help a noob out :(

C

Colonelace

New member
alright so ive been doing some google searches and ive read few topics where the ppl in the forums say they can help out with any questions. I know i can buy a kit and be done but actually mine is a bit more complex then that. I am looking to cool my i7 2600k so i can get passed the 4.5Ghz my aircooled can handle atm and i would like to cool my Radeon HD 7970 so that i can OC that more and not need to buy another to crossfire with. lets face it current games can run max spec with 1 7970 so i rather a better cooling system so i can push it further rather then a second card to add more heat inside the pc and also more power consumption.

Now for the question itself, im looking to build a water cooling system to cool my cpu and gpu but the radiator i would like it to be able to cool a 2nd gpu if in like a year or 2 i need to add a 2nd 7970 to keep up with newer games. Ive read many many times to use clear coolant because using colored ones can cause many problems and since im too new to this to know how to keep maintenance on a wc system ill stick to that advice. my motherboard has blue all over it and im going to change the LED fans i have from the red they came in to blue so im guessing nice neon blue tubes with clear liquid.

my budget is under 800 i can push to 1000 if its a MUST but be nice to keep it under 800 or ideal close to 500 so its the price of a 2nd card.

as far as my system:
Case: CoolMaster HAF X 942 full tower
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe/Gen3
CPU: Sandy Bridge i7 2600k 3.4Ghz OC'ed @ 4.5Ghz
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970
RAM: Gskill Ripjaw 4GB x4 DDR3 2133
PSU: Corsair AX1200

The case has a fan everywhere you can place a fan on it incase it matters for room. Thank you for the help.
 
No point in pushing your cpu beyond 4.5ghz, you just simply will not see a performance boost in the high majority of games.

Just buy a single 360mm rad for the roof and that could cool a cpu+gpu, and if you desire to buy a 2nd gpu, you can probably get a 240 in the front( I haven't looked much into a 942 so i'm not so exactly sure.)
 
what brand and blocks should i be getting then? i hear xspc makes good radiators also do you suggest a kit and then buy a block for the gpu and call it done or is it cheaper to get a res, pump, hose, fittings, blocks, rad seperate because thats kind of what i want to know is a good build that can keep them both at real low temps under heavy load. example at the max OC i can do through CCC for my gpu when using msi afterburner to stress test it the temps go up to 90c and then the fan goes up to 60% which is real loud so id like to have it at like 60c under heavy load and be able to push it higher then the ccc can push it. the cpu i havent ever seen it get hot but then again i dont have a monitor always checking it to see.
 
The kits are for first timers who are unconfident to dive straight into wc'ing, so yes get that first see how you like it then maybe expand. Xspc seem to have the best kits and also priced reasonably well and a 360 60mm thick rad should do the job.

I advise you don't OC the balls off of your cpu or gpu, mainly the cpu for ivy bridge because they tend to die faster with very minor volt increases and the gpus should really only be pushed to their absolute limits if and only if under water. That is just my personal opinion. If you need help on advice for OC'ing your cpu, tom just posted a vid on 1155 how to OC guide:)
 
imho if your budget is the one of a new second GPU i'd rather crossfire it than squeeze a few MHz more out of the cores, like some of my fellow oc3d colleagues said before me, the CPU overclock won't do much for you. neither will the gpu overclock. Watercooling really is for benchs, e-peen and looks, in your case a second GPU will increase the framerate way more.
but if you are into PCs and want to learn how to build a proper loop, go for a kit, best way to start. just make sure to post results ;)
 
well what i meant is im not too happy with the temps i get with my pc being air cooled and ive always like the way some people make their rigs with the led lights and tube colors and liquid all that niceness. As far as OC'ing i was thinking to push the cpu to 4.8Ghz and keep nice temperature and the gpu a little higher just so that im above 60fps at all times in all games max settings which i can atm but temps reach 80-90c under stress test and i can hear the fans cranking when playing a game like Arkham City. So i want to run cooler maybe 60-70c top at full power during gaming.

As far as cooling system im thinking : http://www.frozencpu.com/products/17639/ex-wat-230/XSPC_Raystorm_RX360_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_w_D5_Variant_Pump_Included_and_Free_Dead-Water_.html?tl=g30c321s1310

and gpu block:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14863/ex-blc-1040/Koolance_VID-AR797_Radeon_HD7970_VGA_Liquid_Cooling_Block_No_Fittings.html?tl=g30c309s1590

then im just going to change all my towers fans to blue led ones if i can get some recommendations on real good fans that have blue led's would be nice since i want to use blue tubing or blue liquid if thats ok. i see tom uses coloring on his but people say dont so idk lol
 
Your post had to be approved because you are a new member and you posted links.

Please be aware double posting is against the rules though, use the edit button.
 
Like said above, a cpu OC of a few more mhz is not nearly as worth it compared to adding another card for Xfire. Really anything beyond 4.4ghz will not see a huge benefit.

Just get the loop and then see how it goes:)
 
ok so im about to buy my rig from frozencpu im going with xspc raystorm rx360 with d5 pump, a xspc hd7970 waterblock the new model design and im using clear/UV blue tubing. since the kit brings compression fittings i bought 2 for the gpu waterblock, now my question is what should i use for the liquid and anti corosive/ biocide i was thinking buy some distilled water at a pharmacy and buy a silver coil for the loop but what about the corrosion between the cpu and gpu block. any help will be appreciated on this so i know what to do.

also i need assistance with fans for my new cooling, since the radiator is mounted to the top im assuming i have to remove my 2 200mm fans from up top. i want some real good quality fans that give the system added airflow and cooling for the stock radiator and the rest of the pc. where possible id like blue led fans for the front and side fans. so far im @$420 looking to put maybe another 100 in fans. oh and i need a uv light to light the inside of my pc's uv tubing.

fan specs on the case i own:
Front:230x30 mm red LED fan x 1
Top:200x30mm fan x 2
Side:200x30mm fan x 1
Rear:140x25mm fan x 1

id like blu LED and um idk why but the switches for my pc dont seem to turn on or off the led's i might need to check that when i put in the new cooling.

Thanks for all the help in advance
 
Just use distilled with a silver coil in the res if it is a big concern for you.
UV is not my strong suit, i hardly know anything about it and how to go about it tbh. Some corsair SP120s or cougar fans( now have some in all black)
 
Ok so last night the kit i was waiting for was finally on frozencpu so i placed it in order, now for the whole build i spent more then i was anticipating all i hope is that the whole thing is worth it lol (about ~700). Its a full overhaul for my desktop since before it wasn't as customized as im hoping to make it once i get all my parts. some input on the things i bought would be nice and um for the fans i just wonder how loud they truly will be lol.

WC Kit: XSPC Raystorm D5 Vario RX360
Hose: 7/16 ID XSPC Clear/UV Blue
Liquid: Alphacool ultra pure water w/ silver coil
GPU WB: XSPC Razor HD 7970 full block new design w/ 2 compression fittings only because kit comes with compression fittings and didnt want to spend more on 8 barbs total vs 2 compression
Front Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro 230mm Fan - Blue LED 156CFM
Side Panel Fan: Cooler Master MegaFlow 200mm x 30mm Blue LED 110CFM
Radiator Fan: Delta 120 x 25mm Extreme High-Speed Fan - 150.33 CFM
Fan Controller (heard i def need one also wanted to control noise and led's): Bitfenix Hydra Pro Five Channel Fan / LED Controller (can handle 30W per fan channel)
Thermal Paste: Arctic MX-4

And i found some 12" Cold Cathode Kit (Dual Ready) - Ultra Bright UV to light up my uv tubing inside the case and other uv sleeves.

at a later date im going to buy a 7.1 sound card and headset so besides having to use my tv at a slightly higher volume setting, noise isnt going to be much of a bother as long as it keeps my system running nice and cool. also i hear with the fan controller it might not be so bad. Any thoughts on what i bought and suggestions also ill try and take some pics and post it all once i start making the build sort of before and after thing.
 
they cant be that bad can they lol >.> i heard with the fan controller it wont be so bad. if they are too loud then ill see about returning them for a refund and get another set.

ok so after googling decibel reference table i see that 3 fans at 56db is going to be roughly 60db which is like traffic while inside a car which to my ears is nothing living in nyc lol i know what noise is and that isnt going to be much or so i hope besides my tv always drowns out my pc if not headphones do.
 
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Ya but all that airflow noise will give you a headache lol. Your fan controller should be at least 30watts for each channel or those deltas will kill it. So the fan conrtroler you have should be okay:)
 
well i just had a huge derp moment... so the 3 delta fans i bought which i now have to return dont have the 4 pin connectors it is just the bare wires, guess this happens for buying stuff so late and not noticing they meant add pin connector as in because the pics in description showed them but i thought they meant like custom color connectors since they offer custom sleeves... SO! since now i have buyers remorse not in the sense of the noise because again i play with the sound pretty loud on my tv already and i either have a fan in the winter blowing in my face or a A/C in the summer blowing in my face so there will always be a louder sound in my opinion. what CFM should i aim for a RX360 Rad? i hear it has a low FPI so its better for lower CFM fans making my 150 deltas overkill? maybe get the cougars which are half the price, i can buy 6 cougars and do a push/pull setup? would appreciate the thoughts before Monday when ill return them since my wc kit isn't due to arrive at my house til Wednesday anyways according to frozencpu

Edit: noticed the cougar are 140mm and i need 120mm's for the rad, so im looking at 3 Corsair SP120 rated at 62CFM each and i will put them in a push set up and then on the top of my HAF-X 942 ill add 2 BitFenix Spectre Pro Blue LED with 148CFM each set to pull and with coupon from writing a review it will be little less then the delta's and cover the 20% restock fee they charge.
 
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I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, but the spec that you should be paying attention to is the static pressure, not CFM. If the fan can't push the air through the radiator fins, then the amount of air it can push is worth nil.
 
Thanks Crion for the advice, lol now i have some buyers remorse on the cougars i bought off ebay well at least they were inexpensive so the loss isnt so bad and they are mentioned alot in the forums so, something has to be real good about them. i sent back the deltas so once i get my refund ill get the corsair i was looking at says its static pressure is 3.1 mm/H20 compared to the cougar's 1.73 mm/H20. lol its funny how the fans to push the air are giving me more problems then the liquid aspect of the build especially it being my first time making one.
 
Colonelace said:
Thanks Crion for the advice, lol now i have some buyers remorse on the cougars i bought off ebay well at least they were inexpensive so the loss isnt so bad and they are mentioned alot in the forums so, something has to be real good about them. i sent back the deltas so once i get my refund ill get the corsair i was looking at says its static pressure is 3.1 mm/H20 compared to the cougar's 1.73 mm/H20. lol its funny how the fans to push the air are giving me more problems then the liquid aspect of the build especially it being my first time making one.
Click to expand...

The cougar fans are more than enough for your rads. The corsairs will not give you that much more performance because your rads are not super dense. Just try the cougars if you do not like them then get the corsairs:)
 
my rig is now fully installed but there seems to be a problem with my computer now >.>... the screen keeps flickering and the motherboard/cpu/gpu are all running stock. any suggestions as to what may be causing the flickering on my tv and lines running across from time to time? also apparently a few of my devices are being recognized and i know i put everything the way it was before
 
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