First WC setup. Need advise...

[pr33tz]

After spending hours reading through various WC guides posted here, I think I'm confident enough to have a stab at it on my own (and with a little help from you guys!!).

I'm building a new rig from scratch. I'm thinking of a Thermaltake Armour case because of the size. They have an option to buy one with a pre-fitted WC kit but I'm assuming it won't be that good. The case looks like it can mount a double rad without mods.

I want to spend no more than £200 / $400 on the WC kit and has to be available in the UK.

I'll be running a C2D E6600 on an Asus P5W DH Del or Abit's AW9D MAX with 2GB of Corsair Dominator RAM and an NVidia 7950GX2. I want to cool the CPU (and maybe the GPU and NB if it's worth it).

Quite simply, I want suggestions on what components to buy or am I better of buying a pre-built kit? I've found various links around the forum but they all seem to be to US sites. I'm looking for a UK dealer for DangerDen, Swiftech, Tygon etc.

Any help appreciated!!

[Bad213Boy]

goto petra's tech shop, danger den, or swiftech and look for the WCing kits. there should be a whole section in the stickies with online stores you can check out for what you want. they have a good selection. i would just be sure that you keep reading on how to install everything. Danger Den has good videos on installing WCing in the the instructions section. definitely check out the Artic Silver website and read about how to apply thermo grease, or AS5.

Waterblock: stick with either storm, apogee, or MP-1 (they're all about the same under normal conditions)
GPU block: Maze4 or MCW60 with ramsinks
Radiator: get at least a PA160 or PA120.2 radiator
Tubing: Tygon 3603 1/2" ID for Clear tubing, watch for some of the other ID numbers for some are not as clear.
Pump: either start with a DDC-2 pump and then upgrade the top with a petra's top, or just flat out get the D5/MCP655
Resevior: Swiftech MCRES-MICRO Hi-Flo Reservoir

petra's tech shop has many items that are sold out. so i would suggest looking around and buying everything between two different places. Danger Den should have the radiators in stock, D5 pump, and Maze4. only advise i can say is look through the web and just keep reading.

[[XC]Atomicpineapple]

MP-05 Pro LE £38.99 from www.ep-uk.co.uk
Black Ice Pro III £24.68 from www.candccentral.co.uk
Alphacool Laing DDC Pro £49.82 from www.candccentral.co.uk
approx £114, add 7/16" Masterkleer tubing, hose clamps, barbs and a res/t-line (personal preference there) and youre set.

If you want to cool the GPU I'd suggest EK Waterblocks 7950GX2 block, shipping from slovenia is fast and efficient (certainly was in my experience) and quality is top notch too. The GX2 block costs around £80 and will put you over your £200 budget by the time youve added tube, hose clamps and barbs and as res/t-line.

[septim]

here is a listing of stores from the stickies:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=67179

try Over-Clock UK
or google ek waterblocks

[pr33tz]

Right, after some help from here and reading 100's of different threads, this is what *I think* should be good WC setup. I'm getting a Mountain Mods U2-UFO to house it all. It's going on a P5W DH Del mobo with a C2D E6600, NVidia 7800GTX (scrapped the idea of a 7950GX2).

The WC setup:

Swiftech Apogee (Storm out of stock :()
DangerDen Maze4 Chipset INTEL (1/2")
ThermoChill PA120.3
ThermoChill "ThermoTube" (10")
Laing D5-Vario (1/2")
EK FC79 for NV7800/7900 with Reg Cooler
1/2" ID Tygon R3603 Tubing
Worm Drive Hose Clips (Various Sizes Available)
Zerex Racing Super Coolant 4oz
Filling Syringe
9/16-18 UNF HiFlow 1/2" Fitting

This is way above my original budget but what the heck, if you're not going to do it properly, not worth doing it at all!

I want to order this but before I do, any suggestions on the setup? Should I replace any of the components? Have I missed anything?

Thanks guys!

[Rasco]

Try to find some place where they have the Storm rev.2 in stock, it's worth waiting for or paying some extra in shipping costs. Otherwise the aquaextreme mp05 LE is a very good block aswell. Just don't go with the apogee if you want to cut those extra degrees in temps.

Make sure you have the right barbs for your termochill, with 3/8" BSP fitting threads. And I would recommend 7/16" tubing instead of 1/2".

Have you given the ddc+ with Petras top an extra thought? I have it myself and it works nicely.

/Oscar

[pr33tz]

Try to find some place where they have the Storm rev.2 in stock, it's worth waiting for or paying some extra in shipping costs. Otherwise the aquaextreme mp05 LE is a very good block aswell. Just don't go with the apogee if you want to cut those extra degrees in temps.

Make sure you have the right barbs for your termochill, with 3/8" BSP fitting threads. And I would recommend 7/16" tubing instead of 1/2".

Have you given the ddc+ with Petras top an extra thought? I have it myself and it works nicely.

/Oscar

Can you change the barbs on the Thermochill Rad? Or do I have to buy the right one to start with?

Do you have a link to the DCC+ with Petras top?

I think I will wait for the Storm or get an MP05.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Patriote]

You can change the Barbs on the Thermochill Rad whit these one: http://www.petrastechshop.com/aqhifig3th1o.html Depending where your Buying the Rad it may come whit Plastic barbs. Most of the Guys likes to get Metal Barbs instead.

And heres the link to Petra's top: http://www.petrastechshop.com/peddcudeddcp.html

[Rasco]

Can you change the barbs on the Thermochill Rad? Or do I have to buy the right one to start with?

Do you have a link to the DCC+ with Petras top?

I think I will wait for the Storm or get an MP05.

Thanks for the suggestions!
The barbs Patriote links to works really well. And have you thought anymore about the ddc+ with petras top?
Waiting for a storm is a good decision :)

[Patriote]

You can try E-mailing http://www.bigfootcomputers.com/ and see whit them if First: they have the Storm in Stock and Second: if they can ship it to your location. On their website, they seem to have it in stock.

[SiGfever]

If you can not get a Storm rev2 then as stated the AquaXtreme MP-05 SP Limited Edition Universal CPU Water Block - 1/2" is a fantastic block.

But get the 7/16" id tubing and the Pentosin (if you want blue, Zerex if you want pink).

The D5 is a great pump but the DDC-2 w/Petra's or Alphacool's top using the top inlet has higher performance with less heat dump. And a nice feature of the Alphacool top is that it comes with isolation hardware to mount it in a 3.5" bay.
Or if you order the hard drive mounting brackets from Mountain Mods and mount the pump to a 120mm fan.


http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/5083/img1104largeir9.jpg

[pr33tz]

I'm ordering from Over Clock UK, even though they seem expensive, it looks like the only place where I can get all my kit.

The Storm block has plastic looking barbs, can these be replaced? Would I need to replace them?

[pr33tz]

The pump you guys are on about, is it on either of these two sites?

http://store.over-clock.com/Pumps___Accessories.html

http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/home.php?cat=211

Also, can I still use the 7/16" tubing with 1/2" barbs? Whats the advantage of using 7/16" over 1/2"?

[septim]

this pump and top from store.over-clock: Alphacool Laing DDC-Pump 12V Ultra (ddc pump + alphacool plexi top = ddc ultra)

7/16 over 1/2 there are already a lot of threads with this topic.
but basically with 7/16 tubing contact between tubing and barb are much nicer and water would flow more smoothly = basic sum of usual post between 7/16 vs 1/2
also on a good not 7/16 tubing with 5/8 OD vs 1/2 with 3/4 OD, so you won't have that bulky 3/4 OD look inside your case...