevent algae growth, and you are set.

Total cost of all that:

$125 max, including PVC res, fittings, clamps, etc.

Save the rest of the money and buy yourself a case or just keep it for youself for whatever.
 
well, see, i can get my dad to pay for half of this, he usually does that for large purchases...i guess i'm just lucky ;-)...but yeah...would that pump be good for a GPU block as well? I did find a $20 dollar res. somewhere i think...also, is the whitewater the best block out there? i don't particularily like the 3-pipe look, but does it perform better? wouldn't that need a more powerful pump becase you are forcing the water more? if i do want a GPU block for OCing, what pump would u suggest? or should i just not get a GPU block yet, and get that for christmas? i do want to OC my vid card though. that heatercore...does it have 120mm fan mounts on it? and would i need a shroud? i found out that i could mount it in the top of my case, i have like 1/2" left when i do, but if i do get a new case, i'll look for plenty of room up top.

Now, I will put my specs that I have in mind, and i'm sorry for not just doing what you've posted, but I have an idea of what I want, and I was hoping to get close. Though I have used many of your suggestions, and thank you for all of them. I'm hoping to purchase my watercooling by the end of next week. So, here we go:

After looking on dangerden and finding that the TDX is freakin expensive ($52.95) i've decided the WW is the best: D-Tek White Water $50
DangerDen Maze 4 GPU Block $40
Via Aqua 1300 $23
D-Tek heatercore $30
6-feet ClearFlex tubing $8
DD 5.25" Res $30 OR PVC Res. $??
Clamps, Fittings (including Y-adapter, i'm assuming?), etc. $5

$186 with DD res/ $160 with PVC res...i talked to my dad, and he said the PVC thing wouldn't be that hard to do...but i'm not sure if, for my first watercooling rig, if i want to do something homemade. I'm kind of scared that it will leak. But, if you have any other suggestions...OH, I ALMOST FORGOT about the 120mm fan that i would need for the heatercore...any ideas for that? otherwise, i think that all seems okay, unless you can find a better part of anything i listed. thanks, grizzy, but ur mean cuz ur making me want to buy all this stuff ASAP :p...but i've wanted watercooling for months, and its finally becoming a reality (mwahahaha)...lol, wow...i'm weird
 
anyone? is the RBX any better? considering its only 3 dollars more, is it a better idea? my budget is probly gonna need to be <$200 hopefully, but i think i can get away with $220 max...any ideas to make it better? a NB cooler? tygon tubing? different blocks? ram sinks? better pump? anything?!?!?! lol
 
Alex41290 said:
anyone? is the RBX any better? considering its only 3 dollars more, is it a better idea? my budget is probly gonna need to be <$200 hopefully, but i think i can get away with $220 max...any ideas to make it better? a NB cooler? tygon tubing? different blocks? ram sinks? better pump? anything?!?!?! lol
Click to expand...

It doesn't sound like you are very old... It sounds like you should probably buy a nice waterblock, and buy things along the lines of what I have listed - You shouldn't be trying to spend more money on it, you should try to get a good balance of cost and performance. Since the waterblock removes heat from the CPU, you should focus on that. The RBX and Whitewater are the same basic design, and will perform similarly. Most new high end waterblocks perform within a few degrees of eachother, and there isn't much point in spending a lot more money just to have the absolute very best block, especially if you are worrying about a budget. You don't really need to WC your chipset, just get a zalman chipset cooler and you will be set (assuming you have airflow in your case)

Tygon tubing is almost the same as Clear-Flex, and isn't worth the extra dollar per foot. Ram sinks will only really help on the video card, and unless you are overclocking it to it's limits, those won't be really necessary either. Any pump over 200gph with a single waterblock is really overkill, you only really NEED a bigger pump if you have more waterblocks or a huge radiator (anything that adds a lot of flow restriction to the loop)
 
Alex41290 said:
well, see, i can get my dad to pay for half of this, he usually does that for large purchases...i guess i'm just lucky ;-)...but yeah...would that pump be good for a GPU block as well? I did find a $20 dollar res. somewhere i think...also, is the whitewater the best block out there? i don't particularily like the 3-pipe look, but does it perform better? wouldn't that need a more powerful pump becase you are forcing the water more? if i do want a GPU block for OCing, what pump would u suggest? or should i just not get a GPU block yet, and get that for christmas? i do want to OC my vid card though. that heatercore...does it have 120mm fan mounts on it? and would i need a shroud? i found out that i could mount it in the top of my case, i have like 1/2" left when i do, but if i do get a new case, i'll look for plenty of room up top.

Now, I will put my specs that I have in mind, and i'm sorry for not just doing what you've posted, but I have an idea of what I want, and I was hoping to get close. Though I have used many of your suggestions, and thank you for all of them. I'm hoping to purchase my watercooling by the end of next week. So, here we go:

After looking on dangerden and finding that the TDX is freakin expensive ($52.95) i've decided the WW is the best: D-Tek White Water $50
DangerDen Maze 4 GPU Block $40
Via Aqua 1300 $23
D-Tek heatercore $30
6-feet ClearFlex tubing $8
DD 5.25" Res $30 OR PVC Res. $??
Clamps, Fittings (including Y-adapter, i'm assuming?), etc. $5

$186 with DD res/ $160 with PVC res...i talked to my dad, and he said the PVC thing wouldn't be that hard to do...but i'm not sure if, for my first watercooling rig, if i want to do something homemade. I'm kind of scared that it will leak. But, if you have any other suggestions...OH, I ALMOST FORGOT about the 120mm fan that i would need for the heatercore...any ideas for that? otherwise, i think that all seems okay, unless you can find a better part of anything i listed. thanks, grizzy, but ur mean cuz ur making me want to buy all this stuff ASAP :p...but i've wanted watercooling for months, and its finally becoming a reality (mwahahaha)...lol, wow...i'm weird
Click to expand...

I missed this post - That list looks about right, although i wouldn't necessarily already say that the only place you would mount the heater core is up top. Mine is in the front, and may save a few degrees if you have room to put it in the front. Putting it in the top will work OK, but heat rises, right through your heater core.

The PVC res is super-simple to make, just use a short section of 2" pipe, a $.50 test plug (epoxy'd or jb-welded in place) and a screw-on cap. Make sure to cover the barb joints with epoxy or jb-weld really well, and you won't have any leaks. It's not hard, just go overboard on it if you don't feel you sealed it enough. it's really really simple.

If you are set on getting a bay-res, don't get that plexi one - get this one:

http://www.dtekcustoms.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=143

$18, and is constructed much better than the DD one. The DD bay-res is known to crack and leak due to the brittle plastic used. When switching or tightening the barbs, people tend to tighten them too much, causing the res to crack. The dtek res is made of a less brittle plastic that won't crack if you tighten it too much, and is cheaper.

As for the fan, you can use any fan really... 120mm works best because it pushes air over a larger area, and pushes more air with less sound than an 80mm. Shrouds arent necessary, but will help pull air over the entire area of the heater core.

And finally, to critique your parts list, the RBX and Whitewater arent very different, but I like the WW better because it contacts the whole area of the CPU, and sits on the little pads - which makes it easier to mount without worrying about crushing the core due to a block tightened too much on one side. Also, plan on spending a little more than $5 on fittings, because the fittings for the PVC res (if you decide to make it) cost almost $2 each. Clamps on top of that will raise it several more dollars.
 
how could you tell i'm not that old???:p, but yeah, it makes sense...i just wasn't sure if there was a design flaw or something that made one or the other better...i don't think i can put it in the front, because it would need to fit in the 3 1/2" bays up front. i've got about 12cms of space to fit it in a drive bay, and it is 13cms!!! damn, sooo close...lol, so that's out of the question...i guess i could fit it in the 5.25" drive bays, but the top does seem like a bad idea, now that you mention it...just trying to get what would work best. I might be ordering the stuff today, if not by the end of the week. I don't really like the look of that D-Tek res, but I think i will do that...now, where can I get blue UV dye?? and a blue UV light? at least at a really low price...or just the blue dye, whatever looks cooler. i'll go with the WW, does it come with Y fittings? should i get metal or plastic hose clamps? also, where can i get some rounded cables for cheap? i just need floppy/hdd/cd drive and i don't wanna heatshrink my power supply, it seems hard to do...is it?

I'm trying to think of anything I missed...

i was thinking about the 2nd one down: http://www.dangerden.com/mall/Radiators/heatercore.asp
the heatercore with the shroud built on, is this okay?

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/pa12mesp.html i was thinking that fan...good?

Do I need a shim for my CPU? so i don't crush the core? also, how would i go about putting the heatercore in a drive bay? like how would i get a fan to fit...my 3.5" bays only fit an 80mm fan...whatever you suggest i'll definitely listen to, because you have been sooo helpful...thank you.

ok, this is the 2nd to last list i'm gonna make, because after this, i might revise it once more, then buy:

D-Tek WW - $50
DD Maze4 GPU - $40
Via Aqua 1300 - $23
Heatercore - $30
120mm Fan - $9
6-feet ClearFlex - $8
D-Tek Bay Res - $18
Is this better than the Maze4? http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swifmcgpucoo1.html
Clamps - $7.50

If i'm missing anything, please tell...and does the fan/heatercore come with mounting screws or screw holes?

so, with ^ that ^, the total is $185.50...again, if i'm missing anything, please tell me...
 
Alex41290 said:
how could you tell i'm not that old???:p, but yeah, it makes sense...i just wasn't sure if there was a design flaw or something that made one or the other better...i don't think i can put it in the front, because it would need to fit in the 3 1/2" bays up front. i've got about 12cms of space to fit it in a drive bay, and it is 13cms!!! damn, sooo close...lol, so that's out of the question...i guess i could fit it in the 5.25" drive bays, but the top does seem like a bad idea, now that you mention it...just trying to get what would work best. I might be ordering the stuff today, if not by the end of the week. I don't really like the look of that D-Tek res, but I think i will do that...now, where can I get blue UV dye?? and a blue UV light? at least at a really low price...or just the blue dye, whatever looks cooler. i'll go with the WW, does it come with Y fittings? should i get metal or plastic hose clamps? also, where can i get some rounded cables for cheap? i just need floppy/hdd/cd drive and i don't wanna heatshrink my power supply, it seems hard to do...is it?

I'm trying to think of anything I missed...

i was thinking about the 2nd one down: http://www.dangerden.com/mall/Radiators/heatercore.asp
the heatercore with the shroud built on, is this okay?

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/pa12mesp.html i was thinking that fan...good?

Do I need a shim for my CPU? so i don't crush the core? also, how would i go about putting the heatercore in a drive bay? like how would i get a fan to fit...my 3.5" bays only fit an 80mm fan...whatever you suggest i'll definitely listen to, because you have been sooo helpful...thank you.

ok, this is the 2nd to last list i'm gonna make, because after this, i might revise it once more, then buy:

D-Tek WW - $50
DD Maze4 GPU - $40
Via Aqua 1300 - $23
Heatercore - $30
120mm Fan - $9
6-feet ClearFlex - $8
D-Tek Bay Res - $18
Is this better than the Maze4? http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swifmcgpucoo1.html
Clamps - $7.50

If i'm missing anything, please tell...and does the fan/heatercore come with mounting screws or screw holes?

so, with ^ that ^, the total is $185.50...again, if i'm missing anything, please tell me...
Click to expand...

LOL I hope you get this thing done soon, I could have written a bunch of essays for school with the amount of typing I have done in this thread alone :p

For now, just put the heater core and everything where it fits best - the raise in temperature from having it in the top will be small, so don't worry about that too much.

The d-tek res isn't made to be pretty like the other kinds of bay-res', but it will work a lot better and is much less likely to crack or beak.

You can get blue UV dye here:
http://svc.com/uvselicocowa.html
but it costs $6 for a bottle. If you get UV dye, you will need a blacklight like this:
http://svc.com/v12inch2ccflblack.html for $6
If you want blue UV reactive water without spending $6, just go buy some blue highlighters and squeeze them out into a container filled with distilled water. But you will need some kid of additive to stop corrosion and algae growth, so the color of that may ruin the blue effect from the highlighter or dye.

If you buy the WW block from Dtek, it comes with the Y fitting.

You can use either metal or plastic clamps, it doesnt really matter - I use all metal because they are cheap (4 for $1.75 at Meijer in the Automotive dept.)

You can get rounded cables cheap here:
http://svc.com/cables.html

What do you mean by "heatshrinking the powersupply"? Sleeving the cables? If that's what you mean, then yes - its pretty difficult and very time consuming. If you do a good cable job like I did, you won't see them enough to care.

That heater core you linked should be fine, although you could make your own shroud from cardboard (if you dont care about the looks of it) and save yourself the $13 or whatever. It's up to you.

That fan should be more than enough, and you might want to get a fan controller or at least a pot at radio shack to control the speed of it.

You don't need a shim, as the WW block sits on the 4 pads on the CPU - just be careful and take your time making sure everything lines up and is secured right.

I don't know anything about your case (other than the fact that it's ugly, lol) so I don't know how you would go about mounting anything in it yet - but figuring it out for yourself is half the fun :p Putting it together and making it look awesome just makes the process so much better (for me, anyway).

That list looks fine, and the Swiftech waterblock isnt quite as good as the maze 4 (someone correct me if I am wrong on that) but it doesn't matter all that much. I would get the maze 4, as it looks a lot cooler - but once again, its up to you.

WOW that was a lot of typing... Good luck putting it together, and if you need any more help, just ask.
 
You have no idea how much of a help you have been, though...you get an A+ on your essay :p...but thanks...i'm ordering it shortly, i hope...


thanks everyone that helped!!

I'll make sure i take pics of the setup and it in action just so u don't feel like you wasted all of this time :p!!
 
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