Can't decide how to custom cool my next build..

matt100

matt100

matt100

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I'm heading towards my next build..

Currently I have a Lian Li O11D with a 5800x and 3080FE.. this is cooled with 2x 360 rad and 1x 280.

I have a 5090FE secured and I've been given a Fractal North FOC.. very lucky I know. I'm also planning to have a 9800X3D. I am definitely custom watercooling it all, I always do and I enjoy it.. I'm actually a fairly light gamer and no productivity but it's been a habit I've enjoyed for 20 years.

Given it's been probably 3 years since I last did a build plus having had a few good years I'm planning to go all in on this but I can't decide where to go.

For example... I understand the North will only take a 360 and 240? Is that enough to cool a 9800/5090? I'm assuming it might be on the edge/loud? That's a non starter for me.

I quite fancied getting a MORA setup (all in, see above) but to my mind mating that up to an ATX case misses the point and I may as well ditch the North, get an SFF case and have all the cooling external?

So then I started thinking about potentially the North with internal cooling and an optional external MORA.. but given then thing never moves that also seems silly.. if you need external cooling why not have all external cooling?

So.. with budget not being a consideration (within reason) and the only other real consideration being I don't want and don't really have space for a huge case.. what would you do?
 
The external route is probably still
The best choice
Though not cheap for a mora
But theres alphacool external rads a lot cheaper

Whether you ditch the north now
And go sff
Or use the north for now
External will still be there for any future changes

360 and a 240 for that hardware
No i wouldn't do it
Even 2 x 360mm I probably wouldn't be keen on
 
Well if I went SFF I wouldn't put any rads inside..

I could just stick with the case and cooling I have now but that sort of feels like a cop out, I fancy a change :)
 
Depending on your set up
Another advantage of external can be
The ability to sit the radiator on a windowsill
So hot air is blown outwards
That part has definitely tempted me
Now warmer weather is here a couple of hours on the pc
And it's sweltering in the pc room

Even if not sff
Still don't need to put radiators inside
Though I might be tempted since already got radiators
To see what happens if take fans off internal rads
And use them passively as long as got decent airflow
From case fans
And use the rad fans on external

Or just sell the radiators to go towards the cost
Of external stuff
 
I have 2x360 and 1x240 on a test bench, was loud last summer. Added Mo-ra iv 600 about 3-4 meters from the bench. Goal was near silence and that is achieved but I needed 3 pumps for my target 150-170 flow rate. I originally got rid of the pump and res and intended to use the mo ra and bench rads via quick disconnects. However, at 150-170 flow, I could just about hear the pumps at around 50%, after spending so much already, I decided to pick up a pump top to throw a vpp apex I already had into the loop at the bench. Now I can get my flow rate and not hear any pump noise at all at 30%. I will say the VPP. Apex is much quieter than the d5s at the same RPM until 80%.
As my goal was near silence, with the mo ra on other side of the room, I ended up with 3 pumps. Bonus being that if for some reason I want to run without the mo ra (eg now I'm thinking of running it in a different room due to heat dump raising ambient) , I now have that choice of disconnecting it and still able to run my pc.
 
Last edited:
Sc00p007 said:
I have 2x360 and 1x240 on a test bench, was loud last summer. Added Mo-ra iv 600 about 3-4 meters from the bench. Goal was near silence and that is achieved but I needed 3 pumps for my target 150-170 flow rate. I originally got rid of the pump and res and intended to use the mo ra and bench rads via quick disconnects. However, at 150-170 flow, I could just about hear the pumps at around 50%, after spending so much already, I decided to pick up a pump top to throw a vpp apex I already had into the loop at the bench. Now I can get my flow rate and not hear any pump noise at all at 30%. I will say the VPP. Apex is much quieter than the d5s at the same RPM until 80%.
As my goal was near silence, with the mo ra on other side of the room, I ended up with 3 pumps. Bonus being that if for some reason I want to run without the mo ra (eg now I'm thinking of running it in a different room) , I now have that choice of disconnecting it and still able to run my pc.
Click to expand...
How did you deal with wiring for fans And pumps?
That's one thing that's put me off up till now

Saw someone in here who somehow
Wired everything in one loom
And had quick disconnect for all the wiring too
Though can't for the life of me remember who it was
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
How did you deal with wiring for fans And pumps?
That's one thing that's put me off up till now

Saw someone in here who somehow
Wired everything in one loom
And had quick disconnect for all the wiring too
Though can't for the life of me remember who it was
Click to expand...
Just use fans that daisy chain saves on the cables but all cables can be tidy if you put enough thought and time into it. One quick way is to thread cables into mini conduit it has a split the one side you cut it to lengh then just drop it in easy and pretty tidy

6 quid for 2 meters off the bay
 
Last edited:
Mcnumpty2323 said:
How did you deal with wiring for fans And pumps?
That's one thing that's put me off up till now

Saw someone in here who somehow
Wired everything in one loom
And had quick disconnect for all the wiring too
Though can't for the life of me remember who it was
Click to expand...
I used the Mo ra passive control. It runs one wire from the mo ra to a detachable hub inside my pc to control the fans and 2 pumps. The hub then wires to my fan controller and 2x6pin pcie for power.
When I want to detach the mo ra, I just detach the wire from the back.
 
Mmm this doesn't really get to the nub of the question though...

We're basically saying a Fractal North can't hold enough rads to cool a 5090 and 9800X3D right? End of story?

So to use that case either way I'd have to add external? In which case I may as well have a smaller case and go fully external, a larger case and have more rads inside or keep the case I have and the triple rad setup that's currently in place..

Fair summary?
 
matt100 said:
Mmm this doesn't really get to the nub of the question though...

We're basically saying a Fractal North can't hold enough rads to cool a 5090 and 9800X3D right? End of story?

So to use that case either way I'd have to add external? In which case I may as well have a smaller case and go fully external, a larger case and have more rads inside or keep the case I have and the triple rad setup that's currently in place..

Fair summary?
Click to expand...
If it can only take
A 360mm and 240mm rad
Then yes that's not enough in my opinion anyway
Would always prefer to have more radiator area than needed
Rather than just enough

So yeah fair summary

But a smaller case might also mean
Having to get a smaller motherboard
Depending how small a case
 
matt100 said:
Mmm this doesn't really get to the nub of the question though...

We're basically saying a Fractal North can't hold enough rads to cool a 5090 and 9800X3D right? End of story?

So to use that case either way I'd have to add external? In which case I may as well have a smaller case and go fully external, a larger case and have more rads inside or keep the case I have and the triple rad setup that's currently in place..

Fair summary?
Click to expand...
Only you know :D no correct answer. Mo-Ra is end game for me. It looks great too, so i have it in a place that doesn't take much space or get in the way and adds to the room. Now i know i am set up for life for low rpm fan water cooling. In your instance, as i am Mo Ra bias now, i would say small build, and go fully external with Mo Ra. Its done then:D It will carry over to all your next builds :D
 
SpudMaster said:
Personally I'd stick with the O11D and whack 3 360 rads in that.
Click to expand...
I can't remember which one I've got but it won't take 3 360s, I have one in the roof, one in the base and a 280 stood up on the right.

Couldn't get a 360 in there.

Sc00p007 said:
Only you know :D no correct answer. Mo-Ra is end game for me. It looks great too, so i have it in a place that doesn't take much space or get in the way and adds to the room. Now i know i am set up for life for low rpm fan water cooling. In your instance, as i am Mo Ra bias now, i would say small build, and go fully external with Mo Ra. Its done then:D It will carry over to all your next builds :D
Click to expand...

I'm leaning in this direction tbh, especially given @Mcnumpty2323 I don't have the motherboard and have no particular axe to grind on that.

Mind you bonkers PSUs get expensive when sff but cost isn't really the motivator...
 
I suppose the next question is is there a distro for the north? Maybe I can go big with that sort of thing.

Might try hard-line as well, never done that before I'm more of a ZMT kind of guy.
 
I have the 011d xl
That can take 3 x 360mm
Though with front distro think it would be
A very tight fit maybe a 30mm thick rad
And might need 15mm fans

A distro is nice aesthetically
But to be honest it's just a big fancy reservoir
Doesn't add to the cooling capacity
I would go for external radiator over a distro
Didn't at the time because I bought the case with front distro
Already fitted
 
Sc00p007 said:
I used the Mo ra passive control. It runs one wire from the mo ra to a detachable hub inside my pc to control the fans and 2 pumps. The hub then wires to my fan controller and 2x6pin pcie for power.
When I want to detach the mo ra, I just detach the wire from the back.
Click to expand...
That sounds ideal
Guessing it requires some sort of paid accessory?
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
I have the 011d xl
That can take 3 x 360mm
Though with front distro think it would be
A very tight fit maybe a 30mm thick rad
And might need 15mm fans

A distro is nice aesthetically
But to be honest it's just a big fancy reservoir
Doesn't add to the cooling capacity
I would go for external radiator over a distro
Didn't at the time because I bought the case with front distro
Already fitted
Click to expand...

I'm perhaps not being clear enough with the brief. I'm planning to go turbo on this for primarily looks since I'll barely push it.

I want it to function properly and then look fab :)
 
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