How's this dangerden water cooling setup?

[Cheesetogo]

I've been wanting to get into water cooling for a long time now, and after seeing my friend's setup I decided I want to get one. I configured this at dangerden:

DangerDen TDX Block and DD5 pump 108.75

DangerDen MAZE4GPU Sli Kit 129.95

Double Heater Core with shroud 48.94

8 ft of 1/2 inch Tygon Tubing 22.40

MCT-40 Non- Conductive Formula x2 43.98

DangerDen 5 1/4 inch reservoir 29.95

Blue UV Water Dye-Lite 8.99

Total after 10% holiday discount and shipping: $384.82

Are there any major problems with this setup? Can the non-conductive formula be mixed with tap water, and would anti freeze work just as well? I don't really want to spend 40 dollars on the stuff. Thanks!

 

[Elfear]

I have almost that exact same setup and I think I have around $230-250 into it. You could probably fab some of the parts yourself if you want to make it cheaper. I would recommend a different cpu block too. The Swiftech MCW6002-64 is a great block. The Storm is better, as well as a few others, but with two gpu blocks in the loop you'll want adequate flow and the better blocks are pretty restrictive.

 

[Cheesetogo]

Would the MCW6002-64 perform better than the TDX block? Also, is the storm worth it? Everywhere I looked it was around 85 dollars.

I have a 420 watt enermax with 29 amps on the 12v. My system is a 3000 venice @2.4, 1 HDD, 1 GB ram, 2x 7800gts, and one optical drive. Is adding the pump going to be to much for it?

 

[Elfear]

The MCW6002-64 will perform better than the TDX block plus it's a lot less restrictive. The Storm is nice but only if you want to fork over the extra $$ and you have a pump that's up to the task of pushing through it and two other gpu blocks. My guess would be it only drops temps in the 2-3C range over the MCW6002-64.

 

[mindwreck]

I would ditch that 30$ res and go with a t-line, or make my own res . The 6002 is better than the tdx and cheaper too. If you don't want to spend the extra for the storm, get the mcw6002.

I use plain distilled water with some zerex additive. didn't bother with that nonconductive stuff. I just leak test my system and clamp it down for extra protection.

 

[Idleuser]

I've been wanting to get into water cooling for a long time now, and after seeing my friend's setup I decided I want to get one. I configured this at dangerden:

DangerDen TDX Block and DD5 pump 108.75 (good buy consider there is 10% discount) if you were to buy a mcw6000 or apogee it would cost you more

DangerDen MAZE4GPU Sli Kit 129.95 ( probably the best gpu block with the lowest flow restrction and pressure drop)

Double Heater Core with shroud 48.94 (stick with a BIX2 or if you ahve room go with a BIP3) both of these doesn't require a more powerful fan.

8 ft of 1/2 inch Tygon Tubing 22.40 (go to your local hardware store and pick up some 1/2 ID x 3/4 OD) they're .65 a feet at my hardware store.

MCT-40 Non- Conductive Formula x2 43.98 (stick with distilled water founded at your supermarket) and buy some zerex. FYI blue UV does not glow very well. I'll stick with swiftech hydrX.

DangerDen 5 1/4 inch reservoir 29.95 (this will be better than a T-Line if you want your system to bleed faster, I personally use a dual reservoir!) I can bleed my system in 30 secs!

 

[Cheesetogo]

Is the BIX2 worth the extra over the heater core? Also, do I need a shroud for it? Is my power supply enough to power the pump and everthing else (more about this in last post)?

 

[Ping to the Pong]

i think you got a good selection of products. IMO, i would stick to the TDX block like you already have, but it is more restrictive than the Swiftech 6002. You save money with the 10% Danger Den promotion too!

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: Cheesetogo
I've been wanting to get into water cooling for a long time now, and after seeing my friend's setup I decided I want to get one. I configured this at dangerden:

DangerDen TDX Block and DD5 pump 108.75

DangerDen MAZE4GPU Sli Kit 129.95

Double Heater Core with shroud 48.94

8 ft of 1/2 inch Tygon Tubing 22.40

MCT-40 Non- Conductive Formula x2 43.98

DangerDen 5 1/4 inch reservoir 29.95

Blue UV Water Dye-Lite 8.99

Total after 10% holiday discount and shipping: $384.82

Are there any major problems with this setup? Can the non-conductive formula be mixed with tap water, and would anti freeze work just as well? I don't really want to spend 40 dollars on the stuff. Thanks!

You might want to consider another CPU block. The TDX is out-performed by at least a few other modern blocks and it has a flaw the DD doesn't seem to be interested in correcting. The neoprene gasket that holds the nozzle in place can, and has, come loose.
As for coolant, I'd go with a known quantity like Hydrx or another additive that's manufactured with PC water-cooling in mind. The water-cooling community is starting to realize that the standard "90% distilled + 10% anti-freeze" line isn't working as well as we were led to believe.

 

[gus6464]

I would go for Zerex Coolant with your distilled water, there have been no reports that i have seen of any complaints with using it and its cheaper than the hydrx or watercooling made equivalent. And its 95% distilled + 5% zerex. Its when you use more that it clogs the blocks after some time.

 

[HardWarrior]

I've seen Hydrx as cheap as $3.99 a bottle which treats 1 liter of distilled. If that isn't cheap enough then nothing is. I have indeed seen reports of racing coolant and anti-freeze allowing spora bloom, not to mention tube staining. Which is exactly what you don't want. BTW, the STANDARD mixture that old-timers always reccomend is 90/10, and even some of these people are saying that you should toss in a drop of iodine, because the 90/10 solution doesn't have long-lasting anti-biologic properties. My 5-months using having haven't produced any problems, including the white scale that adheres to tubing with meatball coolant mixtures.

 

[Idleuser]

actually hydrx is only 1.99 at www.svc.com you can even check it out for yoruself i you want. But, for me Hydrx isnt worth it because i'm constantly changing my loop and improving my watercooling gear so that's why I use the distilled water+uv dye+zerex method. However, both of them works just as good if not the same.

Btw, there are better blocks out there if you decide not to get the TDX but that is probably the best combo money can buy. 108.5 -10%=97 bucks. It would cost you 80 bucks +/- 5 bucks for the pump. So you are really paying for 27 bucks for a pretty good preforming block. As for the neoprene gasket.. I have never had it failed on me before. You are also probably not going to get any better cooling than TDX vs MCW6000 since most modern pumps only flow to 1.5gpm and the differences is 1c difference. But the storm g4 will probably give you the best preformance but at a higher cost at 3-5c max out of a water block. Your ambient and mounting of the block would make a more greater impact on your overall h2o setup.

 

[HardWarrior]

I don't shop at SVC, so I wouldn't know. Either way, $4.00 or $2.00, if such a small expenditure matters THAT much something's wrong. As far as the gasket not failing for you, user, have you checked it lately? Mine simply got water-logged and lost its form, allowing coolant to move over and through it, defeating the purpose of the impingment structure entirely. This is the sort of problem that you can ignore personally, but it's wrong to simply pretend it doesn't exist, and reccomend the block anyway because the fact is uncomfortable. I had the courtesy to mention the problem to DD and they ignored me, just like they did another guy at overclockers.

For the record, anyone can use anything they want for coolant. The only loop I'm responsibe for is my own. However, there are better products available. We don't have to use things that aren't designed for what we do and hope for the best anymore. Moreover, I'd urge anyone just getting into water to do their homework before they start spending any money. Develop you OWN ideas about how things should work, because there's far too much misinformation and ego floating around to depend on anyone but yourself.

 

[Idleuser]

yeah I chekcked it lately, I recently switched over to nozzle 4 after running it for 8 months and the gaset was sitll intact and my RBX with nozzle #4 is still running fine. HOwever, I am not saying this isn't a problem that doesn't exist. We all know it does but i'm just saying that it hasn't failed on me yet. Anyways that's my personal experience and I can't speak for everyone out there.

 

[HardWarrior]

If it can happen to me, it can happen to you, user. The fact that DD hasn't bothered to issue a fix for existing blocks doesn't speak well of them. Under these conditions, and if "we all know" it can happen, is it really a good idea to suggest this product? I don't think so, especially when there are other CPU blocks that don't have this potential flaw in design.

 

[Idleuser]

yeah well, you also got to factor in price. We all want the best stuff that we can afford for our computers but if you add 75 for a d5 pump and 40 for an apogee block not including shipping from both places 115 and maybe 10-15 shipping for the block you'll bring the prices up to 120 for just a WB and Pump or u can pay 97 for both of htem and save yourself about 30 bucks +/- 5bucks. I'm just saying it might happen it might not, it has happen to you and other users but it has not happend to me so you can draw you own conclusion. To me 97 bucks for the block and pump is a bargin.

 

[HardWarrior]

You're preaching to the choir on this, user. I'm in the process of pulling the trigger on $2500 in upgrades, and that includes 2 D5's to power a Storm and $269 worth or SLI video coolers for two GTX's. So yeah, spend to your heart's desire. Again, if the problem can happen, and has, why reccomend the TDX? I'm not aware of any other block the uses neoprene in such a critical location. Really dude, all pretense and brand loyalty aside, would you suggest that someone buy a car that had a tendency of blowing a push rod, just because you own the same model and it hadn't happened to YOU yet? With all due respect, and NO intention of flaming you, if the answer is "yes" then you're just flat-out wrong.

 

[Idleuser]

I wasn't recommend the TDX I was recommend the combo and if I had a choice I would not buy the TDX but it just seems like it would be a better buy. Btw, a car is different from a waterblock. But I'm using the TDX until the G7 comes out in the future and good luck with that new setup that's one bad ass setup :thumbsup:

 

[HardWarrior]

Thanks user. I've been itching to buy a rig that can choke any game on the market and every game coming up. And yeah, I'll pop for a G7 too!

 

[gus6464]

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
You're preaching to the choir on this, user. I'm in the process of pulling the trigger on $2500 in upgrades, and that includes 2 D5's to power a Storm and $269 worth or SLI video coolers for two GTX's. So yeah, spend to your heart's desire. Again, if the problem can happen, and has, why reccomend the TDX? I'm not aware of any other block the uses neoprene in such a critical location. Really dude, all pretense and brand loyalty aside, would you suggest that someone buy a car that had a tendency of blowing a push rod, just because you own the same model and it hadn't happened to YOU yet? With all due respect, and NO intention of flaming you, if the answer is "yes" then you're just flat-out wrong.

Just a suggestion but if you are going to buy 2 D5's why not just buy an iwaki pump? I know its an AC pump but you are going highly restrictive on your setup so why not get the best pump for that setup?

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: gus6464

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
that includes 2 D5's to power a Storm and $269 worth or SLI video coolers for two GTX's.

Just a suggestion but if you are going to buy 2 D5's why not just buy an iwaki pump? I know its an AC pump but you are going highly restrictive on your setup so why not get the best pump for that setup?

It's actually too late to consider another option. I already have the D5's. Also, and this is just hearsay, but aren't Iwaki's large, warm and generate a fair amount of EMI? I'm well aware of Iwakis' legendary status, but I just don't have THAT much room in my case. Do you think that dual D5's won't generate enough pressure and head to service a Storm, SLI'd NV78's, a HE120.3 and possibly a chipset block?

Give it to me straight, gus. Have I screwed myself??? :Q

 

[gus6464]

You can always mount the iwaki on top of your case and just drill 2 holes on top to feed the tubing. Theres another guy at xtreme forums who has the same setup and says it works great, only thing is that with the iwaki on top just makes the case a bit top heavy but not that bad. Also HE120.3 rads fit pretty nice on the bottom inside of your case as long as you have no card on the last pci slot of your mobo.

Also dont use a chipset block, you gain pretty much nothing from it and it just ends up killing your flow. I dont have much experience with 2 pumps but i think you are going to have to make 2 separate loops for it to work properly which is just a hassle. Also are you planning on getting the video block that covers both the gpu and ram? Because if you are they are pretty big and might not fit in an sli setup but all depends on the mobo and how much spacing you have between each pci-e slot. Plus theyre mostly a waste of money, just get a regular slim gpu block and some ramsinks and save you some money. The new DD maze4 acetals are very slim and perform very well.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: gus6464
You can always mount the iwaki on top of your case and just drill 2 holes on top to feed the tubing. Theres another guy at xtreme forums who has the same setup and says it works great, only thing is that with the iwaki on top just makes the case a bit top heavy but not that bad. Also HE120.3 rads fit pretty nice on the bottom inside of your case as long as you have no card on the last pci slot of your mobo.

Also dont use a chipset block, you gain pretty much nothing from it and it just ends up killing your flow. I dont have much experience with 2 pumps but i think you are going to have to make 2 separate loops for it to work properly which is just a hassle. Also are you planning on getting the video block that covers both the gpu and ram? Because if you are they are pretty big and might not fit in an sli setup but all depends on the mobo and how much spacing you have between each pci-e slot. Plus theyre mostly a waste of money, just get a regular slim gpu block and some ramsinks and save you some money. The new DD maze4 acetals are very slim and perform very well.

Geez gus, I was just asking if you knew something about pumps that I don't, not for a complete redesign. Let's see if I actually know more than you:

1. Two pumps in series, one placed after another, sharply increases flow pressure, which is precisely what I need with a Storm being my first block.

2. Two pumps in parallel, side by side with a single intake and exhaust tube, increases overall flow, which isn't what I need with a pump(s) that moves about 317LPH at a dead clip.

3. Chipset blocks do indeed serve a purpose, even with todays cooler south bridges. They replace fans, and by extension, remove ambient heat from your box. As I mentioned, I'm using a HE120.3. What I didn't mention was the fans I'm using. That's 3x120x38mm, medium speed Panaflo's. From what I understand, these fans coupled with a large surface area will dissipate a fair sight more heat than a Stormed X2 4400+, 2xXFX 7800 GTX (490/1300) and a Maze4 can generate, even with muscular overclocks. My question is this, if I can remove this much heat from my box, without and strain on my wallet, why not do it? In the final analysis, isn't that the goal of water-cooling? Also, there is some possibility that the top card won't seat completely with the SB cooler on the DFI Expert mb, which is what motivated me to consider this option. I won't know for sure until everything gets here next week.

4. I'm well aware of the tolerances needed for the NV78, I've used the NV68 for over a year. This was one of my motivations for going with the Expert. The PCI-e slots are farther apart than any other SLI board so far. There's enough room. I always do my homework.

5. As far as me and my cash flow are concerned SLI'd NV78's are far from a waste. They look good, they perform very well and they also further my goal of using water to remove as much heat from my gamer rig as possible.

6. The LAST thing I want on top of my sleak black case is a huge yellow pump. :Q

 

[gus6464]

Actually i got more parts in the mail today, case (antec plusview II) and BIX3 among other stuff. Still no pump though. But one thing is that the BIX3 is huge, but huge. No way its going to fit where i was planning on so now its time to rethink the whole damn setup. Damn its gonna take a while to have this rig up and running.

Hey you could always paint the pump.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: gus6464
Actually i got more parts in the mail today, case (antec plusview II) and BIX3 among other stuff. Still no pump though. But one thing is that the BIX3 is huge, but huge. No way its going to fit where i was planning on so now its time to rethink the whole damn setup. Damn its gonna take a while to have this rig up and running.

Hey you could always paint the pump.

The Plusview is a full tower? If you were thinking about an internal mount, remember that you only have to account for the width of the fans for a top-of-the-case mount. I was more worried about being able to feed the rad fans. At 86cfmx3 it seems like I'd almost have a hard vaccum in my case. As it is I'm going to reverse two 80mm exhausts and use a PWN controller on the rad fans. What mb and CPU are you getting?

Nah, I'll just wait until until it's time to try an external water setup. Then I'll have all the justification I need to use one of those monster pumps. Are you going with an Iwaki?