XSPC vs Swiftech vs EK????

[sushisky]

Hey guys, I'm doing my first water cooling build, with a cpu block, gpu block and the crosschill thing in my loop.

I actually already decided on the XSPC Raystorm D5 RX360 kit, but I heard many people talking about how great swiftech and ek are.

 

do you guys recommend getting a different kit / different parts? in particular, the swiftech apogee hd and the raystorm intel block. I can't make a choice :/

 

cooling a 4770k, gtx 770

[virusal19]

All three brands (XSPC, Swiftech and EK) are good. 

 

Instead of going for a kit, pick your own components. 

[crunzaty]

It depends a lot about what parts it is. I don't know much but i know that if you want a good pump Swiftech is it!

But then again the XS-PC kit you're buying is using that pump with their own logo on it.

 

EKWB in the other hand is more "cheap", they look nice but they are not the top notch.

 

Nice choice, hope you will enjoy it! :D

 

I chose that kit myself, all i did different tho was choosing my own fittings (xs-pc black chrome non compression since it looks INSANELY good without it).

It's a really good kit for cooling your GPU and CPU. The rad is also insane since it's so thick it get's quite good temperatures if you got good enough fans :)

[Ghost]

It depends a lot about what parts it is. I don't know much but i know that if you want a good pump Swiftech is it!

Wrong. :(

 

What you want is Laing Pump. Swiftech just puts a sticker on Laing Pumps. But so do XSPC and a few other companies.

 

________________________________

 

To the OP.

 

Do not buy kits. There are various reasons for this. I should start off by saying there is nothing bad with a kit. It will work properly and would will have a loop by the end of it. However, in kits the parts you get are typically low-end. I would never recommend a non-laing pump for a loop. Laing pumps are known for being quiet and reliable working for years without any issues. This is just an example. Kits tend to have lower quality everything. Secondly when buying a kit you will not be able to prioritise what you want in a loop. Maybe you are focusing on performance, maybe on looks? A kit will not give you this choice.

 

Most importantly a kit will not let you learn. Believe me when I say water cooling is a big investment, not only of money but also of time. If you feel that taking your time to look up components and make a parts list and doing research is something you would rather not do then you will be in for a shock later on. If you ever have a problem with your loop you will be much better placed after you have done your research and after selecting your own parts.

 

Therefore I advise you to go to the two stickys HERE and HERE and spend time reading about watercooling, then make a parts list and draw a diagram of what your loop is going to be, then ask us to review your parts and let you know what we think of the parts you have chosen.

[legopc]

i would go with all ek components becaus i have only had good experience with them and they make good quality components 

[Ghost]

i would go with all ek components becaus i have only had good experience with them and they make good quality components 

What bad experiences have you had with "other brands"? And what about all the brands you haven't tried?

[legopc]

What bad experiences have you had with "other brands"? And what about all the brands you haven't tried?

hmm thats a smart reply i have had no experience with other brand becaus i have only made one watercooling loop and that one was with ek components and it worked very good 

[Ghost]

hmm thats a smart reply i have had no experience with other brand becaus i have only made one watercooling loop and that one was with ek components and it worked very good 

Well how can you possibly recommend EK over other brands if you have nothing to compare against? :(

[sushisky]

Wrong. :(

What you want is Laing Pump. Swiftech just puts a sticker on Laing Pumps. But so do XSPC and a few other companies.

________________________________

To the OP.

Do not buy kits. There are various reasons for this. I should start off by saying there is nothing bad with a kit. It will work properly and would will have a loop by the end of it. However, in kits the parts you get are typically low-end. I would never recommend a non-laing pump for a loop. Laing pumps are known for being quiet and reliable working for years without any issues. This is just an example. Kits tend to have lower quality everything. Secondly when buying a kit you will not be able to prioritise what you want in a loop. Maybe you are focusing on performance, maybe on looks? A kit will not give you this choice.

Most importantly a kit will not let you learn. Believe me when I say water cooling is a big investment, not only of money but also of time. If you feel that taking your time to look up components and make a parts list and doing research is something you would rather not do then you will be in for a shock later on. If you ever have a problem with your loop you will be much better placed after you have done your research and after selecting your own parts.

Therefore I advise you to go to the two stickys HERE and HERE and spend time reading about watercooling, then make a parts list and draw a diagram of what your loop is going to be, then ask us to review your parts and let you know what we think of the parts you have chosen.

I actually already did some research.

so this is what I learned :

-A CPU GPU loop requires at least a 360/420mm radiator

-D5 pump is more than enough for my build

-do not use coolant

-all waterblocks are more or less the same

So the kit contains

RX360

D5 Vario Pump with Reservoir (I'm kinda hooked on the idea of a bay res. don't fancy a tube res just hanging in my case)

tubing

CPU Water block

6 Compression fittings

It seems to fit my requirements. The D5 Vario pump reservoir is a Laing pump, which has 1200 LPH, which fits in with the high flow pumps (recommended on the thread for multi-block loops) The radiator seems to be thick and has good reviews. And does the water block really differ in performance? (supposedly the apogees have better mounting and better contact)

I'm not using coolant, getting some primoflex LRT white tubes.

This is my build atm :

i7-4770k

Maximus VI Formula (unreleased. waiting for this :D)

corsair dominator platinums (likely to be changed)

XFX 750w ProSeries

GTX 770 card (likely EVGA, although I would jump for the reference cooler)

NZXT Switch 810 / Phantom 630 (undecided on this. very picky about cases)

I'm cooling the vrm (crosschill), cpu and the gpu (full cover waterblock)

The reason why I wanted to get a kit was because it was cheaper (with all the fans and the tubing and the TIM and what not)

Also, I noticed that the RX360 had a sub 8 fpi. Then I looked at the AX360, which funnily i can't find the fpi for. they are advertised as better (i think) than the rx series, but they are thinner. why????

My focus is like a mix of both. I wouldn't sacrifice performance for looks, but I wouldn't settle for some crappy looking loop at performs amazingly well.

thats why I thought buying the kit would be a good idea. But I'm not adverse to choosing parts either. But I can't really see where the benefit will be .-.

About the diagrams though, I'll have to get back to this thread on that. Its around 1-2 am here. gotta do some work and get some sleep :D

in the mean time though, I would really appreciate to get more feedback and opinions on my water cooling expedition :3

[legopc]

Well how can you possibly recommend EK over other brands if you have nothing to compare against? :(

eeeh dont know and i am not saying any other brand is bad i am just saying a had good experiences with ek 

[crunzaty]

I actually already did some research.

so this is what I learned :

-A CPU GPU loop requires at least a 360/420mm radiator

-D5 pump is more than enough for my build

-do not use coolant

-all waterblocks are more or less the same

So the kit contains

RX360

D5 Vario Pump with Reservoir (I'm kinda hooked on the idea of a bay res. don't fancy a tube res just hanging in my case)

tubing

CPU Water block

6 Compression fittings

It seems to fit my requirements. The D5 Vario pump reservoir is a Laing pump, which has 1200 LPH, which fits in with the high flow pumps (recommended on the thread for multi-block loops) The radiator seems to be thick and has good reviews. And does the water block really differ in performance? (supposedly the apogees have better mounting and better contact)

I'm not using coolant, getting some primoflex LRT white tubes.

This is my build atm :

i7-4770k

Maximus VI Formula (unreleased. waiting for this :D)

corsair dominator platinums (likely to be changed)

XFX 750w ProSeries

GTX 770 card (likely EVGA, although I would jump for the reference cooler)

NZXT Switch 810 / Phantom 630 (undecided on this. very picky about cases)

I'm cooling the vrm (crosschill), cpu and the gpu (full cover waterblock)

The reason why I wanted to get a kit was because it was cheaper (with all the fans and the tubing and the TIM and what not)

Also, I noticed that the RX360 had a sub 8 fpi. Then I looked at the AX360, which funnily i can't find the fpi for. they are advertised as better (i think) than the rx series, but they are thinner. why????

My focus is like a mix of both. I wouldn't sacrifice performance for looks, but I wouldn't settle for some crappy looking loop at performs amazingly well.

thats why I thought buying the kit would be a good idea. But I'm not adverse to choosing parts either. But I can't really see where the benefit will be .-.

About the diagrams though, I'll have to get back to this thread on that. Its around 1-2 am here. gotta do some work and get some sleep :D

in the mean time though, I would really appreciate to get more feedback and opinions on my water cooling expedition :3

The RX kit is sold to be more silent, the thickness makes it as good or better.

 

And just so you know, the CPU waterblock is one of the best ones out there. I've seen a bunch of really good reviews about that! :)

 

Also the tubing that follows is really ugly, i would recommend choosing some colored tubing to the liking of your build :)

[Winther]

I actually already did some research.

so this is what I learned :

-A CPU GPU loop requires at least a 360/420mm radiator

-D5 pump is more than enough for my build

-do not use coolant

-all waterblocks are more or less the same

So the kit contains

RX360

D5 Vario Pump with Reservoir (I'm kinda hooked on the idea of a bay res. don't fancy a tube res just hanging in my case)

tubing

CPU Water block

6 Compression fittings

It seems to fit my requirements. The D5 Vario pump reservoir is a Laing pump, which has 1200 LPH, which fits in with the high flow pumps (recommended on the thread for multi-block loops) The radiator seems to be thick and has good reviews. And does the water block really differ in performance? (supposedly the apogees have better mounting and better contact)

I'm not using coolant, getting some primoflex LRT white tubes.

This is my build atm :

i7-4770k

Maximus VI Formula (unreleased. waiting for this :D)

corsair dominator platinums (likely to be changed)

XFX 750w ProSeries

GTX 770 card (likely EVGA, although I would jump for the reference cooler)

NZXT Switch 810 / Phantom 630 (undecided on this. very picky about cases)

I'm cooling the vrm (crosschill), cpu and the gpu (full cover waterblock)

The reason why I wanted to get a kit was because it was cheaper (with all the fans and the tubing and the TIM and what not)

Also, I noticed that the RX360 had a sub 8 fpi. Then I looked at the AX360, which funnily i can't find the fpi for. they are advertised as better (i think) than the rx series, but they are thinner. why????

My focus is like a mix of both. I wouldn't sacrifice performance for looks, but I wouldn't settle for some crappy looking loop at performs amazingly well.

thats why I thought buying the kit would be a good idea. But I'm not adverse to choosing parts either. But I can't really see where the benefit will be .-.

About the diagrams though, I'll have to get back to this thread on that. Its around 1-2 am here. gotta do some work and get some sleep :D

in the mean time though, I would really appreciate to get more feedback and opinions on my water cooling expedition :3

First off, what do you mean by "do not use coolant" ?

 

 

It sounds to me like you would like a nice looking loop, and I would imagine that the fittings and tubing comming with a kit like that is not something you would write home about, but I dont know much about kits so dont quote me on that! :)

My point is, if you have to get other fittings and tubing, then it might be cheaper to just get it all seperate from the start? 

 

I dont know about the FPI of the AX series, but from what I can find the FPI is higher than 8.. so probably between 15-20 fpi is my guess, but that is all it is - a guess! And the performance doesnt really change, but you need more pressure or faster spinning fans for higher fpi rads.

 

A D5 is in my opinion the only way to go, its little brother is also good, but I like my D5 thats for sure! And the reservoir is up to you what you like the best :)

[sushisky]

Not using coolant as in like none of the fancy colored stuff.

I'm buying primoflex white tubing. in fact, its already shipped :D

 

 

My point is, if you have to get other fittings and tubing, then it might be cheaper to just get it all seperate from the start? 

 

Don't all the fittings look more or less the same? (compression) I mean like how glam can you make a fitting look. its just 2 pieces of threaded metal

[Winther]

Ahh, havent actually heard that one before to be honest, just as long as you buy quality coolant like fx Mayhems dye, then it would be ok from what I know! :)

(just dont get his aurora coolant)

 

their basic function and shape is usually the same yes, but in my opinion it makes a pretty big difference from cheap EK fittings to Bitspower or Monsoon fittings. (I dont remember what the EK fittings looks like, it was just an example because Im pretty sure they have some cheep fittings)

[sushisky]

are kits really not recommended? I don't see how I can make a difference to looks or performance (other than the fittings) by selecting my own parts though .-.

[Morfy]

The RX kit is sold to be more silent, the thickness makes it as good or better.

 

And just so you know, the CPU waterblock is one of the best ones out there. I've seen a bunch of really good reviews about that! :)

 

Also the tubing that follows is really ugly, i would recommend choosing some colored tubing to the liking of your build :)

Get some advanced LRT tubing and Mayhem's pastel white, they work good together and it will be easier to bleed the loop with transparent tubing.

[Ghost]

are kits really not recommended? I don't see how I can make a difference to looks or performance (other than the fittings) by selecting my own parts though .-.

There is nothing inherently wrong with kits as long as its a good kit.

 

As long as you know what you are buying they can save you a small amount of money. However, most people buy kits as if they were a lego set and then when something goes wrong they have no idea what happened or why it did.

[ArrogantAdam]

IMO EK's blocks definitely look the best

[sushisky]

oh lol. I happen to hate EK water blocks XD. They seem kinda plasticky.

 

@Ghost so like do you think I should get the kit or get parts individually?

[Ghost]

@Ghost so like do you think I should get the kit or get parts individually?

If you would have picked whats int he kit anyway then get the kit. If you wouldn't buy the parts separately.

[sushisky]

I'm actually asking if you would recommend me buying anything else for better performance / looks :D