First Water Cooling
First Water Cooling
Hi,
(i'm French, sorry if my English is bad)
I plan on building a new big config and try water cooling it.
The reason of this are :
- I've just earned a lot of money
- I want a config that i won't cry about for a long time
- and of course, i want it to be cold and beautiful
I'm not buying it now, and maybe gonna wait for Broadwell-E and Pascal
Here is the pc that i plan to build :
- i7 5960X (or waiting for 6950X)
- 3SLI Titan X or Pascal equivalent
- MSI X99A GODLIKE GAMING
- Corsair Obsidian 900D
- Corsair AX1500i
- Corsair Dominator Platinum 8x4Go 3400MHz
- Samsung 950 Pro 512Go
For this, i only few question since price is not a matter to change
1) I never been able to choose between MSI GODLIKE or Asus Rampage, so, if someone can tell me a good reason to choose Asus, i'll maybe do it, but if they're the same, it's fine too.
2) I've chose Samsung SSD because i thought M.2 would be easier to fit with 3SLI than Intel PCIE card, if i'm wrong, please tell me.
3) And the one thing that i really not good at all : would it be better 128Go (i won't buy it but plan to upgrade later) with 3000MHz or 32Go at 3400MHz (the best frequencies that MoBo can handle) ?
Then, welcome to my first Water Cooling build :
I plan a 2 loop build. Mobo/CPU and maybe RAM on one, then GPUs on the second. Not only for perfs but for look
Everything will be red and 3/8 1/2 format and hard tubing (i have tool and video on youtube make it seems easy)
- Radiator : Black Ice Nemesis 480GTX Red (1 per loop)
- Reservoir + Pump : Monsoon MMRS + EK-D5 PWM (1 per loop)
- CPU Block : Bitspower GODLIKE full-cover Nickel
- GPU : EK-FC block + backplate (model depends on titan X or Pascal)
- Flow Indicator : PrimoChill Vortex Black POM Flow (1 per loop)
- Temp Indicator : XSPC LCD Temperature V2 G1/4 Sensor (1 per loop)
- Fittings : Monsoon Hardline Economy
- Tubing : Monsoon PETG Hardline
- Liquid : PrimoChill Ice Non-conductive
- Fans : Corsair SP120 Push mode for Rads, then Corsair AF series everywhere else.
Then, i have few questions but i certainly miss a lot.
4) Black Ice Nemesis is the only big rad with red painting, but is it good enough ?
5) Bitspower CPU Block does not seems the best but it's the only brand with my MoBo full cover... Is it good enough to keep it ?
6) Is 3/8 1/2 a good size that i could set for every components ?
7) Is Monsoon a good brand for Fittings and Tubing ? because i really love the look of it.
8) I hope PrimoChill Ice Non-conductive gonna save me if i do something wrong, but am i wrong ? will i loose perfs ?
9) Is one 480 rad enough for 3 Titan X or will i have to add something else ? (i have place for 280 or 360 if needed)
That's all, thanks for reading and hope you'll help me
(Oh, and Merry XMAS late
The Asus offers an OC panel for real-time monitoring and simpler overclocking, improved Wi-Fi, and additional SATA ports, though the MSI provides USB-C and superior components. Both models include M.2 slots, which is a plus. For gaming, since 32GB is sufficient, opt for the 3400MHz kit. The quality appears high, though I'm uncertain. EK offers a monoblock compatible with the Asus board. It's straightforward to locate fittings for most tubing sizes, and the 3/8 ID size looks suitable. Monsoon is a solid brand, and fittings shouldn't impact performance. Initially, using a non-conductive coolant can protect against leaks, but it may become conductive over time due to particle accumulation.
The Asus offers an OC panel for live monitoring and simpler overclocking, improved Wi-Fi, and additional SATA ports, though the MSI provides USB-C and superior components. Both models include M.2 slots, which is a plus.
For gaming purposes, since 32GB storage is sufficient, opt for the 3400MHz kit.
The quality of the RAM appears high, though I’m not entirely convinced.
EK offers a monoblock compatible with the Asus board.
Finding suitable fittings for most tubing sizes is straightforward, and the 3/8 ID size seems appropriate.
Monsoon is a solid brand, and their fittings don’t seem to impact performance.
At this stage, a non-conductive coolant is advisable to guard against leaks, but over time it may turn conductive due to particle accumulation. I still suggest checking the loop for leaks before installing parts.
For GPUs, it’s likely sufficient, but if you also have an overclocked CPU in the loop, consider adding another 280/360 rad. If Pascal performs well as expected, a higher value might be enough. I’d hold off on this decision.
Additionally, here are three suggestions:
1. Consider overclocking your CPU and GPUs—this is likely necessary for optimal performance.
2. For gaming, the 5930K is preferable to the 5960X since most games don’t require 16 threads.
3. If you’re overclocking, EVGA’s 980 Ti K|NGP|N (or its successor) could be a good choice, as they can exceed a Titan X when properly cooled. Just keep in mind it might change with future models.
Thank you for all these details, it's good to know I wasn't completely wrong.
This setup isn't just for gaming but mainly for developing games with DirectX 12 and trying out Unreal Engine.
That's why I believe sticking with 5960X is a better choice—it will compile more quickly (hope that's what you meant).
For work, I think a 32GB DDR4 RAM would suffice, so I'll follow your advice and go with a 3400MHz kit.
Lastly, I plan to buy an Asus Rampage because it will be simpler to modify and let me use the EK CPU Block for cooling, even though GODLIKE would look much nicer XD.
Thanks again, bye!