New to Watercooling, advice and input please? (Help me spend £200)

sprognak · 5 Jun 2006 at 08:52

Hey folks, I've been an 'air clocker' for a long time now but am setting up a new rig and looking to move to water.

My total system budget is around £1500 of which I've allocated £200 tops to a full cooling rig which ideally should include VGA and CPU - possibly chipset...

Anyone care to help me spend my money (with justification please). I'm looking to overclockers.co.uk as a supplier so stuff they don't provide isn't really what I'm after unless it's a damned sight better...

Mr Jones · 5 Jun 2006 at 09:40

Swiftech Apex "Ultra" Kit.
Best I've seen so far, review wise e.t.c. I'm getting this setup soon, I'm sure many OcUK's elite will say that too - best Kit available.

Just over £150. You can also grab the VGA block and the North bridge if you want to. Will come to slightly over £200.

But you might want to try a Custom kit set up - more trouble some coz you need to make sure they all fit, the tubing size e.t.c.

BTW, what's you GPU? 1900 series? Coz they'll run hot. Personally I'm using the Swiftech kit for my CPU only and use a HiS Icequeen3 1900xt - coz that's already "cool n quiet" as it is.

OzZie · 5 Jun 2006 at 09:52

I might be looking at W/C'ing too, but have a few questions:

What are the most commonly used areas to cool? CPU and VGA?
How do you know if your Northbridge is loud?
How much do temps reduce in general?
Is it all easy to fit?
Is it safe!? :eek:

Does it reduce noise levels (i'm still using stock CPU and VGA coolers atm)
Is a standard ATX case fine?

Do i go for:

Zalman Reserator1-Plus Fanless Water Cooling System

or

Swiftech H20-220 Apex "Ultra"

^ Do these cool both the CPU and VGA? (my main issues with noise and overclocking abilities)

Budget is around £150 max though i'm afraid.

Thanks

Mr Jones · 5 Jun 2006 at 10:18

OzZie said:
How do you know if your Northbridge is loud?

When you can hear it :confused:

Both the Swiftech and Zalman don't come with Northbridge or VGA waterblocked. You'll have to get them as extras = more ££ needed.

Swiftech, from reading a lot of reviews, is the best out of box kit for Performance cooling (overclocking) and quietness (depending on what rpm you set for your fans / type of fans).

Zalman is totally silent, can handle VGA and CPU but not for performance.

A quote from a uni mate, "How safe is watercooling... it's like saying how safe is it to boil a kettle of water - you can boil it successfully but if you're not careful, you'll burn the kettle and stove."

Do a lot of research and reading up before you start doing it.

As for if it'll fit in a ATX case, the Zalman obviously can't. The swiftech needs a bigger case / good modification and craftmanship to do it nicely - or you can just mount it outside/behind your CPU case.

ichabod crane · 5 Jun 2006 at 10:39

Go for the Swiftech Apex much better performance than the reserator especially if you are overclocking, and for the price your getting a custom performance kit in a box

and just add a VGA block later when you have the cash

sprognak · 5 Jun 2006 at 10:57

Thanks for the advice! I'd had my eye on the Swiftech as it looked a very nice performance 'kit'. I am also looking at the HIS IceQ for this rig - I've generally had very little success OCing video cards - generally to poor choice of cards previously! If I get a VGA block I presume this will increase the temperature of the overall circuit? Would I need a second pump circuit or can I take the hot water off the CPU and feed it to the GPU cooler or vice versa?

sprognak · 5 Jun 2006 at 10:59

By the way, my current rig is an air cooled Barton 2800 at 215FSBx10.5Multi with a 6800GT and about 5 YS-Tech fans (80mm) in the case.

It sounds like a banshee. I presume this Swiftech/IceQ rig would be a little quieter?

ichabod crane · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:03

it will be a lot quiter and you can put the fans on a low voltage to make it quiter

, as for the VGA block a 120.2 radiator like the one with the swiftech kit could easily cope with a cpu and vga block no problem

OzZie · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:17

Thanks for the responces. I'll read up a little later on the subject.

Another question however:

How much quieter is the swifttech on standard rpm than my current air-cooled system? Also, how much will temps reduce by? Current CPU is 40deg idle

sprognak · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:27

Can the Swiftech handle an AM2 CPU?

ichabod crane · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:29

On water expect to get idle temps just above ambient room temp, so my room is at 23c at the mo and im idling at 25 on a 3700

load it can get to about 32 never really goes much above that. as for silence you will have the fans on the rad which i would 7volt mod, and i recommend an intake and outtake fan on your case also 7volted so there is almost no audibale noise with case panels on.

yes it could cope with an AM2 from what i believe an AM2 is just 939 with DDR2 so not much more heat there

Global_Inferno · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:38

Im also thinking that over the summer I might invest in some water cooling, and the Apex "Ultra" kit appeals to me. However, I only have a Chiftec Dragon Mini Tower (the one with four 5 1/4" bays, not the HUUUGE one) and my case is rather crowded already, so I was looking at a Coolermaster Stacker. (the new one) But what type of modifications are needed to fit the radiators to this case? (As I REALLY dont want to destroy it :eek:

)

sprognak · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:44

Good comment Inferno, in fact, what cases would take this without major changes. My wife likes the look of the Thermaltake Shark series (and she has a playing factor in my permission to make a new rig....)

ichabod crane · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:54

most cases will take water systems just the bigger it is the easier it is to do with out modding, you can mount the rad externally on the case back roof or side or in a rad box, internally roof or bottom, internally need more work than externally on the case

Global_Inferno · 5 Jun 2006 at 11:56

Ok, change of plan.... Im thinking Coolermaster Stacker 810 now.. (the OLD one) as it has two 120mm fans above the back panel which I *THINK* could have a radiator fitted to it either inside or out? But as I said, how much and what type of modifications would be needed!?

ichabod crane · 5 Jun 2006 at 12:04

Global_Inferno said:
Ok, change of plan.... Im thinking Coolermaster Stacker 810 now.. (the OLD one) as it has two 120mm fans above the back panel which I *THINK* could have a radiator fitted to it either inside or out? But as I said, how much and what type of modifications would be needed!?

If you have two 120mm fans like the 810 then minimal work is needed just two holes for pipe work to go from inside the case to the rad. if you want to mount the rad internally in the roof or base then you need to jigsaw a hole for the rad to sit over for the fans to draw air through and mount the rad onto. i think this is the best looking one takes most work and a steady jigsaw hand

but looks awesome when done

Global_Inferno · 5 Jun 2006 at 12:13

ichabod crane said:
if you want to mount the rad internally in the roof or base then you need to jigsaw a hole for the rad to sit over for the fans to draw air through and mount the rad onto. i think this is the best looking one takes most work and a steady jigsaw hand but looks awesome when done

Outside the case it is then!

Mr Jones · 5 Jun 2006 at 12:14

Global_Inferno said:
Ok, change of plan.... Im thinking Coolermaster Stacker 810 now.. (the OLD one) as it has two 120mm fans above the back panel which I *THINK* could have a radiator fitted to it either inside or out? But as I said, how much and what type of modifications would be needed!?

Mount the rad and fans on the inside, at the front

ichabod crane · 5 Jun 2006 at 12:23

Dr Jones said:
Mount the rad and fans on the inside, at the front

yep best way

like that

Mr Jones · 5 Jun 2006 at 12:29

@crane
That's at the roof....

The CMstacker can support up to 3x12mm fans, I'm sure it can support a 120.2 in the front - with the fans pulling air into the case as well.