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So I have decided to go for a vega 64 with my new build. That's that no need to ask why or say that's dumb. My issue/question is that I am forced to water cool my cpu because of the case I chose. I was going to get a 240mm or 280mm eisbaer kit from alphacool. They also sell a eiswolf kit for vega and I could connect the 2 kits. How much radiator is needed to cool vega 64 and a r7 2700x with the thought of overclocking. Should I go for a 280mm and a 240mm or 2x 240mm and should I connect them or leave them separate. This is the most affordable way and most space saving way to cool the cpu and gpu in my case.

I found this water cooling Block when I searched for an cooling solution for the Raspberry Pi3. I really can`t be the onely one who finds this thing freaking cool and I really hope Linus will make a video about this thing. What do you think about this cooler guys? https://modmymods.com/alphacool-mcx-one-copper-edition-17022.html

I'm trying to pick some compression fittings and cant decide what angle to get?

What im looking for is a waterblock that will fit on my 1060 and i know its not the best card to cool im just trying to find one so i can do that. I plan to upgrade once market gets to a stable price. Any suggestions? My graphics card is a zotac mini 6gb

Have anyone here tried out Alphacool's MCX-system for watercooling of graphic cards VRAM and VREG? (see e.g. https://www.hardwareluxx.de/community/f241/custom-graka-kuehlung-mit-alphacool-mcx-minikuehler-785640.html) Considering how I should cool future graphic cards without needing to buy full-cover blocks. I have a pretty huge case, so I'm afriad airflow won't be enough to cool VRAM and VREG through heatsinks. If you have tried the mini MCX's, have experience flow-issues when mixing in bi-loops into the main loop or just want to speculate, feel free to chip in!

Hi guys, It's been over 2 months since i finished last build, so it's time to start something new! After mITX Project FrostyBoy and 'normal size' Project Impossible and All or Nothing this time we're going balls to the wall with heavy moddifed monstrous Parvum L1.0 . The real beginnings of new project go back to end of 2016 when i bought Parvum L1.0 case. Few major delays didn't allow me to start this project till now. One of the biggest problems was cost of all parts - i simply couldn't afford all desirable parts on my own. External support in meaningful way was necessary if the project was to be executed in way i designed it. I would like to thank aquatuning.de and Alphacool for providing all water cooling suff, without this support this project wolud be impossible to realize. Also big thanks to Noiseblocker for providing best fans i can dream of . The new project means new approach to planning and modding - I decided to design everything before I start the real work. The effect in the form of a 3d model is shown below - I tried to make it as accurately as possible. All mods i designed myself, and they were executed by Parvum to ensure best possible quality. Few mods were unsuccessful but finally i own case with even greater LC capabilities than before. Downside of all this unsuccessful mods is numer of 'spare' panels i have - with them i'm able to build 2nd and piece od 3rd L1.0 . Only three panels from original L1.0 i've bought last year are present in current case - both sides, and baseplate (but not for long). Relative to the original L1.0 can now hold 2 x 480mm radiators in basement (instead of 2x360mm), and 420mm at the top (instead of 360mm). Front radiator mounting capability was droped due to problem with heating interior of the case by such radiator. Midplate was moddified to accomodate Aquaero and special plate for mounting two pumps was designed.

I was looking at the pump I will be using for my custom loop, the Alphacool VPP655, and it raised a question in my mind. There is a 4-pin Molex connector with 2 pins, and a PWM fan connector. Do I need both of them plugged in to run the pump, or is it an 'either/or' situation? If there's someone who could explain this to a first-time water cooler, that would be wonderful.

WHile I have finally gotten around to overclocking my cpu and gpu with great results, I feel the CPU block I have might not be used to its full potential. Course this could be me being too worried about a few degrees. How ever my test had very very differing temps when I was using aida 64. It was all over the place and never really got me a good average number. So is it my block not having a good mounting, or maybe its time for a new block?

Hey guys, I'm trying to mount my Alphacool XT45 240mm rad in the front mount of my Corsair 750D. Except I've run into one slight problem that I don't know how to go about fixing. The Alphacool rad has a plug on one end to add an option to bleed air from the rad. Unfortunately, when mounting the rad, this plug hits the bottom of the 5.25" bays. The 5.25" bays have rails to allow you to slide in additional HDD drive bays which I won't be using. It's these rails on the bottom of the 5.25" bays that the plug on the top of the rad is hitting. The front fan mount allows you to mount the rad in two different positions, one lower which will get in the way of my rad on the bottom of the case, and one higher, which gives me clearance from the bottom rad but presents me with my current problem of the top plug hitting the rails on the bottom of the 5.25" bays. The plug is a low profile plug by the way, only 3mm in height. This leaves me with either cutting the rails off the bottom of the 5.25" bays somehow, or drilling my own 8 holes to mount the rad in a slightly lower position, if the case allows. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar issue with clearance at the top of their front rad, and how they went about fixing it? Or if anyone has any suggestions? I have no idea how I would cut off the rails I'm talking about, and I'd rather not drill 8 holes if I don't have to, but right now that seems like my best option.

Welcome to my next Project: „Maker EVO Deluxe" After a long time of thinking, I've decided to do a more complex Casemod. Lets see what I'm doing with it. To be called into action is coming the brand new Mastercase Maker 5. Inspired was this Mod from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The interior was completely cleaned and covered with pale Leather. For the Cables/PSU Area a Cover was created in the Design of the Case. It should be installed a lavish Watercooling with Brasstubes and Chrome Fittings which should seems like a Header. The AGB will fitted justified in the front of the Case, so that it will be one unit on that case and be used as brake fluid reservoir. At the Case you will find some air scoops, which are normally founded on engine covers or fenders., which will be made from me out of Aluminum Plates. At the Leather I made different punch works. Here and there will be a Wing installed together with Headlights and one DTM Axle Back Exhaust. The Theme is called Sportcar and I will try to make as much Details as possible. A huge thank to all who supported this Project, without your Help the Execution of this Project wouldn't be possible. little preview :rock: :lol: Hardware: Case: MasterCase Maker 5 Graphiccards: 2 x Gigabyte GeForce® GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming Water cooling Mainboard: ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer/3.1 CPU: Intel Core I7 5820K Ram: 8 x 8GB G.SKILL RIPJAWS V DDR4 2666MHz SSD: HyperX 3K Limited Edition White 240Gb Netzteil : Gigabyte XP1200M Watercooling: Pump:Alphacool VPP655 - G1/4 IG inkl. Eisdecke D5 - Plexi V.3 CPU : Alphacool NexXxoS XP³ Light - Brass Black Chrome Ram : Alphacool D-RAM Modul (für Alphacool D-RAM Cooler) -... Alphacool D-RAM Cooler X4 Universal - Acetal Black Nickel GPU : 2 x Gigabyte GeForce® GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming Water cooling AGB : Alphacool Eisbecher 250mm Acetal Ausgleichsbehälter Radiator: Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 Full Copper 240mm Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 240mm Radiator Brasstubes : Alphacool HardTube 13/10mm 90° Messing Chrome 10/50cm Hardtubes : Alphacool Eisrohr 13/10mm Plexi (PMMA) HardTube Satin... Alphacool HardTube 13/10mm Plexi (PMMA) Klar 80cm - 4er Set Fittings : Alphacool Eiszapfen 13mm HardTube Anschraubtülle G1/4 für chrome and black Fans: Enermax T.B.Silence 14cm Enermax T.B.Vegas 12cm weiß Accessories: Aluminum Acrylics Wood and MDF white Leather Blank Leather Punch iron Swivel knife Color, Coating Spray Pipe Bender

Main PC Parts CPU: i7 5960x Thermal Paste: Arctic Cooling MX4 4g Motherboard: MSI Godlike x99 Case: Case-Labs S8S (Standard Window (Left & Right) | Ventilated Flex-Bay | USB 3.0 Addon | PSU Mount | 120.2 Flex-Bay Addon Ram: Corsair Dominator Platinum 64GB 2800MHz C14 Harddrives: 2x Samsung 850 Pro 1TB | 4x Western Digital Green 6TB Graphics Card: MSI Nvidia GTX 980 Ti Fans: 2x BeQuiet Silent Wings 2 120mm PWM Drive: LG Blu-Ray 16x With USB 3.0 Enclosure Network: ASUS Dual-Band Wireless-AC1900 PCI-E Adapter OS: Windows 10 Home Cable: 6x Darkside Braided Sata Cables (45cm) Cable: Darkside PWM Fan extension cable (50 & 70 cm) PSU: EVGA SuperNova 1000w P2 PSU Cable: CableMod Sleeving - Black + Cablemod Combs (Black) PSU Other: Case-Labs PSU Mount Lighting: x4 Darkside Rigid RGB 30cm + Darkside RGB Controller with Remote + x4 RGB extension cable (50cm + 30cm) Capture Card: Elgato HD60 Pro Other: Gorilla Tape + Zipties WaterCooling Parts Aquacomputer Front Faceplate for Aquaero 5/6 XT Aluminium - Black (New Version) Bitspower Matte Black Rotary Fitting "Q" PLUS - 360 Degree Water Cooling Accessory Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary Angle IG1/4" Extender Bitspower Premium G1/4" Matte Black Stop Fitting Aquacomputer Passive Heatsink for Aquaero 6 - Black Bitspower G1/4" Black Matte Compression Fitting CC3 Ultimate for ID 3/8" OD 5/8 Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Temperature Sensor Stop Fitting Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 XT Blue USB Fan-Controller, Graphic-LCD, Touch Control, IR Remote Control Alphacool Eisbecher D5 150mm Acetal Swiftech MCP655 Series 12 VDC D5 Water Pumps - With Speed Control EK-FC980 GTX TF5 Backplate Rev. 2 - Black EK-FC980 GTX Ti TF5 - Acetal+Nickel Bitspower Matt Black T-Block With Triple IG1/4" Bitspower BP-MVV-MBK Mini-Valve - Matte Black DEMCiflex 120mm Magnetic Fan Dust Filter - Black Bitspower Premium G1/4" Matte Black Stop Fitting Bitspower Flow Indicator (BP-FI-CLBKMBK) - Clear/Black/Matte Black Bitspower G1/4" Matte Black Male to Male Rotary Adapter Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Rotary Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 60-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting Ultimate-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary Angle IG1/4" Extender HardwareLabs Black Ice Nemesis 360GTS - Black Carbon HardwareLabs Black Ice Nemesis 360GTS - Black Carbon HardwareLabs Black Ice SR-2 240 MP HardwareLabs Black Ice SR-2 120 MP Bitspower Allot of fittings for 3/8 x 5/8 and G1/4 Flexible Tube 3/8″ ID, 5/8″ OD (10/16mm) -Blue UV DazMode Protector GELID Extreme Thermal Compound GC-Extreme Distilled Water x3 Gallons S8 and S8S Drop-in Top Radiator Mounts (Style: 120.3 (360) S8S Top Covers (S8S Top Cover Style: 36mm Extended Ventilated ) Gentle Typhoon Performance Radiator Fan (550-1850rpm) 58cfm - Black Edition PWM Theirs been some changes since these picture were taken.

I'm about to put together a loop with a 360mm and two 240mm rads. Cooling a CPU and two GPU's. I have my mind set on XSPC so far. I like their aesthetics and seem like a quality product, however I'm weary of their Photon reservoirs, I've read many good reviews on them as well as a few bad ones. I've heard great things about the other brands out there also. Though I would like to add that I'm personally not a fan of nickel plating which sort of leaves EK out of the picture. But I would still like to consider quality before I invest in something just because it looks cool. I'm also aware that performance-wise, the temperature difference between the brands is really not very big. I just want to know who to avoid and who to trust. So what is your personal opinion on the build quality of each brand? Who do you think does it best?

have an Asus Maximus VIII Gene MB, and in my build I am using the Alphacool LCD display panel that I customized to show system information. I cant get the CPU temp because the MBM5 application does not work, neither can i get Asus Probe II to install and work. I know many my suggest Aida64 instead of the Alphacool native application, but there are special features that the native application provides that Aida64 do not. If anyone has ever used this panel or similar I am asking for your help in figuring this problem out. -With the MBM5 application. It kept saying "driver not loaded" I Google and no one has a solution for it. -The Asus Probe II just does not work, the application dont even open. -The other option was RiveTuner, but I cant find a version that works properly, because i cant find the preference option that enables "Hardware Monitoring"

So EKWB isn't make any waterblocks for my card, but I found one here: http://www.alphacool.com/shop/gpu-cooler/ati-fullsize/19917/alphacool-nexxxos-gpx-ati-r9-390-m01-mit-backplate-schwarz I would first like to verify with you guys if that would fit on my R9 390 nitro with backplate sapphire GPU. I'm a bit worried about cooling ... seems like only core will be cooled with water, VRM and VRAM will depend on passive cooling only. At least I get that impression from watching this waterblock. I already purchased Kraken G10 + Kraken X31 + tons of heatinks a while back and I couldn't get it working. VRM would always overheat and that would cause my graphic card to crash. So I don't realy like idea of passive cooling those chips. Any suggestion/ideas about that waterblock that alphacool made for my GPU?

So basically I've got an kraken x40 and it is really good at cooling my Fx 8350 @ 5ishGhz but it just doesn't look that cool so I want to build an completely custom loop but I'm not sure if the parts I have picked are compatible so basically I want you to tell me if it works or tell me to change anything, I'm a complete noob at custom cooling. Thanks Parts: EK-Supremacy MX WaterBlock https://www.scan.co.uk/products/ek-supremacy-mx-amd-waterblock-copper-base-designed-for-amd-socket-939-754-940-f-c32-am2-plus-am3-pl EKWB EK-XRES 100 Resiviour Pump Combo https://www.scan.co.uk/products/ekwb-ek-xres-100-ddc-mx-32-pwm-pump-and-reservoir-60mm-resevoir-diameter-100mm-height-(121mm-inc-pum EX240 120mm Radiator https://www.overclockers.co.uk/xspc-ex240-120mm-radiator-black-wc-084-xs.html EK G1/4 Threads (Buying 6, Extra 15% off if you buy 5 or more) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EK-G1-4-Male-Thread-HDC-Fitting-12mm-OD-Nickel-/401026127246?hash=item5d5f05158e:g:vAAAAOSwZ1lWcq-K PETG Tubing (12mm) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Barrow-2-x-Clear-PETG-Tubes-500-mm-Tube-Size-OD-12mm-14mm-16mm-For-watercooling-/171971887629?var=&hash=item280a52c20d:m:mmq2x1mQ9IR0quwhlJg7B_g Distilled water and Mayhems Dye https://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/all/coolers-water/cooling-fluid And I will buy everything else later such as the silicon insert. I was using this from EKs Website https://www.ekwb.com/solutions/custom-loop/#needed-components Hope You Can Help. :-)

Hi, I own a couple of Alphacool radiators. I've used them for about 6 months and now that I'm making the switch to hardline tubing, I've had to take apart the loop and clean the radiators. So far, I've rinsed the radiators 3 times with a mix of white distilled vinegar, 4% acidity (1 part) and boiled tap water (9 parts). Now I'm rinsing them with tap water. There is still some flux and bits of paint/metal (black-colored) showing up when I drain the radiators. Keep in mind that before I used them for the first time, I rinsed them with boiled distilled water. Is this considered normal? Should I do more rinses with vinegar and water, or should I try something else? Another question I have is regarding bringing the pH back to neutral. I've read on a few sites that a bicarbonate flush is recommended. How exactly do I go about doing this? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Just order all my watercooling Parts for my first attempt at Watercooling, Is their anything else I need? Is the Swiftech MCP655 (With Speed control) Pump any good? I was debating between Swiftech MCP655 Series, Alphacool vpp655 and Aquacomputer D5 Pump Core with Speed Control. Also with Distilled Water and Dazmode Protector whats the longest time I can run my PC for? I don't have any kind of dyes in the system if that matters. Aquacomputer Front Faceplate for Aquaero 5/6 XT Aluminium - Black (New Version) Bitspower Matte Black Rotary Fitting "Q" PLUS - 360 Degree Water Cooling Accessory Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary Angle IG1/4" Extender Bitspower Premium G1/4" Matte Black Stop Fitting Aquacomputer Passive Heatsink for Aquaero 6 - Black Bitspower G1/4" Black Matte Compression Fitting CC3 Ultimate for ID 3/8" OD 5/8 Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Temperature Sensor Stop Fitting Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 XT Blue USB Fan-Controller, Graphic-LCD, Touch Control, IR Remote Control Alphacool Eisbecher D5 150mm Acetal Swiftech MCP655 Series 12 VDC D5 Water Pumps - With Speed Control EK-FC980 GTX TF5 Backplate Rev. 2 - Black EK-FC980 GTX Ti TF5 - Acetal+Nickel Bitspower Matt Black T-Block With Triple IG1/4" Bitspower BP-MVV-MBK Mini-Valve - Matte Black DEMCiflex 120mm Magnetic Fan Dust Filter - Black Bitspower Premium G1/4" Matte Black Stop Fitting Bitspower Flow Indicator (BP-FI-CLBKMBK) - Clear/Black/Matte Black Bitspower G1/4" Matte Black Male to Male Rotary Adapter Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Rotary Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 60-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting Ultimate-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 3/8" OD 5/8" - V3 Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary Angle IG1/4" Extender Black Ice Nemesis 360GTS® Ultra Stealth U-Flow Low Profile Radiator - Black Carbon Bitspower G1/4" Black Matte Compression Fitting CC3 Ultimate for ID 3/8" OD 5/8" Flexible Tube 3/8″ ID, 5/8″ OD (10/16mm) -Blue UV DazMode Protector GELID Extreme Thermal Compound GC-Extreme Distilled Water x2 Gallons S8 and S8S Drop-in Top Radiator Mounts (Style: 2 x 120.3 (360) S8S Top Covers (S8S Top Cover Style: 36mm Extended Ventilated ) Gentle Typhoon Performance Radiator Fan (550-1850rpm) 58cfm - Black Edition PWM

I decided to get away from AIO and go with a custom Loop, This would be my first time. At this time I'm only going to cool CPU Which is i7 5960x. Down the load I might add my GPU. I have to pace my self due to budget. Right now I want to focus on CPU and getting the temps as low as possible using stock speed as a reference. If possible I want to get idle temps down to around 30C or below. 1. What would be better to get a 240 or 280 Radiator? 2. Whats better to get Eloops or Noctua? Looking for good performance with very low noise. 3. Whats best size of tubing to buy? Is 5/8 x 3/8 Good or would another size be better for my case? 4. Anything else I need to know or Buy would be Helpful. ------ This is what I came up with, Let me know if this is good or is their better parts I should look at. My Case: Case-Labs S8S Supports up to 280mm Radiators currently, Can get it increased to 360 if needed. Not sure how much of a temp increase I would get going from 240/280 to 360. Res/Pump: EK-DBAY D5 PWM (incl. pump) or EK-DBAY D5 PWM MX - Acetal (incl. pump) or Not 100% Sure I can do this yet due to space. Res: EK-DBAY Spin Reservoir Pump: MCP-655 (Performance-PCs Über 655 Fully Modded (D5) 12 VDC Water Pump - Matte Black) Anyone Here try or know about XS-PC Ion Pump/Reservoir? I thought maybe I could add one or two inside my system to cut down due space issues. Since you can attach it to a radiator. Link: http://www.xs-pc.com/water-pumps/ion-pumpreservoir --------- CPU Block: RayStorm Pro (Intel) Black or EK-Supremacy EVO X99 - Full Nickel Radiator: Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 280mm (Two) or Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 240mm (Two) Coolant: EK-Ekoolant EVO Liquid Coolant - CLEAR (premix 1 Liter) Fans: NB-eLoop Series 140mm (B14-PS) / NB-eLoop Series 120mm (B12-P) or Noctua NF-A14 PWM / Noctua NF-F12 PWM Tubing: EK-Tube ZMT Rubber 15.9/9.5mm (5/8" x 3/8") Tubing - Matte Black Fittings: EK-ACF Compression Fitting 10/16mm (3/8 x 5/8") - Black Nickel or Bitspower G1/4" to 3/8" ID, 5/8" OD Compression Fitting

I've got a custom loop for about half a year and I'm still a bit confused because of the temps. You can see my specs in the signature. Besides that I'm using an Alphacool Nexxxos XP3 light CPU-block, a Nexxxos GPX GPU-block and a Nexxxos XT45 360mm rad. The thing is that I get really high temps (I think). Both my CPU and my GPU settle at around 70°C. And that's while gaming! That can't be normal, right? I'd appreciate any help.

I can get two Alphacool 240 ST30 to fit perfectly in my case(In Push), I was wondering if I could run them at low RPM speed? Or is it better to run them in Push/pull? Or is it better idea to get bigger Radiator. I can maybe fit one UT60 inside my case. - I currently have a few Extra EK Vardar f4-120er fans. I can use those for Radiators without spending even more money, unless some other fans would be better suit like eloops. I do plan to run them at lower RPM below 900 RPM or below if possible.

I'm starting to assemble a part list for my upcoming custom loop system, starting with just my CPU, with plans to expand to my GPU's. While looking at radiators, I noticed the Alphacool X-Flow radiators. They claim to have a higher flow rate than traditional radiators. I also think I could use the fitting layout to reduce long pipe runs inside my case. I haven't been able to find much on them online. Is it worth getting these radiators? How do they compare to traditional rads? In the end I'm planning on cooling either a 5820k or 6700k up from my 3770k and one, possibly two 1080ti's once they are released. These are the specific rads i'm looking at: Front rad: http://www.performance-pcs.com/black-ice-nemesis-280gts-xflow-ultra-stealth-cross-flow-low-profile-radiator.html Top rad: http://www.performance-pcs.com/black-ice-nemesis-420gts-xflow-ultra-stealth-cross-flow-low-profile-radiator.html

I recently decided to replace my CoolerMaster Cosmos II case with a Corsair Obsidian 900D. For water cooling in the Cosmos, I originally had a Swiftech H240x AIO at the top of the case with 2 Noctua 140mm fans pulling air through them. Separately, I had an external Koolance 360mm rad/pump/res combo unit sitting on my desk with lines running into the case, cooling my 2 Titan X cards (equipped with EK's full-cover blocks). Cooling performance was good, but noisy. Having that Koolance rig on my desk especially added to the cacophony. What I really wanted to do was package everything up inside the case and call it a day. As large as the Cosmos II is, it really isn't large enough to accomplish what I wanted: more and larger rads! Enter the beast from Corsair, a case that's been on the market for a few years and everyone knows about (except me, apparently, when I bought the Comos II... duh). The word "large" doesn't begin to describe it properly. "Cavernous" is probably better. Anyway, I picked up 2 480mm x 60mm AlphaCool rads, a pile of Noctua high(er) pressure 120mm fans, and a Swiftech Maelstrom V2 pump/res combo. There's a side story to the Maelstrom which I'll get to in a moment. In my inventory, I had a Swiftech 280mm radiator, which I intended to add to the loop at the bottom of the case; remember those 2 140mm Noctuas I was using at the top of the Cosmos? They'd work perfectly with the 280mm rad. I don't do "pretty" colors when it comes to my PC, form follows function. Clear tubing, and the liquid of choice: plain 'ol distilled water with a silver coil. To top it all off, a pile of Swiftech quick-disconnect ends for the tubing, rads, blocks, and res. Maelstrom aside: I actually had the Maelstrom V2 purchased and installed in my Cosmos II prior to receiving all of the other goodies. I wanted to put it through its paces in the old build by bypassing the Swiftech H240x and instead using that previously mentioned 280mm rad. I was having a ton of trouble getting the pump in the Maelstrom to start sending fluid through the circuit, and the problem is the design: the pump's intake is actually upside down. Instead of a gravity fed intake, it's a pressure (water weight) feed: the water presses itself into the intake chamber of the pump, and when there's enough pressure: up into the pump's intake. The problem: air bubbles. It's very easy for a large air bubble to form at the opening of the pump intake, thereby preventing it from pulling water from the res. You won't see the air bubble, but you'll hear the pump start to strain because it's not moving fluid. To solve this, I snagged a straw, stuck it down into the intake chamber of the res, sucked in a little distilled water, and then forced it back out. Upon doing that a few times, the air bubble popped and the pump started moving fluid. That's not all that happened. I came home from work one day to the fantastic and well-known smell of magic smoke. I ran upstairs to the office, and sure enough, the odor was coming from the PC. Oh. Shit. It took me a little while of digging, but I eventually found the problem: the pump on the Maelstrom apparently tried to pull too much juice through its SATA power cable, and it literally melted the rubber insulation off of it. The power supply did the exact right thing and immediately killed the PC's power. Best as I can tell so far: nothing else was hurt. But the stench was atrocious. What that picture is failing to show is the actual exposed copper wire. Whooooopsie. Fortunately, Swiftech replaced it without any questions asked. Anyway, on to the new build. After getting the 3 radiators and all the associated fans installed, I stopped to take a quick snap: Important to note that the 480mm rad wouldn't fit properly in the lower part of the case without first removing the bottom front fan from the case, along with the fan's bracket. So the front of my case only has 2 intake fans (replaced w/2 Noctua 120mm ones) vs 3. But that should be fine. The replacement Maelstrom finally arrived yesterday, along with my new CPU block from EK. The first thing I did with the Swiftech unit was to create a small loop between its output and one of its intakes, using the Swiftech QD ends. I filled the res with distilled water, powered it up, and had to once again do the straw trick to help prime the pump. But before too long, the water was circulating between the res' output and intake. There: primed. Time to install it. Seen below is a very bad photo of the leak testing. Bad because of the poor lighting: I was using an LED flashlight to try and illuminate the innards of the case: The fluid path is Maelstrom -> CPU -> top rad -> GPUs -> bottom rad (large) -> bottom rad (small) -> Maelstrom. I had a bunch of trouble with one of the QDs: naturally the one attached to the Maelstrom's output. It started leaking when pressure was applied but would stop when I shut the pump off. I removed the entire unit, took the QDs apart, reassembled them, and reinstalled. So far, the troublemaker is holding up as I've seen no evidence of leakage from it. If it does leak again, I'll remove it and replace it with a compression fitting. I don't want to wait for Swiftech's slow-boat-from-California order processing and shipping. So how's this all performing? I don't know yet. The rig is still sitting on the floor in my dining room, undergoing circulation and leak testing. I want 100% confidence in that before I haul it back upstairs and start connecting stuff up. I'll update the thread if folks are interested.

Just swapped out my 970's for a 290X (MSI Twin Frozr 8GB - V308 ver2.2 PCB) and some pocket cash. Needed the extra VRAM to push HD packs at 1440p. Really impressed with the card overall except for the temps. When I first threw this thing in I was smashing into 95C within 20 seconds running Valley. I figured the card was used and probably fairly old, did a re-TIM with Kryonaut, and now I'm capping 93C with some lower average temps depending on the game. -no overclock. Does anyone have experience with these Alphacool blocks? http://www.performance-pcs.com/water-blocks-gpu/alphacool-nexxxos-gpx-ati-r9-290x-and-290-m09-incl-backplate-black.html EK doesn't make anything full coverage and this appears to be my only solution. It's fugly as hell IMO, but I'll take function over form if it means getting a healthy OC out of the card and staying sub 85C while gaming.

This is what I came up so far, is this a good set of parts to use for my first WC Build? Pump/Res: Alphacool Eisbecher D5 150mm Acetal with Swiftech MCP655 Series 12 VDC D5 Water Pumps - With Speed Control CPU Block: XSPC Raystorm Pro CPU Waterblock - Intel GPU Block: EK-FC980 GTX Ti TF5 - Acetal+NickelEK-FC980 GTX Ti TF5 - Acetal+Nickel with EK-FC980 GTX TF5 Backplate Rev. 2 - Black (Only Block I could find that supports MSI 980Ti 6G) Coolant: EK-Ekoolant EVO Liquid Coolant - CLEAR (premix 1 Liter) Fans: Noiseblocker NB-eLoop B12-PS or EK Vardar F4 120ER (Not sure what ones are better) - Running them at around 800 RPM in Pull. Tubing: PETG Thick Wall Hard Tube 10/8mm or Darkside Flexible Tube 3/8″ ID, 5/8″ OD (10/16mm) -Blue UV (Not sure what would be the best to use, lean toward Soft since it seems to be cheaper and easier) Fittings: Barrow With Drain and a Flow meter. Radiator: 2x Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper Radiator 240 (Will add a third if I can fit it) Also how often should I drain the loop and refill it with new coolant?

Not really sure where to put this, but just some advice for anyone using an Alphacool Eisberg pump in their water cooling setup... So, about a year ago I installed an Alphacool Eisberg pump into my loop and it worked, it was fine for 4 months but then I came back from a week in Germany and a small puddle of liquid was sitting on the back of my GPU (luckily it survived). The pump unit had leaked. I then went back to the stock cooler for a while. Recently I RMA'd the pump and received a completely new unit from Alphacool. After less than a week the same thing had happened. On both occasions the leaks had occurred between the cold plate and the pump/res. I decided this time to just try and fix it. It turns out that the screws connecting the cold plate to the pump are slightly loose from the factory. Advice to Alphacool Eisberg owners: Tighten the screws on the copper that makes contact with the CPU, since I have done this it has been a month with no leaks used nearly 24/7. Note: it's a wonderful pump/res when it works, although slightly loud.