Corsair 250D: Best AIO with low failure rate?

[Shrake907]

I was going to build a mini ITX system using a MAXIMUS VI Impact, i5 4690k, and a h80i, but the h80i was damaged (front of the rad had a bunch of bent fins.) Going to return it to Amazon and look for something else.

 

Any AIO water cooling gurus here? I'm sure there are!

[Benji_w]

You could just bend the fins back tbh, less hassle and can get your build up quicker, best AIO? Unsure but I'd be wanting to custom loop it with a 80mm res and D5 combo hardline tubing mother board and cpu block and some nice quiet low speed fans for pure acoustic bliss, but that's just me. 

[Shrake907]

You could just bend the fins back tbh, less hassle and can get your build up quicker, best AIO? Unsure but I'd be wanting to custom loop it with a 80mm res and D5 combo hardline tubing mother board and cpu block and some nice quiet low speed fans for pure acoustic bliss, but that's just me. 

 

I'm a newbie to water cooling solutions, what you're suggesting sounds awesome but as someone who has been on air for the past 11 years it might be out of my league. Bend the fins back: tweezers?

[Benji_w]

I'm a newbie to water cooling solutions, what you're suggesting sounds awesome but as someone who has been on air for the past 11 years it might be out of my league. Bend the fins back: tweezers?

 

I'm a watercooling noob myself, it's amazingly easy and there are plenty of how to guides around to assist you including videos from linus himself. I pretty much will always go full custom loop on builds from now on unless funds do not allow me to do so, there is nothing wrong with AIO units but a custom loop just looks and performs better. What case are you going with? and yes you can bend the fins back with tweezers but will be time consuming, just be patient, if they are heavily damaged like completely flat then a return would be best.

[Shrake907]

I'm a watercooling noob myself, it's amazingly easy and there are plenty of how to guides around to assist you including videos from linus himself. I pretty much will always go full custom loop on builds from now on unless funds do not allow me to do so, there is nothing wrong with AIO units but a custom loop just looks and performs better. What case are you going with? and yes you can bend the fins back with tweezers but will be time consuming, just be patient, if they are heavily damaged like completely flat then a return would be best.

 

Some of them look like they're flat yeah. It was 30 bucks off and you get what you pay for I s'pose. The cost of a custom loop is also something to consider.

It's a Corsair Obsidian 250D which has clearance issues on the side for the h80i, but it'll allow it to be mounted in the front (a very annoying install, at that) it was designed with the H100i in mind I believe for side mounting.

[Benji_w]

Some of them look like they're flat yeah. It was 30 bucks off and you get what you pay for I s'pose. The cost of a custom loop is also something to consider.

It's a Corsair Obsidian 250D which has clearance issues on the side for the h80i, but it'll allow it to be mounted in the front (a very annoying install, at that) it was designed with the H100i in mind I believe for side mounting.

 

Unfortunaly I'm not up to speed with that case, but after a quick search, there appears to be plenty of ways to mount that tiny rad. Just set the fan up to exhaust when you build it up so that you keep inside the case nice and cool.

[Shrake907]

Unfortunaly I'm not up to speed with that case, but after a quick search, there appears to be plenty of ways to mount that tiny rad. Just set the fan up to exhaust when you build it up so that you keep inside the case nice and cool.

 

It's small but thick, the thickness gives it problems with clearance against the motherboard. The ASUS MAXIMUS VI Impact has daughter boards which will interfere with side mounts, care to recommend an optimum position? From what I've read, in front is what most people do.

 

Option #2 would be putting a 200mm fan in front for an intake, and using a small air cooler with one or two 120mm fans on the side for exhaust.

 

That belongs in the air section though.

[Benji_w]

It's small but thick, the thickness gives it problems with clearance against the motherboard. The ASUS MAXIMUS VI Impact has daughter boards which will interfere with side mounts, care to recommend an optimum position? From what I've read, in front is what most people do.

 

Option #2 would be putting a 200mm fan in front for an intake, and using a small air cooler with one or two 120mm fans on the side for exhaust.

 

That belongs in the air section though.

 

It's all relative really, and I'm not sure without seeing images of what you propose to do? mount it where possible, if you are unable to, mod it haha I have the 500R and I'm fitting another 240mm rad in it shortly, there is no where to mount it, so I'll make somewhere. 

[Shrake907]

It's all relative really, and I'm not sure without seeing images of what you propose to do? mount it where possible, if you are unable to, mod it haha I have the 500R and I'm fitting another 240mm rad in it shortly, there is no where to mount it, so I'll make somewhere. 

 

It's an ITX case, modding it might be possible but tough to pull off.

The front of the case is where the h80i would go, but the case is better off with a thinner 240mm radiator.

[Benji_w]

Nah that should be realitvly straight forward, mount it where you can there should be plenty of choice as its only a 120 rad.

[Shrake907]

Nah that should be realitvly straight forward, mount it where you can there should be plenty of choice as its only a 120 rad.

 

Alrighty, will give it a shot then. Thanks for the feedback.

[berniebennybernard]

I'm guessing your motherboard won't allow you to mount a H100i in the side? If it can, I would exchange the H80i for that.

If not, I'd recommend mounting it in the front in push pull with the side fans as intake.

But really, air flow in your case will probably be better with a top-down cooler such as the NH-C14, a 200mm fan in the front, and 2x 120mm fans on the side. That's what I ran in my 250D.