Recommend me a cpu waterblock!

PhoenixUK

PhoenixUK

PhoenixUK

Soldato
Joined
11 Apr 2008
Posts
3,907
Location
Sheffield
Need AM3 cpu waterblock !
As far as I know AM2+ will fit too as it's same thing.

Is there much difference in performance between the cheaper ¬30quid blocks and the ones for 50-60?

Well, anyways, let me know what you think : ).
 
Heatkiller revision 3.0 are the best blocks. The EK Supreme HF (high flow) is also out now but i have'nt seen any reviews on this one. It's supposed to be 50% less restrictive than the original Supreme and it fits all sockets.
 
I'm a bit confused now, I've looked at sam reviews and yeah, the heatkiller is still like 0.2c ahead of the EK but EK supports more sockets in case I'd like to use it elsewhere.
On the other hand on the same review, I've noticed that the difference between 30quid ek block and the 52-53quid supreme is only around 2-3c ... not sure if it's worth the extra but then if I'm already spending on that cash on WC could just as well spend it... confusing !
 
What's in the rest of the loop? The ek supreme is a phenomonally good waterblock, but it needs a lot of pressure to get the best out of it. Removing the steel impingment plate or drilling a couple of holes in it pretty much is the ek high flow.

For a single cpu block, largish radiator, powerful pump the ek supreme will perform brilliantly. As part of a multiple loop system it'll need the plate removed and a lot of pressure behind it. I'm getting about a 20 degree delta between water and cpu using a supreme with too little pressure.
 
The swiftech XT is the current king of the blocks - it outclasses every major block at all flow rates and takes large compression fittings (unlike some)
Has a excelent fixing hardware but you'll need the AMD fixing kit (optional extra)

In answer to your £30 or £60 question is depends on the loop.
There are some cheaper blocks that hold there own (within 4-6c of the best) - but the HK3 and XT are in another class.
As is the supreme - but only in specific loop combinations.
 
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It's a bit old but supposed to be good (buying 2nd hand), at least that's what the person selling claims.

AquaExtreme 50z Waterpump
This will be teamed up with thermochill 120.3 rad.
Probably just CPU loop, maybe single GPU added later.

So what will be the best ?
HK 3.0 - 53gbp
EK-Supreme LT - 30gbp
EK-Supreme HighFlow - 52gbp
Alphacool HF 14 Yellowstone - B / R / B - 51gbp
XSPC Delta V3 - 42gbp

Cannot find the swiftech, seems like it fits only intel sockets and I'll be using it on AM3, so unless there is some sort of conversion bracket that will fit the intel swiftech on AM3 socket, it's out of choice.

Any further advice appreciated : ) !

I will be happy to pay the extra 25quid if it's worth it in that setup, but if there will be only 1-2c difference then I could just as well spend it elsewhere.
 
The 50z is excellent. Mine is still going strong after 5 years and is also teamed up with a Thermochill PA120.3. Could'nt really say about the block as i am in two minds which one to get to replace my MP-05 Pro which was never really designed to work with quad cores.

There is a kit for mounting the Apogee XT to AMD rigs but that adds another £6-7 on top of the £58 that the block already cost's which i don't think is worth the money for just a couple of extra degrees cooling. I would'nt get the Heatkiller either simply because any additional mounting kits are almost impossible to get hold of. Personally i am swinging towards the EK Supreme High Flow but i want to see a review first.
 
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Well, I've been browsing a bit and I found this review.

deltat-2nkv6.jpg


And this:

ek_supremehf_tempst.jpg


So looks like there are pretty close, 4c on i7 under 1.44v 4.2ghz max load so I don't think the difference will be bigger than 2c on AM3 which should run around 50c tops I guess?

Comparing that average temps for OCed i7 on non extreme aircooling is around 75-80c and for pII 965 it's around 55-60cc.

But then while spending then Apogee XT even if bracket cost 6-7 as u said, it's just 65 vs 54 or something for HK or EK so it's just a tenner, not the same difference anymore as 30vs55 so could just as well spend it considering that I'll probably use it for at least 2-3years since my setup isn't getting old any soon.

I guess I'll wait till next week to see if ocUK will be getting any stock of their HK 3.0 since they had it for just 37quid and if not go for the apogee xt with conversion bracket? ( just checked it's 8quid, so 67quid.

Or will the EK HF be just as good for this loop?
 
That chart makes the difference between best and worst performers seem massive but in reality it's only 5.2 degrees. Personally i think the EK Supreme HF is the best value out of that lot as it fits all sockets straight out of the box and it's only 0.7 of a degree worse than the XT.
 
i've got the heatkiller, and it's absolutely awesome. i want to get the backplate as i'm sure it'll allow a tighter fit, but i've got a silly socket part on the back of my mobo which will make things difficult :(

gtz looks damn good, but i'd say HK ;)
 
If money is no object then the choice is really between the Swiftech XT and the new EK Supreme HF.

Numbers wise the EK Supreme HF is the new king based on latest reviews but for most people the numbers are close enough that what you should be considering is the whole package as most reviews are based on i7 cooling not AM3 anyway.

Aesthetically, the EK doesn't have anything on the XT; to optimise the HF you also need to change the plates you have to void the warranty to do so. On the flip side EK comes with AM3 compatibility whereas the XT needs a separate purchase. However, the XT have an excellent consistent mounting system which is useful if you intend to jump to Intel in the future.

Finally, there have been questions about QC/imperfections from past shipped XT blocks as most of the block pins are hidden under the top plate - although there's no proof that the imperfections cause change in performance. On EK's side they have an excellent reputation for QC something which the clear top Supreme HF blocks is clearly meant to emphasise.
 
EK are also very good people to speak to over email. I'd be surprised if they didn't honour a warranty because you'd swapped plates around, people have been removing the stock supreme one / drilling holes in it for ages. How about an ek supreme, probably going cheap now it's been replaced?

Really beautiful machining based on the two blocks I've got, though I imagine mips would be just as impressive. I really want the copper top for the supreme but it's really hard to justify 30 quid on a pretty thing which makes no difference to anything. Plexi is rubbish though, falls apart under torque or if cleaned with ipa. I don't trust it anymore (admittedly leaks due to cracked plexi can be directly traced to my idea of sensible torque).

I don't like swiftech, but find it difficult to put a finger on why. I think it's only cosmetic, but their blocks look flimsy to me.
 
Surely changing the plates on the EK would'nt void the warranty as it ships with four different plates and a blank? I would'nt get the plexi version due to the chance of cracking it. The acetal version is the same price.
 
I have to agree with you John the quality of EK products isn't under question - the fact offer a plexi version is enough to show their confidence in their QC/product. You can't really hide bad machining with that option. That said I don't like plexi and I can't say I like the look of acetal in general hence for me the XT looks "nicer".

pasty - HF comes with a sticker on the side that says warranty void if... It's more than like for show but it's an issue for some people. The impression I get is that EK are the kind of company that would honor it regardless - they are apparently going to change future shipments to plate #1 now that someone has done testing on all of them so that the end user more than likely won't need to open it up.

Now if only EK made a "version" of the Primochill III Typhoon I would be happy....
 
Sorry but what do you mean by changing the plates ? : )
What's the difference between them?

The HF supports AM3 outta box so I guess that's a good choice.
Looks like the swiftech will be only around 2degrees max better for AM3 since phenoms run a lot cooler than i7.
 
It has changeable plates on the inlet side of the block. These plates have different sizes/numbers of holes or slots that affect the performance of the block. To change plates you have to take the block to bits though. It's easy enough to do but apparently voids the warranty which is ridiculous as they supply the extra plates in the box.
 
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