Water cooling kit or build it myself?

[avenged_guitarist]

I'm building a gaming computer and i'm trying to figure out if it's better to just use a water cooling kit or get the parts separately. i will be overclocking so thats why im trying to figure this out.

 

[rubix_1011]

This is a question only you can answer. Sounds like you might need to do some more research and determine how you want to weigh the pros/cons on this. Have you read through the watercooling sticky?

 

[bryonhowley]

After doing a lot of goggling for my own system I went with the XSPC 750 RS240 and could not be happier. For one I can expand and build upon this and it has everything you need to start with so no worry about whether the parts will work together. And unlike the sealed units these can be added and expanded.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

If you go for an Xspc kit, a couple of pointers,
Avoid the 450l pump, get the X20 750l instead, or if you stretch the readies, one of the D5 kits would be best
And go for the EX rads over the Rs, they are the same thickness but perform almost as well as the RX rads, if you have the space the RX is the best option
Moto

 

[avenged_guitarist]

@motopsycojdn what do you mean by "stretch the readies"?

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Sorry, its slang for increase the budget,
Moto

 

[Lutfij]

budget? - kits
no budget? - go ahead and buy NASA (as Logan said it on the Asus Rampage Formula vid review)

 

[avenged_guitarist]

i don't have a budget

 

[Lutfij]

well, the answer is self explanatory - read and re-read the watercooling sticky so you know what to look for when you see a tonne of products. once you've narrowed down your selection we can help with the fine tunings

 

[avenged_guitarist]

ok thanks! also i'm going to be overclocking and i was trying to figure out the FSB and the multiplier for my processor but i can't find it anywhere. the processor im using is an intel core i7-3770k

 

[rubix_1011]

You are working with a different architecture, so FSB doesn't apply as it no longer exists with i5/i7.

You'll want to Google i5/i7 overclocking guides.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/265056-29-2600k-2500k-overclocking-guide

 

[Lutfij]

^ cloud strife has sliced that point very nicely into this thread!

 

[CrestfallenDesign]

i don't have a budget

do what i did, read the sticky once a day over like 5 days then you should have it nailed. and damn people with no budgets! haha

 

[amuffin]

Is this all you are going to cool? If so, what clocks were you planning on aiming for?

 

[Alex The PC Gamer]

Is this all you are going to cool? If so, what clocks were you planning on aiming for?

Weird, no one asked what he was going to water cool. CPU only? CPU + GPU? GPU only?

This will determine how big your water cooling loop will be. Then how big your case needs to be...then how much material is needed to feed this loop...

The difference in price is maybe 100$ for a good kit versus 300+$ if you're cooling CPU+GPU (not to mention the extra costs in buying a bigger case if required).

PS: everyone's got a budget...

 

[rubix_1011]

I was hoping he'd begin that discussion once he realized it's not as simple as 'I'm going to watercool...' since he will really need to understand for himself the entire process to really grasp what's required.

I highly suggest everyone get to that level of understanding prior to purchase and installation since they will also be the ones to support and maintain the loop- having that knowledge allows you to be self sufficient and know what to do if you encounter any simple issues that would otherwise be deemed 'disasters'.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

And I think Rubix just inspired a Signature hehe,
**We'll help you learn, then you can answer your own damn questions**

Moto

 

[rubix_1011]

My name is rubix and I approve this message.

 

[Lutfij]

[:lutfij:2] we advise people to read sticky and later wait out for the OP to post a listing of parts... we don't spoon feed answers.

:lol: @ rubix+modo!

 

[avenged_guitarist]

i know how watercooling works and everything i was just wondering if it would be easier to get a kit or get the parts separately

 

[amuffin]

That depends.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Look at a kit, say the Xspc RX360 for example, then open a tab and see how much you can buy the parts for separately,
You may be lucky and get it a few quid/dollars cheaper, but its the same gear
Moto

 

[myothernamewasbanned]

gah when i first started my exploration around water cooling the kits looked tempting and were moderately priced. I told myself to budget around the same price a kit would cost, as money was/is tight and I had already dropped so much on the rig already. so I was thinking somewhere araound 150 maybe 170...

I bought the parts slowly, as money came in... all together it cost me around 470 T_T but i love this thing so meh ive moved. anyways if u want an xspc kit, im sure theyll work fine, but ultimately if u really want customization over what you want and feel comfortable with picking parts yourself, pick them out yourself. oh and have lots and lots of towels on hand. my first time was a nightmare lawlz

 

[Alex The PC Gamer]

Wow...removed my post (wrong thread).

Sorry.