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[Netvyper]

Folks,

I used; back in the early socket A days to be a watercooler.
I sitll have some useful kit; like a box of 1/2" I/D Tubing, and an Eheim 1250 pump; putting out 1200 l/h up to a 2m head.

However; im obviously way behind on blocks; rads etc.

I presently have a skt 939 X2 3800; which i'd like to put under water, she's got to 2.52; with stock cooling, but it just cant handle any extra voltage. Im also however looking towards C2D or even Quad in the nearish future, so i'd like to buy something thats compatible.

Northbridge I might expand onto with my current rig, depending on time/finance; but I dont anticipate cooling my current GPU; perhaps when I snag a DX10 card.

So; for a DIY setup... what are the current favourites?

I'd like to be able to use the existing pump/tubes; even if I have to replace a few fittings. I understand there's all sorts of useful things available now too; like radiator mountings & fan-boxes etc; which of these are actually useful, and which arent? Addatives; whats the flavour of the month? still just a couple of good glugs of anti-freeze?

I'd like to keep it reasonably internal/portable.. I do move my box to LANs reasonably frequently; any suggestions for a suitable case are also welcome.
Have any picutres of your rigs? feel free to drop them in an email/link for inspirational purposes

 

[MikeTimbers]

For pictures of systems please look here in the OCUK Watercooling Gallery.

For some other useful advice, check the sticky.

Your 1250 is still a perfectly adequate pump although I wouldn't recommend buying one new with better pumps available today but it's fine (I have two!)

As for radiators, it really depends on the case you buy. a Thermochill PA160 will cool pretty much most heatloads but is not easy to mount except in wide cases like the Eclipse. The PA120.x series are more standard but anything bigger than the 120.1 (big enough for a single 120mm fan) is likely to require case cutting. Other manufacturers are closing up on Thermochill and the Swiftech MCR range are close and slightly cheaper.

Swiftech also make the very useful "radbox" a device designed for attaching a radiator externally on the back of the case. This allows for a 120.2 rad to be simply hung off the back with the tubing going out through the PCI slots.

As for blocks, the big noise seems to be the Apogee GTX or the D-Tek Fuzion.

I wouldn't bother with your northbridge other than to get a better after-market heatsink.

As for additives, the less the better. If you don't mix metals and use good quality clean water, a couple of drops of plain old iodine will keep it algae free.