Water cooling questions, particularly concerning VGA water blocks

[r3loaded]

I'm heavily researching water cooling now in preparation for an awesome build that I'm planning for once I finish uni. I hope you guys will be able to answer some questions that I have:

1. I'm going to go with a universal water block for the graphics cards (dual 4890s, or the equivalent when I actually build this system), since they can be reused on new cards, and don't require any draining. However, unlike a full cover block, they only cool the core , and not the other components like RAM and MOSFETs. Will I need some heatsinks for these components + recommendations?
2. On the subject of universal VGA water blocks, which is best - Swiftech MCW60R, EK VGA Supreme or XSPC X2O? I've seen the X2O elsewhere for less than the other two, but I'm not sure whether it's worth saving money with this block.
3. On CPU blocks, I have seen two different EK Supremes on sale elsewhere - the standard Supreme and the Supreme LT, with the latter being £10 less. How do they differ, and which would be best on a price/performance basis?
4. I'm planning to cool an LGA1366 Core i7, and two high-end graphics cards in one loop (unless there's much point in watercooling the NB as well?). Will a 360mm rad be enough, or should I add a 240mm rad as well?
5. The XSPC RS series of rads seem a lot cheaper than the RX or Black Ice. Again, is it worth spending more for the latter?
6. Bearing the above in mind, is a Laing 10W pump enough or should I spring for an 18W model?

Thanks for all your help

 

[r3loaded]

I agree with your plan to go with a universal block. BUT, you may struggle to get adaptors later particularly from Swiftech who are poorly stocked in the UK and block adaptors are sometimes hard to get hold of. You may not need RAM sinks; my 8800GT has an Accelero without RAM sinks and they don't seem that hot. Can't speak for a 4890.

cool that memory - fullcover blocks are the only way to go

Lol, any consensus on this front? My main beef with full cover is the high cost, especially for two cards, and their non-reusability. I've found a competitor which is selling a Swiftech passive cooling kit, consisting of MC14 and MC21 heatsinks for the mosfets and RAM, and also seems pretty well stocked on mounting brackets and other accessories. Total, including the block, would come to less than the price of a full cover.

A 360mm RAD with all that lot might struggle to get super-low temps but it will work. It really all depends on whether you want super-quiet and super-low. To get both may well require more surface area.

Yes, I'm more after a quiet system than insane overclocking, though I'll want to OC a small bit. I take it that a 360 + 240 will cope well with the system?

And as a result, you want the best-performing rads you can get. The RS are cheaper than the RX because they have less surface area. If youc an spring for i7 and two 4890s do yourself a favour and do your water-cooling properly. Get a Thermochill PA120.3 or a Feser 140.3 and if those can't get the temps you want, at least you tried the best. I'm betting you also want looks, or I'd advise getting a really big rad and mounting it externally.

I'd really prefer having an all-internal system. On the case front I'm looking at a Cosmos S, but to my understanding a Thermochill or Feser won't fit in the top due to space issues. Either I could go for the RX rads, or I could change case - any suggestions for cases that'll fit a couple of rads without cutting, apart from the TJ07 (bit expensive) or the HAF (ugly to me)?

Also two 4890 means gaming - if so why the i7? - i5 750 or E8xxx would be a better option

That is certainly a good point as a 1156 CPU would put out less heat - but don't P55 boards go down to x8/x8 mode if dual cards are used, as opposed to x16/x16 on an X58? Is that likely to be a performance problem, or am I being silly? I wouldn't lose much in terms of gaming performance by going from 1366 to 1156, would I?