Building a Water cooled PC! Advice ect.

[mythy]

Ok so this will be a long term project! (think 2 months) 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 I am not afraid of a dremel!!!


[/quote]


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





I am hoping that this massive radiator will cool a quad core and chip set 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!

[mythy]

mmm... $110 dollar pump

[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

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/revie...s/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]

Originally Posted by 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

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/revie...s/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

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


My problem tho is this review http://www.pcpowerpig.com/index.php?...1&limitstart=5

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

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

[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 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.