Thinking about going with an H20 setup

[Fistandantilis]

would the Thermaltake bigwater watercooling set-up work with an EVGA 680i motherboard?
I am concerned with the smaller fan on the motherboard getting in the way, anybody with this motherboard knows what fan I am talking about.

also, what is the general concensus about these units? the machine that it will be going into (if I get it) is in my sig.

Thanks

 

[CurseTheSky]

You're talking about the small fan on the northbridge? If they still use the same waterblock that came with my Kandalf LCS case, then yes, it first with no problems. Waterblocks are generally much smaller than heatsinks and fans.

With that being said, you'll be MUCH happier in the long run if you build a custom kit. The Thermaltake kits do work, but they're really only as good as a very high-end air cooler, and much more expensive. On top of that, my pump died within a year of use (fluke? who knows).

I could go on and on about the performance differences, but I'll leave that up to everyone else.

Compare the price of the kit you're considering buying to total price of the following. Keep in mind that with this stuff, you're paying for QUALITY.
-MCP655 Pump
-D-tek Fuzion v2 or Apogee GTX waterblock
-MCR320 3x120mm Radiator
-MCRES-Micro Reservoir
-7/16" ID, 5/8" OD tubing
-Hydrx

You may need to change some things (for example, you may need a 1x120mm or 2x120mm radiator, depending on the size of your case), and you may need a few additional parts (hose clamps, radbox, etc.) Ask here, and you'll get more helpful advice than you'll ever need.

 

[HardWarrior]

The Bigwater is okay, as long as your expectations aren't too high. Look at it more as a fan replacement technology, and not as balls-to-the-wall performance water cooling.