Is it worth setting up a CPU only loop?

Fruitbooter

Fruitbooter

Fruitbooter

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14 Jun 2011
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Wolverhampton
Hi guys

I'm in the middle of my first build atm, I don't have a GPU yet and currently have stock Intel cooler on my 4770k so I can set PC up.

I was planning on going h100i as a custom loop for CPU and GPU (780ti most likely) and 2 rads (360 + 200) but have gone of this idea as it would cost me too much.

Do you think it would be worth doing a CPU loop for now which I could add too at a later date?

H100i or 360 rad and CPU block? I think price wise with the watetcooling stuff I'd want is about £300-£350 as apposed to £100 for h100i.
 
I'd go full watercool if it were me. I ran a cpu only loop for 6 months until I got my second gpu and waterblocks. Since I knew I would be watercooling the GPUs the loop was ready just cut the tube in two and then plumbed it into the gpu blocks and off I went.

I just used the gpu install as an excuse to swap coolant.

H100i really isn't in the same league as a custom loop.
 
i ran a cpu only loop at first just to get used to setting up a waterloop before biting the bullet and adding gpu's later. If your wanting to watercool your gpu's sometime anyway you may as well get the components you need for that loop minus the gpu blocks if you can't afford it. Inital outlay is very high for watercooling but when you buy good components they will last longer than most of your pc parts (except tubing and liquid ofc)
 
What's the pc for?
Do you game and if so do you use headphones?
Where is the pc going? Is the pc on at night?
Are you watercooling for the look / want too?

High end air cooling is 1,000,000 better that intel stock solution for £50.
A custom loop is 1,100,000 better that stock for £300

For some the extra £250 is worth it.
I like the quiet, that why I watercool - my temps are slightly below stock but 0dB as I don't use fans.
Other do it for the 'look'
Or getting the most out of your hardware 24/7 (bitcoins, folding, render farm, encoding)

getting quality secondhand stuff is the best way into watercooling - but you'll need to get your post count up to get access to MM
 
Tbh for me its a mixture of looks, satisfaction when its done, and performance as I plan on clocking the 4770k.

It will be used for gaming and general use.

The only reason I'm considering it is as the h100i is £100 that is a decent chunk of money to put towards a custom loop.
 
my loop, as originally planned, set me back just over £125, using a mix of second hand and new parts

decent pumps (Laing D5, or DDC) can be had second hand including a decent top for around £35

a half decent 360 radiator is probably around the same (£35) used

tubing, £6 (2m of clear stuff at £2.99/m)

for cheap coolant, I'd recommend the mayhems concentrate XT-1 (£7), mixed with deionised water (£1 odd in supermarkets/halfords etc) I bought some of this for my build, but ended up using it in a mate's loop (see below). makes about 3L

allow about a tenner for fittings (barbs), or £20 or so if you want compressions

my planned loop was CPU only, EK supreme LTX block (new), HWlabs black ice 240 (new, not great!) with an XSPC res/pump (450, not drive bay) which I got 2nd hand

as luck would have it, between me ordering the parts for that and getting time to build, I won a competition on these forums, winning a 240mm radiator (mayhems prototype) and 2L of pastel coolant, which I incorporated into my plans!

TL;DR:
if you're patient, you can pick up all the parts for CPU loop for a little over the price of the h100i
 
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