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Damn awesome post, thank you! 

Bleigh!  Ever hear of AC series? 

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@Faceman

 

Thanks very much for the quick reply. I have a couple of questions:

 

1) Thanks for your advice about the CPU cooling, I looked a little deeper on Kraken X31 benchmarks for the CPU and found that several tower coolers which are at least 20% cheaper perform just as well. I'll probably get one of the tower coolers for my Phantom 410, maybe the Alpenföhn Himalaya 2 - do you know anything about this cooler? Its 25% cheaper than the Kraken X31, and according to this test at http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6812/nzxt-kraken-x31-140mm-aio-cpu-cooler-review/index6.htm its basically on par with the Kraken. However, I don't think its very well known as I can't find much information about it, but according to the website its a 170mm tower, which is literally just enough CPU clearance for my Phantom 410.

I would then set up my case as you sugggested, with 2 front intake fans, 1 side intake fan, the Kraken X31 with the G10 for the GPU as a push exhaust on the top fan closer to the front, with the other top fan as an exhaust and a rear as an exhaust (I hope that makes sense). I've included a picture of the case of google and just added in my blueprint, hope my drawings aren't too bad (note the line over the CPU represents the CPU heatsink in push/pull config). I intially wanted the Kraken X31 for the GPU exhausting out the rear in a push/pull config for the added air flow because only the rear fan slot has enough space to do a push pull. However, that would mean the hot air from the heatsink tower is blowing directly towards the air used to cool the GPU, which wouldn't be very efficient.  

 

 
 

2) I can't actually open my GPU at the moment as I'm waiting for Amazon to deliver my new MX2 paste, but yes, you are correct in that the AMP is the exact same as the OC edition, the only difference is that it is slightly different in terms of colours and that the boost clock is higher by about 70mhz; apart from that, there is no difference. Do you think I should get some copper shims just in case I open it up and find out its incompatible? I really wouldn't mind spending another $3 if you are unsure that it will not need a copper shim ( I'm just going to be relying on all your words now since you're clearly an expert on this :D  :D  :D )

 

Do you think the above setup is appropriate in terms of cooling efficiency? Would love to hear your thoughts

 

Cheers

I've never ever heard of that company for CPU cooler.  Honestly, I would wait until you have enough money for a 240mm AIO.  Something like the Cooler Master Nepton 240M is excellent because it is noctua level silence, with 240mm AIO performance. The included fans are incredibly high end, so they wont need to be replaced.  Going this route will help you to better route cables in your chassis, so you don't have to worry about the tower blowing air into the GPU's radiator. 

 

I don't think the X31 has long enough tubes to reach the top of your chassis, it will also look really funky, but looks are subjective.  I would use the X31 as the GPU's AIO, and mount it as rear exhaust with push/pull.  Then buy a 240mm radiator and mount it in the roof as top intake.  If you have to go with a tower cooler, I don't think the extra heat will be too severe, maybe a few C.  You could always mount it so that the fans are point up, exhausting air out the top, you will have to also switch the top fans to exhaust if you do that.

 

Thats ok, no need to open it up.  That is exactly as I expected, the same PCB, just different clock speed/color. I don't think copper shims will be necessary at all, but if you want some peace of mind, you could buy some. 20mm x 20mm x .08mm is the size you want.  Also, if you order from that website I linked above, make sure to buy a VGA to PWM fan adapter, so that you can plug the 92mm fan into the GPU and control it in afterburner. Set it to a high speed, because that fan is for the VRMs, and you want those nice and cool at all times.  Set it to a constant 75% or higher, and have it constant, not on a curve.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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@Faceman

 

Unfortunately I don't have the budget for both a 240mm AIO and my Kraken G10 AIO with the X31; therefore, I will be using a tower cooler. Do you know any good value ones? I've tried the Hyper 212 Evo but never really liked it. The reason I suggested the Alpenfohn Himalaya 2 was because it offered on par cooling performance with the Kraken X31 and is also 20% cheaper. I'm using Tweaktown and Vortez for reviews and comparisons

 

If I can't find a suitable tower within ym budget, would you say the H55 would be sufficient for my 4790k? I plan on overclocking it but not by a massive load, only to get a mild performance boost so perhaps up to 4.4 or 4.5 ghz only. In this scenario, I would have both a Kraken X31 and a H55, which would you suggest to use for the GPU and which for the CPU?

 

Cheers

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*Edit* @Faceman

I found a Corsair h100 as well as a h100i both factory refurbished from Scan UK, which is basically a large electronics retailer like Newegg. The H100 is well within my budget, and the H100i is slightly over. Should I take this chance to get them? Are the risks of buying a factory refurbished CLC very high? There is a guaranteed 1 year warranty from Corsair, so I think it may be worth it.

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*Edit* @Faceman

I found a Corsair h100 as well as a h100i both factory refurbished from Scan UK, which is basically a large electronics retailer like Newegg. The H100 is well within my budget, and the H100i is slightly over. Should I take this chance to get them? Are the risks of buying a factory refurbished CLC very high? There is a guaranteed 1 year warranty from Corsair, so I think it may be worth it.

Go for the H100, make sure it will fit.  Leak test it prior to use.  The 4790k is a pretty hot running processor, an a 120mm AIO won't give you the kind of cool performance you are looking for.  Maybe if at all possible, return the X31, because it is overpriced, and buy an H55, that should free up some more money for a new 240mm AIO?  If you're not looking to deal with the hassle that comes with returns, go for the refurbished H100.  Or, if the Noctua NH-D14/D15 is the same price, absolutely go for the Noctua.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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Go for the H100, make sure it will fit.  Leak test it prior to use.  The 4790k is a pretty hot running processor, an a 120mm AIO won't give you the kind of cool performance you are looking for.  Maybe if at all possible, return the X31, because it is overpriced, and buy an H55, that should free up some more money for a new 240mm AIO?  If you're not looking to deal with the hassle that comes with returns, go for the refurbished H100.  Or, if the Noctua NH-D14/D15 is the same price, absolutely go for the Noctua.

I actually can return the X31. Will the H55's performance on my GPU be similar? I agree now that the X31 is way overpriced.

Also how can I leak test the Corsair H100? Don't I need to plug it into a motherboard to test it?

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*edit*

 

So I've returned the X31 and got the H100, will get the Kraken G10 and the H55 in the next couple of days.

@Faceman Could you just confirm this checklist for the installation of the G10 and the H55 on my Zotac 780 TI ?

1) thermal paste

2) old thermal paste remover and microfiber cloth

3) one 20 X 20 X 0.8mm copper shim

4) VGA to PWM fan adapter

 

Am I missing anything? How much of a performance boost would additional aluminum heatsinks provide?

 

Cheers

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*edit*

 

So I've returned the X31 and got the H100, will get the Kraken G10 and the H55 in the next couple of days.

@Faceman Could you just confirm this checklist for the installation of the G10 and the H55 on my Zotac 780 TI ?

1) thermal paste

2) old thermal paste remover and microfiber cloth

3) one 20 X 20 X 0.8mm copper shim

4) VGA to PWM fan adapter

 

Am I missing anything? How much of a performance boost would additional aluminum heatsinks provide?

 

Cheers

If you live in the U.S., wait for the G10 to go on sale for $10 on Tigerdirect.com, it goes on sale for that much like every other week.

Thermal paste, check

Isopropyl Alcohol and microfiber cloth, the cloth isn't really necessary, if you have one already, great, but not worth spending $5-$10 for one, you can use coffee filters or even toilet paper, check

The shim isn't going to be needed, but nice to have just in case I am wrong. check

VGA to PWM adapter, check

 

You could buy a 2nd 120mm fan, that will drop temps by another 2-5C.  I recommend the Cooler Master Blade Master 120mm if you can find it for $10 or less.  The Rosewill Hyberborea is another excellent 120mm fan that won't break the bank.

 

You won't need additional heatsinks because your GPU has a really excellent mid plate and the VRMs are already heatsinked, so you won't need extra heatsinks because it basically already is.

 

So when you start installing the block onto the GPU, you need to tighten in a star pattern.  You also need to be aware of the tightness when mounting it.  Too loose, and it won't cool properly, too tight, and it could bend and break your card.  What you should do is, while tightening it, tighten it until you see the slightest bend from your card, then un-tighten it until it is straight.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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If you live in the U.S., wait for the G10 to go on sale for $10 on Tigerdirect.com, it goes on sale for that much like every other week.

Thermal paste, check

Isopropyl Alcohol and microfiber cloth, the cloth isn't really necessary, if you have one already, great, but not worth spending $5-$10 for one, you can use coffee filters or even toilet paper, check

The shim isn't going to be needed, but nice to have just in case I am wrong. check

VGA to PWM adapter, check

 

You could buy a 2nd 120mm fan, that will drop temps by another 2-5C.  I recommend the Cooler Master Blade Master 120mm if you can find it for $10 or less.  The Rosewill Hyberborea is another excellent 120mm fan that won't break the bank.

 

You won't need additional heatsinks because your GPU has a really excellent mid plate and the VRMs are already heatsinked, so you won't need extra heatsinks because it basically already is.

 

So when you start installing the block onto the GPU, you need to tighten in a star pattern.  You also need to be aware of the tightness when mounting it.  Too loose, and it won't cool properly, too tight, and it could bend and break your card.  What you should do is, while tightening it, tighten it until you see the slightest bend from your card, then un-tighten it until it is straight.

Cheers

 

I'm based in the UK unfortunately, where high taxes on electronics consistently kill dreams of upgrades. However, I will allow myself to splurge this once.

I actually already have another 120mm fan lying around, its a spare Corsair SP120 performance edition. So Ill be using that as the push fan on the Corsair H55, and the standard H55 fan as the pull when I mount the whole thing as a rear exhaust. 

The H100 will then go as a push exhaust on top. Just wondering, would you say there is any difference if I add another 2 fans for the H100 to make it a push/pull as well? I'd have to look for specifically slim 120mm fans( such as the Scythe Slipstream 120mm), which run at an insane 2000rpm, is it worth the money? If its just 1-2 degrees difference for the 240mm H100 radiator I'm not going to bother; the only reason I'm doing a push/pull on the H55 is because of the spare fan I already had just sitting in my drawer :D .

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Cheers

 

I'm based in the UK unfortunately, where high taxes on electronics consistently kill dreams of upgrades. However, I will allow myself to splurge this once.

I actually already have another 120mm fan lying around, its a spare Corsair SP120 performance edition. So Ill be using that as the push fan on the Corsair H55, and the standard H55 fan as the pull when I mount the whole thing as a rear exhaust. 

The H100 will then go as a push exhaust on top. Just wondering, would you say there is any difference if I add another 2 fans for the H100 to make it a push/pull as well? I'd have to look for specifically slim 120mm fans( such as the Scythe Slipstream 120mm), which run at an insane 2000rpm, is it worth the money? If its just 1-2 degrees difference for the 240mm H100 radiator I'm not going to bother; the only reason I'm doing a push/pull on the H55 is because of the spare fan I already had just sitting in my drawer :D .

Nah, slim fans didn't do anything.  I tried the same thing with my Seidon 240M using push/pull with the standard fans and some thin fans, no difference in temps, just more noise.  Stick with the two standard fans in push.

 

I'm excited to see your build!  Please message me when it is done, or if you have any questions.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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Will do!

 

I'm busy all this week, so I reckon I'll only have time to complete this operation on my PC over next weekend when I can sit down and dedicate some time to it.

Will post pictures here when its done or (most likely) before completion when I've got problems :unsure:

 

Until then!

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Nah, slim fans didn't do anything.  I tried the same thing with my Seidon 240M using push/pull with the standard fans and some thin fans, no difference in temps, just more noise.  Stick with the two standard fans in push.

 

I'm excited to see your build!  Please message me when it is done, or if you have any questions.

@Faceman

All the parts are starting to arrive, I just have a couple of questions to clarify before I proceed with the installation sometime this week:

1) How will I know if the copper shim will/will not be necessary? Do I first just mount the cooler to the GPU without any thermal paste and without a copper shim just to see if it fits on completely?By which I'll be able to know for sure if I need the copper shim?

2) Did you replace the stock 92mm Kraken G10 fan and is it good enough for performance? Or should i get a good aftermarket fan with PWM function such as a Noctua to replace it?

 

Cheers

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@Faceman

All the parts are starting to arrive, I just have a couple of questions to clarify before I proceed with the installation sometime this week:

1) How will I know if the copper shim will/will not be necessary? Do I first just mount the cooler to the GPU without any thermal paste and without a copper shim just to see if it fits on completely?By which I'll be able to know for sure if I need the copper shim?

2) Did you replace the stock 92mm Kraken G10 fan and is it good enough for performance? Or should i get a good aftermarket fan with PWM function such as a Noctua to replace it?

 

Cheers

First mount the G10 as you would without the shim, exactly as instructed to.  Use thermal paste, and make sure it is tightened enough.  If core temperatures are too high, then the shim might be necessary.  The only purpose of the shim is to create contact between the GPU die and the copper plate.

 

IoV9GjA.jpg

 

XZNou18.jpg

 

 

With my GPU, you can see highlighted in green, that these prongs extend out towards the GPU die, and they would get in the way of the waterblock making proper contact, thus a shim was needed.  Your GPU does have a mid plate, but it doesn't have anything that would interfere around the GPU die.  Just make sure that you tighten the screws enough that contact is made, but not so much that the GPU is bending or bowing.

 

I did replace my 92mm fan, but not because the included one wasn't good enough.  It is a very good and near silent fan at max RPM.  I bought an alternate fan because I needed another exhaust fan.  In my case, there is a PSU shroud, so I am able to stand up a small fan and have it exhausting air out the back of the PCI lanes.  Pictured bottom left.

gq9yDT3.jpg

 

Everything in my chassis is set to intake except the X31 radiator fans, so I wanted to get a little more balance in there, and a small 92mm fan fit the bill. Replacing the 92mm fan is up to you.  Its really not necessary at all. and the benefits in performance and noise will be minimal at best.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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@Faceman

 

Noted, thanks! I was just getting a little paranoid about the fan, thinking that it might not be of sufficient CFM to adequately cool the other parts of the card.

Just so I can get an idea of what temps I'm expecting (since I'm using a similar setup as you, except with a H55 for the G10), what is your GPU under full load at gaming or benchmarking? How does it handle at overclock?

 

Also, what case do you have? I really like the side panel; pity the one on the Phantom 410 is a small one, would love to have a full window like on the 750D  :(

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@shrekislove123

 

I use a Phanteks Enthoo Pro, best case for $100, period.  I fanboy over it pretty hard.

 

BF4 is probably the most demanding game I play that adequately stresses both the CPU and GPU.  Here are my temps during a 5 hour long Battlefield 4 session.  Settings for BF4 are 1920x1080, Ultra everything, 4x MSAA, 120% Resolution Scale, 80% FoV, with V-Sync On. Using an i5-4670k OC'd to 4.5Ghz @ 1.160v cooled by the Seidon 240M at 1350rpm(90%) Pump speed and 1250rpm(50%) Fan speed(2 fans in push).  My EVGA GTX 780 SC is cooled by NZXT Kraken G10 and X31 AIO with 2 Fans in Push/Pull.  The X31's pump speed is at 3600rpm(90%), and Fans at 1250rpm(50%).  The G10's 92mm Fan is cooling the VRMs at a constant 2400rpm(75%) and according to my NZXT Sentry3 Fan Controller, I have never seen them exceed 54C.  My case is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro.  Ambient temperature is 23.8C/75F.  It does help that my case is underneath the A/C Vent, so keep that in mind too.

 

wjhXr2m.png

 

 

I don't have any extra voltage going through my GPU.  I am able to do +100Mhz Core and +250Mhz Memory on stock voltage, and am happy with that, so I haven't even bothered trying to increase voltage to get a higher OC.  There is no game that I currently play that requires more GPU power than what I currently have.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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Wow those are great temps. Can't wait to see what I get!

I really wish the Phantom 410 came with more radiator support; your case provides insane compatibilities for large radiators as a mere Mid Tower :blink:

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Wow those are great temps. Can't wait to see what I get!

I really wish the Phantom 410 came with more radiator support; your case provides insane compatibilities for large radiators as a mere Mid Tower :blink:

Need to quote or "@" me so I know you have replied.

 

The Enthoo Pro is a full tower, its a biggun.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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i installed g10 with h55 on my top card because it reached 90C,

not it barely scratches 45C.

when new nvidia cards come out(gtx 1XXX?)i will reinstall the g10 on the new gpu.

Yea, I plan to do the same.  Around the 1xxx series is when I will probably make the jump to U4K and a new GPU.  I am hopeful that the G10 will be compatible with cards in the future.  It seems like cards have been following the same general PCB designs for awhile now, so there is no reason to believe that it won't be compatible.  One of the reasons I like  the G10 so much is precisely for this reason, it is fairly universal.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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Yea, I plan to do the same.  Around the 1xxx series is when I will probably make the jump to U4K and a new GPU.  I am hopeful that the G10 will be compatible with cards in the future.  It seems like cards have been following the same general PCB designs for awhile now, so there is no reason to believe that it won't be compatible.  One of the reasons I like  the G10 so much is precisely for this reason, it is fairly universal.

I'm aiming more for 1440p 144hz g-sync gaming with next gen gpu's

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I'm aiming more for 1440p 144hz g-sync gaming with next gen gpu's

I was all about the 1440p not long ago, but I think I would rather have an Ultra 4k G-Sync monitor. I'm more of an RPG player than a hardcore FPS player, so framerates above 60Hz don't interest me as much as better graphics. You really can't go wrong with either, it comes down to user preference, and price.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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@Faceman

 

I've got a problem; I installed the g10 yesterday without the copper shim and ran some benchmarks to make sure it was seated correctly: my GPU didn't go above 50 celsius under overclocked load in Unigine Valley.

So this morning I start up Counter strike and I keep getting black screens. I thought it was a problem with steam, so I updated that and updated all Geforce drivers, still it kept crashing
Then I checked my GPU idle temperatures in desktop and they were 60 degrees. This would normally be caused by improper seating of the copper block to the GPU; but I don't understand
Why was it fine yesterday night when running benchmarks for 40+ minutes? And suddenly now it develops a problem?

 

What should I do? Should I re install the Kraken G10? I didn't use the copper shim because when I tried installing the pump with it, it seemed like it was too hard to get the pump installed with the shim on top, therefore I thought that it wasn't necessary

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@Faceman
Apologies for that, turns out the pump power for the H55 AIO on the Kraken G10 was set to 0 rpm by my motherboard by default, therefore the pump wasn't even running. I've sorted it out now, will upload completed pics later today! :)

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@Faceman Here it is at last 

 

http://imgur.com/a/cxnNE

 

Sorry I couldn't upload the photos here because they were too large and the forum doesn't allow me to insert pictures from Imgur

 

The Kraken G10 was a complete pain to install, even with my friend helping me we had to redo the thermal paste because we could never get the Asetek pump installed properly and it kept smudging it, thank god I'll never have to do that again.

I'mm amazed at mmy temperatures, barely hitting 50 degrees Celsius in Unigine Valley. I hooked the both the push-pull fans on the H55 AIO for the G10 and the 2 top push exhaust fans on the H100 for my CPU to my Phantom 410 fan controller, so I can easily flick the switch if I want better performance. The only drawback is that my case is slightly louder now than it was before but that doesn't really bother me anyway.

 

Also I have a question regarding the radiators; how come you said that push-pull configs on the 120mm AIO for the Kraken G10 would make a significant difference, whereas on the 240mm H100 for the CPU it wouldn't do anything except be louder? I don't know much about the science behind radiators so I'd like to find out

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