Need advice on build plan

dobbo049

dobbo049

dobbo049

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Joined
12 Oct 2011
Posts
8
Hey guys,
I've been building and upgrading my PC for about 7 years now, though I've never done a big build. It started as a basic gaming PC and every year I upgrade a component or two to keep up with the requirements for gaming.

I recently started planning a "fantasy" build that hopefully soon I'll be able to start. For power and for looks. I've decided this time that I want to do a custom water cooling loop. Ive been doing a lot of research over the weekend and evenings and I've come up with a plan that I'd like to do. I've never done water cooling before, so I need some advice.

This will be housed in a Corsair C70 Vengeance Case

My basic plan is...

Reservoir will either be a single or dual bay reservoir with pump. Probably the EK ones. Unless anyone can suggest otherwise (I don't think I'll have room for a separate pump).

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CPU Block will probably be the EK-Supremacy Clean (intel i7 4770K).

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Top radiator I was thinking XSPC EX280 (mainly because it's thin), along with corsair SP140 fans.

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VGA Block will be EK-FC770 GTX (Nvidia GTX 770).

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Bottom radiator will probably be the XSPC EX140 with corsair SP140 fan. I think you can fit another 280 on the bottom but it's pushing it very close to the PSU and means I have to remove a front fan.

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From there it goes back up to the reservoir.

I'm planning on using 16/11mm tubing and bitspower fittings. With mayhems orange pastel coolant.

Question time ...

1. Is there anything obviously wrong with this setup?
2. Would this setup give me room for overclocking and possible expansion (of for example another VGA or motherboard block)?
3. I read somewhere not to mix metals. Does that mean I can't mix copper with nickel? Not a problem if so but I need to know because I might have to change a block.
4. I plan on adding two temperature sensors. Where is the best place to put them (the sensor I mean, not the display)?
5. I've see a lot of builds with taps at the bottom of the build. I assume that's to help out with coolant changes etc. Is it worth having one?

Think that's all for now. Any advice would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks :)
Stewie
 
Awesome thanks for the great response guys :D

1. I picked the 140mm over 120mm because I honestly assumed bigger was better but if there isn't much of a difference then the I'll save the money and space and get the 240mm and 120mm. And that is a good point on fan options too.

I picked bitspower because they looked of very good quality, but I did notice they are VERY expansive. So I'll definitely look at other options.

What fans would you recommend? I picked the corsair ones because I want to spray the rings orange.

.. and I kinda want a fair bit of tubing on show .. I didn't pick the radioactive pastel orange coolant for no reason ;p

2. I had a look around for some pictures and it does look like I should be able to fit a 240 on the bottom instead of the single (dropping from 140 should help) and still have space for the fan and my PSU wires. So if I were to go with two doubles at a total of 480, would this give me more option in the future?

I wanted a pump built into the a bay reservoir because I don't think I will have any space to put a pump separately. Though that does limit my options a bit. I forgot to mention the one I was looking at was the EK-BAY RES D5 vario.

3. Ok cool so metal isn't a problem.

4. The idea with the temperature monitoring was that I was going to get a couple of the XSPC ones and stick them in the double slotted single drive bay. Just for a point of interest more than anything else really. You can pretty much get them with any type of sensor you want so can go where ever. Would be good if there was a flow rate one available or something. I'll look into that.

5. Ok so I'll probably stick a tap in :)

Thanks again
 
I don't have it yet but yes that's exactly the motherboard I was going for ;) would you recommend it?

I haven't completely made my mind up on the coolant, other than the fact that it will be orange. From looking at some pics the pastel colours have a pretty good glow on their own in daylight. Obviously at night with no additional lighting there won't be much to see.

I do need to think about interior lighting though. I've used UV before and found it very overpowering, could have been because I used tubes instead of LEDs but I don't really want a violet glow alongside the orange .. I don't think it will work (unless the orange glow substantially overpowers the violet, which I don't think I'll get with the pastel). I also want to be able to turn them off so that I can have it dark if I want to.

Also forgot to add that I haven't yet bought that case but I am fairly set on it. I certainly don't want anything bigger. I currently have a stupidly oversized coolmaster that weights half a ton and hangs about 1/4 over the side of the desk (too big to fit underneath).
 
Awesome.

Yeah that wouldn't fit. I'm happy with the case I chose anyway :)
I done some research, it seems that mayhems were working on a UV pastel range last year but got set back when it failed testing. I think I'll stick with the pastel and hope they get the new stuff sorted soon. Just need to figure out a way to hook dorm lights up to a switch, and decide whether to go UV or just simply orange.

What paint did u use on the fan rings?
 
If I got UV lights id probably have an LED strip running around the front edge and a few extra ones in the background. So it would be in front of most of it. I know it won't be brilliant because it's not made for it, but it's better than nothing.

I just need to find some way of attaching a switch so that I don't have to have it on constantly.

Honestly I'd never fit that case anywhere lol. And I don't think I'd need to. I've never needed more width, and I don't plan on stacking up cards and stuff. I just like having the ability for a bit if expansion in the future if I need it.
 
Ahhh yaay someone with the case I want! :D

I have been thinking about this. Does it get in the way of the wires at the back of the PSU? I have removable cables so I need to be able to access them.
 
Ahhh :( yeah I've found loads of good pics of that case. All the ones with a double on the bottom look very restricting on space behind the PSU though. I'll look into it when I get the case.
 
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