First look into watercooling

[gazz]

Never thought i'd even consider watercooling, but the noise of the multiple fans in my current desktop is getting to me, and i'm thinking of watercooling it to make it quieter,

Thinking of those sealed systems where you get the radiator, pump, pipes and the block all nicely sealed, i've seen them on youtube videos. and the radiator just seems to slide in the top of the case... so i presume a new case will be needed (i have my brothers 'antek' case from 2012 (i think it's a 902).. i can't see any hardware that a watercooler rad would slide into... but that case does have a 200mm fan at the top which would be nice to utilise if possible)

I am running an I5 2500K processor at 4.5 gig overclock, ... it runs the one simulator game i run on this computer perfectly, but can i even get a watercooler for such an old processor?

I also have a GTX 1060 that i'd like to watercool as well if i can do so easilly,

Will wanting to watercool 2 items mean i cant use those all in one sealed solutions? or could i run 2 of them... or am i better off building a custom system that will use one large radiator and cool both the cpu and gpu on the same circuit?

i have no interest in flashy lights, glowing water tubes etc, i just want a quieter system.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Intel mounting solutions have been the same since 1st gen so yes, an all-in-one water cooling system will mount to your 2500k.

You'll need two all-in-ones to use them on GPU and CPU, and the GPU will need some extra fittings. In my opinion the 1060 doesn't put out enough heat to warrant water cooling, I wonder if it's getting enough airflow from case fans?

All-in-one coolers tend to perform well, but not AS cool OR as quiet as custom solutions. You may not be happy enough with the results, unless you go custom loop.

My advice would be:

1. Consider your case's airflow setup. A tweak of fan configuration/layout can work wonders for temperatures and noise. Maybe even consider a new case. Optimised for airflow (or for quietness if you don't mind higher temperatures)

2. Consider buying upgraded air coolers for CPU and possible GPU. There are some very good aftermarket coolers available, which can outperform most closed loop water solutions. Along with a case fan tweak, this can work out cheaper and quiet or quieter than AIO water.

3. If these options don't appeal, consider a full custom water loop. I'm obsessed with silence so I knew I'd need to go straight for the best, overkill water cooling. At this stage my water cooled setup is much cooler and better performing than my air cooled setup, however the noise floor is louder than my air cooled setup.

What I'm saying is, air cooling can get damn quiet if you're not after massive overclocks. Pay attention airflow, temperatures and fan curves. There's always a balance/compromise to be had.

 

[doyll]

You will get easily as good cooling and much quieter with a good air cooler instead of CLC (what all these sealed units are).

When Asetek first came out with and patented them they were called LCLC for 'low cost liquid cooler' which was changed to CLC for 'closed loop cooler' Really, by definition all liquid cooling loops are closed loop .. because open loop would be one with no plug to keep coolant in.

CLCs cost more don't cool any better, make as much or more noise (especially pump noise even at idle), cost much more, are not near as dependable, and if one goes bad it's 99.99% of the time the pump and system has no cooling until new cooler is installed. The pumps used on these CLCs flow a stream of water equal to what a health young adult can pee after a couple of pints (40-60L/h) .. by comparison arguable the most popular custom loop pump, the D5 flows up to 1500L/h. A complete CLC weights about the same as a quality copper radiator does.

Air cooling costs less, lasts longer than we will ever use it, only as fan to go bad and even without fan most will cool fine at low load until new fan is installed .. or any fan can be held on with rubber bands until new fan is in hand.

A case that support 2x-3x 140mm front intakes and a 1x 140mm bottom intake with good intake fans, a top tier air cooler for CPU and a good GPU with 2x/3x 80/90/100mm fans will easily do as well or better than CLCs will, will last much longer and will cost much less.