Loop planning and questions

[Sheldon_King]

Let me start by saying I know basically nothing about water cooling systems aside from automotive cooling, so be easy on me please. 

 

I am planning to use water cooling to take care of several issues that I currently have. First is making it quieter. Next is to increase the cooling efficiency for the CPU (My particular 2600k is not an amazing overclocker. I can do 4.8GHz with 1.475V stable, but my aircooler can not cool it to comfortable levels at that voltage (talking 85*C load temps)). Last thing is I want to put it in a case and look good, so getting a loop would make that easier. 

 

Case: Corsair 750D. 

 

Gear chosen: 

Radiators: EX240 and EX360 from XSPC. 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14327/ex-rad-315/XSPC_EX240_Dual_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s160#blank

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14328/ex-rad-316/XSPC_EX360_Triple_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s161#blank

 

Blocks

Apogee HD 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14365/ex-blc-1000/Swiftech_Apogee_HD_High_Performance_4-Port_CPU_Waterblock_-_Black_-_Intel_w_LGA_2011_Hardware_AMD_Ready_Apogee-HD-BK.html?tl=g30c323s835#blank

This was chosen because by my understanding the block choice will not really make a large difference in cooling potential unless you get an absurdly low quality block. The black top would better match the high end but not flashy look I am going for with the loop. 

KoolanceVID-AR290X & EK blackplate 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/21972/ex-blc-1575/Koolance_VID-AR290X_Radeon_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_No_Fittings.html?tl=g30c309s2073#blank

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/21680/ex-blc-1569/EK_R9-290X_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_RAM_Backplate_-_Black_CSQ_EK-FC_R9-290X_Backplate_-_Black.html?tl=g30c309s2073#blank

Again, it is subdued, but classy. May not be the best cooler, but it has got to be better than reference 290, yes? Backplate because even with aircooling, the bare PCB just looks tacky to me. That is a personal view. 

 

Res:

XSPC Dual bay D5

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16088/ex-res-371/XSPC_Dual_525_Bay_Reservoir_-_Laing_D5_MCP655_w_Blue_LED_Light_-_Black.html?tl=g30c97s152#blank

From what I understand this is a very powerful little pump, and last quite a while too. Adding the pump cost another $89.99 to the price, but it is worth it, as a pump is needed either way. Adding it to the res just keeps it out of the look of the case. 

 

Tubing and such: 

Industrial Black 3/8 by 1/2 20 foot length (better to have too much than too little). 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10484/ex-tub-644/Tygon_A-60-G_Norprene_38_ID_12_OD_-_Industrial_Grade_Thermoplastic_Elastomer_Tubing.html?tl=g30c99s171#blank

Anti-Kink spring

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/17014/ex-tub-1379/Phobya_Anti-Kink_Spring_-_12_OD_13mm_-_100mm_-_Matte_Black_68241.html?tl=g30c289s715

Phobya compression 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13233/ex-tub-902/Phobya_G14_Thread_38_ID_x_12_OD_Compression_Fitting_-_Compact_-_Black_Nickel_62141.html?tl=g30c409s1032#blank

The tubing choice was easy actually, it is cheaper and less work to get black tubing than it is to dye the water black inside the clear tube. Don't know is elastomer has plasticizer or not, but not worrying too much about that in any case (or if this is not a very good tube, then Tygon E1000 is not much more). 

Fittings I am not sure of, but I assume a Nickle compression is cleaner looking than a black hoseclamp, and probably cheaper too (counting the clamp and the fitting in that). 

The spring I am not sure if I need it or not. I budgeted for 8 of them, and chances are that I will use few or none of them, but better to have and not need than to need and not have. 

 

Assuming I did the math right, and did not miss anything, it should be $740 worth of parts. (Don't take that wrong, It may mean having to drop something else to fit the total build budget, but worth it). 

 

And a small related question. Am I going to need to add Ethylene Glycol to the water, or will strait water be fine? Am I going to have to worry about corrosion in the loop either? Plan is to run it for ~6 months before clearing and refilling it, and lifetime of the loop will be until the 2600k is no longer useful for gaming, so probably 2-4 years maybe. 

 

Thanks for your help in this matter. 

[airdeano]

Let me start by saying I know basically nothing about water cooling systems aside from automotive cooling, so be easy on me please. 

 

I am planning to use water cooling to take care of several issues that I currently have. First is making it quieter. Next is to increase the cooling efficiency for the CPU (My particular 2600k is not an amazing overclocker. I can do 4.8GHz with 1.475V stable, but my aircooler can not cool it to comfortable levels at that voltage (talking 85*C load temps)). Last thing is I want to put it in a case and look good, so getting a loop would make that easier. 

 

Case: Corsair 750D. 

 

Gear chosen: 

Radiators: EX240 and EX360 from XSPC. 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14327/ex-rad-315/XSPC_EX240_Dual_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s160#blank

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14328/ex-rad-316/XSPC_EX360_Triple_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s161#blank

 

Blocks

Apogee HD 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14365/ex-blc-1000/Swiftech_Apogee_HD_High_Performance_4-Port_CPU_Waterblock_-_Black_-_Intel_w_LGA_2011_Hardware_AMD_Ready_Apogee-HD-BK.html?tl=g30c323s835#blank

This was chosen because by my understanding the block choice will not really make a large difference in cooling potential unless you get an absurdly low quality block. The black top would better match the high end but not flashy look I am going for with the loop. 

KoolanceVID-AR290X & EK blackplate 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/21972/ex-blc-1575/Koolance_VID-AR290X_Radeon_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_No_Fittings.html?tl=g30c309s2073#blank

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/21680/ex-blc-1569/EK_R9-290X_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_RAM_Backplate_-_Black_CSQ_EK-FC_R9-290X_Backplate_-_Black.html?tl=g30c309s2073#blank

Again, it is subdued, but classy. May not be the best cooler, but it has got to be better than reference 290, yes? Backplate because even with aircooling, the bare PCB just looks tacky to me. That is a personal view. 

 

Res:

XSPC Dual bay D5

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16088/ex-res-371/XSPC_Dual_525_Bay_Reservoir_-_Laing_D5_MCP655_w_Blue_LED_Light_-_Black.html?tl=g30c97s152#blank

From what I understand this is a very powerful little pump, and last quite a while too. Adding the pump cost another $89.99 to the price, but it is worth it, as a pump is needed either way. Adding it to the res just keeps it out of the look of the case. 

 

Tubing and such: 

Industrial Black 3/8 by 1/2 20 foot length (better to have too much than too little). 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10484/ex-tub-644/Tygon_A-60-G_Norprene_38_ID_12_OD_-_Industrial_Grade_Thermoplastic_Elastomer_Tubing.html?tl=g30c99s171#blank

Anti-Kink spring

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/17014/ex-tub-1379/Phobya_Anti-Kink_Spring_-_12_OD_13mm_-_100mm_-_Matte_Black_68241.html?tl=g30c289s715

Phobya compression 

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13233/ex-tub-902/Phobya_G14_Thread_38_ID_x_12_OD_Compression_Fitting_-_Compact_-_Black_Nickel_62141.html?tl=g30c409s1032#blank

The tubing choice was easy actually, it is cheaper and less work to get black tubing than it is to dye the water black inside the clear tube. Don't know is elastomer has plasticizer or not, but not worrying too much about that in any case (or if this is not a very good tube, then Tygon E1000 is not much more). 

Fittings I am not sure of, but I assume a Nickle compression is cleaner looking than a black hoseclamp, and probably cheaper too (counting the clamp and the fitting in that). 

The spring I am not sure if I need it or not. I budgeted for 8 of them, and chances are that I will use few or none of them, but better to have and not need than to need and not have. 

 

Assuming I did the math right, and did not miss anything, it should be $740 worth of parts. (Don't take that wrong, It may mean having to drop something else to fit the total build budget, but worth it). 

 

And a small related question. Am I going to need to add Ethylene Glycol to the water, or will strait water be fine? Am I going to have to worry about corrosion in the loop either? Plan is to run it for ~6 months before clearing and refilling it, and lifetime of the loop will be until the 2600k is no longer useful for gaming, so probably 2-4 years maybe. 

 

Thanks for your help in this matter. 

 

impressive list.

 

fans?

 

adding EG to the loop would not be needed unless you are mixing metals as an

inhibitor. most just use a silver kill coil or biocide agent.

 

was this a CPU/GPU loop or CPU/2x GPU loop?

 

from my experiences with the EX-series. you can run a low speed fan on them, but

they do tend to run warmer than the thicker and looser fin-per-inch counterparts.

to get the EX-series efficiently thermal, usually have to jack the rpm 1600-1800rpm.

so the "silence" feature tends to get lost (depending on level tolerances). now they

are thin enough that you could consider push/pull using 1000-1200rpm fans, but

i'd opt for a better radiator solution. the 750 can use 45mm top rad with one fan set.

i've fashioned a RX360 and one fan set, but the 8-pin power was forced against the

fan (preference decision). so either the EK XT or Alphacool XT45 radiators would be

another option.

 

with the new fascia of the Obsidian case, using ODD or bay reservoirs tend to make

front look like something is broken or missing. just a preference thing again.

[Sheldon_King]

@airdeano

It is a single GPU for now. I may grab another farther down the line, but that will depend on a lot of factors the least of which is money. 

 

I honestly don't know if there are any mixed metals in the loop with the parts chosen. I may will go check in a bit. Biocide may be in the order though, as it is not much extra cost and no real need to not have it.

 

Fans will be sp120's in push (exhausting out the front and top) (I have 2, so need to buy 2 more sets, but I will cost share that with sister's build. I am not too worried about the fans though, as the computer as is (2x 140 on CPU and reference GTX480) is nearly silent most of the time )room averages 64 decibel. IN game though it can get upwards of 75-80 Decibel, and that is not good to listen too for long periods of time. As long as it is quieter than the 480, I don't care if it is a little bit louder.  

I can probably swing either the AlphaCool or EK rads you suggested. I am leaning to the EK though, as it is black completely, while alphacool has the copper branding on the side (just a small touch, but the little things count, right?) 

 

I am not too worried about the look of the case. I am going to be tossing a card reader in the top bay anyway, so it will have the same look for all the bays. 

[Sheldon_King]

impressive list.

 

fans?

 

adding EG to the loop would not be needed unless you are mixing metals as an

inhibitor. most just use a silver kill coil or biocide agent.

 

was this a CPU/GPU loop or CPU/2x GPU loop?

 

from my experiences with the EX-series. you can run a low speed fan on them, but

they do tend to run warmer than the thicker and looser fin-per-inch counterparts.

to get the EX-series efficiently thermal, usually have to jack the rpm 1600-1800rpm.

so the "silence" feature tends to get lost (depending on level tolerances). now they

are thin enough that you could consider push/pull using 1000-1200rpm fans, but

i'd opt for a better radiator solution. the 750 can use 45mm top rad with one fan set.

i've fashioned a RX360 and one fan set, but the 8-pin power was forced against the

fan (preference decision). so either the EK XT or Alphacool XT45 radiators would be

another option.

 

with the new fascia of the Obsidian case, using ODD or bay reservoirs tend to make

front look like something is broken or missing. just a preference thing again.

Okay, so to get back to you after looking some more, what would change if I went to dual GPU and a CPU in the loop? BUt droping down to a case that has at most dual 240mm and 1 120mm rad. Would it still work fine? (I am trying to cost level here, and I don't know if it will work or not.) 

 

$1500 budget is what I am trying to stay under, and that is with everything, not just the loop. So far if everything works, I am $307.10 under budget, but without soundcard (necesary to get sound back. the onboard chip is fried), fans, some fittings and hose (don't want clear hose). Below is what I am thinking about using, and I know what you are going to say, and will respond on that part. 

 

Case: H220 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146083

I think it looks good without being over the top. The only thing I am worrying about is the front 240 spot may need to move the HDD bay back a little bit (towards the motherboard). I don't mind doing that, as I have a drill and rivet gun, so just a matter of doing it. Also worried that 5x 120mm may not be enough radiator space for a CPU and 2 ovens of a GPU. There is room for a 120mm rad down on the bottom of teh case, but if I have to move the hdd cage for the front, it may make it impossible to use the bottom 120. I'll have to go look at the case in person to see, or maybe talk to NZXT themselves to see if there is room for both. 

 

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256088

I know I don't need this much power. I know it will not be used. I know it is not a good idea. But the price to watt is actually pretty good on this unit. It should power just about anything that I could want to throw at it in the next 5ish years, and is fully modular. It will pair nicely with the GPU plan seen below. Is this a quality unit though? TPU seems to like it if I understand the review (I claim to know nothing about PSUs) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Silverstone/ZM1350/10.html. They say it has a loud fan, but I am not too worried about that, as the same was said of my ZT750 and it is quiet compared to the heatsink and GPU. If the PSU is the loudest part of teh system, I can live with that.  Also note the new PSU is not simply to get a new one. I only have 3 PCIe cables and a Single SATA power that I can locate to my ZT750 (as that is all I have used and can't locate the others), so I am probably going to let sister use it (charge her like $40 for it) in her single GPU system and upgrade mine. 

 

GPU: 2x Hydrocopper GTX480. (Ebay. ~ 300 USD Shipped) 

They are old I know. I am running a reference 480 right now, and I am happy with it. I just can't justify spending the same amount of money for a new card (that won't be massively faster) plus the cost of a block. I understand I will probably have to clean out the blocks, probably run some acid (Vinegar?) through it for a day or 2 and it should be good, yes? I can max every game I play with a single 480 at a decent framerate, so no worries there. other games like BF3, COD, BF4 etc are going to support SLI profiles, so it will probably work fine. If not and it throws a fit, then I can disable the SLI and still have a decent game. Memory is probably not going to be a major issue at 1080p for a while yet. If it becomes an issue in a year or 2 to a point where it needs 2GB+ for even medium settings, then I can upgrade the card at that point. (Probably not going to run into that though with the games I play). 

 

Loop Mains: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/20926/ex-wat-266/XSPC_Raystorm_750_EX280_Extreme_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_New_Rev_4_Pump_Included_w_Free_Dead-Water.html?tl=g30c321s1310#blank

I don't know how good this kit is, but the cost is cheaper than buying things separately. The pump seems to be new, or at least they are saying it is 4th gen, and it has a rad and reservoir in the kit. 

Rad: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14327/ex-rad-315/XSPC_EX240_Dual_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s160

Its a 240. I don't know much about it, but it is cheap. 

Rad: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14326/ex-rad-314/XSPC_EX120_Single_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s159#blank

Its a 120, and it is the same as the 240s above. Might be 2 of them, but we will have to see if moving the drive cages will disable the lower 120 bay. Or am I worrying about nothing and 5x 120 be enough for a 2600k @ 1.475ish V and 2x 480 stock (volts)? 

 

Actually, for everything else it has to be done in $207 as I need to get a HDD for this too. Keyboard is in the math, a Rosewill White Alps for $60 and headphones (Custom one Pros) for $170. 

 

Does this look okay. or am I off my rocker?

[Prophet of Entropy]

TL;DR, sorta, bay/res's tend to have more problems then tube style ones, if your on a budget any reason why you're not just expanding an H320 (it will handle an extra rad and 2 GPUs fine)?

 

oh, don't run vinegar for 2 days, specially if your system is gonna be on.  just open up the front of the old 480s you bought to see if theres any problems with the blocks (corrosion, algae or broken O-rings) 

 

only 2 reasons to not run a fuild with corrosion inhibiter in it, 1)its more expensive  2)its less thermally conductive then pure water.

[MoYo]

Okay, so to get back to you after looking some more, what would change if I went to dual GPU and a CPU in the loop? BUt droping down to a case that has at most dual 240mm and 1 120mm rad. Would it still work fine? (I am trying to cost level here, and I don't know if it will work or not.) 

 

$1500 budget is what I am trying to stay under, and that is with everything, not just the loop. So far if everything works, I am $307.10 under budget, but without soundcard (necesary to get sound back. the onboard chip is fried), fans, some fittings and hose (don't want clear hose). Below is what I am thinking about using, and I know what you are going to say, and will respond on that part. 

 

Case: H220 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146083

I think it looks good without being over the top. The only thing I am worrying about is the front 240 spot may need to move the HDD bay back a little bit (towards the motherboard). I don't mind doing that, as I have a drill and rivet gun, so just a matter of doing it. Also worried that 5x 120mm may not be enough radiator space for a CPU and 2 ovens of a GPU. There is room for a 120mm rad down on the bottom of teh case, but if I have to move the hdd cage for the front, it may make it impossible to use the bottom 120. I'll have to go look at the case in person to see, or maybe talk to NZXT themselves to see if there is room for both. 

 

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256088

I know I don't need this much power. I know it will not be used. I know it is not a good idea. But the price to watt is actually pretty good on this unit. It should power just about anything that I could want to throw at it in the next 5ish years, and is fully modular. It will pair nicely with the GPU plan seen below. Is this a quality unit though? TPU seems to like it if I understand the review (I claim to know nothing about PSUs) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Silverstone/ZM1350/10.html. They say it has a loud fan, but I am not too worried about that, as the same was said of my ZT750 and it is quiet compared to the heatsink and GPU. If the PSU is the loudest part of teh system, I can live with that.  Also note the new PSU is not simply to get a new one. I only have 3 PCIe cables and a Single SATA power that I can locate to my ZT750 (as that is all I have used and can't locate the others), so I am probably going to let sister use it (charge her like $40 for it) in her single GPU system and upgrade mine. 

 

GPU: 2x Hydrocopper GTX480. (Ebay. ~ 300 USD Shipped) 

They are old I know. I am running a reference 480 right now, and I am happy with it. I just can't justify spending the same amount of money for a new card (that won't be massively faster) plus the cost of a block. I understand I will probably have to clean out the blocks, probably run some acid (Vinegar?) through it for a day or 2 and it should be good, yes? I can max every game I play with a single 480 at a decent framerate, so no worries there. other games like BF3, COD, BF4 etc are going to support SLI profiles, so it will probably work fine. If not and it throws a fit, then I can disable the SLI and still have a decent game. Memory is probably not going to be a major issue at 1080p for a while yet. If it becomes an issue in a year or 2 to a point where it needs 2GB+ for even medium settings, then I can upgrade the card at that point. (Probably not going to run into that though with the games I play). 

 

Loop Mains: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/20926/ex-wat-266/XSPC_Raystorm_750_EX280_Extreme_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_New_Rev_4_Pump_Included_w_Free_Dead-Water.html?tl=g30c321s1310#blank

I don't know how good this kit is, but the cost is cheaper than buying things separately. The pump seems to be new, or at least they are saying it is 4th gen, and it has a rad and reservoir in the kit. 

Rad: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14327/ex-rad-315/XSPC_EX240_Dual_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s160

Its a 240. I don't know much about it, but it is cheap. 

Rad: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14326/ex-rad-314/XSPC_EX120_Single_120mm_Low_Profile_Split_Fin_Radiator.html?tl=g30c95s159#blank

Its a 120, and it is the same as the 240s above. Might be 2 of them, but we will have to see if moving the drive cages will disable the lower 120 bay. Or am I worrying about nothing and 5x 120 be enough for a 2600k @ 1.475ish V and 2x 480 stock (volts)? 

 

Actually, for everything else it has to be done in $207 as I need to get a HDD for this too. Keyboard is in the math, a Rosewill White Alps for $60 and headphones (Custom one Pros) for $170. 

 

Does this look okay. or am I off my rocker?

I would not go with a bay res/pump http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/85422-damaged-xspc-x2o-750-pumpres-so-mad/

[Sheldon_King]

I would not go with a bay res/pump http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/85422-damaged-xspc-x2o-750-pumpres-so-mad/

 

 

TL;DR, sorta, bay/res's tend to have more problems then tube style ones, if your on a budget any reason why you're not just expanding an H320 (it will handle an extra rad and 2 GPUs fine)?

 

oh, don't run vinegar for 2 days, specially if your system is gonna be on.  just open up the front of the old 480s you bought to see if theres any problems with the blocks (corrosion, algae or broken O-rings) 

 

only 2 reasons to not run a fuild with corrosion inhibiter in it, 1)its more expensive  2)its less thermally conductive then pure water.

On the H320, not possible in the USA at all. see here http://www.swiftech.com/pr-7-19-13-h220-removedfromus.aspx Even if it was, the case only holds up to 240mm rads. (In case it was missed, not planning on using a 750D anymore. Can;t justify the cost for what little will be installed in it.) 

 

MOre expensive is not a problem there. We have gallons of glycol on hand. By less conductive, how bad are you talking? Because unless it is 20* or less, it is still going to far surpass air. 

 

If it is going to take something like a 320 to make this happen, then water cooling is not worth it. Getting a tube res and punp will take between $95 and $130 for just thouse components, and then where do they go? With the design of the case, it may or may not be possible to put the pump down on the bottom, but then where does the res go? Just glued to the motherboard tray? I doubt there is room for it. Where the bay res and pump make use of the included 5.25" bays and not make it necessary to get rubber to mount the pump (Anti-vibration) and worry about the res being above it (direct feed it will not run out of water unless the res is physically dry. But if the res for whatever reason falls over (tube that is) and ends up equal or lower than the pump, then the pump is shot (if it is running at the time) and the loop is no longer being fed. Can't turn over the bay without turning over the whole case, so no worry there. (well a little bit, but not enough to worry about). 

 

Okay, so assuming the same parts, but adding in another 240 and hose, the cost difference is $332.99 (tube)  vs $259.97 (bay). The tube price also includes hose, but no fittings. The bay res price inclused just the kit and 2 rads (since it comes with some fittings and hose. The 480s will cost teh same no matter the res used. 

 

And sorry, but it seems that doing that will also necessitate a larger case, which is going to take a new plan with cabling (in the room) and thus a larger budget, meaning droping something else likely the PSU. THe easiest fix there would be to try and find someone selling PCIe and SATA cables for the OAC  ZT series PSU, but is 750 watts going to be enough for SLI 480s at 100% load (stock volts)? 

[Prophet of Entropy]

well if I'd know you were in the US I wouldn't have mentioned it. as for ethylene glycols conductivity, its all relative, you might get few degrees better cooling with just water.

 

  watercooling isn't cheap, for a custom loop with GPUs the prices runs from like 600$ to 2000$ depending on how many extras you want. but the cost goes down the second time you do it since you have some of the parts already.

[Sheldon_King]

well if I'd know you were in the US I wouldn't have mentioned it. as for ethylene glycols conductivity, its all relative, you might get few degrees better cooling with just water.

 

  watercooling isn't cheap, for a custom loop with GPUs the prices runs from like 600$ to 2000$ depending on how many extras you want. but the cost goes down the second time you do it since you have some of the parts already.

You are missing the point I think. If you are spending $600 you are doing it wrong, considering that it is only slightly more than $340 to get everything necessary loop wise and if I were to buy a block for the GPU it is about ~$60 (But I am going to get used hydrocoppers as they look better than having exposed PCB showing). Either way, not counting fans as they are going to be used either way. The issue with air cooling GPUs is the noise, not the cooling ability (I can run 65* full load (FAH) but at nearly 75 decibles. See the problem I am seeking to solve?) 

I don't care if it cost a little more, you probably missed the meaning of what I was saying in the last post. The case I want to use is going to be cramped as is. I don't think there is room for the reservoir unless I put it in the drive bay. The pump will go in either (drive bay or the bottom of the case), but the pump has to be lower than the reservoir (I assume for the same reason auto radiators outtake from the lower hose and input the upper hose). What exactly (other than that one case of leaking that I am suspect that is a major issue. I will look for more, but only hearing of one case does not automatically tell me it is a design fault. Just like if the tailgate falls off the truck, I don't blame Ford unless there are hundreds of them happening all around. 1 is a failure, 100s is a design issue).  

I guess what I am saying is, I don't care about the price or the performance as long as it is quieter than my current setup. I have 2 120mm AF120 fans, and if counts are right, I need 3 more. Need fan blowing across the VRMs or the board shuts down at full load, but I have a coolermaster fan that I can use for that. No issue there. I am not looking for cooling performance. I can overclock to the limits of stability with the air cooling I have (1GHz on the GPU and 5GHz on the CPU), but it does me no good if I am going deaf doing it. Understand? 

I am not too worried about the corrosion protection. It will likely only be an issue when mixing metals, which if my understanding is right, there is none in the loop. 

If I go and pick the parts individually, then it is going to be a little more expensive, but not by much. I will change the block as the raystorm looks bad to me (not saying it does not perform, but I don't like the looks), and the rads will stay the same (get 2 of the 240 and a 120), as they look good and are not too expensive. If my understanding is right, the performance difference should be single difference % between different models and these are about $10 less expensive than the others I looked at. 

 

Does it make sense though? I am not too worried about the maximum cost, I have ~$2000 to work with. But the main issue is that I need to make the whole build into the price, and I am making decisions based on where it fits and price per component. The bay reservior will go in the bay and thus take out the chance of falling over or not fitting between the motherboard and the hard drives. 

 

I am just outside of Greensboro, NC, USA. Take that into account when suggesting things (I though that was on my profile, but I will fix that in a second). 

 

(just in case. It probably sounds like I am mad or whatever, but I honestly am not. It is just the way I write. I am in no way trying to be mean. Just in case. Sorry for that). 

[Prophet of Entropy]

I didn't think your mad but the way you lay out your goals, budget and what you need in your system over 3 posts of large blocks of text is frustrating. 

 

if you'd made a list in your first post with what you had, what you wanted to do, and what your gonna be doing with your system, it'd have been a lot simpler.

 

and you can watercool cheaper but for purpose built components and 2 gpus yea 600$. just cause your doing it differently doesn't make my statement of 600+$ for a CUSTOM LOOP WITH GPUS wrong.  consider a full block for a 290X is over 110$ and the universal blocks are 50-70$ but then you need a 20$ fan and 20-30$ in heatsinks to cool your gpus ram and VRM. all of which you may or may not need to buy depending on what you have and how you plan on doing things.

[Sheldon_King]

okay, let me restate this in a better way then so it is not as large: 

 

What I have: 

p8p67 workstation 

2600k 

Asus (iirc) Reference GTX480 

2 hard drive (3 currently) 

1 SSD

16GB RAM 

OCZ ZT750 PSU 

Phanteks dual tower CPU heatsink 

2x SP120 fan by Corsair 

No case 

 

What I want to accomplish: 

Quieter cooling 

more storage 

minimal waste in components 

 

How I plan to do that: 

-Hydrocopper GPUs I can get for ~$170ish on ebay. 2 of those is plenty for anything I will play. I don't want a r9 290 as that is the same price for not massively more power than the SLI setup and then the block cost $100+ to get. 

-Sell my current 480 to sister for $100. That means the SLI cost is $240 instead of $340. 

-Get a new PSU or a new cables for my ZT750. A 1350 watt is $270. Must be full modular. Getting cables for the one I have would be indetermined. I have not looked it up. 

-Case will be a H220. Small case is better. Don't really need a case either. 

-Hard drive needs to be replaced. 3TB is cheap enough. 

-Headphones need to be replaced. Custom one pro is cheap with removable cables. 

-keyboard is cheap to replace. So getting that. 

-Watercooling, I don't care how it performs as long as it is quiet and fits in the case. Smaller the budget there, the better. Case supports maximum of 240 rad x 2 (top and front) and 2x 120 (bottom and rear). has 3x 5.25" bays (iirc) and a little room around the front of the ATX cutout. 

 

Is that better? I don't want a new GPU. The improvement in FPS is not worth the price, considering I can outperform it for less using SLI. Cooling I am not looking to improve, just make it silent. The case may or may not support the tube reservoir, but I don't think the quality is going to be that much better considering the increase in price. Really, I could get away with using a single 240 rad, and a single hydrocopper, but that would not be an increase in performance, but would be far quieter (2x 120 fans versus 1x 80mm (iirc) + 2x 120). Am I being clear? I don't care if cooling performance is better, as long as it is quieter. As far as performance, with the right audio, I could concieveable just get another PCIe 8 pin cable and a 480 and just run with air and SLI. But the noise would go up linearly with performance, which I do not like. 

[Prophet of Entropy]

that's a lot of stuff to water cool and put in a mid tower case.

[Sheldon_King]

that's a lot of stuff to water cool and put in a mid tower case.

no, it is really not. 2 single slot cards and a CPU block is not that much. The cards will fit, the room for the rads is there. I'm sorry, but I am not going to buy a larger case just because you don't think it will work. The room is there, and spending $150+ for a case is retarded (considering teh case does nothing useful).