Need help building WC loop for SLI GTX 480

[BobyTT]

Hi guys.
I am total noob when it comes to WC. So i wanted to ask you few questions if it possible. Thats my rig : i7 980X@4.53GHz, €V3A CLASSIFIED 759, 3x2GB HyperX 1600 6 6 6 18, 100GB Vertex LE + 2 x WD VelociRaptor 300GB + 3x 2TB WD20EADS, eVGA GTX 480, Corsair 800D, X-Fi Titanium, Zalman 1000W, LG GBW-H20L, Logitech G9 & G15, Dell 24", Water Cooled.

My WC is some sort a custom cooling and its a single loop only for the CPU.

I want to build loop for the GPU as at the moment is single GTX 480 and later ill add one more.

So far i have on order:
EK-FC480 GTX-Acetal
i plan to order those parts: Swiftech MCP355 Pump with XSPC Acrylic Res,
Black Ice GTX 360 Radiator,
Koolance Radiator Mounting Bracket with Quick-Release,
Bitspower Premium G1/4" High Flow 1/2" Fitting - Black Matte Finish,
Cooler Master Silent Fan SI2 (4 Pack)
3-Pin Fan Extension Cable 36" Black

...


I was wondering what you think about my choice of the parts. I have 800D and thats why i had to buy this

I already have the top for my CPU loop...


Thanks in advanced for any advice. I will appreciate any opinion and help.

BobyTT

[Conumdrum]

So you have two 480 GTX needing cooled? Yep, if so get a 120x4 radiator of the same brand of rad, some HS fans and your fine. Just need a pump and res, a MCP 355 and a XSPC restop. Your done.

So a bigger rad, otherwise just fine.

[BobyTT]

Well at the moment is just one GTX 480.... In near future i see it as SLI of 480 or dual fermi when is out... The porblem is that the rad have to be outside of the case... Since i already used the top for one tri rad...

[Conumdrum]

Yep, can't beat physics. You have picked a powerful rad, a 120x3 with some really HS 38mm thick fans ohh 2700 RPM should work under load, but the noise.....

[BobyTT]

So those fans are no good that i pick? They are some 1700rpm or so...

[Conumdrum]

Not for that rad and that heatload, no way. Read up on your heatload with one, maybe two 480s. Then read up on the different rad types and charecteristis and how fan RPM affects the ability of each rad.

BTW, plan for 300 watts under load for each GPU.

Don't even expect close to silent with two 480s unless you get a 140x4 rad.

You go though our stickies yet?

[BobyTT]

Actually i havent. Ill check them up. What about if i change the rad? I kinda want to stay at triple rad.. I dont want something huge at the back of my case

[Church]

Then be creative with rad placement. Eg. check Noeru's Blood+ worklog, how to cut top of case for 120x4 rad. Apart from mounting rads outside case there is option of making special radbox and connecting it with quick disconnect fittings to ease maintenance. In Obsidian case you can also think of using back exaust or bottom intake or 5.25 bay area for rad placement. Be creative.
As for rad choice .. i have to warn about GTXes loving fast fans for good performance, and cooling less then average with silent slow fans. Swiftech MCR/XSPC RX/Black Ice SR1/Thermochill PA are better choices for silent cooling.

[BobyTT]

Thanks ill keep that in mind. And ill try to get different Rads.

[Conumdrum]

Boby TT, I should give you some links to help you learn about rads etc.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=643364
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...96&postcount=3

There are some great links right here too, at the top of this forum.

[BobyTT]

Thanks dude. I think ill go with fan that is working good with medium speed fans.

[hennyo]

Since I have a question directly related to this subject, I will post it here. Currently I am running a tri-sli gtx 480 system and I am trying to find a water fitting that will help fix my issue. I have each of my gtx480's on different water loops, and I am currently using 90 degree fittings to plumb them. The problem is, I can't seem to fit them every 2 pci express slots, because the 90 degree fittings take 2 slots by themselves. I am looking for a 90 degree fitting I could fit in between the cards that only use one slot worth the space. My mother board is a EVGA 4-way sli board, but I can't fit a graphic card on the bottom most slot, because it would hit my power supply. I currently have the card in the second slot from the bottom which is only a 8x PCI-E slot, but when I did that, I got around a 25 percent decrease in performance.

[Conumdrum]

Seperate loops for each one? You have 3 radiators and 3 pumps for the GPUs? Really?

Not sure about the fittings, maybe someone else has something in mind.

[Church]

I doubt you'll find much smaller 90deg fittings, as probably no vendor had thought of possibility of such wierd setup.
In any case, maybe this can help? fittings comparison data
P.S.
What was the reasoning behind each gpu on it's own loop?
P.P.S.
Imho performance will be same or even better if you'll connect all three gpus, all three rads for them and put two of pumps in one single loop. Flow resistance might increase, but then again two pumps in series, and normal straight connections between SLI-ed cards instead of 90deg flow resistive ones,+flow gain from shorter overall tubing,+simplier to place/mount all that probable four loop mess you have now (i'm guessing, that you are watercooling cpu aswell?). Hmm, or maybe even one pump can be sufficient.

[hennyo]

If you are curious as to the reason why I have it set up this way, there is one. I have a water chiller unit that cools all 4 partial loops in the system, it uses 1 in tubing and the way it is setup requires a good amount of flow and pressure, more than a normal single pump could handle. Also when a added pumps to to certain cards individually and other cards together, I had back pressure issues, seriously restricting flow where it wasn't even. My current setup gets great flow on all blocks right now, and the cooling is only limited to what I have it set at to prevent condensation, around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

In case you were wondering, I have been working on this build since middle of March and I have tired a few different tubing setups, and if I can find a 90 degree fitting that works, my system will be finished.

[Church]

Parallel connection of GPUs wasn't an option to solve flow restriction problems?

[eth0s]

Well at the moment is just one GTX 480.... In near future i see it as SLI of 480 or dual fermi when is out... The porblem is that the rad have to be outside of the case... Since i already used the top for one tri rad...

I think you will be fine with a single HW Labs GTX360 radiator hanging off the back of your case. With some good quality fans (GT 1850's would be my recommendation), that rad will dissipate approx. 1100 watts of heat, so you can cool 2 x GTX480's with it. However, you may have a 10C air in/water out delta, or maybe even a 15C delta, which is no big deal. There are guys on this forum who will tell you that you need to have a 2C delta, or some such thing, but that is for ultimate cooling, and is not at all required. All you really need is adequate cooling, you do not need ultimate cooling. However, you should check your rad when both video cards are running at full load, and make sure your rad is not getting hot to the touch, also check to see if the air coming out is hot, if so, you may be overloading the rad. But on the other hand, nothing will explode, and as long as your card temps are lower than stock temps on air, you are winning the battle of cooling them. Remember, you can cool those cards with relatively "warm" water, because they run so hot, and because of the wonderful heat absorbing properties of liquid water. (see, e.g., "specific heat of water".)

[Conumdrum]

GPUs don't mind 15C DTs. That rad would cool 2 480s with some 3000 RPM push pull 38mm fans just fine, and when at idle can be turned down quite a bit. Not gonna be a quiet rig at all.

If pushing the 480s with voltage etc a 15C DT might be a bit much due to the VRMs on these cards get very very hot.

[Blacky]

Could a SR1 480 + SR1 120 rad setup can hold a i7 + NB + SLI of GTX 480's in a single loop?

[Conumdrum]

Depends on the temps. Using Skinnees and Martins charts you can decide if close to 900 watts w can be cooled to your needed DT temps. Many factors. And flow rates come into play with that much stuff in one loop. Myself a 480 SR1 is about right for just the 480s if you plan to overvolt them etc.

[Waterlogged]

Could a SR1 480 + SR1 120 rad setup can hold a i7 + NB + SLI of GTX 480's in a single loop?

To answer this and your PM. . .I'd say Conumdrum is correct, especially if you plan on OC'ing. GPU's aren't as picky about temps as CPU's are, and with that much in a single loop, yours could get a little cranky. Personally, I don't like the SR1 as it's more expensive and doesn't provide better temps for the premium. A SR1 is ~$140 @P-PCs while a MCR420 is ~$83, the 2 rads perform within .8°C of each other with the SR halving the lower temp only @600RPMs. Doesn't seem worth the $57 extra dollars to me. So, if we do the math, your looking at ~$200 for those 2 SR1's when you could have 2 MCR420's for ~$166. . .you save $40 and get some serious cooling power. Realistically speaking though, a 420 and 360 would work well, which would save even more money.

[Blacky]

Depends on the temps. Using Skinnees and Martins charts you can decide if close to 900 watts w can be cooled to your needed DT temps. Many factors. And flow rates come into play with that much stuff in one loop. Myself a 480 SR1 is about right for just the 480s if you plan to overvolt them etc.

Thanks for the input mate

To answer this and your PM. . .I'd say Conumdrum is correct, especially if you plan on OC'ing. GPU's aren't as picky about temps as CPU's are, and with that much in a single loop, yours could get a little cranky. Personally, I don't like the SR1 as it's more expensive and doesn't provide better temps for the premium. A SR1 is ~$140 @P-PCs while a MCR420 is ~$83, the 2 rads perform within .8°C of each other with the SR halving the lower temp only @600RPMs. Doesn't seem worth the $57 extra dollars to me. So, if we do the math, your looking at ~$200 for those 2 SR1's when you could have 2 MCR420's for ~$166. . .you save $40 and get some serious cooling power. Realistically speaking though, a 420 and 360 would work well, which would save even more money.

my ambient temp average is like 30 ~ so I need something good to tank the heat my hardware is going to make without sacrificing quietness (I think 1200rpms is fine) you think getting two MCR420 for the prices you mentioned sounds perfect BUT I want most of everything inside the case so theres a problem there I'm currently doing some setups of loop in paint to PM you to see what do you think and see which is the best for my needs, thanks for the response as well !

[Waterlogged]

Blacky, post it in a new topic...that way, you'll get more responses/ideas than just mine.

[Blacky]

Blacky, post it in a new topic...that way, you'll get more responses/ideas than just mine.

got it ill do it as soon i'm done the drawings on paint! thanks again mate

[Conumdrum]

Thanks for the input mate



my ambient temp average is like 30 ~ so I need something good to tank the heat my hardware is going to make without sacrificing quietness (I think 1200rpms is fine) you think getting two MCR420 for the prices you mentioned sounds perfect BUT I want most of everything inside the case so theres a problem there I'm currently doing some setups of loop in paint to PM you to see what do you think and see which is the best for my needs, thanks for the response as well !

Inside the case. Ahh the Conundrum many face. You can't win over physics. You MUST have xxx rad for xxx cooling at xxx noise levels, even if it fills a room.

Do you need a case? My early WC. Why use a case?


Later setups


So many options than fitting silly large required rads into a box.

Danger Den has some new cases out, and Mountain mods will take care of you.

Lotta heat, lotta $$$$.