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EK Predator...Are they really worth it?

Hey guys, 

 

Possibly making my new build soon. I have put a lot of thought into my system's cooling and the Predator has come up a lot. I can't seem to find a straight answer though if they are really worth that extra price. I heard that the Predator 360 for example (Probably the one I'd get) is LIGHTYEARS better than a Kraken x61 (Another cooler I'm considering). Then I've heard that "Don't waste money on a Predator, maybe a few degrees difference".

 

So...what is the truth behind this? Is it really worth paying that extra for it? Should I just get the x61? 

If I were to get a Predator (Mind you I have no clue/idea about Custom Cooling), can you easily expand to another radiator for example, is that worth it? Etc..etc..

 

**Would be cooling a 6700k**

Any input I would appreciate thank you!

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Personally i would go with custom cooling with that price poiint

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tldr,

 

The EK predator is a very good cooler and would recommend it

3 tips to have a good time on the LTT forums | 1. When you reply to someone please quote them | 2. Please follow your threads | 3. Follow the C.o.C 

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2 minutes ago, WaitDontSh00t said:

Hey guys, 

 

Possibly making my new build soon. I have put a lot of thought into my system's cooling and the Predator has come up a lot. I can't seem to find a straight answer though if they are really worth that extra price. I heard that the Predator 360 for example (Probably the one I'd get) is LIGHTYEARS better than a Kraken x61 (Another cooler I'm considering). Then I've heard that "Don't waste money on a Predator, maybe a few degrees difference".

 

So...what is the truth behind this? Is it really worth paying that extra for it? Should I just get the x61? 

If I were to get a Predator (Mind you I have no clue/idea about Custom Cooling), can you easily expand to another radiator for example, is that worth it? Etc..etc..

 

**Would be cooling a 6700k**

Any input I would appreciate thank you!

Are you going to be OC'ing?  If so, are you talking mild to moderate OC, or balls to wall OC?

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if youre panning to expand the loop then yes, because you cant expand a X61

 

otherwise do not buy a predator

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1 minute ago, MrUnknownEMC said:

Personally i would go with custom cooling with that price poiint

I hear ya, though I don't know the first thing about it, let alone how to maintain it. I feel like I'd screw something up and am afraid to do it. Someone once also told me you need to spend at least $800 on a custom loop.

 

Just now, Low_Battery said:

Are you going to be OC'ing?  If so, are you talking mild to moderate OC, or balls to wall OC?

Yes, I will be OC'ing. Though I'm still a bit of a "Noob" at OC'ing, so I'm not quite sure how to do it the best. I'm hoping I could get it mild-moderate with some help here maybe or some other sources. Unless balls to wall is somehow possible. Most likely a "Typical OC" though.

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4 minutes ago, Low_Battery said:

, or balls to wall OC?

balls to the wall might hurt. 

3 tips to have a good time on the LTT forums | 1. When you reply to someone please quote them | 2. Please follow your threads | 3. Follow the C.o.C 

If you follow these 3 tips you should have a blast.

i'm rather proud of this for some reason. http://imgur.com/6ttS5XZ

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5 minutes ago, MrUnknownEMC said:

Personally i would go with custom cooling with that price poiint

yeah but its so much more time consuming and a hassle. (imo)

3 tips to have a good time on the LTT forums | 1. When you reply to someone please quote them | 2. Please follow your threads | 3. Follow the C.o.C 

If you follow these 3 tips you should have a blast.

i'm rather proud of this for some reason. http://imgur.com/6ttS5XZ

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2 minutes ago, FatPenguin said:

yeah but its so much more time consuming and a hassle. (imo)

I agree, plus like I said I wouldn't even know how to do it hah.

I'd prefer the hassle free AIO.

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7 minutes ago, WaitDontSh00t said:

I hear ya, though I don't know the first thing about it, let alone how to maintain it. I feel like I'd screw something up and am afraid to do it. Someone once also told me you need to spend at least $800 on a custom loop.

 

Yes, I will be OC'ing. Though I'm still a bit of a "Noob" at OC'ing, so I'm not quite sure how to do it the best. I'm hoping I could get it mild-moderate with some help here maybe or some other sources. Unless balls to wall is somehow possible. Most likely a "Typical OC" though.

I don't think I would spend the money for mild to moderate OC, especially with Skylake - which overclocks quite easily with even air coolding.  I have had mine stable @ 4.7 on a basic Hyper Evo 212 air cooler, and max temps of 75c.  Basically each multiple up or down resulted of a delta of 2 degrees c peak temps, respectively.  Currently I run at 4.6 with mild use at 34c and under load at upper 60s, and max of 73c. 

 

Consequently, if money is limited, then save it here and get a cheaper cooler (dont need to go air, but dont need top of line water), and use that money towards upgrading a different component.  Or, if you are wanting to get into more extreme OC, and plan to include other parts in the loop, then maybe consider the Pred..

|[ i7 6700k ][ MSI z170a XPower Gaming Titanium MB ][ 16gig G.Skill Trident Z 3000mhz ][ Gigabyte Xtreme GTX 980ti ][ Samsung Evo & Intel SSDs ][ Corsair 540 air ][ XFX Pro 750w Platinum ][ 24" Asus 144hz ]|

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8 minutes ago, Low_Battery said:

I don't think I would spend the money for mild to moderate OC, especially with Skylake - which overclocks quite easily with even air coolding.  I have had mine stable @ 4.7 on a basic Hyper Evo 212 air cooler, and max temps of 75c.  Basically each multiple up or down resulted of a delta of 2 degrees c peak temps, respectively.  Currently I run at 4.6 with mild use at 34c and under load at upper 60s, and max of 73c. 

 

Consequently, if money is limited, then save it here and get a cheaper cooler (dont need to go air, but dont need top of line water), and use that money towards upgrading a different component.  Or, if you are wanting to get into more extreme OC, and plan to include other parts in the loop, then maybe consider the Pred..

Thank you for your opinion and input, that helps a lot!

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1 minute ago, WaitDontSh00t said:

Thank you for your opinion and input, that helps a lot!

Of course.

|[ i7 6700k ][ MSI z170a XPower Gaming Titanium MB ][ 16gig G.Skill Trident Z 3000mhz ][ Gigabyte Xtreme GTX 980ti ][ Samsung Evo & Intel SSDs ][ Corsair 540 air ][ XFX Pro 750w Platinum ][ 24" Asus 144hz ]|

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i have a predator 360 and it cools as expected. cpu temps werent that different from my previous h110i gtx so i guess its more of whether you're going to expand the loop or if you're going  include your gpu. which is a nice option.


as for expanding to include another rad, if you check out overclock.net there are a few individuals who have done it and also included an external res. 

 

however, having said that even with the r1.1 of the predators there still seems to be a myriad of issues. i am now in the painful process of having to get my unit replaced because the pwm splitter hub is faulty. also 2 of my 3 vardars are making a whining noise. i say painful because ekwb's support is really lacking in manpower. it literally is one poor soul answering for EK's entire product market. 

 

for the price they're charging on their products, i really do believe ekwb should seriously think about providing round the clock support and give the current support guy more support. but i'm taking nothing away from their current support, he responds usually within 24 hours but 1 man can only do so much in a limited time frame. 

 

if you can wait, i'd give it a couple of months for them to stabilise the predator line. 

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