I'm planning to OC my older q9300, with an eye to upgrading to a westmere lga-1366 next year. I've seen reports that with the 7.5x mult, the max stable OC is around 3.5GHz, so this is what I'll be shooting for.
Here are the components that I've have budgeted:
- cpu wb: Swiftech Apogee™ GTZ CPU Waterblock - Socket LGA 775
- pump/res: XSPC Laing DDC Reservoir Pump Attachment w/ MCP-350 1/2"
- radiator: ThermoChill PA120.3 3x120mm High Performance Radiator
- fans: 3x120mm Yate Loon D12SM-12 Case Fan
- tubing: 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) Tygon R-3603 Laboratory-Grade Tubing
I figure I'll blend my own coolant. I'd like to use my current case, which isn't designed for water. I figured that I would mount the radiator outside the case. Does anyone have any links to guides on how to do this to a standard mid-tower case?
I'd like to keep this setup for the future upgrades, including a possible sli/xf watercooled setup. Before I would upgrade to the dual gfx card, I'd evaluate the cpu temps to see if I would need a 2nd loop, or if I could squeeze that into this loop.
Anything major/minor that I've missed? Any gotcha's? This isn't the first time I've done a watercooled setup, but it is the first time I've build my own loop. I used the coollance exos-al years ago, and while I thought it was okay at the time, I now realize how noisy and inefficient it turned out to be. But I did like the electronic control that continued to run the fans and pump for a bit after the computer turned off. But when I look at how fast my cpu drops in temp when I turn off prime95, I figure the thermal mass of the waterblock+water is more than enough to keep the cpu from overheating.