Cheap i7 OCed watercooling

[misho]

OK So looking at this: http://www.xoxide.com/thermaltake-bi...-cl-w0075.html

its pretty cheap, but will it do the work? it also says it fits s775, but I need socket 1336 , (so are there different kits?)


Can you guys give me a cheaper/better solution for watercooling the cpu only?
Thanks

[Shlomo]

Yeah it'll work great...

...at soaking your components.

[Nanometer]

lol, yea go buy it, let us know how it goes lol



The stock cooler cant even cool the i7... what makes you think this can haha

[alacheesu]

If you want a kit, look at these kits from Petra instead. A lot of people have reported failures with Thermaltake kits, and they have a pretty bad reputation here. I'm of the opinion that if you want to water cool, you should do it properly from the start, or you'll likely end up disappointed.

[nyeah]

IMO high end air coolers are better than thermaltake watercooling kit.

[Stijndp]

IMO high end air coolers are better than thermaltake watercooling kit.

That's not only your opinion, it's just a fact of life. We breath air, earth turns around the sun and thermaltake keeps thinking up new crap.

Corsair H50 misho, that's what you need when looking for low budget watercooling an i7.
If you also want to do a graca or think you will want to do that within the near future, you better build a custom loop allready.

[misho]

That's not only your opinion, it's just a fact of life. We breath air, earth turns around the sun and thermaltake keeps thinking up new crap.

Corsair H50 misho, that's what you need when looking for low budget watercooling an i7.
If you also want to do a graca or think you will want to do that within the near future, you better build a custom loop allready.

How do you make a custom loop?
I'm new to Water cooling,
What components do I need?
Pump, block, tubes, reservoir, heatsink + fans?

How does WC work anyway? I though it works kinda like a refrigerator where it cools the liquid. I am wrong right? It cools it by fans and heatsink

[HotGore]

How do you make a custom loop?
I'm new to Water cooling,
What components do I need?
Pump, block, tubes, reservoir, heatsink + fans?

How does WC work anyway? I though it works kinda like a refrigerator where it cools the liquid. I am wrong right? It cools it by fans and heatsink

Read some of the stickies. You should really do a bunch of research first before considering watercooling.

[alacheesu]

How do you make a custom loop?
I'm new to Water cooling,
What components do I need?
Pump, block, tubes, reservoir, heatsink + fans?

Pretty much. Pump, blocks for the components you want to cool (CPU, GPU, chipset etc.), reservoir, tubing, fittings and radiator with fans. If you want a budget build I would recommend the following:
Pump: CPX-Pro
CPU block: Enzotech Sapphire + 1366 mount for your i7.
Radiator: Swiftech MCR320 with Yate Loon fans
Reservoir, tubing and fittings of your choice. Distilled water + silver kill-coils as your coolant.

That should give you a nice budget build that performs pretty well. There are better options for all those components, but it all depends on how much you want to spend to get those last few degrees.

How does WC work anyway? I though it works kinda like a refrigerator where it cools the liquid. I am wrong right? It cools it by fans and heatsink

Simply put, water is heated when passing through your water blocks. The heated water is carried to your radiator where it's cooled by air.

I also strongly recommend reading the stickies and following this forum for a while before buying anything.

[misho]

Hey
So yea i am reading the forums
I considered water cooling because on the original link it's a sale so I could get a good deal.

but looking at your replies, its good to get quality i guess.

and building custom right now is not good, because uni just started and got no time. Maybe winter break but i will be reading around and by that time i should be an expert.
I love doing custom stuff anyway

[millertime359]

As a few have said, your first stop should be the stickies: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=202394

This thread is a great read, it will answer most of your questions: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=54331

If you take your time and plan things out, you can do a custom watercooling for a reasonable price.

pumps: D5 or DDC are the pumps of choice around here. They seem to be reliable and are very capable of handling CPU and GPU loops. The biggest difference between the 2 is size.

CPU: Swiftech GTZ is a great block, very easy to install and performs well.

rad: A Swiftech MCR320-QP is the best bang for buck rad out there.

Res: There are a ton of options out there for res'. You can get a DDC and use a XSPC restop for the all in one approach. A D5 with a http://www.primochill.com/typhoon-ii...ystem-pec.html will allow you room for a lot of expandability. A Swiftech MCRES is a great cheap res. EK res look great, but cost a little more. These don't care what pump you use.

Fans: I prefer Gentle Typhoons. They are high quality with a great sound. Yate Loons are cheap and get the job done.

For tubing, I like the PrimoChill PRO LRT. It's great tubing with a nice line of color choices. Pick your favorite. Tubing size isn't a big deal. I use 1/2" ID 3/4" OD, but also like the 7/16" ID 5/8" OD.

fittings: Compression fittings are cool looking, but expensive. Barbs are inexpensive and get the job done. BP fatboys are a bit nicer than the plastic ones. Clamps are needed unless you decide to use 7/16" ID tube on 1/2" barbs. (I still would use clamps or zipties for extra security.)

coolant: distilled water and a silver kill coil is what i use. I prefer it over colored coolant as people have had issues with the colored coolant breaking down and depositing dye on their blocks.

[Johnmark]

There is no CHEAP way to water cool if you value your system. You can cut your cost by customizing cases and various parts, as well as buying older technology that still works fine. Besides the extra performance and life you get out of your computer will pay for some decent parts.
From experience stay as far away as possible from Thermaltake water components !!! I can't emphasize that enough!
You'll notice in my sig. that I first bought a Thermaltake LCS case complete with their components. EVERY component failed more than once, pumps dying, water blocks cracking and leaking, barbs falling off the Rad, you name it happened. After RMAing all the water parts numerous time's I replaced them all with good quality parts, ended up with all brand new Thermaltake components that got sold to someone who wanted to build a cheap system. I told him my story but he still went ahead and I'm sure he regretted his decision somewhere down the line.
Since then I've not had a single component fail or leak! Water cooling is cool, but you have to buy the proper parts. There are plenty of good parts being suggested by others here that will do you well.
Did I say, STAY AWAY from Thermaltake water components

[Gimmpy224]

I have never used or will ever endorse the use of a thermaltake setup. My father, however, used this set up and it was ridiculous. Not only did it leak horribly but when I finally got his loop sealed the temps it got were .

Like it was stated above, if you're looking for a cheap route to get some decent cooling for your CPU, a high end air cooler would be the best bet.


Other than that, id say if you want to make a WC loop you should be willing to save up the money to make it a decent set up, which usually isn't that expensive.

[Boogerlad]

thermaltake cools worse than a fire.

[misho]

thermaltake cools worse than a fire.

lol got that part! NO more thermaltake

[misho]

OK guys, one question,.

So how long will these pumps last on a 24/7 setup? Year? 2 years etc/?
thanks

[Utnorris]

If you want a decent, cheap and as good as the best air coolers setup, get the Corsair H50. I used on a friends HTPC and OC'd his I7 920 D0 steppeing to 4.2Ghz at 1.28v vcore and it kept temps around the low 70's under moderate load which should be good for his application. Otherwise, Swiftech makes some great kits that uses a lot of the stuff people recommend, just done up in a bundle deal.

[Daddyjaxx]

50,000 hours MTBF or 5 years continuous 24/7 use

[Utnorris]

OK guys, one question,.

So how long will these pumps last on a 24/7 setup? Year? 2 years etc/?
thanks

A long time. Seriously.

[Johnmark]

Most Laing pumps are rated to last 5 years! Took my DDC 2 apart after just over 2 years and it looks like new.

[Conumdrum]

Misho, this will keep you busy for quite a while. The links are great bookmarks BTW.

Us guys have done the WC thing, there are basics you gotta know. Maybe this long rewritten and modified thing will help.
.......................................
CPU HS $65
GPU HS and air HS for Vram and Mosfets $95, full cover block, $100-$200
Radiator $60 min, up to $130
Pump $65 +
Reservoir $25
Hose, some barbs and clamps etc (min $25, more like $35)
Fans $15-30

I went top notch and spent close to $600 to cool my CPU and GPU. You can do it for less, but a CPU only loop is $250 or so, add a GPU, add $100. If your looking at an i7 and a BIG GPU, start thinking about a big rad, possibly two rads, or even TWO loops.
First you gotta learn about WC. It's not like walking into Best Buy.
Spend a while reading this info, get a feel for what your getting into and learn.
It’s not 'Roket Science', but you need to know the basics and the lingo as a beginner.
You should spend a few hours on the listed sites reading threads, guides and more. It's how YOU learn. I can recommend the best stuff, but there are things only reading and participating on forums will ya learn anything. You don’t have to join all the forums. But reading ALL the WC stickies and many threads that interest you is important. A thread might be 50 replies long, and 15 of those replies might be what you needed to ‘PASS THE TEST’. Remember, once the $500 of goodies show up on your doorstep you’re on your own.
For your benefit please spend a few days reading a LOT. It took me a while; I was big into Air over clocking and started to read about water-cooling. I made my decision to water-cool. THREE months later I made my first purchase of parts. Yes it took me that long and I have built a few systems and always just fine.

Don't expect miracles or SUPER DOOPER over clocks. Your temps with a good WC rig will be better than you could of got on air, guaranteed. What you will get is a quiet system that can handle OC to the max of your hardware IF you buy quality and buy smart. And minor maintenance too, a bonus for the water cooler.

Also while there please read on case mods etc. The radiators do NOT fit in many cases. Reading up on pumps and hose routing, wire management and other things are important. Google your planned case and the word water-cooled in one line. You might get lucky. Look here too…. http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=223835
...........................
2009/2010 Heat thoughts:
With the advent of the HOT i7 and bigger dual chip GPU's, it has changed. A 220 size MIN rad for an i7, you want big over clocks, better go 320 sized rad.
Expect an i7 at 4.1 to be putting out close to 250 watts. Using the radiator testing charts, a PA 120.3 with medium fans on high you’ll get a Delta T of 5C, very good. Some have suggested a GTX295 puts out about 250 watts of heat, possibly more like 280 under load. You try and put both of those on a 120x3 radiator the CPU will not over clock at all, it will be very very unhappy. You want to learn more about heat load and the all important measurement, Delta T, read up in the stickies I provided.
2007/2008 Old stuff heat thoughts:
For a setup using the old Q6600 CPUs and the old 4870 and GTX280 cards this is for you.
IF you just cool your CPU and you’re NB if you want, you can get by with a 120.2 sized radiator (RAD). And MAYBE fit in inside depending on your mod skillz. You want to cool your GPU too, you'll need a 120.3 sized rad, and it probably won't fit inside. The rear external rad really works great. No matter what your adding 10lbs to your PC.
…………………………………………………………
Just general info what you should do once a year to keep your WC at 100%:
Cleaning a loop, not a new loop: I do this once a year, I drain and refill at 6 months, the next time I do this……
Wash hands very well, getting rid of hand oils.
For pumps and blocks, fittings, clamps, acrylic res/block parts.... not hose, tear it to smallest pieces, put in a bowl, heat water up not to boiling add 10% vinegar, when hot, pour over parts. Let sit for 10 minutes or so, then rinse well, put on a towel to dry.
The blocks will probably have some black oxidation. Take the copper parts out of the pile of parts you took out of the water. Dry well and pour ketchup on them, and set aside. Only the copper parts need this.
Rad cleaning: fill with very almost boiling hot water. Let sit 10 minutes, drain half out and shake for 5 min. Repeat till liquid is clean. You can pour it in a clean bowl and inspect the water if you like.
All the pump, block, fittings, and clamps, inspect, get in the tiniest corners with a tooth brush. Kind of meditative, time consuming, you learn a lot about o-ring size, how it all feels. It’s very relaxing with some mellow jazz in the background. Run a rag using a coat hanger and dish soap through the tubing, rinse well. I always consider replacing my hose every year. Plasticizers leach out, the tubing isn’t as flexible. Consider it a ‘Hobby Cost’.
Rinse all the parts and hose with distilled, dry then really dry with an air compressor (nice extra step to get rid of water spots). Don’t need to dry the inside of the hose.
Now on to the copper parts, they should have been soaking an hour or two. A toothbrush and ketchup should clean much of the oxidation. It probably won’t be like new, but pretty darn good. Rinse, dry, and blow the parts.
That’s it.
………………………………………………………
Benching software and such is very varied. I use these for each purpose:
These are pretty standard and used by many.
Monitoring the PC temps overall: HW monitor aka hardware monitor
CPUZ for CPU info
GPUZ for GPU info
CPU only: Real Temp
GPU only: ATI Tool, I have a Nivida GTX280, so it works on Nvidia

Loading/benching tools:
CPU loaders: Prime95 and OCCT
GPU Loaders: ATI Tool and the best one is Furmark, nothing pushes the GPU harder right now.
Benching for overall graphics/gaming performance is 3DMark06
……………………………………………………………
Guides
Pretty up to date info and buying guide Has EU, AU, NZ stores at the bottom
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...d.php?t=282232
A great up to date guide
http://gilgameshreviews.com/index.ph...ling&Itemid=86
What to do once all the stuff is in the door
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...d.php?t=312743
Many build logs on MANY cases, great learning tool.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=233842
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=223835


My latest rig:
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=604016

Forums
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/index.php? Not a noob site, but great stickies
http://www.ocforums.com/ My fav, good peeps, know their stuff, less hardcore
http://www.over-clock.com/ A GREAT Europe site
http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/ Decent site
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/....php?p=3837299 Why we use distilled water. Or de-ionized in the UK because distilled ain’t available unless your rich.

Tests on equipment, not reviews, truly scientific tests
http://translate.google.com/transl [...] n&ie=UTF-8 Info on rad testing
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forum [...] p?t=220593 More rad testing
http://skinneelabs.com/ Host for Martins lab and some newer tests
http://www.skinneelabs.com/MartinsLiquidLab/ Test results, very technical


Stores (US)
http://www.dangerden.com
http://www.petrastechshop.com/
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/
http://www.jab-tech.com/
http://www.performance-pcs.com
http://www.frozencpu.com/
……………………………………………………………

[misho]

OK so im reading, but I am a bit confused with what single loop and multi loop means .

Also, a loop should go from res>pump>cpu(cpu only in my case)>block right?

THahnks

[Conumdrum]

A single loop is a res-pump-rad-block. A dual loop is two fully seperate loops, two res, two pump, two rads, two blocks.


Sometimes due to the amount of wattage needed dissipated and too many flow restrictive parts TWO loops is needed. See my sig below.

CPU loop is it's own pump, res, block, rad.
GPU loop is the same.
The GPUs would make the CPU water warmer, thus worse CPU temps. So two loops was best for me. But one loop would of been fine, but I'd need BOTH rads due to my heatload.


The one golden rule is res before pump, never ever run a pump dry.

[misho]

A single loop is a res-pump-rad-block. A dual loop is two fully seperate loops, two res, two pump, two rads, two blocks.


Sometimes due to the amount of wattage needed dissipated and too many flow restrictive parts TWO loops is needed. See my sig below.

CPU loop is it's own pump, res, block, rad.
GPU loop is the same.
The GPUs would make the CPU water warmer, thus worse CPU temps. So two loops was best for me. But one loop would of been fine, but I'd need BOTH rads due to my heatload.


The one golden rule is res before pump, never ever run a pump dry.

OK, I though the rad has to be before the pump, because if its not it will heat up the pump for no reason? You said "res-pump-rad-block", but after the block, the water is high temps, goes through res and then warms up pump, I think it should be res>RAD>pump>block, because this way cool water enters pump?

ALSO, are there any restrictions in lenght of tubing?
And can you run 2 blocks on a single looop?

[Conumdrum]

The difference in a proper watercooling loop from hottest to coolest water is under a few C. So it doesn't matter wheere the parts are, as long as the res is before the pump. A proper watercooling loop water temp is no more than 15C above the ambient air temp. Most of us stay under 10C for the Delta T temps, many big watercoolers strive for under 5C Delta T.

These are facts you'll learn about in time as you begin your journey. They are very common quiestions for a new watercooler.

It's not the lenght of tubing, it's how the FULL system impacts flow rate. Lots of us have 5-8 ft for a loop. Yes, you usually can run more than one block.

Most of these questions can be answered if you take my advice and start reading a lot. It's all in my big post. CYA in a week or so after 10-20 hours of learning, then these easy questions will be unnessary. You'll get your own answers by learning.