i want to pop my water cooling cherry, but can it be done under $200

[vanwazltoff]

i currently have an all in one and you can call it my gateway drug, now i want to try a semi custom loop. i have an antec kuhler 620 with a homemade shroud and its been good to me, ran great on my i5-2500k no matter the OC, running it on my i5-3570k with an OC of 4.8ghz @ 1.22v with high temps but its really stable and i want to go further, i know i can take my 3570k past 5ghz with the right cooling and if i delid the possibilities are endless.

i have a budget of under $200 for a start up. honestly i dont think i can do it at this budget and with my space constraints without getting a really week pump that will inhibit my expansion. xspc has good bay kits but i dont have any bays. for my budget i dont thinks its possible. i have been waiting for the cooler master eisberg as its very competitive and its only competition is xspc and swiftech, but its been delayed until q4 2013 from what i have seen. regarding swiftechs kits, i do not like them, it would be better if they had the apogee drive ii but a pump built into the rad, seriously? the lowest priced ek would be doable. that pretty much outs me of every low priced solution, i want to stick with my itx case, its the perfect size for me

with mods i might be able to fit a kraken x60 in my case, itll be crazy crazy close in lengths though, ill have to take some measurements, might have to take out my front fans and reposition them. i can get any 240mm no problem, ill have plenty of clearance. i really dont want to go with an all in one but its looking like my only cost effective choice after my limitations =/

[LTC]

I would personally wait for Swiftechs new AIO: http://www.techpowerup.com/178290/Swiftech-to-Unveil-New-H220-All-in-One-CPU-Cooler-During-CES-2013.html

Doing a custom loop for $200 would be hard.

Also the Swiftech makes it possible to upgrade further on in the future, if you so desire.

[Gmac]

If you want to do water cooling the right way you need a custom loop. But they are not cheap. Nor do you really want to cheap out on them. That being said, closed loop all in one systems are good, especially the 240mm+ ones. But they are really not much if any better then a really good air cooler.

My suggestion is to look at a starter kit from one of the water cooler makers. You might be able to find something for $200 if you shop around but i would spend more in the 250-300 range to start. You can always add more to it later. I personally buy things from http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=59_202 (thats a link to all their starter kits) because they are close to where i live and most of the time have something on my doorstep in about a day in a half. They do a lot of 5-10% off deals if you look at their FB page too.

I use XSPC and love them but they have a ton of different brands for sale.

[Mentalguy]

ebay, thats where i started

[Gmac]

ebay, thats where i started

Great idea. Pumps are really the only thing that can fail on you.

[Fordox]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

[vanwazltoff]

I would personally wait for Swiftechs new AIO: http://www.techpowerup.com/178290/Swiftech-to-Unveil-New-H220-All-in-One-CPU-Cooler-During-CES-2013.html

Doing a custom loop for $200 would be hard.

Also the Swiftech makes it possible to upgrade further on in the future, if you so desire.

this is worth looking in to, kind of like the eisberg, the only problem i have been hearing with the apogee drive ii and the eisberg is loud pump noise, hopefully they have addressed this

[vanwazltoff]

If you want to do water cooling the right way you need a custom loop. But they are not cheap. Nor do you really want to cheap out on them. That being said, closed loop all in one systems are good, especially the 240mm+ ones. But they are really not much if any better then a really good air cooler.

My suggestion is to look at a starter kit from one of the water cooler makers. You might be able to find something for $200 if you shop around but i would spend more in the 250-300 range to start. You can always add more to it later. I personally buy things from http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=59_202 (thats a link to all their starter kits) because they are close to where i live and most of the time have something on my doorstep in about a day in a half. They do a lot of 5-10% off deals if you look at their FB page too.

I use XSPC and love them but they have a ton of different brands for sale.

i looked and looked on a different site [frozencpu] and it seems like my goal for a custom loop should be $300 so i can get what i want with almost no trade offs

[vanwazltoff]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

the heat sink i have on my 2500k is raddling and i have tried everything to fix it, stupid zalman heat sink, newegg and amazon were completely wiped out of 212s with a back order so i had to get it instead when i built it, i got the kuhler a few months ago for $40 when i got so pissed off at my zalman that i just couldnt take it any more and now my kuhler is on my 3570k. so my kuhler will go in my 2500k rig and my zalman is getting destroyed with a basball bat and what every crazy solution i come up with will go in my 3570k rig

[Winther]

I was going to suggest the Eisberg before I read all your post.. but anyways, what case do you have ?

but I doubt you will be satisfied with a 200$ loop..

I see the others are talking about the D5 pump.. its a really good and powerfull pump.. but as people say its preobably the most expensive pump out there.. :P but another option is its littlebrother MCP355 I think it is. should be a good pump as well.. its a little cheaper and doesnt take up as much room.. :)

[ThatCrazyIrishGuy]

Its a real shame about not having a spare bay.I was in the same position then i just pulled my blu-ray drive and went with a single bay solution.You can get some really nice single bay reservoirs that can support dual low powered pumps.There are even some kits for using cheap aquarium pumps but after my experience with them, i can't recommend :P

[vanwazltoff]

I was going to suggest the Eisberg before I read all your post.. but anyways, what case do you have ?

but I doubt you will be satisfied with a 200$ loop..

I see the others are talking about the D5 pump.. its a really good and powerfull pump.. but as people say its preobably the most expensive pump out there.. :P but another option is its littlebrother MCP355 I think it is. should be a good pump as well.. its a little cheaper and doesnt take up as much room.. :)

i have a fractal node 304, like i said tiny. you are really only supposed to put a single 140mm rad in there, maybe a dual 92, but a custom loop in something that small would be a good personal challenge. I have never done a large case mod, a few small but not cutting huge holes in my case, but i am adventurous, i have rewired my car if that gives you an idea and that is much harder than typical sleeving or anything of that nature.

[Fordox]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

hahaha nice :P

good luck with it :)

[vanwazltoff]

Its a real shame about not having a spare bay.I was in the same position then i just pulled my blu-ray drive and went with a single bay solution.You can get some really nice single bay reservoirs that can support dual low powered pumps.There are even some kits for using cheap aquarium pumps but after my experience with them, i can't recommend :P

now there is a crazy russian and a crazy irish guy! welcome to the forum

[vanwazltoff]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

i never knew i could have so much hate for a heat sink, rattling is one of those noises that irks me the wrong way, i physically kicked it a week ago haha

[Fordox]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

lol yes i can see the frustration.

i literally threw my old pc case in the trash container :P

[vanwazltoff]

ebay, thats where i started

im to skeptical to use ebay, i like my safe amazon/newegg bubble haha

[Scia]

Well, I'd advise you to wait and save up some more money, doing a decent loop for 200$ seems quite impossible. I spent about 4x that and it's not done yet. A 360x60mm rad and some compressionfittings and you are close to 200$... You'll need tubing, fans, blocks, res, a pump and so on. Shoot to about 500$ and get something that will last a while, so you can add in stuff in the future and don't have to start all over again ;)

[vanwazltoff]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

i like running things over....haha

[vanwazltoff]

Well, I'd advise you to wait and save up some more money, doing a decent loop for 200$ seems quite impossible. I spent about 4x that and it's not done yet. A 360x60mm rad and some compressionfittings and you are close to 200$... You'll need tubing, fans, blocks, res, a pump and so on. Shoot to about 500$ and get something that will last a while, so you can add in stuff in the future and don't have to start all over again ;)

the way i am, i know ill never finish, nothing is ever complete as long as technology doesnt stop moving

[Winther]

I was going to suggest the Eisberg before I read all your post.. but anyways, what case do you have ?

but I doubt you will be satisfied with a 200$ loop..

I see the others are talking about the D5 pump.. its a really good and powerfull pump.. but as people say its preobably the most expensive pump out there.. :P but another option is its littlebrother MCP355 I think it is. should be a good pump as well.. its a little cheaper and doesnt take up as much room.. :)

hmm, then you are very limited as for watercooling.. dont really see how you would do that..

I think koolance makes a shroud for a 280mm rad.. but that requires you so dremel a hole in the top of the case :)

http://www.aquatuning.us/product_info.php/info/p9550_Koolance-2-way-140mm-fan-shroud--black.html

would you consider an external loop?

[Fordox]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

lol seek professional help xd

[Fordox]

place the rad on top of your case, or mount 2 rads on that one 140mm spot.

you wont be so limited if you build outside your case ;)

[Gmac]

If you want to do water cooling the right way you need a custom loop. But they are not cheap. Nor do you really want to cheap out on them. That being said, closed loop all in one systems are good, especially the 240mm+ ones. But they are really not much if any better then a really good air cooler.

My suggestion is to look at a starter kit from one of the water cooler makers. You might be able to find something for $200 if you shop around but i would spend more in the 250-300 range to start. You can always add more to it later. I personally buy things from http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=59_202 (thats a link to all their starter kits) because they are close to where i live and most of the time have something on my doorstep in about a day in a half. They do a lot of 5-10% off deals if you look at their FB page too.

I use XSPC and love them but they have a ton of different brands for sale.

300 is a good place to start. That was my starting budge when i started my loop. The kits help keep the price down on things like fittings and tubing. But you pretty much pay the same for all the larger items.

[vanwazltoff]

try selling your kuhler 620. it will give you a bit moor room in your budget.

and yes, second handed stuff isn't that bad and a D5 (mcp655) pump, would practicly never break. but those aren't cheap. even second handed.

when you have a piece of junk vehicle thats lifted with a bumper made of 1/4" steel, a lead foot, and road rage you tend to want to run things over.....i probably do need professional help hahahaha