New Watercooling Setup

[ChaosMinionX]

Well finally am leaving the realm of air cooling (partially for now) :)

Anyways basically what I am going to be cooling is CPU/NB for now, and eventually move to dual GPU cooling.

For now though I parted out the following....

PA120.3

MCP655 (anything better?)

D-tek Fuzion or Apogee GTX (cant decide between them)

MCW30

I would have picked a reservoir, but I am not sure if there is a "best" reservoir or if its just personal preference.

Basically that is all I have come up with so far :cool:

I read through some of the stickies about tubing and whatnot so I gotta pretty good grasp on that, but need to figure out what parts to get and then the most efficient way to loop them.

So any constructive criticism and/or information on what the best tubing is for that setup, and barb size would be greatly appreciated (although I am assuming to use all 1/2" tubing)

Thanks in advance guys.

EDIT: Money is unlimited for this project, so if theres something better go wild :)

[Xilikon]

ChaosMinionX, welcome to the watercooling realm :)

For the pump, most ppl like either a MCP655 or a MCP355 with Petra's top (a bit more expensive) so it's up to you to pick whatever you want. However, if you want to get 3/8" tubing (easier to route imho), a MCP655 is not a option due to 1/2" barbs so get the MCP355 instead.

As for the CPU block, get the Fuzion, no question asked. The GTX has aluminium and it will cause corrosion down the road ;)

As for the radiator, if you plan with 2x GPU later, then you might need to get another one (PA120.2) for the CPU+NB and assign the PA120.3 for both GPU. In that case, you need 2 pumps and 2 reservoirs.

For the reservoir, it's mostly user preferences.

[Origin_Unknown]

why not go for that EK cpu block?

[ChaosMinionX]

What EK CPU block? Also need to find out where I can buy a PA120.3 anybody know?

Thanks

[turtletrax]

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=211&osCsid=aedb23672001e9ccb206ea157b6c8b61

;)

[ChaosMinionX]

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=211&osCsid=aedb23672001e9ccb206ea157b6c8b61

;)

Is that better than a Dtek Fuzion?

[turtletrax]

Is that better than a Dtek Fuzion?

AFAIK it is up in the air. I am waiting to see some real apple 2 apple compares. Looks so far to be equal to a nozzled/bowed Fuzion without the hassle, but time will tell. What EK has over the D-Tek is shear build quality and sexiness. I love my FC 8800GTX block :)

[safan80]

get the D-tek Fuzion the GTX needs the copper top which is extra money.

[ChaosMinionX]

Hmmm... will have to look into that, any ideas on PA120.3's?

[003]

sidewindercomputers, petra's tech, etc.. are very good sites.

[disruptfam]

d-tek fuzion w/nozzle's
mcw30
120.3
Laing d5/mcp 655 (more reliable)
ek/d-tek 1/2 barbs (whatever you like better)
7/16 tygon tubing
Ek res

:)

[Spawne32]

there have got to be better northbridge blocks then that damn MCW30, how about the new one from enzotech, or maybe a EK nb block.

[003]

I would forget about water cooling your NB... a passive heatsink from thermalright would be just fine.

EDIT:
Oh, do NOT get tygon r3603 tubing. get tygon 2075 tubing. Unfortunately it does not come in 7/16", but it does come in 1/2" and with hose clamps that should be no problem at all.

I assume you don't care about looks and are just going for the best quality/performance/reliability/low noise level?

EDIT:
If you're going for quiet get the PA120.3 + low cfm fans

If you want max no holds barred performance, get the BI GTX480 with high cfm fans.

the 120.3 beats the 480 with lower cfm (and thus quieter) fans, but the 480 pulls ahead with high cfm.

[disruptfam]

i suggest medium yate loons :) for fans

[fireice2]

You have some Thermaltake A2018's right? :D You can use them for your Rad. Variable speed and LED's should give you a mix-match between performance and silence plus an added bling. :D

[ChaosMinionX]

Well I would use any speed fans, however I was looking to quiet my rig down a little bit from the air cooling, but I still planned on getting some fans that pushed some decent CFM...so that in mind would I be better off with the BI GTX480 over the PA120.3?

Oh yeah, how does that black tygon hold up? I was thinking of doing all black tubing, with the UV reactive spring looking coils around it.... thoughts?

[ChaosMinionX]

bump :)

[kinghong1970]

Well I would use any speed fans, however I was looking to quiet my rig down a little bit from the air cooling, but I still planned on getting some fans that pushed some decent CFM...so that in mind would I be better off with the BI GTX480 over the PA120.3?

Oh yeah, how does that black tygon hold up? I was thinking of doing all black tubing, with the UV reactive spring looking coils around it.... thoughts?

i thought i saw Mountain Mods have some 120.3 in stock...

iird BI GTX needs higher cfm fans... what you mean by decent... and is noise a factor?

i have black tygons... not too stiff so i like em.. using it with coils to avoid kinking...

makes it easier for tighter loops... its comes with narrower walls ... 9/16 vs 5/8 OD for 7/16 ID tubes... one thing is that i keep leaving smudges on it... need to wipe it down with wetrag after done tubing...

i kinda feel i wanna see some liquid so i am doing the res -> pump in clear...

[003]

for the tubing, ONLY use tygon 2075 or 2275. I don't know if it comes in black, but trust me, it is the tubing you want.

[fireice2]

Those are some really nice tubing but are bit more expensive than the R3603. :D

But hey, if you can squeeze out a little more, its a worthwhile investment.

[003]

The reason is not performance, it's plasticizer leeching. The R3603 was not made for carrying liquid, the 2075 and 2275 are. R3603 and other tubings will eventually have their plasticizer leeched, causing build up and clouding, as well as making the tubing more and more brittle. 2075 and 2275 are plasticizer free. 2075 is slightly more kink resistant than 2275, but it is also slightly clouded. 2275 is perfectly clear but kinks slightly easier, and is harder to find.

[sanhacker]

Seems like it's kind of like what brand of beer you drink. Pick your poison!

If clouding doesn't bother you, use 3603. If clouding is an issue, use 2075 or 2275. I use 3400 like kinghong so clouding isn't an issue. I don't want to see through my tubing. 50 foot roll for $70 on ebay.

It's all a matter of taste. Which brings me back to beer!

[003]

Plasticizer is what makes the tubing flexible, in the case of R3603 and other tubings. If it is leeched, not only does it make it cloudy and cause build up, but the tubing has a significantly decreased service life because it will become brittle. 2075 is slightly cloudy out of the box. This isn't about clouding, it's about quality and what the tubing was designed to do :)

[sanhacker]

Okay. I've never used tubing long enough for it to become brittle. Never had a computer that long before giving it to a charity.

I guess some folks have. My bad.

[NickS]

Well finally am leaving the realm of air cooling (partially for now) :)

Anyways basically what I am going to be cooling is CPU/NB for now, and eventually move to dual GPU cooling.

For now though I parted out the following....

PA120.3

MCP655 (anything better?)

D-tek Fuzion or Apogee GTX (cant decide between them)

MCW30

I would have picked a reservoir, but I am not sure if there is a "best" reservoir or if its just personal preference.

Basically that is all I have come up with so far :cool:

I read through some of the stickies about tubing and whatnot so I gotta pretty good grasp on that, but need to figure out what parts to get and then the most efficient way to loop them.

So any constructive criticism and/or information on what the best tubing is for that setup, and barb size would be greatly appreciated (although I am assuming to use all 1/2" tubing)

Thanks in advance guys.

EDIT: Money is unlimited for this project, so if theres something better go wild :)

Looks good dude. Go with 7/16" tube (bit better) and I'd stick with the MCP655. Tried and true, proven performance & reliability. As for block vs. block, I'd definitely opt for the Fuzion. Better on quads, better looking :p:, etc. Cheaper too, plus you won't have to worry about corrosion.

[ChaosMinionX]

I found tygon 2275.... is it worth getting it, I see its plasticizer free and I can get it for $2 a foot.


Also thanks Kingkong for the MM tip, they definitely had the PA120.3 in stock :)

Will be revising my build here in a little bit, will go with your recommendations as well nick and take the MCP655.

Thanks for the input guys :up:

[003]

$2 a foot?! Are you sure it's the 1/2" ID kind? Thats the only one that will work for WC and it would be more like $4.15+ a foot. If it really is, that is an insane deal.

2075 might be technically better in a WC setup anyway, because it has a smaller bend radius, meaning it will be slightly more resistant to kinking than 2275, if you don't mind it being slightly cloudy. However it will be at least $4+ a foot, so if you really found 2275 for $2 a foot, go with that for sure.

[ChaosMinionX]

$2 a foot?! Are you sure it's the 1/2" ID kind? Thats the only one that will work for WC and it would be more like $4.15+ a foot. If it really is, that is an insane deal.

2075 might be technically better in a WC setup anyway, because it has a smaller bend radius, meaning it will be slightly more resistant to kinking than 2275, if you don't mind it being slightly cloudy. However it will be at least $4+ a foot, so if you really found 2275 for $2 a foot, go with that for sure.

Local Lab supply store has it, and I get discounts :)