How cheap can I get a loop

[ripper101]

Roughly how cheap could I get a water cooling loop in USD for 1 GPU and 1 CPU system?

[Izumi Reina]

3 minutes ago, ripper101 said:

Roughly how cheap could I get a water cooling loop in USD for 1 GPU and 1 CPU system?

Motherboard, Cheapest Cooling? Do you need it simple or are you experienced in water cooling (though if you are you wouldn't be here).

[ripper101]

2 minutes ago, Izumi Reina said:

Motherboard, Cheapest Cooling? Do you need it simple or are you experienced in water cooling (though if you are you wouldn't be here).

no first time. really just looking for a price

[Naeaes]

About $450 maybe. Don't do it though. For a custom loop you'll want quality components. Cheap gets you tubes that turn yellow over time, an overheating pump, leaky fittings, clogging blocks and a radiator with non-standard mounting holes.

[Izumi Reina]

3 minutes ago, ripper101 said:

no first time. really just looking for a price

Varies depending on motherboard (socket type) but about $60 USD for CPU at somewhere like newegg. GPU since your new you will have to find a GPU that already has watercooling. If your just wondering not actually going to do this, there is no need to read the rest of this, but if you are intending to do this. Stick with air cooling less problems much more cooling per dollar.

[Octavialicious]

25 minutes ago, Naeaes said:

About $450 maybe. Don't do it though. For a custom loop you'll want quality components. Cheap gets you tubes that turn yellow over time, an overheating pump, leaky fittings, clogging blocks and a radiator with non-standard mounting holes.

$450 could get you a nice quality loop, at least if he's buying in the US

 

CPU $50, GPU $90, Pump+Res $100, Fittings $50, tubing $20, 240 rad $50 (240mm for now, could always add more later)

 

edit: if $450 is fine and you're serious about a loop OP I could send you some parts 

[ripper101]

28 minutes ago, Octavialicious said:

$450 could get you a nice quality loop, at least if he's buying in the US

 

CPU $50, GPU $90, Pump+Res $100, Fittings $50, tubing $20, 240 rad $50 (240mm for now, could always add more later)

 

edit: if $450 is fine and you're serious about a loop OP I could send you some parts 

 

 

Really generous offer thanks, but I am not 100% at this moment in time. Will a water loop be more quiet than air?

[| Rembo |]

24 minutes ago, ripper101 said:

Really generous offer thanks, but I am not 100% at this moment in time. Will a water loop be more quiet than air?

It is so much more quiet than air because the fans needs to run at a much slower speed.

it's near silent (if you have decent fans)

 

[Octavialicious]

1 hour ago, ripper101 said:

Really generous offer thanks, but I am not 100% at this moment in time. Will a water loop be more quiet than air?

Much much much quieter if optimized for silence 

[atomicus]

Before you go down this road, ask yourself some VERY important questions... the answers will dictate your course of action...

 

1.) Why do you want water cooling? Noise levels? Temps? To have a cool system to show off to your friends?

There is no right or wrong answer here, but be aware that with careful component selection you can build an air cooled system that is NEARLY as quiet as water, albeit not at such low temps, but in the grand scheme of things that won't impact what your system is capable of in terms of gaming etc. 

 

2.) Are you OK with maintaining a loop, i.e draining etc. or do you want a zero maintenance hassle free system?

If yes, you are fine to proceed. If no, then walk away now and don't look back, a custom loop isn't the path for you. Instead, you may want to consider an AIO such as the EK Predator... it uses the same components used in custom loops, but is a sealed unit that never requires filling or draining. Plus with the QDC versions you can easily expand your loop with a pre-filled GPU block. This is a very elegant solution, and will offer excellent performance with zero maintenance. It is not cheap however, but there is good reason for that. You will no doubt have seen the plethora of AIOs that are available on the market, but I would suggest you avoid these unless your SOLE concern is aesthetics. The vast majority do not offer superior performance to air coolers, despite what the marketing would have you believe. In fact some perform WORSE when you compare them to the top end air coolers from Noctua and Cryorig. The aforementioned EK Predator is an exception however, but it is expensive.

 

3.) Are you willing to spend good money on a loop, or do you want the cheapest set-up money can buy?

If yes, you are fine to proceed. If no, then walk away now and don't look back, a custom loop isn't the path for you. You are asking for trouble going in at bargain basement price levels, as you will get what you pay for. That said, you may want to check out Barrow... I consistently read good things about them, and the quality of their products seems very high for the price point.