Advice on water cooled PC *spawn*

Mize

3dfx Fan
Legend
Not to change the subject too much, but we have some H2O folks here...so...

If you were doing CPU, Chipset and 2x GPUs would you:

Question 1:
1. Use full cover GPU waterblocks (means less airflow needed inside the case and no ugly ram and power heat sinks)
2. Use generic GPU waterblocks (which means a fan or two and heat sinks)

Question 2:
1. Use a single loop with 2x radiators or
2. Use two loops (1 for CPU, 1 for GPUs)

Too bad the new Cosmos II won't fit under my desk. It's not pretty, but it's frickin' huge with room for lots of H2O gear...
 
Here's one I don't quite understand from Switech's site:

WHITE-SYSTEMX800.jpg


It seems to go:
pump -> GPU1 -> GPU2 -> CPU -> Rad1 -> Rad2 -> Reservoir -> pump

wouldn't it be better to go:
pump -> GPU1 -> GPU2 -> Rad1 -> CPU -> Rad2 -> Reservoir -> pump

??
 
After Rad1 and 2, the temperature of the fluid should be at the lowest it can be, which should help make it easier to transfer heat when you get to GPU1.

I'm actually a bit confused about how the pump beside the GPUs is even connected to them! Need to see a different angle.
 
I don't think that's the pump but a fixed plumbing piece designed for connecting dual gpus to a waterloop like this one:

HWMFND2X2PBKR2.jpg


I still don't know about going for lowest temp at a single point if it means higher temps for the CPU...
 
I would use a single Rad with one loop.

Single cover blocks as they perform better and a cheaper, Modern VRM and memory can be cooled with passive heat sinks with no problems.

Loop order doesn't really make that much of a difference, 1-2 degrees at most.

I'm currently rebuilding my computer with 2 separate loops but only because the parts were very cheap.
 
almighty,

So you think a single 2x or 3x 120 radiator (fans at lower speeds as I want to quiet things down) is enough for CPU and 2x OC'd 580s?

Didn't you fry a couple 5950s because the sinks didn't cool well enough or something like that?
 
almighty,

So you think a single 2x or 3x 120 radiator (fans at lower speeds as I want to quiet things down) is enough for CPU and 2x OC'd 580s?

Didn't you fry a couple 5950s because the sinks didn't cool well enough or something like that?

A decent 360mm radiator with a high FPI would be fine.

Nah I never fried any thing, I installed a passive VRM sink on a 6950 and it cracked one of them and borked the card :(

You can't fry a GPU because they'll thermal throttle before anything causes permanent damage.
 
With that sort of a heat-dump, I'd definitely go with a 3x120 radiator. Your case may get a bit cramped for the tubing/radiator/pumps if you're going with 2 separate loops.

As for that Swiftech loop, it's harder to see but the pump is located underneath the Reservoir. That sort of setup simplifies the tubing runs if you have the space for it.

And you could fry a GPU if it's an Nvidia and they have another round of gimped drivers with faulty thermal detection. :oops:
 
BRiT: there are a few cases that can handle 2 or even 3 loops if necessary, but you think a single 3x120 radiator handles most all?
 
I had a thermochil 120.3 cooling a 4.2Ghz Phenom 2 x6 and Crossfire 5850's running 1Ghz cores and my temps were awesome!

All that with a single Laying DDC 18w pump in a Cooler master Cosmos S.

No cutting or Modding was required to fit it all in that beastly case.
 
Sure wish I could fit the Cosmos II under my design and that it had wheels. Might have to go with an HAF X for my next case just based on those constraints. Even the 800D has no wheels and I've gotten used to having them :)
 
Sure wish I could fit the Cosmos II under my design and that it had wheels. Might have to go with an HAF X for my next case just based on those constraints. Even the 800D has no wheels and I've gotten used to having them :)

Silverstone TJ07 matey, Lovery case and can fir in a 480mm in the bottom, Cheaper then the cosmos S 2 as well :)
 
Coolermaster Cosmos S - ~£150

Can fit a 3600mm natively in the roof and a 240mm in the front with some L brackets and has bucket loads of space to spare.

He's one of my builds in said case :

5-1.jpg


In there we have :

ASUS Crosshair 4 Extreme which is E-ATX
Crossfire 5850's
9800GT used for PhysX
2x 640Gb HDD's
12x Fans
Thermochil 120.3 radiator
Laing DDC pump with XSPC reservoir pump top
1000w power supply
Blue-Ray drive

And just look at how much spare room there is!!

For anyone interested XSPC Single cover blocks on my 5850's only cost £10 each and HALFED my load temps :oops:

2011-01-25213200.jpg
 
Silverstone TJ07 matey, Lovery case and can fir in a 480mm in the bottom, Cheaper then the cosmos S 2 as well :)

Nice case, but no backplate cutout in the mb tray...?
Leaning toward 800D or HAF X now...haf x has wheels...
 
Nice case, but no backplate cutout in the mb tray...?
Leaning toward 800D or HAF X now...haf x has wheels...

800D is nice but not worth the price over the 700D and other cases.

Had X is really really overpriced and is just horrible to water cool in.
 
For anyone interested XSPC Single cover blocks on my 5850's only cost £10 each and HALFED my load temps :oops:
Halved, compared to what, the default air cooler, or a full-cover waterblock?

That monstrosity you got strapped on there, not only is it really ugly, it's way tall too and surely blocks the adjacent card slot. IMO, biggest advantages with water cooling are space savings in the card slot area and sound level reduction; a tall waterblock completely defeats much of that.

Large temperature reductions is not so much of an advantage, as these cards function well even at air cooler temperatures.
 
I think almighty's setup looks great. Low temps help a lot with overclocking and thus getting the performance out of the cards.
 
Halved, compared to what, the default air cooler, or a full-cover waterblock?

That monstrosity you got strapped on there, not only is it really ugly, it's way tall too and surely blocks the adjacent card slot. IMO, biggest advantages with water cooling are space savings in the card slot area and sound level reduction; a tall waterblock completely defeats much of that.

I thought the card with stock cooling uses 2 slots anyways, so the waterblock(s) uses no more space than the retail card. :???:
 
Halved, compared to what, the default air cooler, or a full-cover waterblock?

That monstrosity you got strapped on there, not only is it really ugly, it's way tall too and surely blocks the adjacent card slot. IMO, biggest advantages with water cooling are space savings in the card slot area and sound level reduction; a tall waterblock completely defeats much of that.

Large temperature reductions is not so much of an advantage, as these cards function well even at air cooler temperatures.

Half compared to stock air cooler and the stock cooler is dual slot, The cheap water block is still 6 times smaller then the stock air cooler..

So I have no idea what your problem is but it seems your nit picking...
 
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