Keep my H100i or switch to a different one?

[mykeloid]

Hi,
Just want to know if I should keep my H100i, I've been using it for like 2 years now and I'm not really updated if there's a better closed-looped watercooler out there, I'm using a Corsair 350d. My case could fit a 240mm or 280mm cooler.

 

[Vexillarius]

The H100i is still a very potent cooler. There are slightly better ones out there now (Swiftech has a couple good ones) but nothing that's worth the money you'd need to spend to upgrade.

 

[mykeloid]

I was actually thinking about getting a custom waterloop, bcs I'm running 2 gtx 970 on SLI in an M-ATX case. Do you think it's worth it? Will I get a huge difference in terms of cooling in my GPUs?

 

[johnrob]

I'll bring up 3 points.

Based on my limited research, a custom closed loop for just your GPUS will significantly influence temps.

A custom water loop is significantly more expensive than any AIO cooler.

Custom loops take planning, patience, and money, however the pay off is more than just performance. If you do them right they can turn your computer into an art piece.

 

[Vexillarius]

Any watercooling on a GPU, even something as simple as a cheap AIO with a Kraken G10 or something similar will seriously improve temps. A full cover waterblock in a custom loop is even better.

Custom loops can be as cheap as $200, or thousands of dollars, and everything in between. Performance varies accordingly. High-end AIOs like Swiftech's H-series are essentially cheap custom loops, but preassembled and sealed.

I don't have any personal experience with custom watercooling (yet) so I really can't say if it'd be worth it. I do know that it takes significantly more maintenance than air cooling or an AIO.

 

[1LiquidPC]

Just finished assembling my new setup w/ 2 970s in my custom WC loop this past weekend. I'm still testing things, but I can say my 970s in a parallel configuration went from 80C max on air in BF4(temp target defaults to 80C) to 41C Max w/ radiator fans slowed down for lower noise. LIke mentioned above though, if you go the custom loop route, do lots of research and planning before you buy. It can get expensive very quick, but if your into it, the payoffs in silence, temps, and looks can be great

 

[mykeloid]

Just finished assembling my new setup w/ 2 970s in my custom WC loop this past weekend. I'm still testing things, but I can say my 970s in a parallel configuration went from 80C max on air in BF4(temp target defaults to 80C) to 41C Max w/ radiator fans slowed down for lower noise. LIke mentioned above though, if you go the custom loop route, do lots of research and planning before you buy. It can get expensive very quick, but if your into it, the payoffs in silence, temps, and looks can be great

That's a HUGE difference, BTW I'm planning to do the same on my MSI GTX 970, I'm actually watching and reading guides right now. Might take me 2-3 months before I'm fully convince that I'm ready. Also, I was looking for a full water block and back plate at the EK website. I was quite disappointed because the water block that is available for the MSI gtx 970 version can only cover half of the card, do you have any recommendations for an MSI gtx 970 full water block?

 

[mykeloid]

Any watercooling on a GPU, even something as simple as a cheap AIO with a Kraken G10 or something similar will seriously improve temps. A full cover waterblock in a custom loop is even better.

Custom loops can be as cheap as $200, or thousands of dollars, and everything in between. Performance varies accordingly. High-end AIOs like Swiftech's H-series are essentially cheap custom loops, but preassembled and sealed.

I don't have any personal experience with custom watercooling (yet) so I really can't say if it'd be worth it. I do know that it takes significantly more maintenance than air cooling or an AIO.

Sweet, I'm actually concerned about my GPU than my CPU since I'm using 2 gtx 970 on an M-ATX case.

 

[rubix_1011]

The watercooling sticky has a lot of info if you are looking to get started. It is linked below in my signature.

 

[1LiquidPC]

+1 to what rubix said w/ link. A good read.