Watercooling novice needs help!

[mothball_611]

Hi guys,

computer is starting to sound like a hair dryer with all the fans I've got so going down the watercooling route now. Need some help with it as doing an upgrade at same time and water cooling is built into some of the new components.

To start off with, I'm thinking about using the Zalman Reserator XT Hybrid

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-011-ZA&groupid=701&catid=193&subcat=

Motherboard will be Asus Rampage Extreme Intel X48

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-284-AS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=1050

and looking at the photos on this website (and scrolling further down), it looks like something is watercooled:

http://uk.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=auuHEruiFYpvdxNw&templete=2

What is it? Do I still need something on the CPU and what does Northbridge/Southbridge and VRM stand for? Seriously novice questions, I know, sorry!

Also planning on this video card, Gainward GeForce GTX 295 1792MB GDDR3 PCI-Express:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-107-GW&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1324

cooled by this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-029-EK&groupid=701&catid=193&subcat=1035

Will the connectors between the Zalman Pump, the motherboard, the VGA cooler and anything else I need be the same, and if it isn't what do you recommend?

And lastly, if you can suggest any extra coolers/heatsinks to fit to the water cooling system, go for it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WJA96]

The Zalman will cool the CPU, certainly, and possibly the motherboard as well, but it won't handle the GPU, which is a real heatmonster.

The Zalman is really only as good as a good single 120mm radiator system, so it's fairly easy to overwhelm it in a modern PC.

That motherboard will take a 3/8" tubing system to draw water over the Northbridge, which is connected by heat-pipes to the Southbridge and VRM (the heatsinks around the CPU socket cover the VRMs). It's better than nothing, but it's not as good as independent blocks on each component as all the heat has to go back to the northbridge to be drawn away.

You probably want two loops - one with a 240mm radiator to cool the CPU and motherboard and one with a 240mm or better yet, a 360mm radiator, to cool the GPUs.

 

[mothball_611]

Thanks dude,

fair enough. Had a look at some of the radiators on Overclockers' website and then realised I need a pump, etc. Any chance you could point me in the right direction? Basically from the ground up, and based on what I'm going for mentioned earlier, what do I need?

 

[CK61938]

To give you some information check the links in my sig...I watercooled both my CPU and GPU in two seperate loops...will give you an idea on what you need...