Help me pick a water-cooling loop within a two thousand dollar budget. Parts details:)
Help me pick a water-cooling loop within a two thousand dollar budget. Parts details:)
Hello, thank you for reviewing my post. I recently assembled a custom PC and am considering upgrading to a larger, more advanced water cooling setup. I was wondering if anyone could provide a 2000 dollar budget, not counting parts, for a complete overhaul including a case. I plan to share photos once everything is ready so you can see the final look. I’m aiming for a fully overclocked build. Appreciate your support! I know this isn’t the right thread, but it was quite relevant to what I needed.
Here are the components I have:
NZXT S340 Razer Edition: [link](http://goo.gl/5V5tRP)
(This is the previous case, I need a bigger and better one)
Intel 6700K CPU: [link](http://goo.gl/gm9dA6)
EVGA GTX Titan X super clocked: [link](http://goo.gl/emtaq0)
ASUS Z170 Deluxe Motherboard: [link](http://goo.gl/CDs9W2)
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM: [link](http://goo.gl/M6zinq)
NZXT X61 CPU cooler: [link](http://goo.gl/2ohJ3R)
(Will be custom looping the CPU)
Corsair AX1200i PSU: [link](http://goo.gl/8WRnca)
Intel 750 PCI-e SSD: [link](http://goo.gl/N0aohe)
Custom Mods & Cables: [link](http://goo.gl/ZR55qM)
I’m planning a black and green build, with a large case and extra water cooling. I’ll keep you updated as soon as the purchases are made. Thanks a lot for your assistance!
BIGGEST AND BADDEST RADIATORS!! Thanks for the help!
Feel free to ask any questions if you need more details!
1. Employ distilled water with anti-corrosive additive and either biocide additive or silver kill coil. I have used Feser Base anti-corrosive and a kill coil for years without issues.
2. Avoid adding anything else to the water. NO DYES OR UV. You'll wish you had avoided it later.
Tubing: PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT. Comes in various colors, such as Atomic UV Green and UV Pearl Green. I opted for a 3/8" ID 5/8" OD (10mm ID 16mm OD) size. For my setup with one CPU, one GPU, and two 360 Rads, I purchased two 10-foot packages just in case. I ended up using roughly eight feet of it.
Radiators: For this build, you can manage with either a 480 or a 360 plus a 120. I would choose a 360 plus a 240 (slightly...
You might want to take a look at the Mastercase 5 by cooler master—it features a straightforward design with plenty of room for personalization. I don’t own the case myself, so I can’t share much detail, but I’ve had the chance to check it out. Based on future reviews, you seem to enjoy going overboard. Unless you’re heavily involved in streaming, video editing, 3D graphics, or engineering, the Titan X isn’t necessary for casual gaming. A GTX 980 Ti would be a better fit—it performs comparably to a Titan X in tests and is roughly 470 dollars cheaper (though I’m not certain of the exact figure).
BlueBeast suggests exploring the Mastercase 5 by cooler master, noting its straightforward design and potential for endless personalization. He mentions he hasn't owned the case himself but has seen it, and recommends it if you're not heavily involved in streaming or video editing. He advises against the Titan X unless you're doing a lot of overclocking, pointing out that GTX 980 TI performs comparably in benchmarks and is roughly 470 dollars cheaper. He also offers assistance with water cooling for custom setups, though he's not very familiar with advanced loop configurations.
YoungColieo:
BlueBeast suggested checking out the Mastercase 5 by cooler master. It has a straightforward design and offers lots of customization options. Since I don’t own the case, I can’t share much detail, but I’ve seen it myself. Based on future specs, you seem to enjoy going overboard. Unless you’re heavily involved in streaming, video editing, 3D graphics, or engineering, you probably won’t need a Titan X unless you’re a serious gamer. A GTX 980 Ti would be a better fit—it performs comparably to a Titan X in benchmarks and costs around $470 less (though the price might not be exact).
Hey btw, I already have this setup and the parts I mentioned. I’m streaming and uploading too. Could you help with water cooling? I’m not very familiar with custom loops and just want to go overkill.
Alright, good. There are many newbies who think the Titan X is too expensive and gives too many FPS. Let me go grab it if that’s what you’re after.
Regarding water cooling, I’m not very experienced, so you might want to wait until someone else asks about it. I wouldn’t be the best person to ask since I’ve only used water cooling once, which failed after two years.
😉
Not sure if I messed up or just didn’t want to keep going.
BlueBeast :
YoungColieo :
BlueBeast :
You might wanna check out the Mastercase 5 by cooler master, it's a very simple design with room for endless customization, I do no own the case so I can't tell you much about it but I've been looking at it myself.
I can tell by future specs that you like going overkill, but unless you're livestreaming a lot, editing videos, doing 3d grapich work or engineering you will not need the Titan X's if you are "only" gaming. You're better off with GTX 980 TI, it's doing just as good as a titan X in benchmarking and is about 470$ cheaper (Not sure if the price is precise, just a quick look up)
Hey btw I already have this system and the components i listed, and yes I am streaming and uploading. Can you help me out water cooling? Not very experienced with custom loops and just want to do the wright overkill thing.
Alright, good. Because there is a lot of unexperienced people that is like "ohh my god that Titan X is so expensive and gives so many fps. Let me go get that" when there is literally no need for that.
About the water cooling, I'm not very experienced so you might want to wait till another user answers about that, I wouldn't be the right person to ask since I've only had water cooling once. Which broke after 2 years
😉
Not sure whether I made a bad job or it just didn't want to live anymore.
Ok sweet Thanks. Appreciate the aid. If you want to see the end results you should follow this thread. Im hoping its gonna look sick. Good luck and sorry to hear your water cooled loop suicided. Good luck.
Choose distilled water with anti-corrosion treatment and either a biocide or silver kill coil additive. I’ve used Feser Base anti-corrosive and a kill coil for years without any issues.
Avoid adding anything else to the water. Refrain from using dyes or UV light—this could lead to problems later during maintenance.
Tubing: PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT is available in various colors, such as Atomic UV Green and UV Pearl Green. I opted for a 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD (10mm ID x 16mm OD) size. For my setup with one CPU, one GPU, and two 360 Rads, I purchased two 10-foot rolls just in case, using about eight feet of tubing.
For the radiators, you can opt for a 480 or a 360 unit plus a 120. I chose a 360 with a 240 (a bit excessive) or two 360 units (slightly more than needed). With an appropriate case, one could place one as intake at the front and another as exhaust at the top, or both exhausts at the top.
For fittings, compression types are recommended—they offer a good balance between cost and leak resistance.
Pump selection: A D5 or D5 Vario is ideal; it performs well without overheating.
Reservoir choice: Pick one with LED slots so you can achieve a green glow without dyes or UV light.
Fans: Select models with LEDs to illuminate the entire case in green.
My recent build included:
Thermaltake Core X2 mATX case (designed for water cooling)
Corsair HX750i PSU
Intel i5-6600K CPU
ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Gene mATX MB
G.Skill Ripjaws V 3000 15-15-15-35 DDR4 RAM
EVGA GTX 980 Ti Hydro Copper 6GB GPU
Samsung 950 Pro 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD
Western Digital Caviar Black 5TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD
Acer XB270HU 2560x1440 144 Hz IPS G-Sync Monitor
Cooling solutions:
- EK-Supremacy EVO Copper/Acetal CPU Block (started with EK-FB ASUS M8G Monoblock, but disliked its appearance)
- Hydro Copper GPU Block
- XSPC DDC Photon 170 Reservoir/Pump Combo
- Two XSPC EX360 CrossFlow Radiators (suitable for low-speed fans)
- Six Yate Loon Low-Speed 120 fans for radiators
- Three Yate Loon Medium-Speed 140 fans for the case
- Three Yate Loon Medium-Speed 120 fans—yet to install
- Mini Build Log: Cooling components and monitor
Additional hardware notes:
Base build with mainboard
Top view of radiators
CPU block, RAM, M.2 SSD
Back side of the case
Leak testing procedures
Testing results:
1. Leak test
2. Leak test
3. Final assembly after cleaning wires (received a white reservoir LED by mistake)
4. Final assembly after wire cleanup (second attempt)
5. Final assembly after third wire cleanup
with the same length and structure:
1. Employ distilled water containing anti-corrosive agent, either a biocide additive or silver kill coil. I have consistently used Feser Base anti-corrosive and a kill coil for years without any issues.
2. Avoid adding anything else to the water. Prohibit the use of dyes or UV light; you'll wish you had avoided it later.
3. Tubing: Utilize PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT. It comes in various colors, such as Atomic UV Green and UV Pearl Green. I opted for a 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD (10mm ID x 16mm OD) size. For my setup with one CPU, one GPU, and two 360 Rads, I purchased two 10-foot packages just in case, and I ended up using around eight feet of it.
4. Radiators: Depending on your configuration, you can opt for a 480 or a 360 plus a 120 unit. I chose a 360 with a 240 (slightly excessive), or two 360 units (a bit too much). With the right case, you could position one as intake at the front and another as exhaust at the top, or both exhaust at the top.
5. Fittings: Select compression fittings; they offer a great balance of affordability and leak resistance.
6. Pump: A D5 or D5 Vario pump is recommended for reliable performance and heat management.
7. Reservoir: Choose one with LED slots, allowing you to illuminate your water without dyes or UV.
8. Fans: Purchase models with LEDs so your entire case can glow green.
My recent build included:
- Thermaltake Core X2 mATX case (specifically designed for water cooling)
- Corsair HX750i PSU
- Intel i5-6600K CPU
- ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Gene mATX MB
- G.Skill Ripjaws V 3000 15-15-15-35 DDR4 RAM
- EVGA GTX 980 Ti Hydro Copper 6GB GPU
- Samsung 950 Pro 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Western Digital Caviar Black 5TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD
- Acer XB270HU 2560x1440 144 Hz IPS G-Sync Monitor
9. Cooling:
- EK-Supremacy EVO Copper/Acetal CPU Block (initially used an EK-FB ASUS M8G monoblock, but disliked its appearance)
- Hydro Copper GPU Block
- XSPC DDC Photon 170 Reservoir/Pump Combo
- Two XSPC EX360 CrossFlow Radiators (ideal for low-speed fans)
- 6 Yate Loon Low-Speed 120 fans for radiators
- 3 Yate Loon Medium-Speed 140 fans for case
- 3 Yate Loon Medium-Speed 120 fans – not yet mounted
10. Mini Build Log:
- Cooling components and monitor
11. Final Hardware Setup
- Case (Thermaltake Core X2)
- Radiator overview
- CPU, RAM, M.2 SSD
- Back panel of the case
- Leak testing procedures
- Multiple iterations after cleaning wires (received a white reservoir LED by mistake)
- Cleaned wires twice more
- Final build completed successfully
Adjustments Made:
- Rephrased sentences while keeping meaning intact
- Maintained original structure and details
- Changed word flow slightly for clarity and variety
There are various types of reservoirs available, such as the one I purchased. Most transparent ones come with slots for placing LEDs, and you only need to install a colored LED that can be set up via websites. I obtained mine from Performance-PCs.
I prefer my XSPC Photon reservoir, and they also offer a larger model.
Another interesting option is the FrozenQ LF series.
It’s possible there are others I haven’t come across yet.
The amount of liquid needed depends entirely on the number of reservoirs and radiators in your loop. My setup required just over one liter.