About to buy water cooling supplies

motorboatink1ng

New Member
I have never water cooled before, so I am kind of nervous about getting everything right. I have an i7-4790k and 2 msi gtx 970's in SLI. I don't plan on overclocking, but my temps are high, I'm assuming just because of how close the cards are to each other. From the research I've done, I need a 480 rad. I can't fit that in my case (thermaltake gt level 10), so I am planning on mounting it behind the case. I am getting confused on the fittings and what size tubing to get. All the components I've picked so far have G1/4 fittings. I just don't know what compression fittings to get or size tubing. Here is what i have in my cart so far, all off of FrozenCPU.

X2 EK Geforce MSI 970 Waterblock - $122.99EA ($245.98 total) http://www.frozencpu.com/products/25925/ex-blc-1915/EK_GeForce_MSI_970_GTX_Full_Coverage_Water_Block_-_Acetal_Nickel_EK-FC970_GTX_TF5_-_AcetalNickel.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=2605
Coolgate Quad 120mm Radiator - $116.99 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/12485/ex-rad-206/Coolgate_Quad_120mm_Ultimate_Heat_Exchanger_Radiator_CG480.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=2606
Aquacomputer Aquabox 5.25" Reservoir - $54.95 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/15684/ex-res-359/Aquacomputer_Aquabox_Professional_525_Bay_Reservoir_-_Black_Delrin.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=2607
EK D5 X-Top Pump - $115.99 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/21014/ex-pmp-245/EK_D5_X-Top_Pump_Top_w_D5_Vario_Pump_-_Black_Acetal_EK-XTOP_D5_Vario_-_Acetal_incl_pump.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=2608
Heatkiller Rev 3.0 CPU Waterblock - $89.95 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14214/ex-blc-977/Heatkiller_Rev_30_115511561150_CPU_Liquid_Cooling_Block_-_Nickel_Black_14014.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=2609
Heatkiller Rev 3.0 Backplate - $9.99 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/11078/ex-blc-778/Heatkiller_Rev_30_1156_CPU_Block_Backplate_-_10012.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=3261
Koolance Radiator Mounting Bracket - $52.95 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9095/ex-rad-159/Koolance_Radiator_Mounting_Bracket_w_Quick-Release_BKT-HX001.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=3262
Bitspower Adjustable Aqua Link Pipe II - $14.99 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/23173/ex-tub-2789/Bitspower_Adjustable_Aqua_Link_Pipe_II_41-69mm_-_Carbon_Black_BP-CBDG14AALPII.html?id=GGDwjGZ5&mv_pc=3263

Total Price : $701.79 (I didn't think it would be that expensive)

Another thing I was thinking to save money, was to get a cooling kit for the CPU such as this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181036 for about the same price as the water block above. Then I could possibly go down on my radiator size. I don't know if it is worth it or not. Or, I don't know if this is an option or not, but my CPU temps are fine. If I could still air cool my CPU, and just liquid cool my GPU's. Then I could possibly mount a 240 rad in the case, and if need be another 120 on the bottom.

If my other ideas won't work that is fine, I can liquid cool everything in one loop. I just want to make sure I have the right fittings and tubing, and that everything I picked is enough to keep it cool. Thanks for the help.
 
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Motoxrdude

Active Member
Watercooling is actually pretty easy man. For whatever components you get make sure you get the appropriate threaded fitting. Pick one tubing size for your entire loop and buy fittings for that size tubing. The size of tubing that you pick really doesn't matter but I would recommend 3/8" ID because how easy it is to work with.

If you're buying from frozen CPU, just select the ID fitting that you want with the component and they'll match the thread to the component.

Also, with all in one coolers you can't open them up and create a custom loop with them so it would be pointless buying that H90. Plus the H90 is on par with a good air cooler.

But my recommendation to you is this, if you're going to take the time in water cooling your video cards I would water cool your CPU as well. It isn't going to take that much more effort to add a CPU block into the loop. A 120mmx60mm radiator per component in a waterloop should be sufficient. So if you have 3 components, a 360mmx60mm or 240mmx60mm + 120mmx60mm, etc would be fine. Obviously if you plan on overvolting and overclocking then you would want to increase your radiator sizes.
 

C4C

Well-Known Member
Your pacing doesn't sound accurate, but there's many other options such as th H100i
 

tylerjrb

Member
Get something like a h100i, nzxt kraken x51 for the cpu performs very well and much cheaper than a custom loop, unless you plan on going over 5ghz. What temps are your 970's getting? I have 2x 980's and they don't go above 70c. 80-90 is where you want to keep away from. You wouldn't notice any difference unless it went over 80c as that's where it throttles down.

If your set just get 2 blocks for each Gpu, fittings, pipe. 1 pump, 1 Res and a 360 rad.

You want g1/4 fittings (thread size) and what ever pipe that opens to, it will say for example I.D and O.D. You need pipe to fit those internal and external diameters exactly.
 
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