Watercooling cost?

[XI_Cryo_IX]

I want to switch to watercooling soon but i have no real idea of what i need and how much it will cost.

can anyone with watercooling tell me what they bought and how much it was?

Also i have the gtx 580 so what would be the best waterblock for that? (i want it to keep the VRM temps nice and low as well)

 

[EnderXi]

depends on what you are cooling, CPU and 2 graphics cards would be approx £550 when you take everything into account, depends on the blocks and radiators you buy, its the one thing thats put me off is the high pricing that and the fact water + electricity = bad and I am bound to make some sort of mistake!

 

[LiamJ]

You need:

Radiator(s)
Fans
Pump(s)
CPU block
GPU block(s)
GPU backplate(s) (optional, I believe)
Tubing
Fittings, be they barbs or compression fittings
Distilled or Ionised water are the preferred coolants (Colour dye is optional)

That's about it. I probably missed something though.

 

[dazza121]

your probably looking at £150 FOR cpu & gpu blocks (1 of each inc fittings) £70-100 for a rad and fans, £40-60 for a pump and about £20-30 for a decent res. add some tubing for about £25 and a basic setup will cost you around £320 assuming your case is big enough to fit it all in

 

[rjk]

watercooling can get silly

my rig has about as much spent on the water as it does on the components

you need to do a lot of reading.

my suggestions for the following:

Radiator(s) - you need at least a 120.4 or equivalent in seperate rads for an i7 and a high end gpu. black ice SR1 is the rad of choice at the moment.

Fans - depends on your rad really but gentle typhoons work great on an SR1

Pump(s) a single D5 will do the job, my entire loop is powered off one, dont need anything else but consider a nice top for it to make mounting, fittings and flow directions easier.

CPU block, any of the EK supreme range will do. there really isnt much in it although many would have you believe otherwise.

GPU block(s) again, i use EK blocks, full cover if you plan on keeping the card a few years. dont bother doing your gpu if you upgrade every year.

GPU backplate(s) (optional, I believe) totally optional, only for aesthetics but look brilliant.
Tubing. depends on preference. personally i like 7/16 as its a nice size and most brands have a good bend radius.
Fittings, be they barbs or compression fittings
you need two fittings for each component in the loop. compression fittings are rubbish unless you spend a lot of money on them, my advice is to get some nice fatboy or Dtek style 1/2 barbs to match the tubing i mentioned above.

Distilled or Ionised water are the preferred coolants (Colour dye is optional)

you also need to make sure your case fits it all in, dont get caught short.

read our project logs section for inspiration and also check a lot of the popular modding sites to ensure that your gear will fit.

chances are, someone will have done it already so analyse their work and improve on it in your own way.

have fun and dont get wet

 

[Nico_Joey]

If you know what to look for, you can pick up some nice bargins. The watercooling parts from the project in my sig cost around £250(gpu+cpu loop), most from MM here on ocuk

 

[Skeng]

rjkoneill is right prices can get silly.

That said also look at the space the computer is located. Since I moved to Uni my rig has increased by up to 10 degrees under heavy load. This is due to my computer being moved from a high ground area (desk) located by a cooling source (single glazed window) to under a cramped little desk on the floor.

 

[chaparral]

My watercooling stuff cost me over £300 when i bought it 3 years ago


XSPC Single 5.25" Bay Reservoir
Thermochill TA120.3 Rad
3x YATE LOON 120mm Fans
Laing DDC 18w Pump
Also a Different top for pump (Can't remember which make)
D-TEK FuZion CPU Block
2x EK full cover waterblocks (for 8800GTX)
8x G1/4" Hi-Flow 1/2" Barbs
2x 3/8" barbs for rad
10ft x Masterkleer 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) PVC Tubing
12mm Hoseclips Pack of 10
ZM-MFC2 Multi Fan Controller
Danger Den Fillport
G11 Coolant

Plus other small bits & pieces

 

[OLDPHART]

My custom loop was £300 last year > 360 Rad / CPU + GPU [Full Cover] blocks / An XSPC D750 combined Res/Pump its now just over 6 months no prob's at all / Tubing / Compression Fittings / Fans, don't buy a pre-mix fluid use Distilled Water + Silver Coil. Thats basicly what you need as one or two have pointed out read up on water cooling, research your parts read reviews and any help you need there's plenty help here in the OC forum.

If you can build a PC, you can do a custom loop just take your time.

 

[Guitarman0]

I originally planned to spend £200 on my watercooling. It has ended up more like £300-£400. Expect to be buying more after you have bought your original stuff

 

[Sgt Tackleberry]

On my set up it cost me just over £300.
if/when you do go for it don't skimp on anything cuz you will regret it.

 

[Andrew G]

I had wanted to go to watercooling for my new rig but found it would add about £350 to the total cost (dual loop). This would not include chipset cooling but however include some head room to add that down the road. After much reading I decided the cost wasn't worth it and instaed went higher end air cooling for a lot less money.

 

[rjk]

dual loop
not required


a single loop costs enough if you spec it right