First Loop! I could use some help.

[Panaexpres2go]

Budget (including currency): $1000 USD

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Destiny 2, Far Cry 6, Fallout, Warzone, Cyberpunk. High end gaming on the highest settings. 

Other details:  Firstly I appreciate anyone who is able to pass on their knowledge and expertise. I have been wanting to build my own loop and would like to side with quality while getting the best bang for my buck. I have been told that EKWB has the best quality so I went onto EKWB and built what I would like my set up to look like. I have a feeling that I can find parts of this EK build in other brands for cheaper. That is why I am asking for help. Should I fork out the money to EK for quality sake or should I mix and match from other reputable brands that you know and trust? The main thing to me is to have a Distroplate D5 pump combo. Other than that I am very open to any product suggestions to get me the high end cooling that I am going after with my first custom loop. 

 

What suggestions do you have for the best distro plate pump combo for my Thermatake P3? 

 

I will attach pictures of what my build currently looks like and the EKWB shopping cart.

[jaslion]

Ek is premium price for middle of the road quality.

 

Legit by just shopping alphacool and getting one of their kits price falls in half for no difference in quality

[Panaexpres2go]

8 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Ek is premium price for middle of the road quality.

 

Legit by just shopping alphacool and getting one of their kits price falls in half for no difference in quality

Okay thanks! I’ll look into alpha cool. Any other names you recommend? 

[jaslion]

9 minutes ago, Panaexpres2go said:

Okay thanks! I’ll look into alpha cool. Any other names you recommend? 

I stick with alphacool for the most part (get a d5 pump btw) but do mix in some byski or raijintek stuff. Also generic no name amazon stuff for things that dont matter like tubing, reservoirs,...

 

For fans I basically always go artic p series.

 

But like a 360 rad is like 40$ tops

Block 50$

Gpu block around 100$ usually

Hardline tubes can vary

Fittings. Depends but at most 20$ if ya get cheaper ones.

 

Also that distro block does not work in your case thats a lian li o11 part. Legit just stick with a reservoir it is simpler. Yes there are plates but I just never recommend them. Especially in a case like yours where the only mounting option for it would stop you from getting a radiator installed. Your case simply does not have a place for a distro plat and radiator it wasnt designed for it.

 

There is one but its extremely expensive and requires case modification. It also has a tendency to tip over your case from the weight and bend mounting holes due to stress from where the rad will be

[Mick Naughty]

I stick to ek blocks. Want them all to match. Pump doesnt matter at that point but depends on the over things you want from the pump/res combo. I would get a distro that uses the 240/360 layout if you can make that work for the case. Maybe with some extra brackets.

 

Also their rads use the standard screws instead of having the tiny fine threads of the alpha rads which I dont like about mine.

[fonzz1e]

22 hours ago, Panaexpres2go said:

Any other names you recommend? 

checkout titanrig.com & performance-pcs.com

 

other than EK & corsair hydro x line, brands to look for are 

heatkiller, optimus, techN, aquacomputer, alphacool, bitspower or xspc (china oem brands bykski & barrow, budget friendly)

 

• cpu waterblock: get generic am4 ones, monoblock can't be transfer to new mobo
• gpu waterblock: get the one that fits your pcb (ie xc3 & ftw3 uses diff blocks)
• rads: look for hardware labs, do make sure u flush out the flux
• hard tubing: look for PMMA (acrylic), for bending you'll need heatgun + inner silicone tubing + saw + deburrer
• soft tubing: my choice of beginner tubing, mayhems ultraclear or epdm (ID size don't matter for flow rates in pc cooling)
• fittings i went with barrow coz they're cheap & good, just make sure u get the ones that fit yer tubing size
• distro plate, i don't use them as they're hard to teardown for cleaning & harder to bleed air
• reservoir size don't matter, big res only delay cooling & heating of coolant & they're harder to mount in smaller case
• pump either get d5 pwm or ddc 3.2/4.2 pwm from xylem / laing / lowara (they're same company), ddc is air cool while d5 is coolant by loop coolant
• res-pump combo units usually don't come with mounting; ek tbe200 d5 / tbe160 ddc, ultitube d5, heatkiller d5, corsair xd5 / xd3 (this come with mounting & temp sensor)
• fans look for high static pressure ones like arctic p12/p14 (they have 0db argb version as well), noctua nf-a12x25, phanteks t30, xpg vento pro pwm, bequiet silent wings 4 pro / lightwings highspeed, lianli al120 i usually check out here

[Panaexpres2go]

Thanks everyone I really appreciate it!

[Panaexpres2go]

On 7/20/2022 at 4:31 AM, jaslion said:

I stick with alphacool for the most part (get a d5 pump btw) but do mix in some byski or raijintek stuff. Also generic no name amazon stuff for things that dont matter like tubing, reservoirs,...

 

For fans I basically always go artic p series.

 

But like a 360 rad is like 40$ tops

Block 50$

Gpu block around 100$ usually

Hardline tubes can vary

Fittings. Depends but at most 20$ if ya get cheaper ones.

 

Also that distro block does not work in your case thats a lian li o11 part. Legit just stick with a reservoir it is simpler. Yes there are plates but I just never recommend them. Especially in a case like yours where the only mounting option for it would stop you from getting a radiator installed. Your case simply does not have a place for a distro plat and radiator it wasnt designed for it.

 

There is one but its extremely expensive and requires case modification. It also has a tendency to tip over your case from the weight and bend mounting holes due to stress from where the rad will b

do you mind letting me know what that expensive option is? I just want to know what all of my options are.

[jaslion]

17 hours ago, Panaexpres2go said:

do you mind letting me know what that expensive option is? I just want to know what all of my options are.

In my quest to find the expensive one for sale I found the a byski version https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/32914240751.html?spm=a2g0o.search0304.0.0.51cf1f826zAeF4&algo_pvid=fb7a532a-467a-48bc-adf5-daaacb78d254&algo_exp_id=fb7a532a-467a-48bc-adf5-daaacb78d254-0&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id"%3A"12000028965559404"}&pdp_npi=2%40dis!GBP!!142.96!!!20.64!!%40210318cb16584808428367893e770b!12000028965559404!sea&gatewayAdapt=glo2nld

 

Basically a identical clone with a lower end pump. Pump seems to just be standard size so can be replaced if it's ever a problem.