Im asking the specialists on whats best for water cooling my i7-3930k+system

[s15yo]

Hi all,
Im looking through the water cooling guide and thinking............wow i really dont know what to go for still. I seem to have a huge amount of watts to cool for some reason and im really not sure what i should get in terms of brand and size etc. So i thought, why not ask the experts direct? So here it is;
My system consists of the following;
Intel i7-3930k
Asus Rampage IV Formula M/B
16GB of DDR-1866mhz Ripjaws
2x Asus GTX680's in SLI.
1x 240GB Wildfire SSD + 6x WD HDD (2x 3TB, 4x 2TB)

I currently have a H80 cooling the CPU but i notice at 4.3 it seems to throttle itself when at 100% due to heat. So i thought, why not water cool the whole system and take out the chunky GPU cooling sinks/fans. My case is the Tt Chaser-MK. I built this computer myself and apart from putting the H80 in i have no experience in water cooling. There are so many block/hoses/fittings/radiators i dont know where to begin, Im a mechanic by trade so i have some experience with radiators (truck ones so they around about 4000% larger then PC ones HAHA!) but i need your help with this one!
Budget is around 1k for a full system, i want a real good one, i dont want to have failures or cooling issues. If i have to change the case then i will consider this for sure! Thanks for the help in advance.
Stay cool,

S15YO!.

 

[Pinhedd]

Your system is pretty similar to mine

The Corsair closed loop liquid cooling solutions are not sufficient for Sandybridge-E processors. Under Intel Burn Test conditions at 4.5Ghz my 3960x draws 230 watts. Even the H100 is not powerful enough to cool that. I replaced by H100 with a custom cooling loop comprised primarily of Swiftech products and temperatures do not exceed 70 degrees under the same conditions, no more throttling.

There are only a few vendors of watercooling components and with the exception of waterblocks you can mix and match them as you like. My pump, radiator, reservoir, and CPU water block are all from Swiftech. I also use EK Coolant, Primochill tubing, and BitsPower fittings.

Your case supports a 240mm radiator mounted to the top of the case, this is pretty common. I have a 360mm rad but a 240 should be enough for just a CPU. If you have some money left over in your budget, or want to cool your GPUs as well, a larger case might not be a bad idea as watercooling components can take up a lot of space and I can't imagine that you have much room left (I certainly don't).

I use a Corsair 800D case (the old king) but the newly released 900D (the new king) is even roomier.

Anyway, moving on!

The first and most important decision that you have to make is tubing diameter. There are two common diameters for PC water cooling, 3/8 Inner Diameter 5/8 Outer Diameter and 1/2 Inner Diameter ID 3/4 Outer Diameter (all measurements in inches).

If you buy your tubing wholesale and adapt it for PC cooling you may find some other strange diameters such as 3/8 ID 1/2 OD. These will work, but are generally more prone to kinking.

I used 3/8 on my old PC and 1/2 on my new one. 3/8 is easier to route by far but is also more prone to kinking. 1/2 has higher flow rate and is the only diameter supported by top rate pumps, it's definitely the crowd favorite if you can afford it.

Second is the pump. You have a lot of options here. Your options are Swiftech, Swiftech, Swiftech, Swiftech, and Koolance. Two of the Swiftech pumps are just variants of the other two without speed control, and the Koolane one is identical to to the Swiftech one (just rebranded as far as I can tell) so you're really stuck with either the Swiftech MCP 355 for 3/8 tubing or the Swiftech MCP 655 for 1/2 tubing. I have both, they're both good, but the MCP 655 definitely has a much higher flow rate.

Third is the reservoir. Unlike the pump, you actually do have some choice here. Simple tower reservoirs from FrozenQPCMods sit nicely inside the case, but I'm quite partial to the Swiftech Maelstrom 5 which occupies two 5 inch bays and has a built in thermometer.

Fourth is the radiator. Most radiators are good, just make sure that you get one that fits. Your case can take a 120x240. This is enough for a SBE CPU but not enough for a SBE CPU and two 680s.

Important note when installing radiators: Be careful not to tighten the mounting screws so tight that they pierce the water channels in the radiator

Fifth is the cooling fans. Most case fans are designed to maximize airflow in a low pressure environment. Radiators inhibit airflow by their very nature and thus require fans that deal with the resulting higher pressure. Corsair SP (Static Pressure) fans are great, if a bit expensive.

Sixth is the CPU waterblock. EK, Koolance, and Swiftech all make great blocks that perform quite close to eachother.

The Swiftech Apogee HD is slightly better than the rest but requires a cooling loop that maximizes flow rate. If you watercool your 680s as well, you may have to tweak things a bit. This will not be an issue with the MCP655, but may be with the 355

Seventh is your GPU waterblock. I really can't help you here. Unlike CPUs and motherboards which follow Intel's socket specification, GPU manufacturers often tweak PCB design to their liking and this includes moving mounting holes and heat generating components around. You will have to find a waterblock that is specifically designed for your GPU or is compatible with your GPU (Asus is notorious for customizing PCBs) and that can be incredibly hard to do. It is often recommended to buy GPUs with waterblocks preinstalled from the manufacturer.

Eighth: Coolant.

Distilled water is the simplest. If you go this route, make sure that you add some biocide or a kill coil to prevent bacteria growth (they love warm water).

Automotive radiator fluid that has been diluted to 50/50 water/ethylene-glycol works as well. I used this in my old PC, love it. Radiator fluid kills everything (bacteria and humans included) and also keeps the pump lubricated.

Aftermarket coolants are also a great solution. They come in cool colours such as blood red, and include anti-bacterial additives and lubricants.

Hope this helped!

EDIT: Hose clamps

you can buy these at any hardware store. Seeing as you're a mechanic who works on radiators, I'm going to assume that you've got tons lying around. If you want to add some bling to your case, check out the BitsPower compression fittings. These are extremely nice looking but are quite expensive. They may also not fit on some blocks for space reasons.

 

[s15yo]

Your system is pretty similar to mine

The Corsair closed loop liquid cooling solutions are not sufficient for Sandybridge-E processors. Under Intel Burn Test conditions at 4.5Ghz my 3960x draws 230 watts. Even the H100 is not powerful enough to cool that. I replaced by H100 with a custom cooling loop comprised primarily of Swiftech products and temperatures do not exceed 70 degrees under the same conditions, no more throttling.

There are only a few vendors of watercooling components and with the exception of waterblocks you can mix and match them as you like. My pump, radiator, reservoir, and CPU water block are all from Swiftech. I also use EK Coolant, Primochill tubing, and BitsPower fittings.

Your case supports a 240mm radiator mounted to the top of the case, this is pretty common. I have a 360mm rad but a 240 should be enough for just a CPU. If you have some money left over in your budget, or want to cool your GPUs as well, a larger case might not be a bad idea as watercooling components can take up a lot of space and I can't imagine that you have much room left (I certainly don't).

I use a Corsair 800D case (the old king) but the newly released 900D (the new king) is even roomier.

Anyway, moving on!

The first and most important decision that you have to make is tubing diameter. There are two common diameters for PC water cooling, 3/8 Inner Diameter 5/8 Outer Diameter and 1/2 Inner Diameter ID 3/4 Outer Diameter (all measurements in inches).

If you buy your tubing wholesale and adapt it for PC cooling you may find some other strange diameters such as 3/8 ID 1/2 OD. These will work, but are generally more prone to kinking.

I used 3/8 on my old PC and 1/2 on my new one. 3/8 is easier to route by far but is also more prone to kinking. 1/2 has higher flow rate and is the only diameter supported by top rate pumps, it's definitely the crowd favorite if you can afford it.

Second is the pump. You have a lot of options here. Your options are Swiftech, Swiftech, Swiftech, Swiftech, and Koolance. Two of the Swiftech pumps are just variants of the other two without speed control, and the Koolane one is identical to to the Swiftech one (just rebranded as far as I can tell) so you're really stuck with either the Swiftech MCP 355 for 3/8 tubing or the Swiftech MCP 655 for 1/2 tubing. I have both, they're both good, but the MCP 655 definitely has a much higher flow rate.

Third is the reservoir. Unlike the pump, you actually do have some choice here. Simple tower reservoirs from FrozenQPCMods sit nicely inside the case, but I'm quite partial to the Swiftech Maelstrom 5 which occupies two 5 inch bays and has a built in thermometer.

Fourth is the radiator. Most radiators are good, just make sure that you get one that fits. Your case can take a 120x240. This is enough for a SBE CPU but not enough for a SBE CPU and two 680s.

Important note when installing radiators: Be careful not to tighten the mounting screws so tight that they pierce the water channels in the radiator

Fifth is the cooling fans. Most case fans are designed to maximize airflow in a low pressure environment. Radiators inhibit airflow by their very nature and thus require fans that deal with the resulting higher pressure. Corsair SP (Static Pressure) fans are great, if a bit expensive.

Sixth is the CPU waterblock. EK, Koolance, and Swiftech all make great blocks that perform quite close to eachother.

The Swiftech Apogee HD is slightly better than the rest but requires a cooling loop that maximizes flow rate. If you watercool your 680s as well, you may have to tweak things a bit. This will not be an issue with the MCP655, but may be with the 355

Seventh is your GPU waterblock. I really can't help you here. Unlike CPUs and motherboards which follow Intel's socket specification, GPU manufacturers often tweak PCB design to their liking and this includes moving mounting holes and heat generating components around. You will have to find a waterblock that is specifically designed for your GPU or is compatible with your GPU (Asus is notorious for customizing PCBs) and that can be incredibly hard to do. It is often recommended to buy GPUs with waterblocks preinstalled from the manufacturer.

Eighth: Coolant.

Distilled water is the simplest. If you go this route, make sure that you add some biocide or a kill coil to prevent bacteria growth (they love warm water).

Automotive radiator fluid that has been diluted to 50/50 water/ethylene-glycol works as well. I used this in my old PC, love it. Radiator fluid kills everything (bacteria and humans included) and also keeps the pump lubricated.

Aftermarket coolants are also a great solution. They come in cool colours such as blood red, and include anti-bacterial additives and lubricants.

Hope this helped!

EDIT: Hose clamps

you can buy these at any hardware store. Seeing as you're a mechanic who works on radiators, I'm going to assume that you've got tons lying around. If you want to add some bling to your case, check out the BitsPower compression fittings. These are extremely nice looking but are quite expensive. They may also not fit on some blocks for space reasons.

WOW, what a reply..............im halfed barred up reading this post (HAHAHA) Thank you very much for the reply.......it helps alot. I was going to buy a nechlace because my one got lost in a little fight (was mega pissed and cant recall it coming off) and the price is ridiculous for one that even came close to what i had..........so i figured next best thing would be the PC (which usually would be the first best thing its just the misses wanted something from there so i thought i would check it out). So yeh, thanks heaps and ill take a look at what you suggested here today =]

 

[toolmaker_03]

Wow for that price range a good custom system is in your future.

I have a few systems that I have built and others that I am building currently.

Do not get overwhelmed with info, this is not that hard to learn, plus you have a lot of good people here at toms that are willing to help with the build. We enjoy watching them come together, so please lots of picks and a build log for others, who like to watch but not speak, it helps them too, I know because I was one of them for years.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/284615-29-build

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274855-29-experimental-radiator-build/page-12

the last 4 pages of this thread is where I am at currently.

 

[s15yo]

Im in Sydney Australia.
Keep the comments flowing guys. Cheers =]

 

[Buzz247]

Ethylene glycol - will destroy any acrylic (resevoirs) and o rings made of rubber. Distilled water lubricates pumps just fine as they are magnetic impellers with ceramic bearings. Otherwise pretty good synopsis of the water cooling sticky. In that sticky, you will find links to skinee and martinlabs reviews of WC components. So you can see how your choices can be expected to perform. Or use reviews to make a choice lol.

As far as your gtx680s go, www.coolingconfigurator.com will tell you if there are full block (meaning you have a reference pcb) or universal (non-reference) yes the site touts EK parts (not a personal fan) but it steers you in the right direction to choose whatever manufacturer you want based on what type of gpu pcb board you have.

For rad space, aside from modding, 240 is the max that case can handle. But yhete are a number of ways to externally mount a rad off yhe back too. If you want cpu and dual gpus cooled, you really should run a 240 and a 360

 

[s15yo]

Another nice post. It doesnt really say what the best one for the job is. So here's another question.

Whats the best of each component that i need, How many fittings would i need. How much hose would i need.
i7-3930k, anything for the rampage iv formula board thats worth getting, 2x GTX680's, pump, hoses, fittings, reservoirs etc, should i go with pump+reservoir together? Need shops in AUS. Been looking at pccasegear.com.au but dont have to be there for the parts. Im looking for a red glow aswell.
P.S, wouldnt mind some monitoring stuff either. Would like auto fan control as i dont want to have to turn it up cause its warming up.

 

[Pinhedd]

Another nice post. It doesnt really say what the best one for the job is. So here's another question.

Whats the best of each component that i need, How many fittings would i need. How much hose would i need.
i7-3930k, anything for the rampage iv formula board thats worth getting, 2x GTX680's, pump, hoses, fittings, reservoirs etc, should i go with pump+reservoir together? Need shops in AUS. Been looking at pccasegear.com.au but dont have to be there for the parts. Im looking for a red glow aswell.
P.S, wouldnt mind some monitoring stuff either. Would like auto fan control as i dont want to have to turn it up cause its warming up.

Cheap tubing from a hardware store is about $5 for 3 meters (While this stuff will work fine, there's better tubing out there and the cost is insignificant compared to the total cost of the loop). Good tubing from a manufacturer such as Primochill costs about $20 for 10 feet, and 10 feet should be more than enough even if you make a few mistakes. When you do cut the tubing, always give yourself some slack at first; you can always undo the fittings and trim the slack to your liking before filling the loop with coolant.

Most pump-reservoir combos are decent for cooling a single CPU, but are not sufficient for cooling multiple components. I'm not aware of any reservoir-pump combos which have powerful pumps. Your flowrate is directly proportional to your pumps ability to maintain pressure and your cooling ability is directly proportional to the turbulence caused by the flow of water.

As for fittings, all components use either built-in barbs (All Swiftech pumps do) or industry standard G1/4 threading. This means that if the fittings can be removed, they can, with some width restrictions, almost always be used on a separate piece of equipment. I have piles of 3/8ID and 1/2ID fittings at home that I occasionally use to impress nerdy ladies, juggle, use as cat toys, or chuck at people. At a minimum you will need one set for each waterblock, one set for the radiator, and one set for the reservoir; the pump will most likely have the fittings built in. Many devices will come with one set of 3/8ID barbs and 1/2ID barbs, some manufacturers have been skimping on these recently though so make sure that you check the package contents.

I recommended above that you check out the BitsPower compression fittings. These are the spinning hubcaps of the water cooling industry, totally awesome (to everyone except your mother) but completely unnecessary (to everyone except you).

Two more things that I forgot to mention before:

1. A fillport is a good idea. Ideally this will feed directly into the top of your reservoir. For this you can use standard household plumping parts provided that you buy a device which mates with your tubing. If you use a cap screw (which I recommend), seal it with some teflon tape. On the same note, the laws of gravity still apply, so I recommend filling from the highest point on your loop.

2. Some GPU waterblocks are extremely heavy. Modern ones seem to be well designed, but some of the monstrosities in the mid 2000s were very center heavy and not well distributed along the length of the card (I'm looking at you EVGA). If the card is too heavy or poorly supported, it can warp the card and the socket, destroying two very expensive pieces of equipment. This is doubly bad when you have two watercooled GPUs with the bottom one suspended from the top via a small section of tubing. I highly recommend that you install some sort of standoff or jackscrew between the bottom of the case and the bottom GPU. This will take the load off of the plastic socket and shift it to the copper heat sinks, kind of like how a wheel jack takes the load off of the axle and shifts it to the frame. I haven't heard of this being a problem recently, but I lost a motherboard to it about 5 years ago.

As far as fan control goes, Corsair SP fans (meant for radiators) are quite quiet and are very effective at pushing air through radiators. The only hardware monitoring I have is a thermometer built into my reservoir. I just let my loop do its job. If you'd like, most motherboards support firmware or user based fan profiles, just connect the radiator fans to the appropriate fan headers on the motherboard.

 

[Buzz247]

The purpose of good but non specific posts was to make you read those stickies linked and learn - and not take opinion as fact. Those reviews will allow you to see performance data- from there you can choose what you like. We are here to help. Not build it for you. Unless you send about 50-100 bucks our way. We can be bought if we do the work you learn nothing, and at the end of the day, know nothing about your system, how to use, or maintain, and get very frustrated. Knowledge is the only assurance of success in WC. Or money lots of it - given to me

 

[s15yo]

Ok can ya tell me this, is it better to get external pump or one thats in the reservoir
EG: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_160_299&products_id=22659

 

[Buzz247]

That res has external bottom mounted pumps actually, unlike the x20 version that is actually internal - avoid those.

You are aware that res is a 2 bay res, as in seperate chambers and the pumps are DDC and not D5 right?

 

[s15yo]

That res has external bottom mounted pumps actually, unlike the x20 version that is actually internal - avoid those.

You are aware that res is a 2 bay res, as in seperate chambers and the pumps are DDC and not D5 right?

I really wish I could say I knew what you were talking about

 

[manofchalk]

An Aussie water-cooler, haven't been many of us here recently .

What Buzz is saying is that that unit has two DDC (as opposed to D5) pumps attached too it, and can be removed if you wanted. The reservoir is split in half, with each half feeding one of the pumps, which means you could make yourself a dual loop system quite easily.
I think that having separated components is best, basically not having your pump integrated to the reservoir. Means that if your ever unhappy with either, you have to replace two components instead of one. Also mounting pumps in 5.25" bays is just asking for vibration induced noise.

Considering what you want to cool, I would look into external mounting or buying a new case. Given your budget you could easily afford a whole new case to accommodate it, an NZXT Switch 810 or H630 is a pretty good option.

 

[thequn]

Well I hate to add this but you could also mod the H100i Add a 600mm reservoir and 1/2 tubes remove the anti free from it add distilled water and a 33% coolant solution. and you build a descent water cooling kit that should get around 60-70 degree temps on intel burn test.

 

[s15yo]

Thanks manofchalk and thequn for your responses. I will use separate parts. Another thing is reliability. How common is leaks etc, cause i wouldnt be wanting to replace water damaged parts as parts in AUS seem more expensive then parts in US.

thequn - I dont really want to mess with th h100i. If i get it i wont be changing it...........thanks for the response all the same =]

 

[Buzz247]

Im sorry you didn't understand what I was talking about - but only further emphasizing my first post statement. You NEED to educate yourself on that sticky or you would have understood basic concepts. Jumping into watercooling on no foundatjon and opinions of others only is building a road to wasted money,poor performance, and massive frustration. Good luck on your endeavors

*a fool and his money are soon parted*

 

[manofchalk]

You NEED to educate yourself on that sticky or you would have understood basic concepts.

+1
We will help you make decisions in regards to what you should get, but we wont tell you what to get. Really do read the sticky, it took me a couple of reads the first time before I got my head around it.

Well I hate to add this but you could also mod the H100i Add a 600mm reservoir and 1/2 tubes remove the anti free from it add distilled water and a 33% coolant solution. and you build a descent water cooling kit that should get around 60-70 degree temps on intel burn test.

Nope...
Corsair Hydro's use Aluminium radiators, there's a reason they use purely Ethelyne Glycol (an anti-corrosive) as their coolant.

 

[s15yo]

No worries guys, cheers =]

What the fail percentages if everything was done correctly. i seen a vid of water all over pc and i got scared

 

[manofchalk]

The chances of a custom water-loop failing/leaking are inversely proportional to the time, effort and research you put into it.
Its all down to you, your the one putting it together.

 

[s15yo]

Ok i have another question. EK are known for corrosion. What waterblock options are there for the Asus GTX680 DirectCU II
This one

 

[manofchalk]

EK's Nickel blocks had a bad batch that corroded like crazy, but any block manufactured after ~2011 uses updated methods which would be fine.
But if you insist on avoiding EK, the your options for a full-cover block are gone. Universal blocks are are what you would need to use.

 

[s15yo]

What kind of universal blocks?

 

[s15yo]

This is what i found from January this year;
hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1740358

 

[schmuckley]

Raystorm block
Bong cooler would work:
http://www.overclock.net/t/557313/rays-bong-build-how-to-56k-warning-come-see/0_100
Just puttin' it out there
Total cost for cpu-only loop=$175
I use a RASA block..it worked on an x79 yesterday.

 

[s15yo]

Raystorm block
Bong cooler would work:
http://www.overclock.net/t/557313/rays-bong-build-how-to-56k-warning-come-see/0_100
Just puttin' it out there
Total cost for cpu-only loop=$175
I use a RASA block..it worked on an x79 yesterday.

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!