Water cooling... it is really starting to spike my interest-

[einstein_314]

Well I'm going to hop in this thread as well...:D I'm also seriously considering going to water cooling when I upgrade my rig at the end of the month (when the intel price drops happen). Here's what I'll be getting...

C2D Q6600
eVGA 8800GTX
4GB Mushkin PC2-8500
Asus P5B-Deluxe

I'm a total n00b when it comes to watercooling...never done it before. So what do you guys recommend for components? I'm going to be overclocking the Q6600 too BTW.

And I'm trying to decide what kind of case to get for my computer...I was going to get the Coolermaster Stacker 832. But I want to put the RAD for the watercooling in the case...and I don't know how that would fit. Thoughts anybody?

[balex99]

Wow, a lot of people thinking of watercooling. Myself included. Just purchased a Lian Li V2000B PlusII so that I will have plenty of room. Still trying to figure out the exact location of equipment but everything will be inside. Just to give you an idea of what I am getting just for cpu with gpu in the future:

Dtek fusion cpu block
Swiftech MCR 220 rad
Liang DDC pump with Petra's top
Swiftech micro resevoir
7/16 masterkleer tubing
EK hi flow 1/2 barbs

[Xion X2]

And I'm trying to decide what kind of case to get for my computer...I was going to get the Coolermaster Stacker 832. But I want to put the RAD for the watercooling in the case...and I don't know how that would fit. Thoughts anybody?

Lian Li cases are great for mounting rads in. So are Silverstones. The TJ-09(?) has room for a two-fan rad in the top of the case. It's already cut to fit two fans. It's the case that Tiki has that I'm talking about.

As for parts, it really decides on what all you want to cool. Go here to learn all you ever wanted to learn and narrow it all down to a preference:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=70

[einstein_314]

Lian Li cases are great for mounting rads in. So are Silverstones. The TJ-09(?) has room for a two-fan rad in the top of the case. It's already cut to fit two fans. It's the case that Tiki has that I'm talking about.

As for parts, it really decides on what all you want to cool. Go here to learn all you ever wanted to learn and narrow it all down to a preference:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=70
Ok so after thinking about it for a while...and looking at my available funds...here's what I've decided. For now I'm just going to watercool the CPU, with plans to add the 8800GTX and possibly the chipset to the loop in the future. Here's what I'm looking at getting:

-Swiftech APOGEE GTX CPU block
-Thermochill Pa 120.1 radiator with shroud
-Swiftech MCRES-MICRO reservoir
-DDC-2 pump w/ petra's tech tophttp://www.petrastechshop.com/laddcwpeddto.html
-7/16" ID Tygon Tubing
-D-Tek 1/2" High-Flow fittings for everything
-Stainless hose clamps (worm drive type)
-UV Reactive Pentosin G11 Coolant Additive (Blue)
-Petra'sTech "PT_Nuke" Concentrated Biocide


Is there anything I'm missing? And what do you think about the PA 120.1 Rad...will it be enough to cool just my CPU? I would think it would...

The reason I'm not going with the 120.2 rad is because I don't know if it will fit in the case I'm getting (CM Stacker 832). I figure for now I'll get the 120.1 and later when I add the GPU and Chipset to the loop, I can either figure out where to put a 120.2 or get another 120.1...Is it ok to have 2 separate rads? I think 2 separate single fan rads would fit better than a 2 fan one... I could put them in my loop so it looks like this:

res > pump > CPU > rad1 > GPU > Chipset > Rad2 > res

So...comments? suggestions?

[Xion X2]

The parts look good. Nothing at all wrong with running 2 rads; I have two in mine.

But you don't want to run to the CPU from your pump. Your pump will dump some heat and you want it dissipated through the rad first, so run from res-->pump-->rad-->CPU.

[einstein_314]

Ok, thanks. I've changed my mind on some things over the course of the day. I think I'm going to pick up a Lian-Li G70B case and throw a Thermochill Pa 120.3 rad in the top of it. Right now the only problem I'm having is finding a 120.3 rad....no where has them in stock :(

EDIT: Oh and I have a question.....how do you go about draining a system with a reservoir? There isn't a drain port on the Swiftech res I'm looking at...do I need to have a T-line at a low point in my loop? Or is there another way?

[Xion X2]

Yeah, they're a popular item at the moment. Their official site has them, but they're overseas:

http://www.thermochill.com/acatalog/pa_series.html

If you'd rather wait until PerformancePCs has them in stock, they'll cut the hole in the top of the case for you and mount it for a reasonable price. I had them do that with my case when I got it there.

To drain w/ a res, you can either have a drain valve at the bottom of your loop or just do what I do and pull the res/tubing out of the case and low enough to drain it into a pan. Then tilt the case to get all the liquid out.

I have no problem draining mine at all, but I do have a little extra tubing on it which allows me to take it out of my drive bay and lower it outside the case so that it's at the lowest point.

[Trademark]

Watercooling is good when you're overclocking, else it's rather useless. Like you I didn't know much about watercooling so I decided to buy a Thermaltake armor LCS to see how long I'd hold out with a basic internal watercooling kit. There were a few nasty suprises, but now that I know about things, I'd easely buy a watercooling kit, but don't have the money right now lol xD

[Xion X2]

Watercooling is good when you're overclocking, else it's rather useless.

I wouldn't say that. Water keeps your components a lot cooler and extends their life by putting less stress on the parts. It's also much quieter than air.