First time Liquid Cooling - Quick Question

[DeadpoolVII]

I'd really like to get into liquid cooling as it's quieter and seems to be much more efficient than air cooling. Doing some research, I see people have kits for roughly $250-$300 to get into cooling, but when I look at places like Newegg, I see much smaller setups for much less. Am I going about this wrong? I didn't think liquid cooling would run upwards of a mid-range GPU.

Here's what I'm finding on Newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Water-Liquid-Cooling/SubCategory/ID-575?Order=RATING

 

[i7Baby]

You need to get what suits your build. Post your complete and detailed build.

Want custom cooling or All In One? For CPU? For GPUs? The link shows AIO coolers.

Budget?

 

[Bezzell]

Those are liquid all-in-one closed loop coolers. You just plug them in and go. The pumps and fans are not particularly quiet and they perform about the same as very high end air coolers, which are quieter. They require no maintenance and will last around 2-4 years before the pumps go bad.

The next step up are custom water cooling kits, then up from that is full custom water cooling loops which can run up to $1000 USD and much higher.

 

[SkylerJacobs]

You can get a AiO liquid cooling unit for anywhere around $50-150, all depending on what brand, and size of radiator.

The more expensive ($299) Thermaltake kit would be considered a custom loop.
Some people spend up to $700-$1000+ on a full custom loop. (Yes $700-$1000+ just on liquid cooling parts)

 

[ingtar33]

I'd really like to get into liquid cooling as it's quieter and seems to be much more efficient than air cooling. Doing some research, I see people have kits for roughly $250-$300 to get into cooling, but when I look at places like Newegg, I see much smaller setups for much less. Am I going about this wrong? I didn't think liquid cooling would run upwards of a mid-range GPU.

Here's what I'm finding on Newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Water-Liquid-Cooling/SubCategory/ID-575?Order=RATING

Two different categories of liquid cooling

1) there is the closed loop, or All in One, liquid coolers.
-the high end closed loop liquid coolers are about as good as high end air
-the mid range tends to be VERY EXPENSIVE and much worse then mid range air
-there is no low range worth talking about
-these are definitely NOT quieter then a good air cooler

2) there are custom water loops, which will run upwards of $500+ or more.
-these will destroy both air and closed loop water coolers
-if built right these can be close to as quiet as a good air tower
-there is a lot of continuing maintenance involved

There are some exceptions to this, but if noise is your concern, you'll be hard pressed to find better then a top end air cooler; what water is good for is it's a type of "heat exchange" where you're moving the heat away from the source, where space for a radiator is limited, to a place where a large radiator has some room. Its not really more efficient then an air cooler, because the heat transmission of a copper heatpipe is many times more efficient then water or whatever other liquid they use. However you can put a lot more radiator on a water cooler; which means you can ultimately use slower spinning fans. However, no closed loop system can really do this. You'll only see this benefit in the custom loops.

 

[DeadpoolVII]

Here's my build so far. I'm making a few changes to it, but it's essentially gonna run this (original cooler I had selected still in there).
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=27582066

Based on that build and wanting to run all games on max settings, what would you guys recommend? One of these $75-$125 coolers or go air cooling? Could you give me links by any chance of your recommendation?

Thanks all!

 

[ingtar33]

the h50 is not a particularly good cooler for $60. at that price you could get a hr-02 macho, and it would be both quieter and more effective. remember how i said the mid point on closed loop coolers isn't very good. that h50 is a mid ranged closed loop cooler. and it's not very good.

add 20-30 to it, and get yourself a h80i, the h80i isn't particularly quiet but it is very good at cooling a cpu. or if noise is your main concern use that same 20-30 more and get yourself a nh-d15 air cooler. that will match the h80i and be much quieter doing it.

 

[i7Baby]

If you want to overclock the i7 4790k you need a cooler with a 240mm radiator eg Corsair H100i. If not then then H50 or even a CM 212 hyper evo would be OK.