Need assistance with water cooling?
Need assistance with water cooling?
Many pumps fall within a 12-30 watt range. Adding one or skipping a few watts won’t make a big difference.
Unclear why the EK Predator isn’t a suitable choice... any insights? Just a question.
For voltage regulators and fans, it varies. Likely not unless you’re achieving strong airflow over these parts. If you’re pushing overclocking without a CPU fan, you probably won’t get sufficient airflow. Always verify.
Why are you searching for cases for a 360 and a 280? The cooling sheet doesn’t suggest buying both radiators—just consider one or the total volume of the listed radiators.
The document implies I could manage with a single 240 rad. If so, I might opt for a 360 just to have extra capacity.
The EKWB Predator seems reasonable, but if I’m planning a full custom loop for learning and performance, I’d prefer that instead.
Regarding the fans, I currently have two exhaust fans above the regulators, one top-left exhaust fan, and two intake fans at the front. With the Hyper 212 EVO cooler, I’ll switch to three top fans and rear intakes/exhausts to boost airflow over the regulators.
As for pump and radiator choices, I’m considering a 360mm model:
[link]
And a pump from Swiftech:
[link]
Before buying anything, I’ll select a case that fits all components—planning to use a cooler master Stormtrooper, Fractal Design, or the Master Case 5. The external mounts look appealing.
Thanks for your assistance; I’ll update you on my decision!
Jason H
You should easily be able to boost your 65w TDP CPU to 4.8ghz without any trouble using air cooling alone!
I’m interested in the model linked below as a potential alternative for cooling my peltiers, and I trust it will work well if you plan to run an overclocked i5-6400. It’s a 150w Intel heat pipe air cooler.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/deep-cool...l#Features
Unless you’re planning to push beyond 4.8ghz in the future, the cost of water cooling isn’t necessary.
Regarding the EK Predator 240, I’m happy with its build quality and it’s managing my wife’s 2700k CPU overclock smoothly at 4.5ghz.
The only thing that bothers me is the actual core thickness—it feels a bit thin compared to what I expect. It’s a letdown, but not a dealbreaker as long as it reaches 4.5ghz.
There’s roughly a 3/8th inch gap between the radiator housing and the core fins on both sides, which is great for screw access, though it doesn’t provide much thickness for the core itself (about 20mm).
Personally, I don’t think it’s worth spending $200, but it’s still well-made!
Since I’ve seen heat pipe air coolers fail over time, I opted for the EK Predator this time and won’t buy another one.
My two cents!
P.S.: Not all radiators are identical, and TDP estimates today are based on older data. I hope future overclocking communities will include more accurate wattage ratings in their specs.
Different radiator sizes can behave very differently due to core design, tubing layout, fin density, etc. It’s not just about size—it’s about performance.
So, even if a 360 radiator handles high power, it doesn’t mean every single one will. You’d need to test each one individually.
Understanding this is crucial—no way to assume all 360s are equal.
There should be no confusion here; a 360 radiator with a 20mm core won’t match a 360 with a 40mm, 60mm, or 80mm core in cooling power.
Before you commit, do thorough research and read more before making any purchase!
That’s a pretty attractive air cooler, but I haven’t seen any reviews yet.
The main issue I face with air cooling is that the Hyper 212 EVO isn’t fitting into my current case or setup, even though I thought water cooling would improve performance without increasing noise. Thanks for the advice on overclocking both options—I’ll keep it in mind but lean toward a custom loop at the moment. I still have plenty to learn, but right now that’s my approach.
Thanks!