Watercooling – pumping for info!

[Jargy]

I’m looking at moving into water cooling; though for a quieter PC as opposed to significantly improving my overclock (in the new year PC will be used more for work as well as gaming). I’m currently running a Core Duo E6700 moderately overclocked to 3.05GHz, without increasing any voltages, using the Freezer 7 Pro. My 8800 GTS 320Mb is a factory overclocked version running at 580MHz/1700MHz.

I’m considering watercooling only my CPU initially, and fitting the Thermalright HR-03-PLUS to my GPU. The reason for this is because I’m looking at upgrading my 8800GTS when the new GeForce 9 series of cards come out in the first part of 2008, and I’ll look into adding that into my loop.

The watercooling parts I’m considering are:
Danger Den DD12V-D5 Pump
XSPC Passive Aluminium Reservoir (fitted externally)
ThermoChill PA120.3 Triple 120mm Radiator (fitted internally at base of case with additional air vents drilled)
D-TEK FuZion Universal CPU Block

Have a few questions:
1. The pump – I know this is a fairly powerful pump, but how noisy is it compared to other pumps? Would anyone suggest a different pump that might give me a better noise/performance balance?
2. Tubing – I understand from what I’ve read that Tygon tubing is the best, but how is it better than Masterkleer?
3. Fittings, etc – I’m looking at a ½” system, so what other fittings do I need? As I’m not using a windowed case, what coolant would you suggest, or isn’t there a lot of difference between them?
4. Overclock – I would like to improve on my current overclock (yes, want my cake and eat it ideally), which I know will require an increase in voltages. I know an increase in voltages=higher temps, so in my air cooled system this would mean more noise from my harder working CPU fan. Will increasing voltages therefore not affect the noise levels on my proposed water cooling setup?
5. Fitting – anyone fitted this ThermalChill radiator into this case? (see below) Does what I propose fit, and is it the best place for it?

PC spec for reference:
Asaka Mirage 62 case (additional Noctua 120mm fans fitted, intake and exhaust)
Corsair HX 620w PSU
Asus P5K P35 motherboard
Intel Core Duo E6700 CPU @ 3.05GHz
Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro HSF
2GB OCZ PC2-8500 Reaper HPC DDR2 memory
BFG GeForce 8800 GTS OC2 320Mb GPU
Samsung Spinpoint T166 HD501LJ 500Gb Hard Drive (main)
Maxtor 320Gb Hard Drive (backup)
21” Iiyama Visionmater Pro 501 CRT monitor (HUGE and old, but great quality images)
SteelKeys 6G keyboard
Razer Copperhead mouse
Windows Vista 32-bit Home Premium

Really appreciate all replies, comments, suggestions – thanks in advance!

 

[Avalon]

You may want to have a look at procooling.com/xtremesystems.com and then other UK based watercooling sites that I can't mention as they are a direct competitor but the forums they have are spot on for exactly this type of info and a whole lot more.

 

[waso_dude]

1. Look at a Laing Pump with a Custom Top. Pref the Pro for silence or the Ultra for more flow.

2. I personally have never user anything posh, just simple 1/2 from the local hardware store.

3. Feser 1 colant is my personal fave. For mount - the res you are gunna use will be fine. The Pump you could mount in a 3.5 hdd - with a laing one that is. For 1/2 you will need the barbs + some hose clamps - plasic or metal. i use plastic through preferance.

4. Overclocking is hard to say, Its all up to how far you want to push it. Watercooling will mean lowwer temps. So generally the lowwer temps mean you can push it further.

5. have never tried.

I would say - a 120.3 is a lot for just a CPU. get the GPU in it too.

 

[BENdage]

1. You could look at the range of Eheim pumps, they run quiet and cool and are very powerfull, the only disadvantage is that they connect to the mains rather than to the PC PSU.
2. Tygon is better, but generally its not worth the price, just get whatever is cheap, make sure you get relativey thick walled stuff, I think mine was 1/8, it wont kink so easily if the tube is thicker.
3. If you go with an all copper/brass loop you wont need any coolant, it wont make any difference, if not I'd use Water Wetter
4. It is difficult to say, but I'd go for probably not. With a triple fan rad for just the CPU you should be able to run the fans on minimum with good temps until you start to get really extreme. My watercooling rig has only a 120.1 rad for the CPU and I've got the overclock in sig with all fans on minimum and coretemp reads about 45 under full load, so with that rad I'm confident you'll never need to turn the fans up provided there is decent airflow in your case.
5. Not tried that rad, but I have an Akasa eclipse 62 which is the same chassis as your case and that rad will go accross the bottom, but it might be tight for the connections and pipes running from it if you're planning on using the 3.5 drive bays, I've taken mine out and fitted my HDDs in the 5.25s