Watercooling case question

[lokiguesty]

Hi all

i have never water cooled before and know very little about it (will be researching before i actually start buying)

my current set up is in sig but i will be looking to buy a quad core cpu and the aim will be to cool the cpu and gfx card.

im aiming to also buy a new case, i wanted a quiet case and one that was supposed to be good for water cooling, the one i am interested is this one

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-144-CM&tool=3

the only thing is, does having a case with no window defeat the object of a watercooled set up?

also is it a bad idea as i wouldnt be able to see if there were any leaks or problems?

basically can i have some opinions on the above case.

also any basic hints on watercooling, i have quickly read thru the water cooling guide and will do so again in more detail.

thanks Loki

 

[Deleted member 66701]

the only thing is, does having a case with no window defeat the object of a watercooled set up?

Depends whether you're watercooling for looks or performance, although there's nowt wrong with a bit of both imo

also is it a bad idea as i wouldnt be able to see if there were any leaks or problems?

Nope as you should really be testing the system for leaks BEFORE you apply any power to the motherboard etc. After you've confirmed it's ok you'd have to be extremely unlucky to spring a leak after that.

 

[1kiwi]

Depends whether you're watercooling for looks or performance, although there's nowt wrong with a bit of both imo

You should be able to archive both? Not with that case IMO. There are places that will do all the modding etc for you.

I just got this for 200 (custom Lian Li G70 with white powder coat inside):

 

[Pneumonic]

Sweet.... infact damn that is sexy

 

[Hamoodii]

Sweet.... infact damn that is sexy

Yup looks awesome!

 

[Hamoodii]

Hi all

i have never water cooled before and know very little about it (will be researching before i actually start buying)

my current set up is in sig but i will be looking to buy a quad core cpu and the aim will be to cool the cpu and gfx card.

im aiming to also buy a new case, i wanted a quiet case and one that was supposed to be good for water cooling, the one i am interested is this one

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-144-CM&tool=3

the only thing is, does having a case with no window defeat the object of a watercooled set up?

also is it a bad idea as i wouldnt be able to see if there were any leaks or problems?

basically can i have some opinions on the above case.

also any basic hints on watercooling, i have quickly read thru the water cooling guide and will do so again in more detail.

thanks Loki

OK well for 150 for that I'd rather get a lian-li.

I would go for the lina li V2010

Also CPU block wise make sure you get the right block, I'm not referring to compatibility but some blocks like the Apogee by Swiftech dont cool quads as good as other block so bear that in mind

 

[WJA96]

im aiming to also buy a new case, i wanted a quiet case and one that was supposed to be good for water cooling, the one i am interested is this one

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-144-CM&tool=3

It's worth bearing mind that no case is actually noisy - only the bits inside it make noise, so you can start off with any case, and as long as you have well-chosen quiet components, you will have a good, quiet system. Water-cooling tends to add fans to systems, which adds noise, in my experience.

the only thing is, does having a case with no window defeat the object of a watercooled set up?

Why? The window is only there to be able to see what's inside. If you're not looking at your PC as art (and mine is on the floor, and I look at the screen) then a window with UV tubes etc. is definitely just a waste of cash.

also is it a bad idea as i wouldnt be able to see if there were any leaks or problems?

If it's leaking, the pool of liquid under the case will soon tell you, plus it will probably have stopped working some time earlier in the day. If you've done your connections up properly, then it won't leak unless you disturb something in a really ham-fisted way.

basically can i have some opinions on the above case.

It's OK if you like that sort of thing. It's steel, so it's really heavy, and like most cases it's only water-cooling credentials are been bodged about to take a pair of 15mm spaced fans in the roof. ie. it'll take any 240mm radiator except Thermochill without cutting. As most folks want a 360mm radiator, then you're looking at cutting it anyway.

Cases that are well known for being superb in terms of water-cooling include;

Lian Li V2000 series
Silverstone TJ-09 series (probably the best water-cooling case currently available)
Lian Li G70 and derivatives (A71)
Mountain Mods (massive)
Lian Li PC343 series (even more massive)

also any basic hints on watercooling, i have quickly read thru the water cooling guide and will do so again in more detail.

Buy from a specialist. They have more time to spend answering your queries than a box-shifter like OcUK, plus if you need spares OcUK won't help you - they'll just direct you to the manufacturer. A good specialist has stocks of spares. Plus a specialist generally offers case cutting and custom installation services too.

 

[misterPK]

I just got this for 200 (custom Lian Li G70 with white powder coat inside):

Hmm, now where have i seen that before.....

PK!

 

[1kiwi]

Hmm, now where have i seen that before.....

PK!

Yep it's StevenG's old case - i'm still not sure why he sold it - it was a total impulse buy but i think thats the key to watercooling / espically if your a beginner - starting with the right case.

Buy from a specialist. They have more time to spend answering your queries than a box-shifter like OcUK, plus if you need spares OcUK won't help you - they'll just direct you to the manufacturer. A good specialist has stocks of spares. Plus a specialist generally offers case cutting and custom installation services too.

100% agree. The after sales support that i have received from a well known WC specialist UK shop has been invaluable.