Looking to start WC

Ecl

Ecl

Ecl

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Joined
14 Nov 2006
Posts
267
Well looking through this forum and seeing the results of WC, I would really like to start.

Currently I have a Thermaltake Soprano case with an AMD 3200+ (other specs will be posted if required).

I am looking at what I should get for my first kit (custom, pre-made etc..)

Has anyone else been here before and could give me some pointers?

P.S. My budget is probably about £200.
 
Hi there, currently looking myself.
I've not had any experience in this area, but the Swiftech Apex Ultra + kit seems to get the thumbs up, thats the kit I am currently steering towards.

Matt
 
I'm also about to build my first WC setup and after tons of research and asking around the one kit the gets mentioned over and over is the Swiftech Apex ultra, So I'm gona go with that.
 
Hi Guys,

I feel for you because until very recently I have been having the same issues in researching W/C and came up with numerous ideas.

In advice to you all, heres the jig:

If you want a 'kit', and I think with the right kit this is the best way to go for the first timer/beginner, then you are looking at:

Alphacool Answer III - CPU Only kit around the £100.00
Swiftech Apex Ultra - CPU Only kit around £160.00
Swiftech Apex Ultra+ - CPU/GPU cooling kit for around the £210.00

I've personally toyed with the Thermaltake kits, and will never do so again and never recommend them. Even the improvments made to the 'ready made' LCS series cases they now sell are not enough to warrant consideration over the above kits.

Going custom involves a lot more thought, planning and research into the parts of the kit and what you want to do with it, but gives you complete power over the parts you specify.

I've just specced myself a custom kit with no cost limits, only that I want it to have a top spec radiator and be quiet. Even with complete choice, I'm using the the Swiftech Apogee CPU block, MCW60 GPU block and MCP655 Pump found in the above kits.

When going custom, look at the Thermochill radiators. They are second to NONE, although remember the maxim: your loop is only as good as the weakest part of the loop.
 
I would buy a titan amanda, its just as good as any other watercooling kit decent custom ones run up to £300+ so titan amanda with As5 should be just as good as a water cooling setup and quieter.
 
I been lookin at them too, but i want to silence my rather noisy 7800gtx too, so after buyin an amanda and an accelero too i think watercooling is prob the best direction for me. The Amanda does look funky tho, i'm a propwe sucker for gadgets lol
 
mattme79 said:
I been lookin at them too, but i want to silence my rather noisy 7800gtx too, so after buyin an amanda and an accelero too i think watercooling is prob the best direction for me. The Amanda does look funky tho, i'm a propwe sucker for gadgets lol
Click to expand...

Nothing more gadgety than sitting there with all your new components for a custom setup - trust me. An amanda couldn't compare to what is was like when I opened my new Rad and Blocks last night hehe.
 
The only decent kit bought off the shelf is the Swiftech kits - Thermaltke etc are all pretty rubbish.


It's not hard buying individual parts; plenty of people here to give advice but any cheap kit will only be a waste of money in long term.
 
Speaking of custom kits, i noticed that OC don't seem to sell tubing and clamps, can these be bought in places like B&Q/Homebase ?
 
Competitors do sell both clamps and the tubing. I purchased my tubing alongside where I sourced my Thermochill Radiator from.

I'll be getting my clamps locally as I still haven't sourced these yet.

On a side note, my Apogee (bought from competitor) also came with the AM2 bracket, which is sold seperately. Thought that was a nice touch on Swiftech's part. They also supply barbs and hose claps with their blocks and pumps as mine came with them.
 
go custom, usually works out better, plus adds a bit more satisfaction when its all working and stuff :D swiftech apogee the block im using for CPU, can't fault it, brilliant performance and it looks the dogs dangleys ;)
 
1337z0r said:
I would buy a titan amanda, its just as good as any other watercooling kit decent custom ones run up to £300+ so titan amanda with As5 should be just as good as a water cooling setup and quieter.
Click to expand...

I call BS!

review 3 degrees better than a Big Typhoon!
Review 5 degrees better than stock Intel cooler!
Review 2 degrees better than a Zalman CNPS8000

Now if you can show me a review where they actually compared to any water-cooling system to give real temperature differences, I'm very keen to be corrected. Until then, I won't believe it and neither should anyone else.
 
My water cooling stuff arrived today :D

Its a custom job (kind of). Mostly all Aqua-Computer with Thermochill PA120.2

The quality of this Aqua-Computer stuff is amazing.
 
I decided on the switch to water cooling a few days ago. I read around for a bit, reading reviews on items, seeing what people recommended, looking how to put it all together etc. I decided I didn't want to go for a kit and that it would give me more satisfaction to go for a custom set.

Originally I was going to go for the Swiftech kit, but I wanted to cool my GPU and not the northbridge. So by the time I had bought the kit and added a GPU block to it, it came to around £200. For that money, I could cherry pick the best parts and get my own custom kit.

I went for...

Pump: Laing DDC w/ Petra's DDCT-01 Top Combo
CPU Block: Swiftech Apogee
GPU Block: Danger Den Maze 5
Rad: ThermoChill PA120.2 Double 120mm Radiator
Res: Danger Den Dual 3 1/2" Floppy Bay Reservoir
Tubes: 10ft of Clearflex

I went for 1/2" tubing, barbs etc. The total cost of that kit was around £240 including VAT, delivery and all the various jubilee clips, water additive etc.. So for about £40 more I got the parts I wanted and the performance should be better than the kits.

Hopefully it should all arrive to me tomorrow and I can put it together over the weekend!

Its a shame OcUK don't stock most of the parts I needed and I had to shop around, would have been convenient to get them all from one place which I know has good RMAs if needs be.. But with any luck it'll all go smoothly:)
 
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Good luck with the set up Street ;) Will be very good once it's up & running.

What cpu & gfx card will you be cooling ?


Rob
 
Cheers, I've set aside the whole weekend to get it all up and running. :)

I've got a 6300 at the moment, clocks quite well but runs a bit hot and I don't think its very flat. It needs lapping before I put my water cooling together. For my graphics, I've got an X1900XT, its got a Zalman VF900 on it currently but I can never push the core over 677 without it crashing, want to see if it will go any higher under water! Need to break 14k on 3D Mark 05 with it! :)
 
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Ecl said:
Has anyone else been here before
Click to expand...

Many times, Finally going for it. :)

I've researched etc and came to the conclusion to go custom.

CPU block: DD TDX Skt939 (second hand)
Pump: DDC 18w with plexitop
Rad: Thermochill PA120.2
Fans: Panaflo 120mm
Res: DD Single bay
Tubing: XSPC 1/2" tubing
Swiftech Radbox
10x Jubilee clips
Zerex and Dark Blue UV dye

Total for Everything I paid for was £215 inc Postage

Bought a 4000+ SD that does 3.0ghz at stock volts on air :D

Everything should be hear by saturday inc the CPU :D :D
 
Street said:
Cheers, I've set aside the whole weekend to get it all up and running. :)

I've got a 6300 at the moment, clocks quite well but runs a bit hot and I don't think its very flat. It needs lapping before I put my water cooling together. For my graphics, I've got an X1900XT, its got a Zalman VF900 on it currently but I can never push the core over 677 without it crashing, want to see if it will go any higher under water! Need to break 14k on 3D Mark 05 with it! :)
Click to expand...

Your going to be using more or less the same set up as me.To give you an idea,I have my [email protected] 45C load & thats with my X1900XT@780/830 in the loop ;) The best bit is... Silence !!



Have fun mate,hope it all goes smoothly :)

Rob
 
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Im setting up my watercooling tomorrow/this weekend aswell. The radiator and cpu block just arrived today. It is al looking sweet.

I Have:

CPU: MP-05-SP-LE
GPU: DD Tyee v vreg heatsink
NB: Thermalright HR-05 (couldnt be bothered to W/C the NB aswell)
RES: DD Clear thing
PUMP: Laing D5
RAD: PA120.2
TUBING: 8ft 7/16 Masterkleer
 
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