1st time water cooling spec

liamcrane · 20 Nov 2012 at 19:27

Evening all

After reading around for a few weeks now i would really like to give WC a shot. My current setup is pretty good i feel and doesnt offer me any problems at all. All my current kit is in my sig but just a brief overview.

Gigabyte Z77X-D3H board, NZXT 650 PSU, MSI 7850 clocked to 1180/1200 at 1.120v, i5 2500K clocked to 4.5ghz at 1.3v LLC set to High, Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler, 8GB Arctic White Corsair RAM, Scythe Q12 Fan controller controlling 7 140mm case fans.

My overclock seems pretty good although i have never tried for anything over 4.5ghz, max temps i have seen on the cpu is 57c and on the 7850 60c max playing BF3.

Im really looking forward to the prospect of my 1st water cooling setup but i think to start with maybe an all in one kit might be a good start for me. I had started to look at the all in one loops like the H100 but im not to sure if its worth the outlay.

If someone wouldn't mind perhaps lending me a hand with my possible 1st setup id be so grateful

Budget wise if im honest if i could get something fairly good for a £150 id be over the moon but im guessing the outlay may be nearer to £200 mark for a good setup?

Thanks guys

pgi947 · 20 Nov 2012 at 19:39

Tbh a H100 won't be all that much different to the phanteks cooler you already have, a simple fit and forget job (until it starts to fail

). Temps would be in the same range too, just noisier!

Now, you have THE perfect case for watercooling with the Switch 810, it will take a 360 + 240 radiator without modding. A 360 rad setup would be perfect for the chip + GPU, later down the line if you add another 7850, you can throw another 240 in the bottom too!!

I'm guessing you have MM access? Always plenty of WC kit going pretty cheap, all you'd probably need to buy from OcUK would be fluid (around £7 per L). SO I would say a 360 setup with used parts would be fairly do-able for £150

liamcrane · 20 Nov 2012 at 20:01

Thanks so much for that mate i will have a look in the MM for sure. I see wat your saying about the h100 i am suprised tho that it would be louder? I have heard the stock fans are not the best with the h100. To be honest one of the reasons i am also looking to WC is im getting a bit bored of the massive heatsink look in my nice switch window

Is there anything you would perhaps advice to look for in the MM for a 1st timer watercooler?

Thanks again for your kind responce

pgi947 · 20 Nov 2012 at 20:31

The key components you need and are likely to get from the MM are:

Thick 360 radiator (60mm ideally, 45mm would suffice, fairly sure I saw a 60mm thick TFC 360 up for sale the other day, was white too, nice!)

Decent CPU Block, you'll probably find an EK Supreme HF relatively cheap floating about. Temp differences between the top blocks is at most 3c so pretty much nothing.

Good pump, I did see a D5 (otherwise known as an MCP655) for sale, a good DDC 18w would just just as good as the D5 just not as quiet.

Reservoir, dependant on what pump you get really. GPU block you'd probably be easier to buy new (be warned, looking around £70 just for a GPU full cover block!).

OptimaLnrg · 20 Nov 2012 at 20:58

I'd go for a cpu loop personally (don't see much point shelling out to wc a 7850).

liamcrane · 29 Nov 2012 at 18:01

Just been looking at the OcUK Tech Lab - V8 Watercooling Kit 240
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-041-OE&groupid=962&catid=1532&subcat=

What do you guys think of it? Would it be a good outlay compared to buying a h100i?

Woden · 29 Nov 2012 at 18:11

Much better, and can be extended/upgraded if you want to down the line.

liamcrane · 29 Nov 2012 at 18:35

Thanks mate, would you see it would be a better buy when compared to say a EK-KIT H3O 240 HFX High Performance Watercooling Kit which is the same price?
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-172-EK&tool=3

Woden · 29 Nov 2012 at 18:39

I honestly don't know on that one. I went for the v12 but I dunno what's best to be frank.

liamcrane · 29 Nov 2012 at 19:33

No worries at all mate thanks anyway

I have been ploughing through this water cooling section for a few hrs now and been looking at the range on the ocuk site and i have started to compile a basket of things i quite like the look of which i wondered if i could run by a few people to give me some feedback on. I cant quite decide on a res and pump, not sure if a combo would be the best idea or if i should get a seperate res and pump. Also would like some angle fittings as i think the look a little nicer as well

Anyway so far this is what i have come up with

XSPC RayStorm CPU WaterBlock
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-069-XS

XSPC EX240 120mm Radiator - Black
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-084-XS

Scythe Gentle Typhoon x2 120mm 1450 RPM
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-014-SY

XSPC HighFlex Hose 1/2" ID, 3/4" OD, 19/12.7mm, 2m, White (Not sure how much i would perhaps need)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-124-XS

EK PSC Compression Fitting 13mm 3/8" - G1/4 - Black (Not sure again how many of these i would need)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-188-EK

Current setup is in my sig, how do you think iam looking so far?