Water cooling: How many rads? What size? What about fans?

[iRon_Man22]

OK basically I am building a new system and I'm going all out. My computer case will be a Cooler Master HAF X, My two GPUs will both be GTX 980 TI's SLI, my CPU is an Intel i7-5820 K. I am planning on overclocking all three. The total TDP is just under 800. I want my DeltaT 10°C. I want a quiet system. How many radiators should I plan for? What size? What size fans at what rpm should I plan for?

 

[Zerk2012]

That's not really realistic, and a very poor chase selection. (no dust filters and will only hold a 360mm raid in the top with a extra 140mm added to the back.
That would cool what your talking about but your temps would be higher.
For all out I would be thinking of a 5930K to run the cards at a true16X16.
Quite is also not really going to happen unless you add a lot more rad space with low RPM fans.

 

[iRon_Man22]

Thanks for the quick honest answer. Ok so are you saying it would be unrealistic to get 10°C DT with my three components on a single loop? Why do you say it's unrealistic specifically? As far as cases go that I've seen, the HAF X is big and has a ton of room. If that's a bad choice for case,what in your opinion would be a better choice for a case? Also what do you mean a true 16 x 16 for my cards? I just couldn't justify $200+ for a .2 GHz increase from the 5820K to the 5930K. In all honesty, I don't care if I can hear a couple of fans, they do not have to be silent, I just don't want them screamin' loud.

 

[Zerk2012]

For the cooling temperature all you need to do is keep everything in a safe range that should be the only target area, the cards can run much hotter than the CPU.
I never said not to use a single loop.
With the 5820K processor the cards will be running at 8X8 PCI-E speed and yes a 980ti will saturate that leaving some of the performance unused.
The case is exactly what I said pretty much limits you to a dual bay reservoir and a 360mm top rad with a 140mm back rad, this is enough for what your going to use but not DT10 but should keep everything in a safe operating range. Pump, CPU, 140mm rad, 980ti's, 360 rad, reservoir) The no dust filters are a killer to me your going to have a lot of negative pressure sucking in air and dust from every place air can come in.
Case with a thick 360mm rad in the top and a 140mm rad in the back. With plenty of room for the reservoir and Dual D5 pumps incase one goes out then you can still use the PC till it's replaced.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139024

 

[rubix_1011]

Not to take anything away from Zerk2012, but I don't agree with everything he's suggesting and I've been watercooling for 12+ years...also wrote the watercooling sticky where you can find some of the information around how much radiator space you should plan for. Delta-T is the temperature swing of the water temperature in your loop vs. the ambient room temperature in which your loop operates. By knowing your loop flow rate, radiator+fan heat dissipation potential and the watt total at 100% load of the components cooled in your loop, you can make a very educated estimate on how your loop will perform. Do you know what size 360 radiator you have room for in the case? (thickness + fans?) Also, what size 140mm rad thickness+fan do you have room for? You can find what you are looking for, but you're going to know what size radiators you can fit, what size fans and then select the right radiator with the performance you need based on those dimensions.

I will commend you for doing your homework on figuring out what your possible loop TDP total will be and I feel you are in the neighborhood of that in terms of watts, although, since energy draw in watts and output of heat in watts is not a 100% efficient, you can assume a 15-20% drop in watt total. To be sure, I usually go with 15% drop.

Now, you can find some good 360 and 140 rads that will dissipate the wattage you need with the right fans, but be prepared to select something in the 1500 rpm range for 120mm fans and likely something in the 1000-1200 rpm range.

You don't need dual D5 pumps unless you want them. If I was going to suggest a dual pump loop for you, it would be 2xMCP35x pumps or something similar, not dual D5's.

HAF X isn't a great watercooling case, HAF stands for 'High Air Flow', I believe.

 

[iRon_Man22]

Not to take anything away from Zerk2012, but I don't agree with everything he's suggesting and I've been watercooling for 12+ years...also wrote the watercooling sticky where you can find some of the information around how much radiator space you should plan for. Delta-T is the temperature swing of the water temperature in your loop vs. the ambient room temperature in which your loop operates. By knowing your loop flow rate, radiator+fan heat dissipation potential and the watt total at 100% load of the components cooled in your loop, you can make a very educated estimate on how your loop will perform. Do you know what size 360 radiator you have room for in the case? (thickness + fans?) Also, what size 140mm rad thickness+fan do you have room for? You can find what you are looking for, but you're going to know what size radiators you can fit, what size fans and then select the right radiator with the performance you need based on those dimensions.

I will commend you for doing your homework on figuring out what your possible loop TDP total will be and I feel you are in the neighborhood of that in terms of watts, although, since energy draw in watts and output of heat in watts is not a 100% efficient, you can assume a 15-20% drop in watt total. To be sure, I usually go with 15% drop.

Now, you can find some good 360 and 140 rads that will dissipate the wattage you need with the right fans, but be prepared to select something in the 1500 rpm range for 120mm fans and likely something in the 1000-1200 rpm range.

You don't need dual D5 pumps unless you want them. If I was going to suggest a dual pump loop for you, it would be 2xMCP35x pumps or something similar, not dual D5's.

HAF X isn't a great watercooling case, HAF stands for 'High Air Flow', I believe.

Jack pot. I'm gonna bleed you dry for as much info as I can haha! Thanks for your answer, if I had only waited to select a best answer this would be it.

Love your sticky on WC, read through it twice before I posted this thread even. So when I calculated my OC'd TDP I found my CPU would be at 239w and my 980 Ti's would be around 275w (per card). I read that these cards come from factory with little overhead for increasing wattage. +10% max. Total of 789w OC'd, but with the 15% drop you so rightly reminded me of I only need to worry about 670w. I'll probably build for 700w. Now, doing some digging I found the XSPC D5 Photon 270 res/pump (Maximum Flow: 1200 lph (12V)). I've heard and read this a super solid pump/res. I was also thinking of 2 rads, 1x 360 and 1x 240 (but would 2x 240s still help me achieve 10°C or lower DT?) Thickness, give or take <=40 cm. (as thin as I can while still maintaining a DT of 10°C). I would ask you to tell me what my FPI should be with the rads. There are just so many variables and if I don't have someone that I trust knows what they are doing point me in the right direction I'll never stop researching long enough to buy something haha.

As far as fans go, I really haven't gotten to researching different brands or dimensions. I know 140 mm tend to be quieter than 120 mm. However I don't know if 1000 RPMs or 1500 RPMs are quiet enough for me, heck who knows maybe even 2000 RPMs are quiet enough for me. The only way to figure that out would be to test them, I know. I just don't know how I would do that without buying them first ha ha. What do people usually agree "quiet" is for WC fans? As I said earlier, I don't need a whisper quiet system, The quieter the better of course. I just don't want super loud fans. CFM I know plays a big part along with static pressure to help cool off those higher FPI rads. However, I do not know what would be the perfect CFM for my fans to achieve my goals here. So basically I just need someone (hopefully you'd be so kind ) to tell me what specs I'm missing to achieve my water cooling goals!

As far as my pc chassis goes, you both have completely sold me on the fact that the HAF X is a NO (which is good because for months I have been so 100% set on buying it b/c I love Cooler Master cases, blue LEDs, and the aesthetics of that case I think are as sexy as the reviews). I want a case that I can mod (I'm somewhat of a beginner in modding as well), so steel is the way to go for me there. I want a Big side window, tons of space, awesome air flow (even though I'm water cooling air flow is great for all the other parts obviously), removable dust filters, and preferably black. Ultimately I'll choose which case I love, but do you have any solid suggestions? I can always change my LEDs so those don't really matter.

If you help me out here with all my questions I will be eternally grateful!

 

[rubix_1011]

Most radiators should have a FPI listing as part of their specs.

You'll find most radiator models on this set of pages...the 240 versions of the 360's generally use the same FPI and tube design for like models. Ex: XSPC RX240 and RX360 are pretty much the same radiator, one is just a 3x120mm and the other a 2x120mm.

http://www.xtremerigs.net/2015/02/11/radiator-round-2015/