76 replies to this topic

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Musashi IX, on 15 May 2015 - 12:06 PM, said:

For my cooling options I've decided to go liquid for sure and want something that gives me the option to add more tubes or loops (still a bit naive on these) later down the road, And based on what i finally decide on gpu options (970sli now, or 980 sli in a few more months) I added what looks to be an custom loop system. It seems to me you just buy lengths on tube and fittings and elbows and run em to other cold plates/resevoirs/pumps when you need it. Is that more or less the gist of it?

The Rajintek comes pre assembled, just mount the fans to the radiator and then to the case, then mount the block on the CPU, just make sure the pipes don't kink.
As you can see from the image i posted above there is plenty of length on the tubes, and they are a bit squished in my mid tower but they aren't kinked.

When you come to expand it you'll be able to keep the CPU plate everything else can be upgraded as you go.
here are a couple of images of expansions i've seen.









Also the overclockers forums are a great place to learn, and get advice on water/liquid cooling.
http://www.overclock...1/water-cooling

[Oderint dum Metuant]

xWiredx, on 15 May 2015 - 12:36 PM, said:

If you want to liquid cool the cards and mobo components, too, and not just the CPU, I'd go hand-pick your parts in a similar fashion to that guide rather than grabbing an open-loop AIO. Open-loop AIOs are just... I don't like them because the engineering aspect baffles me. Why build something expandable if when you expand it beyond a very simple stage it becomes much less effective?

Not sure if we are getting our wires crossed or you've missed somthing, but it doesn't become less effective, because you can add to it..just like any other custom loop setup.
(they are just a cheaper way to get started and upgrade over time)

[Lord Letto]

Musashi IX, on 15 May 2015 - 12:06 PM, said:

*Snip*
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($316.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TRITON RED 100.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($5.49 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($197.00 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($343.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($343.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 760T White ATX Full Tower Case ($144.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($155.07 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.88 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.95 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.95 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.95 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.95 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1930.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-15 16:05 EDT-0400


Thanks again for all the info and suggestions guys! I'll be sure to add some pictures of the build when it's finally together!

I'm not sure what you plan on using those AF Fans for (my guess is to have all Fan Mounts Covered on the Case Itself, 3 Included+4=Max of 7), but if it's for the Rad, then I'd Say get SP Fans.
also, Looking here: http://www.techpower...k/Triton/6.html
it seams to be at the top, behind a bit to on par with the Swiftech units in their tests
Idle= Stock CPU@ 28*C, OCed CPU@ 30*C, the Swiftech H240-X is 1*C Cooler

Typical Load Test with Wprime= Stock CPU@56*C, OCed CPU@61*C, @ Stock the Swiftech H240-X is 4*C Cooler (with 6 others in between them) and @OCed CPU the H240-X is 2*C Cooler (With 2 in between)

Typical Load Test with AIDA64=Stock CPU @ 62*C, OCed CPU @ 67*C, H240-X is 7*C Cooler Stock (with 13 Options in between), 3 Way tie OCed (Tied With the H240-X and the Corsair H105)

Max Load/Torture Test with ADIA64 FPU= Stock CPU@ 71*C, OCed CPU@ 82*C, H240-X is 3*C Cooler in both (3 Options in between stock, 2 options in between OCed)

Not sure what the Customization/Upgrade Options there would be though between the Tritron & the H240-X Though

as for Prices:
Base RAIJINTEK TRITON= $71
With Stuff included= $85
Swiftech H220-X= $133
H240-X=$142

also, if your still going for a White/Black/Blue theme, I'd say get the RAIJINTEK TRITON BLUE instead of the RAIJINTEK TRITON RED

Edited by Lord Letto, 15 May 2015 - 02:06 PM.

[Raidflex]

xWiredx, on 15 May 2015 - 12:36 PM, said:

Sir, I think you have a winner.

For a beginner on building a water cooling loop, I recommend this guide: http://www.anandtech...hat-to-expect/5

If you want to liquid cool the cards and mobo components, too, and not just the CPU, I'd go hand-pick your parts in a similar fashion to that guide rather than grabbing an open-loop AIO. Open-loop AIOs are just... I don't like them because the engineering aspect baffles me. Why build something expandable if when you expand it beyond a very simple stage it becomes much less effective? Swiftech makes a full custom loop kit that you can get in dual-rad or triple-rad flavors if you still want to get a kit, else you can do a little more Googling (I'm sure you're not tired of Googling water cooling stuff yet, right?) and piece together something REALLY nice.

Maintenance wise there really is not much to do with a custom loop. I can drain and refill my up in 10-15 minutes, without removing any components, just opening a valve to drain it. I would only drain mine every 6 months anyways. If you use distilled water there is no gunk build up or problems.

Installation, setup and cost are less with an AIO though and if you are only cooling a CPU, I can understand why the AIO cooler make sense.

If you go custom you really need to buy all the components separate, as xWIredx said the AIO expandable units are still going to be limited in some way and you will run into compatibility problems.

[Musashi IX]

From what i've come across in my google journey Af fans are recommended as case fans for airflow and volume where as SP fans are based of how hard they push air, SP's on your rad, and AF's on the case.

For cooling its looking like a Swiftech H240-X 90.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler. It's got great performance and has the ability to add on to the loop later when i feel like getting more adventurous with gpu cooling.

[Goose]

You need to think through how obstructed your intakes are: If the drive cages impede air flow even when empty, then you should go SPs there; If you can't give the back of the case 8+ inches, I'd use an SP there, too.

[xWiredx]

DV McKenna, on 15 May 2015 - 01:11 PM, said:

Not sure if we are getting our wires crossed or you've missed somthing, but it doesn't become less effective, because you can add to it..just like any other custom loop setup.
(they are just a cheaper way to get started and upgrade over time)

It's a simple principle: a radiator and fans can only dissipate so much heat, so if you get an open loop AIO that only has a 240 rad and think you can add 2 GPUs to the loop in addition to the CPU, you can run into issues with dissipating the heat effectively. The rule of thumb I used was each piece required its own 120mm, so a CPU and 2 GPUs would need 360mm. This is especially true when you're overclocking since it can drastically drive up the amount of wattage each chip uses. Obviously good fans are part of the equation, too.

And Raidflex, no maintenance on an open loop? Is your home super clean and sterile? I had to use silver to keep things from getting gunky in my loop and there is always the ritual of topping it off with fluid.

Either way, I think OP has heard enough of our semantics and has settled on a pretty sweet setup, so I'm outta here. Gonna go kill the red team.

[Bill Lumbar]

Water cooling loops are not that hard to do. I started five years ago, and made the investment into a custom loop. I got my parts from places like danger den, frozencpu.com(btw...don't order from them anymore, they have gone bust and the owner is a complete junkie, took 3 months to get my money back on my upgrades to my new build I did back Feb. 12th from my card company.) Newegg....back when they had water cooling parts other then AIO's. Danger den is a good source, and never let me down....there are some other sites. I have always gone with 3/4" lines, tripple rad min, make sure you stick with similar metals, Copper rad, fittings...etc... some metals don't mix and will cause issues with your loop gunking up. I have tried the higher dollar non conductive fluids.... they are ok and I got almost 4 years out of them. I am running distilled water now, and a silver strip... and all clear so far.

I invested around $350 into my loop 5 years ago, and just spent around $120 in upgrades back in Feb. and only the new 3/4" lines was really needed and the new water tank because of my custom wall mount case. I really didn't need a new water block, or fittings, I just bought them to make my rig look better. I have found if you take the plunge and get quality parts from the start, a good pump, rad, and cpu block, it is a investment that can be carried over to all your new builds for years to come. Do it right the first time, try not to skimp on the pump and the rad, cpu block, and you will be happy you made the investment. One important thing is to make sure you have the placement right on the rad and the pump, make sure when you fire it up for the first time to not let the pump burn up from lack of water. Use another PSU to fire up only the pump, do not connect your mother board or other components up in case you have a leak... and turn off the pump by unplugging it if you hear air in it, make sure its getting water, then turn it back on. Leak test for 24 hours if you can using this method. Very simple procedure, youtube is your friend.

I know I have, I am on idle and at 26C on my I7 4790K @ 4.8ghz right now... never see higher then 49-51C while gaming. I have set up good air flow cases, and to be honest, its just not the same as a well built quality water loop. I have never bought a AIO water loop, and don't think I ever will. Its just to easy to put together a custom loop, and the results have always been better from my experiences.

Edited by Bill Lumbar, 15 May 2015 - 06:41 PM.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

xWiredx, on 15 May 2015 - 03:21 PM, said:

It's a simple principle: a radiator and fans can only dissipate so much heat, so if you get an open loop AIO that only has a 240 rad and think you can add 2 GPUs to the loop in addition to the CPU, you can run into issues with dissipating the heat effectively. The rule of thumb I used was each piece required its own 120mm, so a CPU and 2 GPUs would need 360mm. This is especially true when you're overclocking since it can drastically drive up the amount of wattage each chip uses. Obviously good fans are part of the equation, too.

Which is the point of the open loop. We can/change the radiators increase their size or just add more depending on case room. As illustrated above in the pictures i uploaded.
Unlike a closed loop..where this isn't possible.

@OP The swiftech unit performs better than the Rajintek no doubt, so you've picked a good unit.

[Musashi IX]

Thanks again for all the info guys, you've really helped steer me in the right direction. I've got every purchased for the most part just RAM, OS, and PSU left to get. Had a quick question on ram, should I stick with the 2 sticks of 8? 4 sticks of 4 being the other option. Not concerned about any price difference. Thanks again ! Stoked to get this thing going, all I can do lately is stare at all the parts on my desk

Ended up getting -
Asus Maximus Hero Vii
I7 4790k
Swiftech H240x
MSI GTX970 gaming 4gb X2
Corsair 760T full case
2TB HDD
500GB SSD
Some Asus ODD (CAUSE YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS PEICE!)

As always thanks again, and I'll have some build pics up soon!

Edited by Musashi IX, 20 May 2015 - 06:14 PM.

[Lord Letto]

I'd Say 2x8GB Now, and if at a later date, in a couple years or whatever then you would have room for another 2x8GB for 32GB instead of getting 4x4GB only to replace it with 4x8GB Later.

[xWiredx]

2x8GB.


There are reasons, but none of them probably apply to you or the consumer space in general so I won't bother spouting them off. Somebody will just come along and want to argue on the internet more.

[Marauder3D]

Non-tech guy here who reads these forums hoping to someday build his own rig as well.

What is the expected MWO performance for this machine?

90 fps at very high with dips into the 70s in very heavy combat? These specs are so astronomically beyond what I work with I just don't know what to expect from it!

Just for shits and giggles I'm running a stock build Dell Xps 7100 with a Theban at 2.8 ghz, and a HD 5870 video card. Get about 50 fps stomping around but down in the teens while pew-Pewing.

[xWiredx]

Marauder3D, on 21 May 2015 - 05:48 AM, said:

Non-tech guy here who reads these forums hoping to someday build his own rig as well.

What is the expected MWO performance for this machine?

90 fps at very high with dips into the 70s in very heavy combat? These specs are so astronomically beyond what I work with I just don't know what to expect from it!

Just for shits and giggles I'm running a stock build Dell Xps 7100 with a Theban at 2.8 ghz, and a HD 5870 video card. Get about 50 fps stomping around but down in the teens while pew-Pewing.

I haven't taken any new measurements for several patches now (and to my knowledge there have been at least 2 performance improvement items in the patch notes since I last checked, maybe one or two more even). I was averaging about 85-90 at very high and seeing dips into the high 40s at times (though those were very infrequent and the usual dip was in the high 50s during heavy combat).

The machine OP settled on is expected to perform similarly, if not just slightly slower.

[GTV Zeratul]

DV McKenna, respectfully, I dissagree that a 750W PSU is enough for a GTX SLI setup. Last week I've had a blue screen of death due to my twin GTX 780's drawing to much power, resulting in a undervoltage to a core of my CPU. This was with a 850W bronze line, now I've gone for a 1kW gold wich should be enough .
Maybe the GTX 9xx series is more power efficient than the 7xx series though, mine draw 300+ Watts a piece at full load.

Side note I'm very happy with my Sabertooth Z77 mobo.

[xWiredx]

GTV Zeratul, on 31 May 2015 - 05:41 AM, said:

DV McKenna, respectfully, I dissagree that a 750W PSU is enough for a GTX SLI setup. Last week I've had a blue screen of death due to my twin GTX 780's drawing to much power, resulting in a undervoltage to a core of my CPU. This was with a 850W bronze line, now I've gone for a 1kW gold wich should be enough .
Maybe the GTX 9xx series is more power efficient than the 7xx series though, mine draw 300+ Watts a piece at full load.

Side note I'm very happy with my Sabertooth Z77 mobo.

The Nvidia 900 series IS more power efficient by a pretty good amount. The GTX 980 draws between about 185-205W when gaming (Furmark, the unrealistic power draw champion, measures in around 207W).

[Oderint dum Metuant]

GTV Zeratul, on 31 May 2015 - 05:41 AM, said:

DV McKenna, respectfully, I dissagree that a 750W PSU is enough for a GTX SLI setup. Last week I've had a blue screen of death due to my twin GTX 780's drawing to much power, resulting in a undervoltage to a core of my CPU. This was with a 850W bronze line, now I've gone for a 1kW gold wich should be enough .
Maybe the GTX 9xx series is more power efficient than the 7xx series though, mine draw 300+ Watts a piece at full load.

Side note I'm very happy with my Sabertooth Z77 mobo.

That's because your using 780's. and over time PSU power degradation is going to catch up pretty quickly..