Putting together a I7 water cooling system

[Rick James]

How do my parts look so far? Anything i should do different? What else do i need besides the tubing, coolant and clamps?

MPC-CPU - i7 Nehalem/1366 Block

The MPC-CPU waterblock utilizes the multiple pin design to provide optimum performance to the Multi-Core and Multi-Die processors currently on the market and soon to be released products.


Selected options:
Fitting Size: 1/2" OD Fat Boy Fittings
Acrylic Back Plate: None


$42.95 x = $42.95

Delete item

Edit options
DD12V-D5 Pump Fixed Speed by Laing DD12V-D5 Pump Fixed Speed by Laing

The DD12V-D5 is a 12Volt pump with near silent operation. It is fixed at the #4 setting from maximum performance!


Selected options:
Fitting Size: 1/2" OD Fittings (For 1/2" ID Tubing)


$76.95 x = $76.95

Delete item

Edit options
Black Ice GTX120 Black Ice GTX120

The Black Ice® GTX120 brings true next generation PC Radiator technology to a higher level of performance. Using the new GTX platform, the GTX120 provides twice the liquid heat transfer surface area with a unique pre-cool/aftercool coolant flow configuration which increases heat transfer efficiency and internal system flow rates. High performance and quiet operation no longer need to be a compromise.


Selected options:
Fat Boy Fittings: 2 - 1/2 Inch OD Fittings
Compression Fittings: None
Color: Black


$53.95 x = $53.95

Delete item

Edit options
Fillport Reservoir Fillport Reservoir

An easy to add reservoir for a fillport system...


Selected options:
Add a Fillport: Yes - Clear
Fitting Size: 1/2" OD Fitting for 1/2" ID Tubing
Poly "T": Included


$27.65 x = $27.65

Delete item

Edit options

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Here's what you want:

KL CPU 350 80$
or
EK Supreme LT 49$
the difference between these two blocks on an i7 rig was about 1*c - shown here

1/2" ID
any size rad you want - i'd suggest a MCR 320 QP
Swiftech 355 with the res top

...

 

[Beanie46]

Dump the Black Ice radiator. You'll have to use a jet engine fan to get any sort of performace out of it compared to a Swiftech MCR-series radiator......and this doesn't go into the horrible pressure drop the BI rad will subject your loop to vs. the MCR rad. In most people's short list of price/performace radiators, the list begins with the MCR, goes through the XSPC new rads, and ends at the Feser/Thermochill rads, and rarely if ever mention Black Ice rads. And, btw, you're going to need at least a 240, or double, rad.....a 120, or single, rad will not have enough cooling capacity to properly cool the fluid.....you'll end up with a huge ambient-to-coolant delta, prob. greater than 10C. I'd even consider a triple, or 360, radiator for the i7 cpu.....esp. of overclocking at all.

Second, don't get too hung up on 1/2" tubing. It has been demonstrated by Cathar, one of the most knowledgeable designers in watercooling components, that the temp differences seen between using 1/2" and 3/8" tubing is less than 0.05C. That's right..... 0.05C difference. And flow rates weren't impacted much either......6.2LPM for 3/8" vs. 6.35LPM for 1/2" tubing. Again, not a heck of a lot of difference. Read the research here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=147767

Personally, I've been using 3/8" x 5/8" tubing for quite a while and like the way the thick walled (1/8") tubing resists kinking so well and the way the thick walled tubing drapes so well compared to thin walled (1/16") tubing. To get the same wall thickness in 1/2" tubing, you have to use 1/2" x 3/4" tubing, which is large, and can overwhelm a lot of cases, setups, etc.

The blocks mentioned above seem to be the best for i7 core cpus......but are very pressure dependent and pressure consuming. They need a lot of pressure to work well and at the same time, "use" or drop a lot of pressure in your flow coming out of the block. The D5 pump, while a great pump, is more known for flow and not pressure. The DDC 3.2 pump, a la Swiftech 355 among other rebrands of that pump, is much more known for higher pressure output and I'd honestly look into getting one of those, adding an EK top, Rev. 2. That top will actually give even higher pressure and flow output from that pump....and be more suited for those blocks.

 

[Rick James]

Guys. Where's the best place to pickup everything that i need? I hate mixing and matching parts at different online retailers.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Shop around. You're going to have to buy from different places... you'll get use to it and plus, you might find a better price at a different vendor

 

[Beanie46]

Get used to shopping around. Many times, even with shipping costs from each vendor, it's cheaper to buy from multiple vendors instead of all from one place.

http://www.petrastechshop.com/

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/

http://www.jab-tech.com/

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

http://www.frozencpu.com/


Places most look to first for WC'ing supplies. Petra's is an excellent site as is Sidewinders (my first two choices, personally.) Jab-Tech, while excellent, too, has a much more limited selection than any of the others listed.


While Performance PCs and FrozenCPU are both more expensive than the first three, they both have a HUGE selection of almost anything and everything you could want or need.