re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

You selling your TIs?

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Pretty sure I'll be going XSPC unless anyone else has other recommendations for my build.

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Are you getting a kit? Otherwise, you don't have to go all XSPC. Their GPU blocks are unimpressive, though they may have improved the designs in recent years. Everything else they sell is decent though.

How much? I was planning on grabbing a 7970 or something like that, but if the price is right I'll buy one of yours

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you ordering from performance-pcs?

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I've been looking there and frozen cpu.

I have no complaints about my Switftech for the CPU that you suggested, it's been running great and no issues.

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Srbtiger06

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It is sad to hear FrozenCPU is out of business, I personally hate PerformancePCs because of their outrageous freight charges.

Srb, go custom and have fun with it.



Edt: If you do go for a closed loop like one of the Corsairs, buy new fans for it. The fans which come with the kit are loud.

Custom loops can be sensibly cheap, or outrageously expensive. The bulk of the cost of mine and Coyote's loops comes from the full-cover GPU blocks (generally $150 a piece with backplates) and the compression fittings--easy to rack up a couple hundred bucks in compression fittings and angled rotary fittings, but plain old barbs with worm clamps are only a few dollars and work just as well. It's mostly for looks and has extremely diminishing returns, but it's fun.

Yeah, there's definitely a high level of satisfaction in having a rig that looks "finished." That's why I post pics of it every chance I get.



What kind of look are you going for?

This might be a relatively sensible way to get what you want without it looking like you cut any corners:

White Monsoon free center compression fittings 6-pack for $38.99, plus a couple of them individually for $7.50 each . If you like the look of them. Personally, using traditional knurled compression fittings gives me a special appreciation for the Monsoons. Picked some up in 2014, and now I don't think I'll ever use a different kind. If you can plan your loop to avoid super-tight bends and the need for angled fittings, 8-10 of these fittings would be all you need.

White PrimoFlex Advanced LRT -10 feet for $24.99, or buy it for $2.75 by the foot -- 6 ft would be more than enough, accounting for cutting errors.

XSPC Raystorm for $49.99 -- not white, but that black border plate detaches and would be easy to run a spray of white over it.
Likewise, any radiator you went with would probably be very easy to paint. I've painted a few radiators simply to hide scrapes and blemishes from handling. Just tape the fins and paint the shroud.

The GPU block, the budget option is to get the white MCW83 universal GPU block for $56.99, but you would really need to get ramsinks and a vrm cooling solution, or else the water cooling is mostly for show rather than overclocking. A more elegant but still budget-friendly solution is to get this Alphacool Nexxxos GPX block/sink/backplate combo for $95.95 and paint the backplate white. I'm sure voiding warranties wasn't on your agenda, but if it makes you feel better, I have literally never had to RMA a water-cooling part. The pump is the only thing I wouldn't paint, though I've never had to RMA one of those either.

For the pump, you can go with a separate pump and reservoir, or a combination, like a bay reservoir with the pump attached/inside. The latter saves a lot of space, and neither give you much color customization. For a bay reservoir/pump combo, I'd suggest the D5 one from XSPC for $124.95. Has 5 speed settings, and you can just put it on 3 for quieter operation. The front plate is removable and can be painted easily. Cheaper would be a Swiftech MCP50X for $70 and any cheap reservoir.

What case are you using? That'll dictate the pump/res and radiator arrangement. But a slim 360 rad would be more than enough if you have the room. Or a thick 240 or normal/slim 280.

It being a single video card setup cuts costs significantly, because you don't need to go beyond a 360 radiator and there's no need for an exceptionally powerful or dual pump system, extra GPU block, bridge fittings, etc. You could get a nice-looking, complete GPU/CPU setup for $400-450, which is a lot for cooling, but consider that my setup is about $1,000 worth of watercooling parts/fans and effectively accomplishes the same thing. It will look nice, perform extremely well, and nearly everything but the GPU block will last you through your next upgrade, and the next, etc.