GPU only loop?

[jamesriley94]

Thought of finances and everything and decided that a full system loop is gunna be too expensive so i bought a D14 instead.

Now thinking that as I still have a bit of money left I may try and gpu only loop.

So, I have a few questions:

1) Would 1 of the alphacool ceramic pumps be enough for just 1 rad and the gpu block?

2) If so, whats the best way to mount one? I'd have preferred to go for a bay res/pump but if it's gpu only then I dont think that'll work.

3) What rad would you lot recommend? I'll be running 1 7950, may upgrade to 2 in the distant future so I'm thinking probably a 240 in the floor of my cm 690. Would an XSPC EX240 be alright for 2 in the future? I know it shouldnt have any problems managing one, and i'm pretty sure a 120 would do it, but for the price, I'm better off just going for a 240 I think.

4) Any other thoughts on this?

As I'd already planned to do a full loop I'm pretty confident everything will fit fine in the bottom, especially as I'd planned to have an RX240 in the bottom, I know thats pointless for 1 gpu.

Thanks for the help!

EDIT - oh, and what waterblock would you recommend? A full cover or just the gpu?

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

If you want to watercool , you have to do it right !

Just a gpu loop with your Cpu on air will look kinda misfit imo !

If i was you , i would rather wait till i have the cash to make an entire loop , or just get yourself an arctic accelero extreme for your 7950 .!

 

[jamesriley94]

I'm not so sure. I think it could look quite interesting. And i can easily enough upgrade it when I do have the money to put the cpu on as well

 

[SavageCupcake]

watercooling is about aesthetics and performance. a gpu only loop would looks wrong. just save up a bit longer and spend the extra money to put in the cpu and another rad

 

[jamesriley94]

watercooling is about aesthetics and performance. a gpu only loop would looks wrong. just save up a bit longer and spend the extra money to put in the cpu and another rad

Haha, I was going to, but for everything It was gunna cost £400 for the entire loop. With GPU only I reckon I can get away with it being around 140/150, maybe. And I think it would actually look pretty cool. Definitely something different for the rig gallery

 

[SavageCupcake]

thats a fair bit of a price jump?

 

[Murphyslaw]

Haha, I was going to, but for everything It was gunna cost £400 for the entire loop. With GPU only I reckon I can get away with it being around 140/150, maybe. And I think it would actually look pretty cool. Definitely something different for the rig gallery

thats a fair bit of a price jump?

was thinking the same thing. All he would need to do is get another rad and a cpu block and a few fittings oh and maybe an extra few metres of tubing.

Pretty sure for a basic loop for both cpu and gpu you could make one in well $500Au or around £300-350

 

[SavageCupcake]

ive never looked into the prices that much but a decent block is about 60 quid i think?

 

[jamesriley94]

to do it properly, a full loop would need a good 35mm thick rad in the roof, and a 60/70 quid, 60mm thick rad in the floor. Along with all the fittings, high rpm fans etc.

I would also need something like a laing D5 to provide enough power to send through 2 blocks and 2 rads, and then the bay res on that, which together would add another 120 quid. Then the £50 cpu block.

If i did GPU only, then I could manage it with one of the £20 alphacool ceramic pumps with the £15 quid pump top, and then the res for it. But one of those wouldnt be powerful enough to run the loop with a cpu and an extra rad.

It's something I'm happy to upgrade to in the future, but the D14 is keeping my cpu cool enough as it is, and it's very quiet. whereas my reference 7950 that I bought purely because of watercooling isnt that quiet or well performing. With hindsight, I'd have dropped to a 7870 with dual fans, but I think if I can do this gpu only loop well, it'll still work out fine, and i'll have something to save up for to upgrade in the future.

 

[Speedz]

I am agreeing with people on here that you should probably save up a little more and do a full loop. However, you sound pretty adamant on doing it, so if you still want to do it, then just do it anyway lol

 

[jamesriley94]

I am agreeing with people on here that you should probably save up a little more and do a full loop. However, you sound pretty adamant on doing it, so if you still want to do it, then just do it anyway lol

lol. Not massively adamant. Just not too sure if it's worth spending an extra £250 to do the full system when my D14 keeps my 3770k easily cool enough, and just think it could be an interesting theme 'element' rig with Air and Water suppose the noctua kind of brings in the Earth as well! Could always put the cathode inverter back in, wait for the to catch fire again then we have all 4!

Cant think of a better project than that tbh!

 

[ruthless_villain]

EX240 for 2 7950s, hell no... 360mm 60mm thick atleast

 

[jamesriley94]

EX240 for 2 7950s, hell no... 360mm 60mm thick atleast

Dont really know why i asked that tbh, i have no intentions of adding a second. Next project would be a full loop i think, but dont know when that would be

 

[ruthless_villain]

Dont really know why i asked that tbh, i have no intentions of adding a second. Next project would be a full loop i think, but dont know when that would be

If i was you i would stick a 80mm thick monster in the floor, a 45mm thick nexxxos in the roof, D5 with dual drive bay reservoir and pick your blocks and your done. depending on how you loop it up you will have a nice loop and you will be able to turn the fans right down