water cooling on a budget?

[blk03MitsuES]

i got two comps and one will get water cooled. i wish i could WC both but i'm on a really tight budget. so where can i get good parts for a decent price?

all i need is a basic set up.... cpu block, pump, reservoir and radiator. i dont mind piecing it together or buying a kit like these ones..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835124007
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835128015
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106078

i'm hoping to stay below 100 bucks......


btw i already looked around McMaster Carr and Grainger, industrial catalogs, for reservoirs, radiators and pumps without luck....i was hoping to order through them to get them cheaper

[Spawn-Inc]

well i've pretty much heard that most the kits suck. but here are some sites with water cooling parts and good prices.

www.performance-pcs.com (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php)

www.frozencpu.com (http://www.frozencpu.com/)

www.xoxide.com (http://www.xoxide.com/)

what socket? if its 775 here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108074) is a good kit i think, its all swiftech but its 129.99.


also are you looking to overclock?

[Zephik]

Swiftech H20-80 Micro (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108074)

Thats the cheapest WC kit you should buy, if anything, I would suggest its bigger brother (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108075). Anything cheaper than that, you would be better off with a good air cooler.

Cheap water cooling kits are not worth your money. You can save money on a good air cooler and usually get better performance out of them too. If you want a cheap water cooler just to have water cooling, then you best search around newegg.com. The Thermaltake Silent Water (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106078) I hear is pretty decent, thats probably your best bet in my opinion. You can also check out this Cooler Master kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103017), it says VGA, but in the description is also says CPU. So I will only assume that it is compatible with cpus and gpus alike. Has decent reviews as well.

Water cooling is only effective when you drop a decent amount of cash into them. Otherwise, your better off with air cooling. imo at least.

-Snow

[crenn]

If you want the performance of water cooling, but can't afford it. Look at the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme.

[Zephik]

Another good choice for air coolers are Zalmans, my favorites being these coolers (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000110574+50001647+1370826092&name=Fan%26Heatsinks). My favorite of those being this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019).

I've owned a Thermaltake Blue Orb II (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106069&Tpk=Blue%2bOrb) for my 2.8GHz P4 processor, it never even got slightly warm. I got it for half the price of what it is now too. :p


If you want the performance of water cooling, but can't afford it. Look at the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme.

Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109140) - Review (http://www.overclockercafe.com/Reviews/cooling/ThermalRight_Ultra120_Extreme/index.html)

[dgrmkrp]

Depending on what you want to watercool, it would be better to keep air cooling on the map too: I had some experience with a core 2 before and after watercoling: it had a Scythe katana 2 (3 heatpipes, 100mm PWM fan), an Infinity (5 heatpipes, 2 120mm fans) and a cheap watercooling kit (120 Black Ice rad, 2 fans in push pull, hydor l20 pump and an nexxxos waterblock).. At stock, the were all really silent and kept things at low 30ish. Only with the water I was able to go 3GHz+ and keep the same temp... So... What do you plan on cooling?

[blk03MitsuES]

ooh yeah sorry, i forgot to tell you what kind of pc's they are. a friend gave me a p4 pc. i've only used it once to see if it works and it did. according to Sony, the pc came with a P4 640 3.2ghz single core chip. but when i was checking to see if the pc worked, it would show in a couple of places as two processors(when i right clicked on "my computer" > properties, task manager and samurize). the pc has 3 fans, 120mm intake and exhaust and then heatsink fan, but when i first opened up the case it was really hot. thats why i havent used it, i figured if two 120mm fans didnt keep it at atleast room temp while idle, it provably get hotter if i really used it.
the other pc is an older AMD socket A 2.2ghz set up that i've been using for 3 or so years.

the one thing i dont like about some of those kits is the all in one pump-block. anybody know the specs on pumps, like the flow rate and stuff? i found this pump.


Delrin Miniature Gear Pumps
Just the size for low-flow transfer of chemicals and nonabrasive fluids. Pumps are self-priming. Maximum pressure is 20 psi. Intake and discharge connections are 3/16" male hose barb. Gears and body are Delrin. Fluids must be compatible with wetted parts (materials in contact with solution). Wetted parts are Buna-N, Delrin, PTFE, and Type 302 stainless steel.

http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/113/gfx/large/8220kp1l.gif

78oz/min @ 0psi
63oz/min @ 10psi
13oz/min @ 20psi
12 vdc
160° F max temp
4" x 1 7/8" x 2 1/2"

[dgrmkrp]

Hmm.. well, if the heatsink is stock, there is your answer.. also, if the system is dusty, clean it.. also, try and find out what kind of fans you have >> are they old and dying or need replacement because of other issues, or are they ok. Change the heatsink to something like a Thermaltake or Thermalright or Scythe or Zalman.. Have as many heatpipes as possible, as big a fan as possible and as small and light and cheap as you can go :) hyperthreading makes for the two cores.. but this model shouldn't have neither 2 physical nor 2 logical cores, just 2 megs of L2 cache.. It isn't that of a monster nowadays, more like an aging heater.. An air cooler and a cleaner case air-flow wise should keep it in the 35~40 degrees centigrade area..

If you still plan on going to water: you need a pump that has the highest flow rate, but the lowest heat dump wattage. A danger den or laing or alphacool pump is nice. Eheim or hydor too.. Mixed thoughts for all of them.

[Spawn-Inc]

Head is also important. the swiftech MCP655 or dangerden on is rated for 10ft of head.


Technical specifications
Nominal voltage
12 V DC

Operating voltage range 8 to 24 VDC
Nominal power (@ 12 V)
24 W

Nominal current (@ 12 V) 2 amps
Motor type Brushless, microprocessor controlled
Maximum head
10 ft (3.1 m)

Maximum discharge
~ 317 GPH (1200 LPH)

Connection size
½" barbs

Maximum pressure 50 PSI (3.5 BAR)
Temperature range 32 °F to 140°F (0 °C to 60 °C)
Electrical connector
Molex 4 pin

Weight
1.4 LB (650 gr.)

Impeller Housing material
Noryl®