how can i watercool my rig?

[chrisps2576]

Help! i just bought and built my rig :

EVGA GF GTX 660Ti SC+ 3GB
http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-660Ti-...2OWQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364947282&sr=8-2

AsRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional Motherboard
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fatal1ty-Z7...5QSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364947375&sr=8-1

Corsair 8GB 1600MHz Vengeance Memory
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358548967&pf_rd_i=468294

Aerocool X-Predator X1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aerocool-X-...rior/dp/B008XBU3R8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_computers_2

WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caviar-Blac...1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1364948278&sr=1-2

Intel Sandybridge i7-2600k Core i7 Quad-Core Processor (3.40GHz)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/INTEL-I7-26...8NOQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365011696&sr=8-1

so that's my built, but i was thinking i wanted too overclock my cpu , but at the moment i am using the standard heatsink from intel, and i wanted too water cool my system, cpu gpu, everything i can , i am able too get a bigger case if needed aswell. i just need to know what would be the easiest and best to do for a first time water cooling, since this is my first build anyway . thank you

 

[airdeano]

welcome to the OC3D forums.

interesting first question.
there are not many X1 water-cooled at the moment (googled). that's not a good sign
to represent your position. noticing the space above the CPU, looks minimal. is
there space under the roof cowl for the fans?

seems awhile ago, someone asked if a h100 fit and it was a nightmare for them
if i recall. I wouldn't use the h80 as you can get similar or better results from a
high-end cooler from noctua, prolimatch or phantek.

to be honest, you might use an air-cooler and weed out the overclocking ability
and then consider a better water-cooling case choice. unless you have this mechanical
ability for case modifications, knowledge of water-cooling and parts availability.

 

[Cru]

well overclocking isn't really happening with that CPU since its a non-K and not unlocked

you seem to have missed that airdeano

 

[airdeano]

I did, but even if it was capable.. there are case issues to look for.

 

[alpenwasser]

Hi there, and welcome!

i am able too get a bigger case if needed aswell.

If you want to mount your radiator above the mainboard I would indeed suggest another case as mentioned, however I've found pictures that suggest it might be possible to mount a radiator in the front.

See here for what I mean. If your edition of the case looks the same on the inside it should be possible to get a radiator inside there, I think.

Your CPU won't be suitable for overclocking as Cru3L139 said, you'd need a k-edition CPU for that (2500k, 2600k, 3570k, 3770k). Unless you made a spelling error and forgot the k .

What's your budget? Because watercooling is really expensive. If you merely want a silent system that gets good temperatures, a good air cooler would be more than sufficient for your machine (for example, the Noctua NH-D14), you'd just have to make sure that it would fit (your case would have to be wide enough since high end air coolers are quite high).

Not that I would want to deter you from water cooling, just know that for your rig as it stands now it is not really needed (then again, is it ever? ) and would cost a lot more than a good air cooler.

 

[paulstung]

+1 for the expense, I think my cooling set up is the most expensive part of the whole rig.

 

[USAdystopia]

If it is a 2600 "k" it can be "turbo boosted" to 3.8.

Get a larger better airflow case. Balance intake/exhaust airflow.

Just get a Swiftech H220, get better fans in it and when you need to expand it with additional radiators or water blocks...you CAN.

 

[chrisps2576]

Sorry, it's the k series version , also I am able to buy a new case anyway what case would you recommend ? Also anyway of watercoolong my you and also do any of you know how to get these things out of old cases it's like a rivet , I know it's not the right place but thought I could ask anyway ? Thank you sorry for the bad picture!

 

[airdeano]

well overclocking isn't really happening with that CPU since its a non-K and not unlocked

you seem to have missed that airdeano

Sorry, it's the k series version , also I am able to buy a new case anyway what case would you recommend ?

Cru3L139 - a nenner, neener for that one to ya... LOL

chrisps2576 - a drill and drill bit (.125" or 1/8") can knock those rivets out
quickly. with the drill bit chucked tightly in the drill, you drill in the center
straight until the drill bit goes completely through, the washer head will collect
on the drill bit.. repeat until object is free of the chassis.

 

[Cru]

case i'd either go with the nzxt switch 810 or corsair 800d. guess that are the two most used cases. depends on your budget and what look you prefer

rivets can be drilled out usually

Cru3L139 - a nenner, neener for that one to ya... LOL

well he also linked a non-K 2600 so i thought he really got that one

 

[alpenwasser]

Sorry, it's the k series version

Very good, with your M/B and a good cooler you should be able to get a nice overclock out of that.

also I am able to buy a new case anyway what case would you recommend ?

What's your budget? Not just for the case, but overall. Because as already mentioned, watercooling is ridiculously expensive. So before we can help with components we need to know how much you're willing/able to spend.

Also anyway of watercoolong my you and also do any of you know how to get these things out of old cases it's like a rivet , I know it's not the right place but thought I could ask anyway ? Thank you sorry for the bad picture!

That looks like a pop rivet. You can easily drill them out (just drill through the head, the thing that's pictured in the image). There are different sizes, so I'm not sure which drill bit you need, but you should be able to figure that out . If you're unsure, you can start with a bit that might be slightly too small and if it doesn't work take the next larger one.

If you need to mount that part back in again, you can easily do that with screws.

 

[chrisps2576]

thank you , i may invest in a new case then . i am also building my own case anyway but i think in the mean time buying the nzxt switch 810 , looks nice. and finish building my custom case. thank you for helping me i think im going to get new case anyway, and what watercooling would be best? i have a reasonably large budget and want some way of cooling gpu and cpu , pretty much everything ive got to be honest. thank you for the replies !

 

[alpenwasser]

The switch 810 is a pretty good case for watercooling. Have you watched Tom's watercooling guide for it yet?

Switch 810 Review/Watercooling Guide

That should give you a pretty good idea what can be done regarding reservoir, radiator and pump placement.

As for CPU waterblocks, there isn't really a lot of performance difference between the blocks these days, only a few degrees. I suggest having a look around at specialtech, aquatuning and co., and then reading up on some reviews on the blocks, and deciding which one you like best.

GPU blocks: According to EKWB's cooling configurator, your card, despite being a 660 Ti, has a 670 reference PCB. Google some more on that to seek confirmation, and if that's true, pick a block fitting the GTX 670 (reference). As with CPU blocks, it's mostly about which block you like best, there isn't really much of a point for us to suggest blocks to you, at least not out of the blue.

It might be reasonable to ask if there are any pitfalls to your choices once you've decided on blocks.

Pump: D5 vario, with a custom pump top (again, pick the one you like). There's also a non-vario variant which can't be regulated in its speed, be careful about that.

Reservoir: pick the one you like

Tubing: I've had good experiences with primochill's tubing.
Tubing diameter: I usually go with 16/10 mm. It has enough inner diameter for good flow (tubing doesn't restrict flow all that much anyway, so it's not really important to pick very thick tubing above a certain point), and has very thick walls which make it quite kink-resistant.

Fittings: Pick what you like.

Radiators: Alphacool's full copper line is very good, and they make them in all possible variations. See Tom's vid for more info.

Fans: Noctua makes phenomenal fans, albeit their color scheme is not to everyone's liking. Noiseblocker have recently brought out the bionic eLoop series, and Phobya make a rebranded version of that fan as well with a different colour scheme. Then there's Corsair's SP120 series, and the Scythe Gentle Typhoons are also a popular and good choice, and are available in many versions with different rpm's from ultra-silence to high speed blower .
There's a shitload of fans out there and I'm sure I've forgotten a few viable options, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind. Make sure to pick a fan with decent static pressure for your radiators as it needs to overcome the radiator's comparably high air resistance.

There's a lot more info to pass on here but I'll let you dive into the wonders of w/c first and wait for any further questions/corrections. Have a look at what's available, read some reviews on the things you're interested in. It's the best way to learn about this stuff besides actually fiddling around with it yourself

 

[PetetheSweet]

Keep an Eye on Factal Design also.
Arc Midi R2 is a Beast of a Watercooling Rig.
With some minor Mods, you can put a 360mm on Top and a 240mm Monsta 80 with Push/Pull in the Front.
Overall build Quality is very good.
And it's not expensive.

 

[alpenwasser]

Keep an Eye on Factal Design also.
Arc Midi R2 is a Beast of a Watercooling Rig.
With some minor Mods, you can put a 360mm on Top and a 240mm Monsta 80 with Push/Pull in the Front.
Overall build Quality is very good.
And it's not expensive.

Oh yes, totally forgot about that. I can also vouch for Fractal's build quality; I have an R4 and it's very good. Tom also puts a few radiators in the midi r2 in this vid:

Midi R2

 

[chrisps2576]

okay thanks , i will be getting nzxt switch 810 or something similar because i like the look what would i need to do a full cpu, gpu, ram water cooling? i have a pretty large budget for this ! thank you so far woops posted this before seeing page 2 sorry !

 

[alpenwasser]

woops posted this before seeing page 2 sorry !

Just as a side note you can adjust how many posts per page are displayed somewhere in your settings. I have it at 40 posts per page (maximum last time I checked). Makes things a lot easier since I don't have to load a new page so often

 

[chrisps2576]

okay will do thanks!

also i was reading up on some watercooling for my gpu i was reading that i couldnt get a watercooling block for it but then ive also read that i could use a 670 block and that would fit as well! so i dont know at the moment

GPU blocks: According to EKWB's cooling configurator, your card, despite being a 660 Ti, has a 670 reference PCB. Google some more on that to seek confirmation, and if that's true, pick a block fitting the GTX 670 (reference).

also would you suggest anything like these sort of things, obviously not this one but i mean like a kit with mostly all of it in ?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rasa-750-RS...KIT2/dp/B00414PI80/ref=pd_sim_sbs_computers_2

thank you

also where can i get tubing from? most likely clear tubing? thanks
i am able to spend a quite large amount of money for the water cooling and case.

 

[airdeano]

what is your location?

 

[USAdystopia]

The Corsair 800 would be a good choice for more room. The 900 due soon would be my first choice if you can afford it.

Check out a great source called Frozen CPU.