Building a Water cooled PC! Advice ect.

[mythy]

Ok so this will be a long term project! (think 2 months) :p I have a P182 that needs to be water cooled.I am asking all the gurus here to help me make the best of this case design and my budget :o I am not afraid of a dremel!!!


http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/9094/1002260eh2.th.jpg (http://img463.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1002260eh2.jpg)[/quote]


My plans are to Cut the top of the case off to install this:

http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/images/more/ehx-1000bk_p1.jpg

http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/images/more/ehx-1000bk_p0.jpg

I am hoping that this massive radiator will cool a quad core and chip set :cool: Other then that I am clueless on what else to use. I am going with 3/8's and I am in love with koolance! :rolleyes:

[mythy]

mmm... $110 dollar pump

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/images/products/cov-pmp01p_02.jpg

[stncttr908]

First off let me say that I'm not a watercooling guru. In fact, I enlisted the help of many people on this forum and Xtreme Systems to get my loop going.

From what I've read, cooling the chipset is a waste. Any FSB OC benefits you might receive will be offset by the impedance of the north bridge block and therefore higher temps on the CPU and GPU.

For the CPU I'm using a D-Tek Fuzion. It was easy to install and keeps my E4300 nice and cool. For your quad I'd recommend it or the Swiftech Apogee GTX (not the GT).

I assume you're cooling your GTX as well. You can either go with a full cover block like the Danger Den or the EK like I have, or a GPU only block with RAMsinks from Swiftech, Danger Den, etc. Full cover is nice, but when you upgrade your card you need a new one. Also it's hard to get good contact throughout, as I've learned.

For a pump I'm using a Swiftech MCP350 with the custom top from Petra's Tech Shop. I highly recommend them since they take care of you as a customer.

[einstein_314]

I agree with what stncttr908 said above.

Is there a reason you're in love with koolance? Because from what I hear, they make mediocre products. Sure they look cool, but if you want performance, you need to go custom setup. I'm running a Q6600 with an 8800gtx as well. I'm using the Swiftech Apogee GTX cpu block and a dangerden 8800gtx full cover gpu block. I would recommend going to 1/2" or 7/16" tubing rather than 3/8". But that's up to you I guess....

And don't bother cooling the chipset, it will just add a huge resistance in your loop with no real performance benefit.

I'm using a Laing DDC pump with a petra'stech custom top. I also highly recommend petra'stech. GREAT service.

[mythy]

Koolance used to be cheaply made. But they launched a new line of quality items. Such as this CPU 330.Take a look at this review and tell me what you think. I am interested in it mainly for its looks and fittings :p

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Koolance_Blocks/index3.shtml


Otherwise I'll go with the Apogee but I'd prefer the Koolance for the fittings (compression)

[stncttr908]

I really don't see the need for a 120.3 radiator for a Q6600 + 8800GTX loop. Maybe SLI, but not a single card.

[einstein_314]

Koolance used to be cheaply made. But they launched a new line of quality items. Such as this CPU 330.Take a look at this review and tell me what you think. I am interested in it mainly for its looks and fittings :p

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Koolance_Blocks/index3.shtml


Otherwise I'll go with the Apogee but I'd prefer the Koolance for the fittings (compression)
Well ok from that review it looks like it's the equal of the Apogee GT.....but you need the apogee GTX for that quad core. Oh here's a question. Is you Q6600 a B3 or G0 stepping? If it's a B3, you need the best cpu block you can get. It loves to put out heat :p

I would recommend going with the GTX rather than the koolance. And if you don't want aluminum in your loop (the GTX has an aluminum top) then you can pick up a replacement copper top for it (they have them at petra's tech I see now....)

@ stncttr908
Yeah I'm not sure if a 120.3 rad is necessary either....I have one and all I have is my Q6600 and 8800gtx in the loop. It does a great job. The one thing it does allow me is to have the fans on super low the majority of the time and still get great temps. But whether it's necessary? I don't know.

[mythy]

Actually I never planed on cooling the GPU just the CPU :p


My problem tho is this review http://www.pcpowerpig.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=5

He has higher temps on water then I do on air!!! :( So maybe water cant cool my CPU :o

Tests done at 3.4GHz on a Q6600

Cyber's Water cooling

Core 1 (Idle/Load) 43c/63c
Core 2 (Idle/Load) 43c/62c
Core 3 (Idle/Load) 37c/57c
Core 4 (Idle/Load) 43c/61c

Mythy's Air

Core 1 (Idle/Load) 40c/59c
Core 2 (Idle/Load) 39c/58c
Core 3 (Idle/Load) 36c/54c
Core 4 (Idle/Load) 38c/55c

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/8425/26847129vs5.th.jpg (http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=26847129vs5.jpg)

[stncttr908]

He has the B3 stepping whereas you have the newer G0 stepping, which runs far cooler. Also you have to factor in ambient room temperature. If you're only going with the CPU cooling you can get away with a nice 120.1 radiator and just mount it on your rear 120mm fan mount and forgo the dremel. ;)

[mythy]

so what temps could I hope for?

[stncttr908]

Right now I'm idling at around 30-31C with a room temperature of 72F, or 22.222222C.

[mythy]

but I have more cores :p I am googleing but I am coming up dry...I wish I knew some one with a G0 Q6600 at 3.4GHz to compare to.

[DeusGear]

Well look at it this way. I'm running my quad @ 3.6 ghz with a tuniq tower (air cooling) and when not in use its fan rpm is 720 (out of 2k) and I get 38-40c idle and 55-60c load (fan is at max, both exhaust and inside the tuniq). I expect your temps to be way lower with water though!

[einstein_314]

Ok if you're only cooling the CPU then you definately DON'T need a 120.3 radiator....a 120.1 should be more than enough. Or maybe go with a 120.2 to allow for future expansion.

With my Q6600 @ 3.2Ghz (B3 stepping) I get an idle of ~40C and load of ~53C (ambient ~23C). With a G0 stepping your temps will be much lower. Probably mid 30's idle, mid 40's load.

[mythy]

I cant find a rad to fit in here :o cant be any wider then a 120mm fan :rolleyes:

[Buckeye]

I like the one the OP posted, looks real nice.

I am also looking at the Zalman setup
http://www.guru3d.com/article/zalman_reserator_xt_GWB8800_review/467/

I know you guys have said the WC the chipset just adds resistance to the loop, what about the ASUS Maximus Formula SE ? it really seems to need WC as it does get a bit warm.

Maybe a more powerful WC setup would be required, or 2 Zalman's LOL, or WaterKeg.

[LORD-eX-Bu]

hell no to the radiator. Get yourself at least a Swiftech MCR220 or a Thermochill PA120.2.. if you get a crappy radiator your temps will always suck. For fans I would recommend the yate loon D12sm fans, they are cheap and 25mm thick so you shouldn't have any clearance issues with your motherboard and did I already say that they are cheap? :lol:

Get an Apogee GTX or Dtek Fuzion cpu waterblock, get a MCP 655 pump(powerful enough for future expansion and will help tems, silent as well) and some decent tubing like Tygon(won't kink as easy).

Don't get any of that pre-mixed coolant scheisse that you have to pay like $20 for, go to petra's shop and get you some nice pentosin coolant, mix that with distilled water(5% coolant or 10% mix if you want a deeper color) and get a nice biocide, put a couple of drops into the mix and you're set.

[stncttr908]

GG Lord.

I love my Thermochill. I only have two low RPM Yate Loons on it and it's still chilly.

[DarthBeavis]

First off let me say that I'm not a watercooling guru. In fact, I enlisted the help of many people on this forum and Xtreme Systems to get my loop going.

From what I've read, cooling the chipset is a waste. Any FSB OC benefits you might receive will be offset by the impedance of the north bridge block and therefore higher temps on the CPU and GPU.

For the CPU I'm using a D-Tek Fuzion. It was easy to install and keeps my E4300 nice and cool. For your quad I'd recommend it or the Swiftech Apogee GTX (not the GT).

I assume you're cooling your GTX as well. You can either go with a full cover block like the Danger Den or the EK like I have, or a GPU only block with RAMsinks from Swiftech, Danger Den, etc. Full cover is nice, but when you upgrade your card you need a new one. Also it's hard to get good contact throughout, as I've learned.

For a pump I'm using a Swiftech MCP350 with the custom top from Petra's Tech Shop. I highly recommend them since they take care of you as a customer.

Cooling the chipset is not always a waste. If you run phase change with high overclocks you want to have your NB/SB/and mofsets on water.