Beginner Question: CPU and VGA in single loop?

[drkevorkian]

I'm working on getting a parts list together for my first real gaming rig and thinking about water cooling my VGA's. Before this i was considering using a thermaltake u120 to cool the CPU but now I'm considering putting it in the same loop as the water cooling. The price of the thermaltake is pretty much equal or less to any respectable cpu water block, so price shouldn't be an issue. Since i've never put together a water cooling rig before I was wondering, do you think I'd get better cooling with a heatsink cpu/ watercooled vga or watercooled for both system?

 

[phreejak]

Well, alot depends on what you do with your equipment. Are you an avid o'clocker and do you intend on o'clocking those (or any) components OR do you just run thigns at stock? There are heat related issues involved in running things in a single loop - considerations to think about - but, it is nothing that anyone else hasn't dealt with. When cooling two major components like the CPU and GPU you have to think about the heat removed from one component affecting the other. That is why it is a good idea to have a second rad - one after the cpu and one after the gpu - so that neither component will be made to suffer the heat from the other. You will alwyas get better results that way. However, if you do not o'clock then the residual heat will not affect the other components as much.

As long as you have good airflow in your case then an excellent HSF combo will always do better than a cheap water cooling system.

 

[drkevorkian]

Well I intend on overclocking to the greatest extent possible so you're saying I'll need a second radiator in order to put everything in the same loop. That makes sense. Theres an incremental cost associated with that then, I'm guessing it may be worth it? Anyone know how a thermalright (not thermaltake my bad) will compare to a water cooled (copper block, 2 fan rad)?

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

A Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme will be as effective (roughly) as a mediocre water cooling system, as far as the cpu is concerned. However, it won't do anything for the gpu. Also, the heat, although removed from the cpu, will still be inside the case and will have to be removed by the exhaust fans.

A second radiator will work wonders for most water cooling systems, and will make it far more effective than even the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. Adding a second radiator will make it much easier, as Phreejak has already stated, to add gpu cooling to your system, allowing you to overclock your video card.

However, the drawback of the second radiator is that you must make sure that your pump can handle the extra flow restriction that the radiator provides. Too little flow can be hazardous to your components.

 

[drkevorkian]

would one mcp355 or laing ddc3.1 be able to handle 2 double fan rads?

 

[empwillkill]

it depends on a few factors. how much you overclock your components obviously. how many radiators you have to disperse heat. and how much flow you havein your lines. youll obviously want thick lines for hot components. and good flow rates so a good pump is necessary. but one loop is perfectly fine so long as you make sure it has plenty of time to circulate. alot of people say that less tube is better but i disagree. with the right pump it doesnt matter. and more tube length can allow more heat to dissipate. here is my previous setup before i installed my 8800 gtx which i will be tying in sometime today when my waterblock gets here

http://unrealwarriors.net/images/newrig5.jpg one loop, a q6600 and two 7950 gt oc editions. 3/8" tubing and double radiators. (theres one one mounted on the rear of the pc itself.) i also dont enclose my pc in side panels as this is merely for cosmetic purposes. i dont care as long as it stays cool. i get plenty of airflow without side panels just my two cents on this .

 

[hell_spawn]

just get 2 of theses

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118015