Help the noob out! >.< (Antec 1200 rig)

Kamwah

Kamwah

Kamwah

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24 Nov 2011
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Hi guys, I'm looking to move over to watercooling on my PC.

I bought my rig from Overclockers earlier this year (Ultima Tyrannosaur - not the current one)

My specs are...

Antec 1200
i7 2600K @ 4.8 - With the Corsair H70 Cooler
Asus P8P67 Deluxe Mobo
2 x 580GTX
2 x 4gb RAM
2 OCZ SSDs
4 Sata HDs
---

I've never done a watercooled rig before so i'm completely new to this and i've read the two walkthroughs on this part of the forum but am still a bit confused.
I've had a friend on the net give me a walk through and he told me it'd probably be best to get a 3x120mm rad on the front where my fans are currently and remove all the hard-drive bays (Where the hell would my HDs go?! lol) and then he said everything else would be pretty easy to choose from.

Anyhow, would I be able to fully watercool my rig without having to mod the case?

Thanks for any advice, Kamwah.
 
Are you going to be using the H70 for CPU and custom loop for GPUs or a single loop for CPU and GPU?
Either way if you fit a 360 RAD inside the 1200 you will not be able to have all 4 HDDs in there!
360RAD will take 10 5 1/4 bays! WHich leaves you 2 bays spare and if you have an optical drive (as many do) that leaves just 1.

Mounting the RAD externally or using 2 x 240 RADs(1 in front and the other in the top) are your options if you want to use all your HDDs.
 
External mounting would be the way to go. Antec 1200s are pretty rubbish for watercooling options w/o modding.
 
s7cn said:
External mounting would be the way to go. Antec 1200s are pretty rubbish for watercooling options w/o modding.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say "Rubbish"!
You can easily fit 2 x 240 RADs or 1 x 360 + 1 x 240 RAD inside 1200 WITHOUT any cutting!

Op's situation is only problematic because of the 4 HDDs.
(Check my build log in the sig)
 
Hiya guys, thanks for the replys!

How would one go about mounting the rad externally? I've never been good at DIY Jobs which is why i'd weather shy away from modding the case.

I'd love to be able to keep the H70 in there if the difference between it and a loop with the CPU + 2 GPUs is negligible.

Also this is probably a retarded question but if I got a loop to cover the CPU/GPUs (or just GPUs) would I still need some air cooling in there for the RAM/Mobo/HDs?


Can't be getting rid of my 4 HDs, where would all my high-def porn go to?! The Cloud isn't big enough yet. jk
 
Kamwah said:
How would one go about mounting the rad externally? I've never been good at DIY Jobs which is why i'd weather shy away from modding the case.
Click to expand...

I did this with my 1200. I got a radbox or one of those things that mounts on the back of the 120mm fan at the back of the case. You then attach it to your 120mm fan sized radiator and run the tubing through those watercooling holes and fan cables too.
 
Ok so most important question first - I have a NAS drive for all me High-def errr educational movies ;)
Yes you will still need some kind of air flow over the mobo and stuff but not as much as full on antec 1200 fans.
TBH having the H70 and a custom loop just for the GPUs seems a waste!
Have you considered aftermarket air coolers for the 580s with H70?

Koolance have a rad box that can fit and disconnect externally easily! or you can use husks of old 120mm fans(2 of them) to extend the RAD from the rear fan mount of the case. You need at least 2 of them on top of each other because having a RAD externally will restrict the connections I/O ports(DVI/HDMI and USB)
 
Hiya guys i'm back, had to go away for a few days.

I did just buy myself a new desk the other day so i've had to decide not to go for a move to watercooling atm.


Avathar, I tried a quick google search for aftermarket 580 coolers and couldn't find any that i'd think would work in SLI. Got any links?

Instead of making another thread, is there a model of 120mm fans that you'd recommend for good performance/noise levels?
 
oh yes SLI clearance has be checked!
There are couple of VGA Air coolers like this
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-002-GD
and
Arctic Accelero XTREME Plus II
but not so sure about the spacing with your mobo!

As for the fans,
Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm 1850 RPM - 3 Pin is very good for radiators because of the static pressure, and they are very quiet(subjective).

Cheaper alternatives are
Yate Loon 1650RPM
Arctic F12 1450RPM
Can be a bit noisy but not so big of a hole in the pocket :)
All of which should be put on a fan controller(Software/Hardware) for optimal results.
 
The XSPC Xinruilians are very good for the money also, performance is comparable to the GT's and are a tad louder.
 
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