Some questions about upgrading my WC........

[Tsaroth]

Hey everyone.

First off, I know this is a long post and anyone reading it and helping I'll email you a cookie.

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I've been looking but can't find too much info. Probably am blind and missed it but I haven't seen it.

Right now I'm working on picking up some more rads and maybe another power supply if I need it.

First off I am almost definitely picking up a MM case from someone. So I'll be running two loops eventually.

Right now I have what's in my sig.

I am looking at running two loops, just trying to decide what to do with my asus maximus formula for the NB and stuff like that.

With what I have (listed in my sig) if I add a full cover WB for my 4870 and some stuff for the motherboard, add another pump, about 4 more fans from what I have already and a bunch of cold cathodes will my corsair 620 cut it?

If not then I'm gonna have to upgrade and that's one of the important questions I need answered.

Next question. I have the 2x120mm swiftech rad but I know I need another larger one if not 2 new larger ones.

I am looking at picking up 1 pa120.3 and 2 pa 120.2s (package deal).

Do I need that kind of cooling for adding the new stuff to the loops and what I have currently? Or would 2 3x120mm Swiftechs be sufficient. If the PAs will be better I'd bet getting a really good deal on them so I'd go with them. I'm sure they are better but wondering by how much.

One last thing is would a different pump be better for my setup than the D5? I have one D5 Vario now and was thinking of adding another but wasn't sure if a different pump with more head would be better for my more restrictive full cover gpu block that i'd be getting along with the possibly more restrictive mobo water cooling addition.

Another thing is what should I put on what loop?

Thanks for any input and I appreciate everything XS has done for me over the last year and a half.

[Sparky]

Yes your corsair will be just fine! :) I have the same PSu and my PC with a q6600 @ 3.2Ghz 1.475V (junk CPU) a 4870, 3 hard drives, 2 opticals, audigy 2 ZS, DDC, all that stuff runs just about 360W as measured from the wall, so the actual consumption of the hardware is a little less than that.

What is the cost difference between the PA package deal and the 2 swiftech MCR320 rads? I believe either setup would be near the same performance-wise. I run my q6600 and my 4870 on my single MCR320.

[Tsaroth]

Well that's good to hear. I was thinking of picking up a 1k PSU but didn't know if I needed it. Saving money is good because there is a lot I'm trying to do with my set up so any money saved is a good thing.

With the rads this is the thing I was taking into consideration (but wasn't remembering it when I posted originally)......

The MM case I'm looking at getting is drilled for PA radiators.

If I put two swiftech rads in the front, they will only be held in by the middle fan (which I think is ok but if I do push/pull or anything like that, I'm afraid of what will happen lol.

If I got two MCR320's the price would be about 90-100 bucks depending on where I get them. The price of the 3 PA rads would be 170ish with shipping. Now that's one hell of a deal and if they work better and stuff like that I want to get them.

That way I'll know that they will hold firm to the front of the case.

I'm guessing since you run your 4870 and q6600 (worse than mine) with a MCR320 then a double loop with me having the PA 120.3 on the Q6600 and northbridge and the GPU and mosfets on the PA120.2 will work?

See that's why I'm also wondering if I need 2 loops or just one. But if I add my mobo on then there might be an issue with heat and restriction etc.

And I don't know what I'd put on each loop.


Yes your corsair will be just fine! :) I have the same PSu and my PC with a q6600 @ 3.2Ghz 1.475V (junk CPU) a 4870, 3 hard drives, 2 opticals, audigy 2 ZS, DDC, all that stuff runs just about 360W as measured from the wall, so the actual consumption of the hardware is a little less than that.

What is the cost difference between the PA package deal and the 2 swiftech MCR320 rads? I believe either setup would be near the same performance-wise. I run my q6600 and my 4870 on my single MCR320.

[Sparky]

What are the odds of you adding a second graphics card later? If that is a possibility down the road I'd be tempted to put the 120.3 on the 4870 + chipset and put the CPU + mosfets on the 120.2. Keeps the stuff on the upper half of the motherboard together (CPU and mosfets) and the lower half (GPU + chipset) together. Doing CPU + chipset and GPU + mosfets could result in some crisscrossing and more of a mess of tubes and routing headaches.

One loop would work with a good pump and more freely flowing blocks if you wanted to go that route. Just make sure not to use the most restrictive blocks and you'd be ok, that fuzion you have now is great for multi-block loops.

Can you get a MM case with the spacing for swiftech rads? I thought you could but I'm not sure, never looked into it since I'm not into cubes myself.

[Tsaroth]

Ok, I'm looking at doing something a bit different now.

Unfortunately I had to back out buying the PSU, the case and I'm probably not going to get the rads.

I'll stick with my rocket fish case and mod/bling it to make it run better overall.

This is what I'm looking at right now so any comments would be great.....

For the mobo

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/biblfrai.html - Bitspower Black Freezer AIX48NSF for the NB/SB

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/biblfrmosama.html - Bitspower Black Freezer MOS AMOSI for the mosfets

A triple swiftech rad to work in conjunction with the double.

I may mount the triple up top and mount the double at the bottom, but then I'd have to find another place to put my hard drives in my rocket fish case.

I am also looking at a full cover block for the 4870 I have. I'm either looking at the nickel EK block or another one, just don't know which ones are better and which would be better for me.

I'm also looking at black and red tubing to go with my whole red/black theme and I am also looking at using Bitspower Black Sparkle compression fittings.

Now for the pumps and reservoirs for the two loops?

Is there a res that can hold two fluids for 2 different loops?

Are there any particular pumps or pump/res combos out there that I might want to use that will fit in the case and be good for the blocks I will have in my loops?

Should I sell my D5 Vario and get two different pumps or keep my D5 and get another pump or pump/res combo?

Thanks in advance.



What are the odds of you adding a second graphics card later? If that is a possibility down the road I'd be tempted to put the 120.3 on the 4870 + chipset and put the CPU + mosfets on the 120.2. Keeps the stuff on the upper half of the motherboard together (CPU and mosfets) and the lower half (GPU + chipset) together. Doing CPU + chipset and GPU + mosfets could result in some crisscrossing and more of a mess of tubes and routing headaches.

One loop would work with a good pump and more freely flowing blocks if you wanted to go that route. Just make sure not to use the most restrictive blocks and you'd be ok, that fuzion you have now is great for multi-block loops.

Can you get a MM case with the spacing for swiftech rads? I thought you could but I'm not sure, never looked into it since I'm not into cubes myself.

[Tsaroth]

Well I'll keep talking to myself then :yepp:

Is it possible to run the following on one loop? I'm still trying to work out how to do what I want and have it look nice, while keeping the price down lol.........

This is what I plan on having in my system.

The CPU Block in my Sig (possibly remove the nozzle accelerator if adding the GPU to the loop).

A Nickel Plated EK Fullcover Block for my 4870.

The Bitspower Single Block for the NB and SB as stated above ( http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/biblfrai.html )

The mosfet blocks listed above ( http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/biblfrmosama.html ) x2

Is it possible to even run that on one loop? I can add a triple rad to the double I have all in one loop if it would work.

Or would it be better to have it on two different loops?

If so, what should be on a loop.

If I go with 2 loops, should I sell my D5 and buy 2 different pumps, perhaps 3.2s with res tops ..... or should I keep the one D5 for one loop and get a 3.2 with a res top for the other loop and if I did that which loop would benefit from what pump.

Thanks for any input.

[NaeKuh]

ROFL i love your sig btw!

Kayin is a friend of mine, and yeah, thats what we were all telling him.

[Tsaroth]

Come on Nae. Help me out here. I know you know the answer to my questions :shrug:




ROFL i love your sig btw!

Kayin is a friend of mine, and yeah, thats what we were all telling him.

[NaeKuh]

Come on Nae. Help me out here. I know you know the answer to my questions :shrug:

yeah i do...

dual loops is always greater then 1 loop.

because you have control in isolation.

So you pile up all the restrictive non senstive parts, and throw it on 1 loop. Keep the sensitive parts on another.

2 MCR320's is more then enough for 2 loops. The MCR320 has a heat capacity well into 450W. I dont think anything thats 1 block can generate 450W.

Problem is when you run xfire on dual HD4870X2. That will definitely be more then 450W so you need to factor, what is comfortable?

For me, gpu temps better then air at no sound = win regardless of how low the gpu temps are.

The cpu is the sensitive area, and should be your primary focus if your goign after performance, so you need to build the loop right.

If your asking for advice on how to set it up, id keep your cpu on its own loop solo.

Then throw everythign else on the other loop like i did.

if you want to try to run this on all 1 loop, then may the watercooling god have mercy on your soul.

Nah keep the pumps, the D5 is a great pump, use it for your gpu loop.
Get a DDC-3.2 with pressure for your cpu loop. Get NOZZLES for your D-tek also and do the EK oring mod on it!!

[Tsaroth]

yeah i do...

So you pile up all the restrictive non senstive parts, and throw it on 1 loop. Keep the sensitive parts on another.

2 MCR320's is more then enough for 2 loops. The MCR320 has a heat capacity well into 450W. I dont think anything thats 1 block can generate 450W.


I would have 1 mcr320 and 1 mcr220. I'd wind up using the 220 for the CPU loop like I am doing now.



Problem is when you run xfire on dual HD4870X2. That will definitely be more then 450W so you need to factor, what is comfortable?


I'm not running xfire with anything right now.



The cpu is the sensitive area, and should be your primary focus if your goign after performance, so you need to build the loop right.


So if I put the MCR220 and the 3.2 with a res top in the loop with the CPU that would be better? I'm guessing so. More pressure vs more flow with the D5.


Then throw everythign else on the other loop like i did.


You mean put the Mosfets, the NB and SB and the GPU all on the same loop?



if you want to try to run this on all 1 loop, then may the watercooling god have mercy on your soul.

It sure would be an experiment though wouldn't it :rofl:


Nah keep the pumps, the D5 is a great pump, use it for your gpu loop.
Get a DDC-3.2 with pressure for your cpu loop. Get NOZZLES for your D-tek also and do the EK oring mod on it!!


I have the quad nozzle already installed for the Fuzion. What do you mean by the EK oring mod? I already took out the oring and cleaned it up so that the excess crap wasn't on it anymore. If that's not what you mean then please enlighten me.

I may wind up having to put off getting the NB and SB cooled for right now.

Is it possible to put put the CPU, GPU and the northbridge (integrated nb watercooling found on the Maximus Formula Special Edition) all on one loop with a mcr320 and the D5?

Thanks again.

[skinnee]

One other thing, if you're going to run the chipset and mosfets with the GPU, don't use the Bitspower AMOSI's, they restriction and pressure drop is far to high. I kept with the EK Asus 3a's for my chipset and mosfet loop.

The NB/SB block is quite free flowing though with surprisingly average pressure drop.

[Tsaroth]

So switch to the asus 3as for the mosfets if I decide to cool those?

I figured one block would be better for the nb/sb because less tubing and less in/outs.

Are there any other options for nb/sb that would be better than that bitspower piece?


One other thing, if you're going to run the chipset and mosfets with the GPU, don't use the Bitspower AMOSI's, they restriction and pressure drop is far to high. I kept with the EK Asus 3a's for my chipset and mosfet loop.

The NB/SB block is quite free flowing though with surprisingly average pressure drop.

[skinnee]

If it were me, I'd switch the mosfet blocks to the EK Asus 3a, yes.

I did really like the BP NB/SB block. Again, if it were my money I'd go with the BP.

[Tsaroth]

I'm trying to contact someone about getting the 3a mosfets for about 25 a piece.

I think I'll buy the mosfets and get the BP combo block. God, so many decisions.


If it were me, I'd switch the mosfet blocks to the EK Asus 3a, yes.

I did really like the BP NB/SB block. Again, if it were my money I'd go with the BP.