$4k+ Haswell system. Need advice!

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madaorog

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Okay. This is going to be a Haswell rig.

For reference, I'm coming from an i7-920 (no oc), 2 gtx 460s in sli, corsair h50 on the cpu.

PC Components

CPU: I7-4770K
GPU: EVGA GTX 780
PSU: Corsair AX 860i
CASE: Corsair 900D
MOBO: ASUS Maximus VI Formula
HDD: Western Digital 2TB Black 64mb 7,200 rpm
SSD: Samsung 840 pro 256 GB
RAD FANS: Corsair SP120 PWM Performance Edition x 8
CASE FANS: 9x... of not sure yet (gimme input!)

LIQUID COOLING

CPU BLOCK: EK Supremacy Nickel
GPU BLOCK: EK TITAN SE Nickel
GPU BACK: EK TITAN SE Backplate
BRIDGE: EK Bridge Plexi
PUMP: EK D5 Vario
RAD: EK CoolStream RAD XTX 480mm
TUBING: PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LTR 1/2"ID 3/4"OD
COOLANT: PrimoChill Ice Intensified Clear w/ Blue and Red dye bombs to make purple
FITTINGS: Various EK PSC fittings and adapters

RESERVOIR: A piece that I am VERY proud of. I had Steve over at FrozenQ customize this one for me, and he was so pleased that he used shots of it on his website. The T-Virus style res features a helix in individually color customizable rods. In the center is a separate chamber for a cathode. Mine is set up with a UV cathode and fluorescent blue/green rods that will light up in a lightly colored purple coolant to mimic a virus.
http://frozenqshop.com/icecaps-for-v...667p16vsgf05t2

EXTRAS

Corsair white individually sleeved cables
Fan hubs for the case fans
White LED flex cables
ARCTIC MX-4 TIM
Corsair SP2500 speakers
Lamptron FC8 Fan Controller


Keep in mind that this will be an overclocked rig. While I don't need this to be a silent as death pc, I would prefer for it to not make a lot of noise.

If you guys have any recommendations for why I should substitute any of these components for another, or add something entirely I would greatly appreciate it.

One thing you might have noticed is that this PC is going to be aesthetically driven. I need help coming up with a good routing scheme for the loop, and the adapters i would need to accommodate the loop. If you have any other ideas that might make it look better I would love to hear your input. I'm lighting it up white to really accent all of the components.

My idea for the loop is the reservoir being parallel to the right of the MOBO, feeding into the pump directly beneath it, then to the rad in push pull mounted on the bottom of the 900D, up to the GPU, then to the CPU, then the MOSFET cooling on the Formula, then back to the res.

Thanks again guys. I might have left some thoughts and such out, but I won't be building this until the end of August... so we have time. I am buying little things here and there when I see a sale though. The only 2 things I have purchased so far are the White cables for the PSU and the reservoir.

MADAO
 
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frank the tank

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sounds like a heck of a build. although if you are going for a 4 K budget why not go with an X79 setup? with a 3930K and a Rampage 4? just a suggestion. I am not to familiar with custom water cooling setups though. from what I know as far as order goes it should go res -> pump -> components -> rad -> res. a setup like this ensures the pump never runs dry. Is this your first custom water cooling loop? just curious
 
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madaorog

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No sarcasm or rudeness intended, but why would i go with x79? (serious questions)

Also, yes, it is my first water cooling loop.
 
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madaorog

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The build is already sitting at around $4,250. I don't really want to hit $5,000.

I will be multitasking, but for me a 6 core is overkill.

Anyone have any rad/fan/fan controller suggestions?
 
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frank the tank

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I would say it depends on what you have planned for this machine you are building. Z87 is a better gaming platform, x79 is more of a workstation type (the CPUs are pretty much scaled back xeons with overclocking capability). but it has 40 PCIE lanes. also x79 has a direct upgrade path to the upcoming Ivy Bridge E CPUs. the socket 1150 mobo's don't look like they will have an upgrade path for a long time (the later Broadwell architecture is BGA only). although the haswell systems are much more efficient than X79. just throwing that option up in the air.

I don't think I will be much help as far as custom loops go. but from my experience (with air cooled PCs) I would say the fans you chose for your rad are an excellent option. for the case fans, why not go with the corsair AF series?
 
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frank the tank

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the corsairs you chose are one of the best fans for a radiator. as far as case fans go i would go for the Corsair AF series.
 
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madaorog

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That's what I was considering. I'll probably end up with that fan setup unless someone convinces me otherwise.
 
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frank the tank

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Another thing I suggest you to is maybe look around the forum and other places if you are serious about this water cooling build. (not being sarcastic or anything) if you are totally new to this type of stuff I would suggest you look around the forums and on Google to help get you set up. building a custom loop can be a bit risky and will require more maintenance than an air cooled PC would. The end result though when it all comes together and works though will be a great achievement though and worth the extra time involved
 
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madaorog

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I've done a lot of research on everything at this point.
I'm at a point where, by posting on this forum, I want opinions of others who are experienced. This will help even out some of the bias I've likely ingested in my research.
 
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madaorog

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Gaming. I'm the max settings with max AA type. It's on a single 1920 x 1080. It's a 60hz monitor, but the color on the monitor is gorgeous.
 
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madaorog

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That isn't a bad PC by any means, it's just not what I'm looking for.

Titan's are useless for me, the H100 is a closed loop which I don't much care for after a poor experience with an H50, an extreme bored is for extreme OC'ers which I am not. The extreme doesn't have a lot of features tuned towards typical end users, it's the board the OC'ers break records with. Granted that can be remedied, but that's a lot of extra $$$ in add-on cards. I don't need an optical drive and I already have individually sleeved cables for the Corsair AXi AX1200i PSU that I'm going to get.

Are you sure you need Titans? I'm pretty sure they're not really going to net you much benefit at all VS a 780 under 1440p and single monitor solutions. However, if you're using a multiple monitor solution or pixel density above 1440 then have at it!

Thanks again though.
 
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EpicOtis13

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That's true but if you don't oc the 780's the titans will eat them alive. And the ROG board is an all around good board since its made for over lockers it's extremely stable. Also for the h100 I just put that in as a just in case. I'll help you with the perfect build for you. Just reply what the parts you like are and I can make a list on pcpartpicker.
 
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madaorog

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I appreciate the thought, but I already know exactly what I'm getting. I've been researching for weeks. Moreso in the past few days.

The changes I have made are upgrading the PSU to 1200W. I'm changing the HDD to a Seagate NAS ST2000VN000 given that its performance is extremely stable and oddly very similar to 7,200 RPM performance drives. Changing the SSD to a Samsung 840 500GB. I figure i can sacrifice some write speed for greater capacity. Changing the rad fans to Corsair SP120 HPE, non PWM. I'm changing the loop blocks to a cleaner looking EK model and instead of the XTX rad I'm going with 2x Swiftech rads that have similar performance but I can buy 2 for the price of 1 XTX. Also, I'm changing the pump to a Swiftech MCP655-B.
 
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