So, Where to shop for WC parts these days?

[Painman]

I'm having a semi-serious dilemma here. I used to shop the crap out of Sidewinder, but it doesn't look like they're what they used to be. No updates to their Facebook page in over a year, unanswered complaints, spotty inventory...

Petra's used to be good, their URL redirects to Sidewinder now...

FrozenCPU seems to have called it quits, and their website has broken image links...

Jab-Tech has called it quits...

All my old go-to shops are gone, or in limbo.

Here's what I need:

-A new D5 Vario. Mine is 9 years old, and it's finally beginning to fail.

-A reservoir. Yeah yeah, I don't really NEED a reservoir; I just like having one for the extra coolant capacity/system monitoring. But I blew up the one I had (don't ask; I was just being really stupid. No, thank goodness, it wasn't in the case at the time.) I like the latest ones from XSPC, if I can actually buy one.

-New tubing. 1/2" ID x 3/4" OD. Tygon or Durelene preferred. Anything that won't kink up on me, really. No fancy colors needed.

Here's what I'd like:

-A KillCoil.

-An extra bottle of PC formulated coolant or 2 (HydrX, etc.)

-New fans? I dunno. My D12SL-12s are also 9 years old and refuse to quit. But if there's a new "gold standard" 120*25mm fan out there, I'll consider picking up a few.

Thanks.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Not that it helps much, but FrozenCPU . . . bad things, man. Bad things.

I went poking around for a D5 Vario and found these:

http://www.amazon.com/Swiftech-MCP655TM-Laing-Vario-controller/dp/B001G6S1JY
http://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-d5-vario-laing-d5-vario.html

Not gonna say that Amazon is going to be your go-to replacement for the above-mentioned sites, but their page for the pump has links to kill coils, a res, fittings, etc. You might find that Titan Rig has what you want, or that a number of Amazon resellers have bits and pieces of what you need.

 

[Painman]

>Amazon

That's what I was afraid of. I want to support what's left of the small business scene, but perhaps they're all just Amazon affiliates now.

Fuck it, I have some Amazon gift $ and I also need a new electric shaver...

 

[Micrornd]

A reliable outfit that many of us buy from -

http://www.performance-pcs.com/pumps

 

[MrTeal]

If you don't mind more industrial stuff, you could always order bits and pieces from McMaster as well.

 

[DrMrLordX]

That's what I was afraid of. I want to support what's left of the small business scene, but perhaps they're all just Amazon affiliates now.

There's an air of truth to that. Lots of small/independent businesses are pushing stuff on Amazon, eBay, etc. Things have changed. And they'll change again, no doubt.

 

[aigomorla]

koolance.com

Koolance has THE BEST warranty when it comes to pumps.
Your allowed to mod the top, your allowed to take them apart, your allowed to do anything to them as long as they dont have ANY physical dmg, and they honor RMA should it fail.



Use Performance-PCs for everything else.
Owner Hank is a great guy, always fixes orders if a mistake was made and should you not be happy, and has never let me down.

Tubing standard now is Primochill LRT.
Kill Coils are now very dangerous to buy, unless its from Iandh, which no one sells anymore from the flood of Fake silver products with high iron count.
Infact the only kill coil i'll buy now is the ones i make personally from pure silver sheets bought from a metal vendor.
Sterling silver is NOT pure silver... you need 99.99999% pure silver otherwise u risk a lot of bad stuff happening in your loop.

Skip the coolant mix unless your mixing metals heavily, like alu + copper. It just spells disaster later on.
You can use straight distilled as long as your not running LED intensive lighting inside the case.

Pretty much the standard for fans are Scythe Gentle Typhoons, but they are very pricey, however worth every dollar as they offer the best solid performance to noise on a radiator.


http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ is another place you also try..
There is also NCIXUS.com

But yeah... frozencpu.com falling out will leave a big hole, as they were the largest.
I believe PerformancePC's is trying to fill the gap, but its not easy to handle that vol.

Jab-Tech... owner john told me he sells sports stuff now as its more profitable..
I was pretty close to jab-tech and owner, it was sad to see him close his custom computer parts section.

 

[Painman]

Alright, so Performance PCs had pretty much everything I needed in stock, so I threw them some $. Their prices seemed pretty decent, too.

Oh, and it only took them 20 minutes from the time I placed the order to get it boxed up and ready to ship... slow afternoon for them I guess...

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[EXCellR8]

I've had to order a lot of my stuff directly from the manufacturers since FCPU got destroyed. I wanted to order one of those cool test benches that are made in Italy but the only place I could find them is direct and shipping was a lot of money.

Long story short I got my test bench but as far as liquid cooling goes I haven't ordered much in the last 6 months. I like Swiftech products but their online store isn't the best.

 

[Z15CAM]

XSPC WB's (EK is good) with Koolance 5.25" Bay Reservoir/Pump solution.

Plus I recommend Noctua Fans, CoolGate Rads and Primotex hoses and Fluid - Don't need expensive quick disconnect couplings (a tie strap does it) as all CoolGate Rads come with a bleeder plug.

Excuse my spelling.

-------

i7 2700K running at 4.8Ghz with 16GB of Samsung MV-3V4G3D-US_DDR3 running at 1866MHz 9-9-9-24-1T all under 1.35v's and 70C at full load for the last 2.5 years without a HIC UP on a Z68 MB (ASUS P8Z68V-Pro Gen 3) with CF 290X's

Fractal Midi R2 Case - Tight Fit with a XFX 1050W BEFX PSU and 2x's 280x60x180 CoolGate Rads in push/pull Noctua's - Exhaust only with a single 180mm Fan Input.

The 1050W PSU is an over kill where I'm sure a 750 or 850 Watt PSU would do it.

The Fractal Midi R2 is a small heavy box when packed and be aware of Hardware flex when you move it - Which I don't believe any MFgr Case Builder can guarantee against.

Dare you to expand from this type of WB DeskTop build where I don't think you will get much further ToDay as everything thing is bent toward low voltage Tabloid.

Low energy Tabloid is were it's gong a us Desktop users have to accept it - Not saying I still do not uphold hope for Hot Rodded PC's in the future.

 

[guskline]

Performance PC treated me well. I previously used FrozenCPU but that isn't a viable option.

On my latest build below, I purchased 2 new XSPC RX480 ver2 rads and some new fittings along with new tubing from PC Performance. Al was package well and shipped promptly. I will definitely buy from them again.

 

[Z15CAM]

Yes! Performance PC is a Great Retailer. I use their outlet myself and I'm Canadian.

Sadly the NAFTA has kinda but a Ki-Boch against Free Trade and Canadians in the last few years. If you're American, I recommend you go there over NCIX as their portfolio lists advanced Water Cooling PC Options at a very fair price.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Performance PCs and Sidewinder. There's also an outfit in Seattle that featured Koolance. Ah -- I know! "Puget Systems." I guess I'd take a look at SVC -- Silicon Valley Compu-Cycle -- a weird outfit. They sold computer parts . . . and motorbikes.

 

[Z15CAM]

a weird outfit. They sold computer parts . . . and motorbikes.

Here's my 2 Wheeled Satan, a 71 Breganzie Laverda 750 SF. Believe me, NO PC Shop sold parts for it - Sorry Duck but I couldn't resist - LOL

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I never bother looking at the "other half" of the business, but I think the bikes they sold were the tiny ones: the motorbike equivalent of go-karts compared to a Mustang Mach 1 Turbo.

Here's my 2 Wheeled Satan, a 71 Breganzie Laverda 750 SF. Believe me, NO PC Shop sold parts for it - Sorry Duck but I couldn't resist - LOL

 

[Z15CAM]

BonaziaDuck - I apologize. It was a Joke on how we can get carried away at times. By the way that is my bike. Your ability to literate and type so much literally dumbfounds me and hence the Joke. By no means a disrespect but rather a confused respect for your PC knowledge and talent to compose. I'm sure all members of AT Forums appreciate your work and enjoy your Posts.

Perhaps someday we me hear one "ROLF" outta you ;o)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

BonaziaDuck - I apologize. It was a Joke on how we can get carried away at times. By the way that is my bike. Your ability to literate and type so much literally dumbfounds me and hence the Joke. By no means a disrespect but rather a confused respect for your PC knowledge and talent to compose. I'm sure all members of AT Forums appreciate your work and enjoy your Posts.

Perhaps someday we me hear one "ROLF" outta you ;o)

Well, if anything is funny, it's SVC. Looking at the site now, I don't see any bike stuff -- just computer parts. But that was -- indeed -- their original bifurcated mission.

I thought it was weird then, and I think it's weird now. But -- I've ordered stuff from them, from time to time! You remember the TRUE cooler? For a few dollars extra, they'd lap the convex HSF base flat to all copper for you. They'd built a machine or something to do it!

I notice, on a lot of these sites I've used, that there's much old stock. For instance, Sidewinder hasn't kept up with waterblocks for the 9x0 GTX NVidia cards. They have a LOT of GPU waterblocks, some going back three or four generations of gfx adapters, but nothing new. So I wonder if bidnis is bad for these places, even if Frozen CPU stopped shipping orders for more specific troubles.

 

[Z15CAM]

Geez! Guess you will always be BonziaDuck - ROLF ;o)

 

[Painman]

Follow up: Received my stuff yesterday, nicely packed... loop is all burped, leak tested and back up and running like new.

Very good first impression from Performance PCs, will shop again. Only problem is, it will probably be a while before I need to. Good WC equipment has low failure rates, which is good for me, but not so good for the specialty shops!