So I have been researching and going back and forth for a very very long time on water cooling. But it seems as if no matter how much research you do on this subject there is always more to learn and find out.
Since this is my hobby (I am a major tinkerer), and I am getting close to having my credit cards paid off.... I figured I would start doing the research now, see what I need exactly, add it all up and see if I would rather do this in waves, or all at once.
The system I am looking at cooling is in my signature if you want a parts list of what I am dealing with.
Here is an obligatory picture:
I am in the process now of looking in to materials to hide a lot of the ugly areas, and provide for some very nice and tidy cable management. I also am going to be ordering a full sleeved set of cables (right now I am just using sleeved extensions)
So what pushed me over the top in to a full custom loop? Well.. I have the itch to tinker mostly... but I discovered two of my fans are starting to go out and are making some noise. In addition I recently bought two of the EVGA hybrid kits and they had some issues...mainly pump noise / buzzing. I worked around those issues somewhat but the radiator placement isn't optimal...and with some fans going out... it's time. Someone else I talked to recently also put one of my fears aside. I sometimes tote my rig around with me to work or to my fiancées house, so I was nervous about a custom loop being more fragile and leaking. He said for the most part, as careful as I typically am, and if the setup is done right... it should be just as stable as a AIO closed loop system is.
right now as everyone does I am mostly looking toward EK stuff. I thought about getting one of the x360 kits to start, but two issues came in to play.
The first is my 750D. I don't think there is enough clearance in the top to fit that huge rad and fans as it will end up more than likely hitting the top of my motherboard.
For now the other part of the issue is my 5 1/4" bays I have two WD black 2TB drives in a suspension mounting to eliminate the sound from those. Granted yes you still hear them tick when they are in use... but otherwise they are dead silent. Eventually if they ever do come out I plan on picking up some of the mushkin 4TB SSDs that are supposed to be $500... we can only dream right? This houses my entire steam library which right now sits at 2.8TB (origin, uplay, GOG, star citizen sit on the 1TB SSD now). So even if the x360 rad would squeeze in between the drive bays up top... they wont clear those two hard drives. I wouldn't mind once I did get all SSD storage to cut out the 5 1/4 bays but either way that goes back to issue # 1 clearance to the motherboard.
So knowing I'll still need more radiator space either way I had a thought. I am now leaning toward the x240 kit. Yes the rad will still be too tall with fans to clear the motherboard buuuut..... I can use it in the bottom front of the case. At that point I would buy a second thinner 360 rad to go up top.
but... should I skip the kit and buy the components separately and get a 280 rad for the bottom front instead? It seems like the thicker 240 should do better but I wanted to get an opinion on that. In addition I might for the same price as the kit get a better pump or reservoir.
Which calls in to question the pump in the x240 kit... would it be enough for an extra rad and two GPU blocks? Is it silent enough (I plan to dampen it any way I can).
A side question.... would you trust used equipment? Pumps I'm a little leery of especially if they are a couple generations back. Rads obviously if someone was careless they could have let gunk build up, or poked holes in them. but I have been watching ebay and seen quite a few good deals go by
I'm sure will come to mind as I go along so I 'll post as it comes.
Since this is my hobby (I am a major tinkerer), and I am getting close to having my credit cards paid off.... I figured I would start doing the research now, see what I need exactly, add it all up and see if I would rather do this in waves, or all at once.
The system I am looking at cooling is in my signature if you want a parts list of what I am dealing with.
Here is an obligatory picture:
I am in the process now of looking in to materials to hide a lot of the ugly areas, and provide for some very nice and tidy cable management. I also am going to be ordering a full sleeved set of cables (right now I am just using sleeved extensions)
So what pushed me over the top in to a full custom loop? Well.. I have the itch to tinker mostly... but I discovered two of my fans are starting to go out and are making some noise. In addition I recently bought two of the EVGA hybrid kits and they had some issues...mainly pump noise / buzzing. I worked around those issues somewhat but the radiator placement isn't optimal...and with some fans going out... it's time. Someone else I talked to recently also put one of my fears aside. I sometimes tote my rig around with me to work or to my fiancées house, so I was nervous about a custom loop being more fragile and leaking. He said for the most part, as careful as I typically am, and if the setup is done right... it should be just as stable as a AIO closed loop system is.
right now as everyone does I am mostly looking toward EK stuff. I thought about getting one of the x360 kits to start, but two issues came in to play.
The first is my 750D. I don't think there is enough clearance in the top to fit that huge rad and fans as it will end up more than likely hitting the top of my motherboard.
For now the other part of the issue is my 5 1/4" bays I have two WD black 2TB drives in a suspension mounting to eliminate the sound from those. Granted yes you still hear them tick when they are in use... but otherwise they are dead silent. Eventually if they ever do come out I plan on picking up some of the mushkin 4TB SSDs that are supposed to be $500... we can only dream right? This houses my entire steam library which right now sits at 2.8TB (origin, uplay, GOG, star citizen sit on the 1TB SSD now). So even if the x360 rad would squeeze in between the drive bays up top... they wont clear those two hard drives. I wouldn't mind once I did get all SSD storage to cut out the 5 1/4 bays but either way that goes back to issue # 1 clearance to the motherboard.
So knowing I'll still need more radiator space either way I had a thought. I am now leaning toward the x240 kit. Yes the rad will still be too tall with fans to clear the motherboard buuuut..... I can use it in the bottom front of the case. At that point I would buy a second thinner 360 rad to go up top.
but... should I skip the kit and buy the components separately and get a 280 rad for the bottom front instead? It seems like the thicker 240 should do better but I wanted to get an opinion on that. In addition I might for the same price as the kit get a better pump or reservoir.
Which calls in to question the pump in the x240 kit... would it be enough for an extra rad and two GPU blocks? Is it silent enough (I plan to dampen it any way I can).
A side question.... would you trust used equipment? Pumps I'm a little leery of especially if they are a couple generations back. Rads obviously if someone was careless they could have let gunk build up, or poked holes in them. but I have been watching ebay and seen quite a few good deals go by
I'm sure will come to mind as I go along so I 'll post as it comes.