first watercool rig - new Gaming HTPC - advice?

S

ShagnWagn

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
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Hello my friends.

I have been building custom rigs since 1993, and I am ready to dive into watercooling. I would like to watercool the vcard and cpu to keep fan noise down.

I am new to watercooling and have been reading several articles. The forum stickies here seem to be mummified and the current threads don't go that far back (1 page??).

I am looking for watercool build advice on my new rig. I put a list of my parts below. I would prefer not to spend more than $200, but it seems like that may not be possible (?). I am looking for a reliable solution that won't break the bank though.
A point in the right direction for a watercooling beginner's guide or a list of recommended parts would be awesome! It's been a while since I've been this excited to build a new one! :cool:

Thanks in advance,
-Shag

Silverstone Tek GD08B htpc case
INTEL BOX INTEL CORE I7-6700K
GIGABYTE G1 Gaming GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 mobo
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4G Graphics Card
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000)
Seasonic SS-660XP2 ATX 12V/EPS 12V, 660W, 80 PLUS PLATINUM Full Modular certified Active PFC Power Supply
Samsun 950 EVO Pro M.2 512GB SSD
 
I want to say you are going to have a very hard time doing a custom setup for $200 that cools your CPU and GPU while being quiet and dependable. I have 900$ wrapped up in mind and I was still going with some cheaper fittings etc trying to keep cost down. Your GPU water block alone is going to be ~100$.. then you need a pump, fittings, res, radiator and cpu water block... and a kill coil. You better start taking a listen to water pumps because the only one I find silent is the D5 Vario or PWM and it isn't cheap.. even the DDC PWM makes to much noise for me.. I have only heard a couple so maybe there are some better versions of the DDC.

Here is mine and I plan to go back with hard tube later on.. it's VERY quiet.. I still need to add the top fans on my



 
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ShagnWagn said:
Hello my friends.

I have been building custom rigs since 1993, and I am ready to dive into watercooling. I would like to watercool the vcard and cpu to keep fan noise down.

I am new to watercooling and have been reading several articles. The forum stickies here seem to be mummified and the current threads don't go that far back (1 page??).

I am looking for watercool build advice on my new rig. I put a list of my parts below. I would prefer not to spend more than $200, but it seems like that may not be possible (?). I am looking for a reliable solution that won't break the bank though.
A point in the right direction for a watercooling beginner's guide or a list of recommended parts would be awesome! It's been a while since I've been this excited to build a new one! :cool:

Thanks in advance,
-Shag

Silverstone Tek GD08B htpc case
INTEL BOX INTEL CORE I7-6700K
GIGABYTE G1 Gaming GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 mobo
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4G Graphics Card
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000)
Seasonic SS-660XP2 ATX 12V/EPS 12V, 660W, 80 PLUS PLATINUM Full Modular certified Active PFC Power Supply
Samsun 950 EVO Pro M.2 512GB SSD
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Sounds like your best bet would be 2x AIO's @ 120mm each. Mainly your problem is going to be space with that HTPC case. it only allows for a max of what looks like 4x 120mm (2 bottom 2 side) and 2x 80mm rear. Not really sure what WC gear you will be able to work in there thats actually worth it for that i7/980 combo.
 
Millerboy3 said:
Sounds like your best bet would be 2x AIO's @ 120mm each. Mainly your problem is going to be space with that HTPC case. it only allows for a max of what looks like 4x 120mm (2 bottom 2 side) and 2x 80mm rear. Not really sure what WC gear you will be able to work in there thats actually worth it for that i7/980 combo.
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Good options.. with him saying "Water cooled Build" I figured he wanted to go custom loop but the AIO is a great idea to keep costs down.
 
Just for a good pump you are looking at 100$-150$, then comes radiators, blocks, fitting, tubing. you are realistically looking at 300$ on the low end for a custom setup. the advantage however is that if built with a thought toward the future in mind, there is little in continual costs, even as you upgrade.
 
Nimisys said:
Just for a good pump you are looking at 100$-150$, then comes radiators, blocks, fitting, tubing. you are realistically looking at 300$ on the low end for a custom setup. the advantage however is that if built with a thought toward the future in mind, there is little in continual costs, even as you upgrade.
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I don't know how you could even do that while cooling the video card. Damn fittings add up quick also. 300$ maybe for CPU cooling.
 
Copyright said:
I don't know how you could even do that while cooling the video card. Damn fittings add up quick also. 300$ maybe for CPU cooling.
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Check out Barrow fittings, I used them in my last build and they worked great for much cheaper then Bitspower fittings.
 
Copyright said:
I don't know how you could even do that while cooling the video card. Damn fittings add up quick also. 300$ maybe for CPU cooling.
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There isn't necessarily anything wrong with just going with normal cheap barbed fittings, you can get them for like 2-3$ a piece usually. Hose clamps aren't too expensive either. You don't need to get 10-15$ compression/rotary fittings. Even if they are really nice and pretty :D.
 
Erasmus354 said:
There isn't necessarily anything wrong with just going with normal cheap barbed fittings, you can get them for like 2-3$ a piece usually. Hose clamps aren't too expensive either. You don't need to get 10-15$ compression/rotary fittings. Even if they are really nice and pretty :D.
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XSPC compression are 5$ each.. I run those and Bitspower for my 90's to keep cost down. It still adds up. Id like to see someone price out a silent Water cooling build for 200$ for CPU and GPU.. hell even at 300$ I don't think it can be done.
 
Let me look through my order histories and add it all up, but I am pretty sure I was around 350$. Used regular barbs, home depot tubing, McMaster QDCs, made my own splitters. Lots of way to keep the cost down, especially if you don't put aesthetics as a priority, or specific brand premiums
 
2x Swiftech MCR220 @ 40$ each - 80 total
Swiftech MCP35x PWM w/ Res Kit - 100$ (was on sale at the time)
2x XSPC Rasa Universal GPU blocks @ 40$ each - 80 Total
XSPC Raystorm CPU block - 60$


1/2 in. O.D. x 3/8 in. I.D. x 10 ft. Vinyl Tubing - 4$
3/8 in. OD x 10 ft. Copper Soft Refrigeration Coil - 14$
Brass Barbed Tube Fittings 1/4" pipe x 3/8" tube - 2.23 each X 12 = 26.76$ total
Brass 45° Flared Tube Fittings 1/4" pipe x 3/8" Tube - 2.48 + 2.26 each x 6 = 28.44$ total
Quick-Disconnect Tube Couplings for 3/8" tube w/ dual shutoffs - 14.57 each x 6 = 87.42$ total

2" x 2" x 5" Cast Plexiglas remnant - 5$ from Ridout Plastics B&M Store
Hanson Pipe Tap, 1/4"-18 NPT - 7$

Put me at 490$ approx, however that was for a twin radiator fully parallel dual GPU, CPU, fully QDC'd with both rigid and flexible tubing. I run a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze/tap water as coolant.

Take out the QDCs, hard lines and junctions and you are at $350. Go to a single GPU and Radiator and you drop to 270$

this was put together 4 years ago, since then I replaced the MCP35x this spring with a MCP655 PWM which required a re-work of the hard lines and acquiring a 750ml Tube Reservoir . because I had left over material and could reuse the fittings, it didn't cost me anything. it was also the first time I had opened the system and replaced the coolant. this fall I replaced the video cards with new to me ones that had full coverage blocks, which mean the QDCs got transferred and there was no bleeding needed when the cards got plugged in. I get about 10C change in temp between idle and full load for both the CPU and GPUs. and with the 655, its is silent.
 
Nimisys said:
2x Swiftech MCR220 @ 40$ each - 80 total
Swiftech MCP35x PWM w/ Res Kit - 100$ (was on sale at the time)
2x XSPC Rasa Universal GPU blocks @ 40$ each - 80 Total
XSPC Raystorm CPU block - 60$


1/2 in. O.D. x 3/8 in. I.D. x 10 ft. Vinyl Tubing - 4$
3/8 in. OD x 10 ft. Copper Soft Refrigeration Coil - 14$
Brass Barbed Tube Fittings 1/4" pipe x 3/8" tube - 2.23 each X 12 = 26.76$ total
Brass 45° Flared Tube Fittings 1/4" pipe x 3/8" Tube - 2.48 + 2.26 each x 6 = 28.44$ total
Quick-Disconnect Tube Couplings for 3/8" tube w/ dual shutoffs - 14.57 each x 6 = 87.42$ total

2" x 2" x 5" Cast Plexiglas remnant - 5$ from Ridout Plastics B&M Store
Hanson Pipe Tap, 1/4"-18 NPT - 7$

Put me at 490$ approx, however that was for a twin radiator fully parallel dual GPU, CPU, fully QDC'd with both rigid and flexible tubing. I run a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze/tap water as coolant.

Take out the QDCs, hard lines and junctions and you are at $350. Go to a single GPU and Radiator and you drop to 270$

this was put together 4 years ago, since then I replaced the MCP35x this spring with a MCP655 PWM which required a re-work of the hard lines and acquiring a 750ml Tube Reservoir . because I had left over material and could reuse the fittings, it didn't cost me anything. it was also the first time I had opened the system and replaced the coolant. this fall I replaced the video cards with new to me ones that had full coverage blocks, which mean the QDCs got transferred and there was no bleeding needed when the cards got plugged in. I get about 10C change in temp between idle and full load for both the CPU and GPUs. and with the 655, its is silent.
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Not sure how well a universal GPU block is going to work on his card gtx 980.. the correct block is at least 100$. For what he is asking for it would cost more than the given price range of $200.
 
You said CPU * GPU for 2-300$, which is possible with universal GPU blocks. Additionally universal blocks are just as effective at keeping the core cool as full coverage blocks, they are doing the same thing. The benefit to full coverage is the inclusion of the VRAM, which can be passively cooled with the use of a universal block.
 
Nimisys said:
You said CPU * GPU for 2-300$, which is possible with universal GPU blocks. Additionally universal blocks are just as effective at keeping the core cool as full coverage blocks, they are doing the same thing. The benefit to full coverage is the inclusion of the VRAM, which can be passively cooled with the use of a universal block.
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Ahh.. you took me a little to literal.. we are still talking about the OP. Impressive setup tho for the price! How is the noise on the pumps and can the speed be controlled?
 
Both are/were PWM, meaning speed was controllable either via the motherboard header or an external controller. In comparison the 35x is significantly louder than the 655. Below 30% the 35x was no louder than a slow moving 120mm fan, above that it was perceptible and 100% it was loud enough to be heard across the room. The 655 however can just be heard above a slow moving fan when at 100%. Mine runs normally between 20-30% and I have to touch a hard line and feel the vibration to confirm it is running.

Either way it is possible to build am effective setup for that range, it just takes a more old school approach.
 
Nimisys said:
Both are/were PWM, meaning speed was controllable either via the motherboard header or an external controller. In comparison the 35x is significantly louder than the 655. Below 30% the 35x was no louder than a slow moving 120mm fan, above that it was perceptible and 100% it was loud enough to be heard across the room. The 655 however can just be heard above a slow moving fan when at 100%. Mine runs normally between 20-30% and I have to touch a hard line and feel the vibration to confirm it is running.

Either way it is possible to build am effective setup for that range, it just takes a more old school approach.
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Unless I keep looking over it I don't see a radiator mentioned in your list of parts?

CPU,GPU block = 100$
Pump Res = 100$ (per your price)
Rad = 50$ cheap decent 360 rad
Tubing = I am picky about tubing..I don't know of any GOOD tubing for 4$ so lets say at least 20$
fittings= 3/8 barb (Qty 8) 6$ for some budget ones
Tie straps = 4$ because usually its by the bag.. for the barb fittings
Kill Coil = 7$
Distilled Water 5$ (need more than you think when you are flushing rads)
Shipping = Lets say 15$ and that is probably on the low side
Fans = Budget fans 5$ each X3 so $15
VRM cooling.. this is part of the issue with his video card.. he needs something for VRM cooling. I dont know how the MSI is setup for Vrm cooling so let say 5$ fan blowing on VRM's some how!

Total = $322 ..... not bad.. well outside of his 200$ budget but being able to build something this cheap is pretty sweet.. take out the gpu block and you got a nice custom water loop for the CPU that should handle some pretty good OC. Not sure how low the noise level would be on budget fans but would be fun to play with either way.
 
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Copyright said:
Unless I keep looking over it I don't see a radiator mentioned in your list of parts?

CPU,GPU block = 100$
Pump Res = 100$ (per your price)
Rad = 50$ cheap decent 360 rad
Tubing = I am picky about tubing..I don't know of any GOOD tubing for 4$ so lets say at least 20$
fittings= 3/8 barb (Qty 8) 6$ for some budget ones
Tie straps = 4$ because usually its by the bag.. for the barb fittings
Kill Coil = 7$
Distilled Water 5$ (need more than you think when you are flushing rads)
Shipping = Lets say 15$ and that is probably on the low side
Fans = Budget fans 5$ each X3 so $15
VRM cooling.. this is part of the issue with his video card.. he needs something for VRM cooling. I dont know how the MSI is setup for Vrm cooling so let say 5$ fan blowing on VRM's some how!

Total = $322 ..... not bad.. well outside of his 200$ budget but being able to build something this cheap is pretty sweet.. take out the gpu block and you got a nice custom water loop for the CPU that should handle some pretty good OC. Not sure how low the noise level would be on budget fans but would be fun to play with either way.
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MCR220 - first thing on my list are Swiftech 240mm radiators.

VRM Cooling: when using a universal block on a card that requires VRM cooling (not all do), you use something like these on them.

Tubing is here . It has worked just fine for me over the years. not sure how you define GOOD tubing. I stick with doesn't leak, doesn't split, doesn't shrink/grow with time. I have not seen any evidence of it leeching into the coolant either. for me, that is all I can ask. it has held its glossy black over time as well.

Fittings: I am using the far more common industrial sized NPT fittings for the reason that they are so common and cheap (less than half of cheap G1/4 barbs), and they can be acquired locally for just about everyone. Home Depot, Lowes, Granger, Tractor Supply stores, etc will all carry them on hand. However NPT is an interference fit with G1/4 threads, so they are tighter to install and somethings like reservoir tubes don't like it.

Tube Retainers: I didn't mention this one because there are so many ways of doing it. Zip ties, Worm Gear Clamps, Snap Grip, Ring Clamp. I had a bunch of 1/4- 1/2" worm gear clamps form work, so I used those. Ring clamp seems to be amoung the cheapest non-zip tie options. they are about 10cents each

Kill Coil/Distilled water: Neither is strictly needed. boiling tap water, then running it through a coffee filter is effective, especially if you are planning on constantly swapping out parts or frequently draining/refilling the loop. Personally I prefer Automotive Coolant/Anti-freeze. readily available, keeps blocks, pumps, radiators, reservoirs clean and will go for years without needing to be to topped off or replaced. Available in orange, green, blue, red and gold colors ;) mix 50/50 or even more diluted with tap water.

Fans: often you are recycling these when going from air to water setups.
 
Boiling tap water without a kill coil.. no thx! You have nothing to prevent algae growth or corrosion. Honestly a kill coil is a minimum or even PT Nuke is a must for me. Recycled fans means you have to have some to begin with.. can't plan a build around that. Didn't notice your first item was rad LOL.. my bad. Even with all this the op is screwed if trying to keep the budget at 200$. He is probably better off just sticking with air cooling until he is ready to throw down some more cash.
 
Yeah a big NO on passive VRM cooling. You at the very least need a fan blowing over them or they will overheat. This isn't a GT 720 we're talking about here, it's a 980.
 
First off: Lets get something on the table before we continue further:

Full custom watercooling is NOT for performance.Yes, it will offer nearly unbeatable cooling performance, but the cost is far beyond what actual performance it will offer. It is first and foremost an expression of oneself, a way to make a PC unique and a personal accomplishment. There are MUCH better ways to spend your money if you are looking at the project from a pure-performance point of view. That said, if your goal is to make your PC unique, a show-piece, or you love the idea of tinkering, then watercooling starts to hold value. So understand what your goals are.
 
Umm, I think by "performance" you probably meant "bang for buck" right? Because if you're in pursuit of pure, unadulterated performance, then a custom loop is the only way to go. But yes a custom loop is the very antithesis of bang for buck that's very true, so if you're trying to max out your performance for a given budget, custom loops are often not the answer.
 
n=1 said:
Umm, I think by "performance" you probably meant "bang for buck" right? Because if you're in pursuit of pure, unadulterated performance, then a custom loop is the only way to go. But yes a custom loop is the very antithesis of bang for buck that's very true, so if you're trying to max out your performance for a given budget, custom loops are often not the answer.
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Yes, I mention the 'bang for buck' but I don't think I made myself clear enough. There is rarely an instance where a custom WC setup will give you more performance than if you were to use equal dollars on faster parts. So essentially, in ANY budget, the WC option gives you LESS performance. The only real time this is untrue is when you have a very large budget and already plan on having the fastest parts available.

but like I said, raw performance is not why we WC.
 
Oh I see, when you say "performance" you meant "system performance" and not just "cooling performance". I should probably clarify when I said "pure, unadulterated performance" earlier, I was referring specifically to cooling performance. Which I imagine you'd agree that a custom loop would be second to none (well other than more xotic/extreme forms of cooling like phase change and TEC I suppose, but then the costs just start rocketing out of control :p)
 
KazeoHin said:
First off: Lets get something on the table before we continue further:

Full custom watercooling is NOT for performance.Yes, it will offer nearly unbeatable cooling performance, but the cost is far beyond what actual performance it will offer. It is first and foremost an expression of oneself, a way to make a PC unique and a personal accomplishment. There are MUCH better ways to spend your money if you are looking at the project from a pure-performance point of view. That said, if your goal is to make your PC unique, a show-piece, or you love the idea of tinkering, then watercooling starts to hold value. So understand what your goals are.
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More cooling can equal more system performance. It did for me. I could hit an OC I could not hit on an AIO or on Air therefor equaling more system performance. Bank for buck of course there is no denying its pricey.. but this is [H]ard Forum.. my home forum for 15 years and so much is done here with little worry of cost. It also offers a very silent PC under load and at idle. I thought nothing could be more quiet than air and after owning a D5 PWM pump I now know I was wrong.
 
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n=1 said:
Yeah a big NO on passive VRM cooling. You at the very least need a fan blowing over them or they will overheat. This isn't a GT 720 we're talking about here, it's a 980.
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Yeah.. they get toasty!
 
KazeoHin said:
Yes, I mention the 'bang for buck' but I don't think I made myself clear enough. There is rarely an instance where a custom WC setup will give you more performance than if you were to use equal dollars on faster parts. So essentially, in ANY budget, the WC option gives you LESS performance. The only real time this is untrue is when you have a very large budget and already plan on having the fastest parts available.

but like I said, raw performance is not why we WC.
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I can understand this. The problem is that if WC is on the mind and you decide to just buy faster parts you will end up wanting to WC those also so then the price has more than doubled. Not to mention you can build a CPU loop for 300$ that will beat any AIO... you aren't going to buy a better CPU/mobo/ possible ram for under 300$ if you are running Skylake or haswell already. I would imagine if you were skylake and you wanted more performance the only option would be X99 and that isn't cheap. Water cooling isn't for everyone. I would not recommend it to anyone I know.. well maybe one or two guys but I would probably be the one to end up helping them maintain the loop. Water cooling is like owning a pet.. it needs constant attention. lol
 
Copyright said:
I can understand this. The problem is that if WC is on the mind and you decide to just buy faster parts you will end up wanting to WC those also so then the price has more than doubled. Not to mention you can build a CPU loop for 300$ that will beat any AIO... you aren't going to buy a better CPU/mobo/ possible ram for under 300$ if you are running Skylake or haswell already. I would imagine if you were skylake and you wanted more performance the only option would be X99 and that isn't cheap. Water cooling isn't for everyone. I would not recommend it to anyone I know.. well maybe one or two guys but I would probably be the one to end up helping them maintain the loop. Water cooling is like owning a pet.. it needs constant attention. lol
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Tell me about it. Had to drain my loop and clean out the blocks twice in the past year alone because apparently I do not know how to clean radiators. (in my defense they're Alphacool rads aka dirtiest in the industry. But yes this one's on me) I will be thankful though to the fact that all the radiator gunk simply collected in the micro channels of my blocks, so removing the gunk was fairly simple, and my D5 vario was spared.

And yeah the cost can also be exorbitant. I budgeted about $800 for my first CPU + GPU loop, then went over by 50% because I forgot how quickly cost of fittings added up. Then once you have it up and running you get the constant urge to tinker with it and it becomes even more of a money pit.
 
n=1 said:
Tell me about it. Had to drain my loop and clean out the blocks twice in the past year alone because apparently I do not know how to clean radiators. (in my defense they're Alphacool rads aka dirtiest in the industry. But yes this one's on me) I will be thankful though to the fact that all the radiator gunk simply collected in the micro channels of my blocks, so removing the gunk was fairly simple, and my D5 vario was spared.

And yeah the cost can also be exorbitant. I budgeted about $800 for my first CPU + GPU loop, then went over by 50% because I forgot how quickly cost of fittings added up. Then once you have it up and running you get the constant urge to tinker with it and it becomes even more of a money pit.
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I think I got ~900$ in my loop. So pricey but so much fun lol.
 
You make an important point about overclocking. With CPU's especially overclocking puts them all on a mostly equal footing. Because you are going to have the same features and number of cores across a number of products, upgrading to a more expensive CPU doesn't get you much more if any performance when you are talking about overclocking.

With GPU's however overclocking can't do as much for performance, where as upgrading to a more expensive GPU gives you more shader cores etc... which is more important for performance than the limited overclocking they usually allow.
 
Nice rig Copyright! Thanks for that!

I currently have a i7 920 overclocked and the CPU runs silent. I used to have a 8800GT that would spin loudly on gaming. I replaced it with a AMD 7950 for HDMI gaming and movies, but it is even louder when gaming. Very distracting.

So, my goal is a rig that I can overclock in which I can game without hearing the fans. I thought watercooling would be my next option. I haven't been able to use this new 980 GTX, so I can't tell how much noise it will be with stock air cooling.

Given how much I've spent already, $300 is a bit much, but I could stretch my budget I guess. Keep in mind that I'm not looking for aesthetics at all. Just something that works, is quiet and dependable. The full video card waterblock is fine. I've priced them about $100.

Millerboy3 said:
Sounds like your best bet would be 2x AIO's @ 120mm each. Mainly your problem is going to be space with that HTPC case. it only allows for a max of what looks like 4x 120mm (2 bottom 2 side) and 2x 80mm rear. Not really sure what WC gear you will be able to work in there thats actually worth it for that i7/980 combo.
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AIO? Forgive my newbness into WC. You mean the ones that come pre-assembled?

defaultluser said:
Or you could just do it the easy way and follow the SPCR air cooler build guide:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1340-page4.html

They used this HSF, which is $70:

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556092...jkTjrz0qfds5vSv1SVzlAPMlRmJT8MvZs8aAtOY8P8HAQ

If you want silence and water, your budget is going to have to get much bigger.
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Thanks! I never came across that. I will keep that in mind for sure if WC doesn't work out.

n=1 said:
Yeah a big NO on passive VRM cooling. You at the very least need a fan blowing over them or they will overheat. This isn't a GT 720 we're talking about here, it's a 980.
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Agreed. Full video card waterblock if needed.

KazeoHin said:
First off: Lets get something on the table before we continue further:

Full custom watercooling is NOT for performance.Yes, it will offer nearly unbeatable cooling performance, but the cost is far beyond what actual performance it will offer. It is first and foremost an expression of oneself, a way to make a PC unique and a personal accomplishment. There are MUCH better ways to spend your money if you are looking at the project from a pure-performance point of view. That said, if your goal is to make your PC unique, a show-piece, or you love the idea of tinkering, then watercooling starts to hold value. So understand what your goals are.
Click to expand...

As I mentioned above, goal is for overclocking while keeping the system noise quiet. I'm not caring about a show-piece. I do like tinkering, but I have too many things I tinker with that I will perfect it, then leave it until the next build.

Thanks everyone who has already replied. :) I have all these cool parts around me that I haven't put together yet... ah!
 
ShagnWagn said:
Nice rig Copyright! Thanks for that!

I currently have a i7 920 overclocked and the CPU runs silent. I used to have a 8800GT that would spin loudly on gaming. I replaced it with a AMD 7950 for HDMI gaming and movies, but it is even louder when gaming. Very distracting.

So, my goal is a rig that I can overclock in which I can game without hearing the fans. I thought watercooling would be my next option. I haven't been able to use this new 980 GTX, so I can't tell how much noise it will be with stock air cooling.

Given how much I've spent already, $300 is a bit much, but I could stretch my budget I guess. Keep in mind that I'm not looking for aesthetics at all. Just something that works, is quiet and dependable. The full video card waterblock is fine. I've priced them about $100.



AIO? Forgive my newbness into WC. You mean the ones that come pre-assembled?



Thanks! I never came across that. I will keep that in mind for sure if WC doesn't work out.



Agreed. Full video card waterblock if needed.



As I mentioned above, goal is for overclocking while keeping the system noise quiet. I'm not caring about a show-piece. I do like tinkering, but I have too many things I tinker with that I will perfect it, then leave it until the next build.

Thanks everyone who has already replied. :) I have all these cool parts around me that I haven't put together yet... ah!
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AIO is all in one.. sounds like you should just stick with Air cooling for now. The Asus Strix GTX 980 isn't that loud and some even find it quiet. Get a good air cooling heatsink. If you are on a budget the Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO is a great budget cooler that will allow for some overclocking. Seeing kinda where you are coming from I think you are better off just going with a good air cooler. If you have the funds there are some really good air coolers. I find most air coolers are more quiet than the AIO units I have used unless you do a fan swap but even then the pumps on those aren't that silent.
 
Copyright said:
AIO is all in one.. sounds like you should just stick with Air cooling for now. The Asus Strix GTX 980 isn't that loud and some even find it quiet. Get a good air cooling heatsink. If you are on a budget the Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO is a great budget cooler that will allow for some overclocking.
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Tower coolers like the Hyper 212 are hard to fit in his case. That is why I linked the SPCR system build article, and the HSF they used.

Obviously ShagnWagn you won't be overclocking the 6700k in this tiny case if you desire silence, but that's ok since it's already plenty powerful stock :D

But the Asus STRIX HSF is no joke! SPCR also tested the GTX 980 STRIX cooler here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1483-page4.html

14 dBA is quieter than most people's houses are. That's the noise level of the Asus 980 strix when playing a game. You don't need to change it.

The MSI cooler is supposed to be comparable to the Asus, if slightly louder. You can probably use it just as it is :D
 
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defaultluser said:
Tower coolers like the Hyper 212 are hard to fit in his case. That is why I linked the SPCR system build article, and the HSF they used.

Obviously ShagnWagn you won't be overclocking the 6700k in this tiny case if you desire silence, but that's ok since it's already plenty powerful stock :D

But the Asus STRIX HSF is no joke! SPCR also tested the GTX 980 STRIX cooler here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1483-page4.html

14 dBA is quieter than most people's houses are. That's the noise level of the Asus 980 strix when playing a game. You don't need to change it.

The MSI cooler is supposed to be comparable to the Asus, if slightly louder. You can probably use it just as it is :D
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Nice catch.. I was so looking for budget options I ignored what would fit. I am also a huge fan of SPCR when it comes to finding a silent option.
 
I thought I would check back in and let you know what I went with. I did find a watercooler, but not until after I ordered an air cooler (last paragraph).

I took a trip to my local Microcenter with my rig for some watercooling advice. They couldn't think of anything and suggested a $22 Thermaltake air CPU cooler. He assured me it will work. Well, all I did was play a few games at normal clock speed and the fan was spinning up pretty loud (lol). I figured a $22 heatsink wouldn't be right for a $1700 rig... It used plastic push pins to hold it to the mobo - with no backplate...! Waste of time and $.

I did some research and found the Noctua NH-U9S 92mm. I just received it last night. I played some Fallout 4 at max settings. I couldn't even hear the fan. It was silent. I have yet to try overclocking with a CPU stress test though. If it spins up loud with an overclock, I will ship it back and go with one of these AIO watercoolers I found yesterday:

http://www.asetek.com/desktop/oem-cpu-coolers/550lc/

I haven't really done any research as to the performance yet though. It looks like the radiator/fan would fit in the same dimensions as a standard 120mm fan, although their site doesn't list the actual dimensions. Just an FYI for you guys.
 
Your local Microcenter probably stocks the Corsair AIO watercoolers if you don't want to wait for shipping. They are basically identical to the Asetek ones (in fact I think they are made by Asetek).
 
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man thats a clean looking build!;) how good is that top rad working without fans?
 
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