What parts can be watercooled?
What parts can be watercooled?
Can memory and/or hard drives be overclocked, or is it limited to the CPU and video card? I've seen mixed information about water-cooled PCs with various components. If overclocking is possible, do you need to do it for optimal performance? Also, why are there so many hoses if only the CPU and video card are being cooled? I'm planning to buy in the future but want to research this carefully.
the key components are the CPU and GPU. they produce waterblocks for RAM, some premium motherboards, and i've seen HDD blocks before but they're extremely uncommon. ram waterblocks offer no real benefit—they limit airflow and won't improve performance. a small amount of airflow over them keeps them cool enough. i tested a set of 1600Mhz up to 2202Mhz with just airflow, and it worked fine. motherboard waterblocks are only necessary when you're heavily overclocking; i used one on an Asus R3E board because i was pushing 4.9Ghz on my 950 with 1.6v, which was well above the recommended level. hdd waterblocks are mainly decorative and not essential.
the key components are the CPU and GPU. they produce waterblocks for RAM, some premium motherboards, and i've seen HDD blocks before but they're extremely uncommon. ram waterblocks offer no real benefit—they limit airflow and won't improve performance. a small amount of airflow over them keeps them cool enough. i tested a set of 1600Mhz up to 2202Mhz with just airflow, and it worked fine. motherboard waterblocks are only necessary when you're heavily overclocking; i used one on an Asus R3E board because i was pushing 4.9Ghz on my 950 with 1.6v, which was well above the recommended level. hdd waterblocks are mainly for display and not essential.
Water cooling isn't synonymous with overclocking unless you specifically aim to boost performance. It's an efficient method for dissipating heat from your system and maintaining component temperatures.
For instance, when you cool a high-end graphics card by directing air over it, the heat transfers more effectively into the case. This can hinder further cooling of the card and make managing other components more challenging.
With water cooling, the process involves placing the heat source into a heatsink (such as a waterblock) and circulating water through it instead of relying on airflow. The water absorbs heat without radiating much to the case, simplifying the cooling of additional parts. Afterward, the water is directed to a radiator where airflow helps dissipate the heat, keeping the entire system cooler.
You won't need to overclock the graphics card in this setup; you're simply ensuring it stays within safe operating temperatures.
Water cooling adds complexity compared to air cooling. The main concerns are maintaining proper water temperatures and managing flow distribution. For single-cooling setups, using separate circuits for each major component helps. Combining air and water cooling techniques is also possible—such as adding fins to water blocks or using Peltier elements for targeted cooling.
Maintaining the system requires attention: algae growth can occur in water loops, necessitating regular cleaning (or additives to reduce buildup). The pump can be noisy and may cause minor vibrations. The radiator size and water capacity are crucial factors—more water means slower heating but easier cooling. Fin length and placement affect performance.
Some users have found creative solutions, like placing the pump inside a mini-fridge or using Peltier devices to rapidly lower radiator temperatures.
Regarding the purpose of all those additional hoses, if you notice one leading to the 5.25 bays, it's probably connected to a reservoir or pump. It might also be linked to a radiator with the fittings on that side of the case. It seems reasonable to think a hose heading in that direction could relate to a HDD block, though that’s no longer common practice. Previously, high-speed HDDs produced significant heat, necessitating a waterblock—though whether it was necessary is debatable. Nowadays, you can achieve much better performance from affordable SSDs, and the need for water cooling has diminished, especially with modern ram chips being more efficient. Faalin mentioned that only extreme overclocking beyond the CPU and GPU would require water cooling.
I can't say from personal experience. The All-in-One (AIO) coolers have a reputation of being less effective than a similar custom set up. A custom loop has more thermal mass, I'd generally say double that of a AIO. I think the primary benefit of a AIO cooler over an similarly priced air cooler is weight distribution and to a lesser extent noise. It's benefit over a custom loop is simplicity. Based on the amount you are spending to get into water cooling you can buy a custom "kit" from EK water blocks and pick a full coverage waterblock for a 980ti for about 100USD more than your pair of AIO coolersand accessories. There's a little fudge factor in there since i don't know your exact setup. Since you aren't buying right now, that'll give you some time to save up a little extra for a much nicer cooling system.
Initially entering custom water loops can be costly. Once you make the initial purchase, prices tend to drop. For a CPU and one GPU, a rough estimate would be a 360mm radiator minimum—possibly 3x120mm or 120mm plus 240mm—but aim for at least 360mm in radiator space, with costs ranging from $100 to $150. The CPU block should cost $75 to $100, the GPU block $100 to $150, the pump $60 to $75, the resin $30 to $50, fittings and tubes $50 to $100, fans $30 to $70. Use distilled water with a silver kill coil. You'll notice that your first purchase can be quite expensive, but in the future you might only need tubing and possibly a new GPU block; everything else can be reused.
This is why I recommended considering an EK kit. It offers significant cost advantages compared to purchasing components individually. In this scenario, you could save around 20% or even more. While not as inexpensive as his initial proposal, it represents a more reliable and effective solution overall.
https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-kit-l360-r2-0
+GPU block & fittings
=~400USD