How much should a custom CPU loop cost?

[Dominic-Toretto]

So I have just specced up the rest of my custom loop, the price has come up to £500.

Now this seems a tad pricey? I see that you can get some EK Watercooling kits for circa £250. I have chosen some higher end parts, but would appreciate if someone could quickly cast there eye over the below and see if it tallies up?

Thanks guys!

Watercool Heatkiller Pro IV Pure Copper CPU Block
Hardware Labs Black Ice 280GTX
Bitspower 250 Standalone Cylinder Reservoir
Phobya DC-400 Pump

200cm of PETG 16mm Bitspower
10 x EK HDC Fittings (These really add up)
4 x Alpha Cool pass through fittings
1 x EK Ball valve
1 x EK Y splitter
1 X G 1/4 Cap

Primochill vue sky blue coolant
Primochill system prep liquid
Alpha cool flow monitor

Heat Gun
Tube insert
PETG Cutter

So it seems to have all added up fast, does this seem correct?
Thanks

 

[Space Monkey]

Did you definitely want a hard tubing setup? It certainly does add up

 

[Dominic-Toretto]

Did you definitely want a hard tubing setup? It certainly does add up

Yeah for sure, they look amazing! I guess this is the price premium to a hard tubing setup then? lol

 

[LuckyBenski]

Bear in mind you have a) quite a lot of tools you'll not have to buy again in there and b) some "extras" like System Prep and passthrough fittings. The System Prep, I think, has several uses in it.

You've done the right thing to spec it up to high standards and also not forget things you'll need (we've all done it!). Bear in mind this entire loop should be reusable through several pc upgrades so that helps. Any time you do a new build you theoretically just need new tubing and fluid

It's true though - watercooling isn't cheap!

 

[Robzere31]

My loop came in around £500 when first starting out.
That didn't include any tools as all I needed was a couple of screwdrivers, craft knife & torx screwdriver kit which I already had.
Soft tubing used also. Lots of the items are reusable (rads, pumps etc) so even if you upgrade the PC in the future these can be used again plus old items such as water blocks for old GPUs can be sold to offset the new one.

 

[jammir]

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 4 x EK Water Blocks EK-HD PETG Tube 12/16mm 500mm (2pcs)= £6.95
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-Cable Y-Splitter 3-Fan PWM (10cm)= £2.99
• 14 x EK Water Blocks EK-HDC Fitting 16mm G1/4 - Black= £6.95
• 6 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Angled 90 Degrees G1 / 4 inch - Black= £6.95
• 2 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Angled 45 Degrees G1 / 4 inch - Black= £6.95
• 2 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Angled 2 × 45 Degrees G1 / 4 inch - Black= £8.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Extender 8mm M-F G1/4 - Black= £2.99
• 2 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Extender 6mm M-M G1/4 - Black= £2.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF T-Splitter 3F G1/4 - Black= £7.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks Filling Bottle (1000mL)= £6.95
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-ATX Bridging Plug (24 pin)= £1.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Angled 90° 2F G1/4 - Black= £4.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Angled 45° 2F G1/4 - Black= £4.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-Plug G1/4= £2.39
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Extender Rotary M-F G1/4 - Black= £4.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF Extender 12mm M-M G1/4 - Black= £2.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-AF FillPort G1/4 - Black= £6.95
• 1 x Koolance QD3 Female Quick Disconnect No-Spill Coupling, Male Threaded G 1/4 BSPP - Black= £14.99
• 1 x Koolance QD3 Male Quick Disconnect No-Spill Coupling, Panel Female Threaded G 1/4 BSPP Black= £11.99
• 1 x Aqua Computer Temperature sensor internal/external thread G1/4= £9.98
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-RES X3 - Multiport TOP= £14.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream SE 280 (Slim Dual) Radiator= £63.95
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-XRES 140 Revo D5 RGB (stand-alone)= £82.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream SE 140 (Slim Single) Radiator= £45.95
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream SE 360 (Slim Triple) Radiator= £64.99
• 1 x Three Fan Bundle - EK Water Blocks EK-Vardar EVO 140ER Black (2000rpm)= £45.08
• 1 x Three Fan Bundle - EK Water Blocks EK-Vardar EVO 120ER Black (2200rpm)= £42.95
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-Vardar EVO 140ER Black (2000rpm) Fan - 140mm= £16.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-FB ASUS ROG R6E RGB Monoblock - Nickel= £119.99
• 1 x XSPC D5 Vario (Body + Screwring)= £69.95
• 1 x Bitspower Hard Tube Silicone Bending for ID 12MM - 1M= £4.99
• 2 x Mayhems Pastel - Blue Coolant 1L= £10.99
• 1 x EK Water Blocks EK-UNI Pump Bracket (140mm FAN)= £10.99

Total: £909.32 (includes shipping: £11.70)
​

Everything I picked up for the loop bar the gpu block as I already had the MSI 1080 Seahawk EK, there was some stuff for the temp soft tube cost me about £100 also.

Other bits
Pipe cutter £18
Dewalt heatgun £60
Sand paper £5

Used quite a few fittings as some places there was not enough space to bend the tube, also it was my first ever custom loop (just about had enough tubing as messed a lot of bends up).

 

[Dominic-Toretto]

Bear in mind you have a) quite a lot of tools you'll not have to buy again in there and b) some "extras" like System Prep and passthrough fittings. The System Prep, I think, has several uses in it.
You've done the right thing to spec it up to high standards and also not forget things you'll need (we've all done it!). Bear in mind this entire loop should be reusable through several pc upgrades so that helps. Any time you do a new build you theoretically just need new tubing and fluid
It's true though - watercooling isn't cheap!

Yeah that makes me feel a little better lol! Seeing some of the prices posted below aswell re affirms that it is actually an okay price. Yeah should be re-usable through several PC's hopefully.

My loop came in around £500 when first starting out.
That didn't include any tools as all I needed was a couple of screwdrivers, craft knife & torx screwdriver kit which I already had.
Soft tubing used also. Lots of the items are reusable (rads, pumps etc) so even if you upgrade the PC in the future these can be used again plus old items such as water blocks for old GPUs can be sold to offset the new one.

Thanks for confirmation mate. Yeah fair point on re-using watercooling parts on upgrades

 

[Bluntwrapped]

Stick with your HW labs black ice rad if you haven’t started buying things already. I’ll not use any other radiators now, they really are that good.