Some questions about radiator real world needs

[Farinorco]

Well, I have took the decision of getting into the watercooling realm (I hope not to regret later...).

My primary concern is quietness, and convenience (I lack the time, patience or skills needed to make the simplest of the mods), and I aim for good 24/7 overclocks (I don't bench). I don't mind at all about temperatures while they are in a safe region (i.e. they are not high enough to damage my parts) and let my computer to be stable, so I usually feel safe while the temps are around specs. I don't feel any better for having 40ºC load temps, but for cool enough at a given noise level.

I want to cool a Core i7 920 D0, and a HD5850/HD5870 (I'd prefer the first, but I can't find in stock here at Spain, so maybe I'll go with the second). The idea is to OC the i7 the max I can get from stock voltage, maybe something else, I don't know. Then, the Radeon would be overvolted and overclocked the max I can get from it (in this case the overvolting only applyes to 3D settings I think, so I don't mind to do it). As a last comment, the Radeon would be cooler with a GPU only waterblock (I very much prefer those to full cover ones).

I've found a case that I like very much, with a very similar (slightly improved) airflow to CM Cosmos 1000, very convenient tool-less front hot swappable 3x hdd's cage, and sound damping materials, where I would like to install my watercooling (preferibly all internal).

A possible configuration of the case with the watercooling would be:

*Top exhaust: 2x140 slim (29mm) radiator with 2x140 fans.
*Rear exhaust: 1x120 fan.
*Front intake: 1x120 fan (hard drives).
*Bottom or front intake: 1x120 thicker (45mm) radiator with 1x120 fan.

Would this radiator configuration be enough to cool my hw?
How many RPMs do you think I would have to have my fans to achieve it?
Do you think it would be worth it to exchange the 1x120 to another 1x140? (It would fit, but it's near 10€ more expensive...)
What overall results could I achieve, in terms of maximum clocks and quietness with such a configuration, keeping temperatures on the safe side but nothing cooler?

Please, keep in mind that my priorities may be not so Xtreme as some other people ones, and that I'm more concerned about noise and convenience.

Thank you for any help you can give me...:)

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the radiators I'm talking about here are Magicool radiators, not those extremely packed fins Black Ice (I said specially because of the 140mm one, because I think that those 2 are the only slim 140mm radiators on the market).

[Jamesrt2004]

if you got a black ice 280gtx in the top that would be awesome for the i7 magicool is overpriced personally.. if you could fit it i'd reccomend the black ice :/

[Farinorco]

Well, I don't think anything else than a slim radiator can be mounted there. I have neither bought the case yet or seen them in person, so I'm talking about the images they have post in their web, but while I think that a slim radiator would fit perfectly, a thick one would not. Moreover, the GTX280 is around 90€ and the Magicool slim 280 is around 45€... and if I'm not mistaken, GTX rads are not worth it when combined with slow fans...

Do you think that a Magicool slim 280 + a Magicool xtreme (the thicker one) 120 wouldn't be enough, then? :(

[Hondacity]

Well, I don't think anything else than a slim radiator can be mounted there. I have neither bought the case yet or seen them in person, so I'm talking about the images they have post in their web, but while I think that a slim radiator would fit perfectly, a thick one would not. Moreover, the GTX280 is around 90€ and the Magicool slim 280 is around 45€... and if I'm not mistaken, GTX rads are not worth it when combined with slow fans...

Do you think that a Magicool slim 280 + a Magicool xtreme (the thicker one) 120 wouldn't be enough, then? :(

yes it would be enough...magicool slim 280 on the cpu... and 120 on the gpu...this setup would be better than stock cooling.... go for it :)

the gtx is good with gt1850rpm fans..it will blow anything...and will remain quiet

[Farinorco]

yes it would be enough...magicool slim 280 on the cpu... and 120 on the gpu...

Sorry, with this you mean I should do 2 different loops, or are you simply doing the numbers?

My intention would be doing a single loop, it would be enough with both rads simply attached to the loop without differencing for CPU and GPU?


this setup would be better than stock cooling.... go for it :)

When you say "would be better than stock cooling", I hope you mean "would be better than any air cooling [at a cooling to noise ratio, which is what I am more interested in]..." it is so, isn't it? I'm really interested in messing up with watercooling (wew, it sounds like fun... :yepp:) but I would be pretty dissapointed if I could get similar or better results with a good air cooler...

I know about that maxim about "a bad liquid cooling isn't any better than a good air cooling", but as a newbie, it isn't completely clear to me what is a bad water cooling and what not, that's why I ask.

Would that setup fair well against a high end air cooling at a given noise level?

Sorry if I sound like a newbie, but this is what I am after all... :D

NOTE: As a clarification, I'm thinking about going HK 3.0 LC, MCW60-R, and those rads said.

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EDIT: Adding another extra 1x120 rad as another additional intake would be worth it? I would have the room to put both (there is room either at the front -one here- and at the bottom -another here-). I have not decided yet which would be the best place for it, but I also could put both... the reason why I initially didn't consider it is because, apart from being an additional cost, I did want to leave some fresh passive air intake instead of filling most of it with radiators putting hot air inside the case... what do you think about it?

[Hondacity]

you can do it in a single loop...

but you can't max out the oc on the gpu..as you planned...the i920 heats up alot..unless you disable ht..it will work out fine..but again...the small rad combo...won't remove heat fast...it will remove it..but the cooling rate isn't that fast...again if you're just gaming this setup would be fine...don't expect good numbers using prime95 and a gpu stress test tool...

[Farinorco]

you can do it in a single loop...

but you can't max out the oc on the gpu..as you planned...the i920 heats up alot..unless you disable ht..it will work out fine..but again...the small rad combo...won't remove heat fast...it will remove it..but the cooling rate isn't that fast...again if you're just gaming this setup would be fine...don't expect good numbers using prime95 and a gpu stress test tool...

I see...

But as far as I know, GPUs can work at very high temps, and watercooling helps them to lower temperatures even more than a CPU... the reason why you say that is because it would put too much heat into the water and that would harm CPU temperatures too much, or because of the GPU temperatures themselves?

Splitting it into 2 separate loops would be much better then? And would it be worth it (making a loop for a single GPU, I mean...)?

And what do you think about the question that I added in the edit of my previous post about an extra 1x120 rad? (Seeing you answered so quickly after it, it's probable that you didn't see I edited it to add one more question).

Sorry if I am being a jerk with so many questions, but they are being useful to learn :D. I hope you (or any other) don't mind it... thanks anyway for the useful help :yepp:

[Hondacity]

I see...

But as far as I know, GPUs can work at very high temps, and watercooling helps them to lower temperatures even more than a CPU... the reason why you say that is because it would put too much heat into the water and that would harm CPU temperatures too much, or because of the GPU temperatures themselves? yes good observation

Splitting it into 2 separate loops would be much better then? And would it be worth it (making a loop for a single GPU, I mean...)? yes at first i thought you were doing 2loops

And what do you think about the question that I added in the edit of my previous post about an extra 1x120 rad? (Seeing you answered so quickly after it, it's probable that you didn't see I edited it to add one more question).

Sorry if I am being a jerk with so many questions, but they are being useful to learn :D. I hope you (or any other) don't mind it... thanks anyway for the useful help :yepp:

i don't mind helping....i learnt much from others too

***edit one more rad...means you can dissipate more or less 70-100w....cooler water temps...
just make sure you got intake and exhaust...cold in..warm out...hd's need some air flow...