best watercooling?

Perfect_Chaos · 18 Jan 2008 at 09:28

I was looking at the Swiftech apex ultra kit and the XSPC dual extreme.

Then i noticed the swiftech h20 compact with dual rads, which one of those is best? or is it still better to buy custom parts?

also i'd rather buy a pre watercooled case than having to fit everything myself, im looking for quiet & much better than heat sink air cooling.

Dont want an expensive case to put everything in, as long as it looks ok.

advice please

RoEy · 18 Jan 2008 at 10:03

Go custom mate. It will be definitely worth it in the long run. Means you'll have to do a bit more research into it but you only get out what you put in

If you need any help just email us at [email protected]

I'm building my own in a couple of months time and I've been researching like mad!

Thanks,

RoEy

Perfect_Chaos · 18 Jan 2008 at 12:15

RoEy said:
Go custom mate. It will be definitely worth it in the long run. Means you'll have to do a bit more research into it but you only get out what you put in If you need any help just email us at [email protected]

I'm building my own in a couple of months time and I've been researching like mad!

Thanks,

RoEy

Hi

cheers for your info and help, very grateful

I'm not sure what case to use tbh.. and if there isnt enough room inside i'd have to mount the rad on the back of the case.

i'll send u an email

Psypher5 · 18 Jan 2008 at 12:39

i was fluttering between high end air, then a wc kit (xspc etc about 70quid) but after reading into it more and some help ive managed to get a relatively decent wc setup for only a bit more money (well a bit, quite a bit -.-)

Everyone says its best to go custom, most dedicated wc shops have custom kits so you can research and choose the best parts for you and still have that knowledge it WILL work together

MikeTimbers · 18 Jan 2008 at 12:59

The Apex Ultra kit is a very good selection of individual parts from one of the most respected water-cooling manufacturers. The latest version of the Apex kit includes the Apogee GT, the excellent Laing D5 pump, a very good rad and the best res you can buy. You get a Radbox for externally mounting the rad, a PCI passthrough and 7/16" tubing plus coolant. And it's all guaranteed to work together.

Yes, "custom" cooling is better but not by much and not for a first-timer. Additionally, going custom without serious research runs the risk of buying individually great components which do not complement each other and ending up with merely average cooling.

Perfect_Chaos · 18 Jan 2008 at 13:07

MikeTimbers said:
Yes, "custom" cooling is better but not by much and not for a first-timer. Additionally, going custom without serious research runs the risk of buying individually great components which do not complement each other and ending up with merely average cooling.

What is the actual difference between the Apex kit and a custom kit? if you are talking 1-2 c at most then surely there isnt much point in messing about with custom, at least not for me.

I'd rather mount the radiator on the back of the case, saves room but when i see them like that arent they blocking ports at the back? seems awfully tight for space either way. Tbh rather have it all stored inside a little external case, shame they dont make those but with internal kit

RoEy · 18 Jan 2008 at 13:08

MikeTimbers said:
Yes, "custom" cooling is better but not by much and not for a first-timer. Additionally, going custom without serious research runs the risk of buying individually great components which do not complement each other and ending up with merely average cooling.

I'm a first timer

and I'm going custom but I'm planning, then planning again and again and again before I do it. But I see your point, there is a lot to learn about it and you have to make sure all the parts like eachother.

pegasus1 · 18 Jan 2008 at 13:23

As mike said, the Swiftech kits are a group of quality custom parts in one package. To be honest there is a fair bit of snobbery around when it comes to WC specs. More expense doesnt mean cooler.

MikeTimbers · 18 Jan 2008 at 13:30

Perfect_Chaos said:
What is the actual difference between the Apex kit and a custom kit? if you are talking 1-2 c at most then surely there isnt much point in messing about with custom, at least not for me.

I'd rather mount the radiator on the back of the case, saves room but when i see them like that arent they blocking ports at the back? seems awfully tight for space either way. Tbh rather have it all stored inside a little external case, shame they dont make those but with internal kit

I have both custom and Swiftech kit. The custom has undergone multiple transformations changing the block, the pump, T-piece or reservoir. The two systems being cooled are too different to compare and I'll happily admit that the custom rig is quite old-fashioned.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=3464504&postcount=1
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=3464505&postcount=20
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=3464512&postcount=21
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=3464506&postcount=32
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=4531389&postcount=51
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6788329&postcount=100
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10115595&postcount=330

The Swiftech kit occasionally needs a little dusting but otherwise just sits ticking along quite happily. The 120.1 rad on the back keeps a 24/7 fully-loaded over-volted and over-clocked Athlon X2 at below 40C.

The custom kit is - to be brutally honest - a pain in the butt. I'm on my third block and second pump. If I had the spare cash, I'd love to rip it all out and start from scratch.

As for the temperature difference between an Apex Ultra+ kit and fully custom, I couldn't possibly comment but that isn't the point. Go custom for the satisfaction of a job-well-done. Go Swiftech kit if you want easy efficient cooling.

Perfect_Chaos · 18 Jan 2008 at 14:48

so really if i just want performance and ease of setup i should go with the apex kit?

custom may have me losing my patience if i get stuck somewhere, lol.

thanks mike, just got to think about a case now

pegasus1 · 18 Jan 2008 at 15:59

A big fat server case, my Chieftech Dragon case is huge, if my shoulders wernt so massive i reckon i could climb in to give it a hoover.

jamieufc · 19 Jan 2008 at 01:17

Jobe · 19 Jan 2008 at 09:15

after reading a few things i'm going with the swiftech one you mentioned
it's got very good parts and you know everything fits together.
a lot of the hardcore watercoolers pick most of the items in the kit at some point.

jobe

tatts · 19 Jan 2008 at 12:53

Personally custom wins over kits for me, found out the expensive way

But it depends how much performance & noise you want?

I went from the Apex Extreme (Storm block, Mcp655, Micro res, Mcr220) using 2 120mm fans at full speed

To custom kit (D-tek fuzion, Mcp655, Ek multi res, Pa120.3 D-tek 8800gt block) 3 120mm fans at 50% with fan controller

Idle Temps:
Apex = 25 to 28C
Custom = 18C to 20C

Load Temps:
Apex = 44 to 48C
Custom = 30 to 34C

Considering i was only cooling the cpu with the apex and the new loop is cooling the cpu & gpu theres quite a big difference, especially when the apex fans were full speed. Ambient temps are within 2C before anyone asks

Just my 2cents on loops

w3bbo · 19 Jan 2008 at 15:48

Kits = Confidence building excercise, fair to good temps, slightly cheaper than a custom kit, instructions included.

Custom = Easily upgraded/adjusted to suit your upgrade path, look and perform so much better, slightly more expensive than a prebuilt kit but you DO get what you pay for!

Jobe · 19 Jan 2008 at 16:29

but the swiftech stuff could be changed later on. i mean change the pump if required or the res and so on.
although it's a kit it is just seperates sold in one box really.

jobe

Street · 19 Jan 2008 at 18:49

I went custom for my first ever setup just over a year ago. Since then its been pretty much untouched over the space of a year. I changed my original waterblock (Apogee) for a Fuzion when they were released but thats all I have done.

Its now cooling my Q6600 and 2900XT and is doing a great job!

I decided on custom as it gave me more satisfaction than just buying a premade kit that would all just work. It meant I had to do research and actually understand things instead of just going out and buying straight away which was a good thing. To be fair, the kits are good, but I prefered the freedom of buying the parts I wanted.

pegasus1 · 20 Jan 2008 at 11:22

Street said:
I decided on custom as it gave me more satisfaction than just buying a premade kit that would all just work.QUOTE]

So you would be less satisfied with a kit that worked So if you bought the contents of the Swiftech kit seperatly form varuious stores it would give greater satifaction?
My Swifty kit keeps an E6300 at 1.6V, a NB at 1.7V and my well OCed GTX nice and cool and im satisfied with it.

Jobe · 20 Jan 2008 at 11:26

My Swifty kit keeps an E6300 at 1.6V, a NB at 1.7V and my well OCed GTX nice and cool and im satisfied with it.

hey pegasus. could you post your temps and volts. would like to know i'd
be happy before i go ahead and buy my kit.

jobe

Street · 20 Jan 2008 at 11:27

pegasus1 said:
So you would be less satisfied with a kit that worked So if you bought the contents of the Swiftech kit seperatly form varuious stores it would give greater satifaction?
My Swifty kit keeps an E6300 at 1.6V, a NB at 1.7V and my well OCed GTX nice and cool and im satisfied with it.

I'm not saying the Swiftech kits are bad, its just that I personally would rather research and buy the best individual parts that worked together instead of buying it all prepackaged. It takes the fun out of learning about it all and makes it too easy..