re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

Well... Haven't gotten mine yet even though my 970 shipped. I really want that fc4 key

Any amazing deals on laptops out there? Got a buddy looking for one, doesn't have to be anything special, I think he just plays games like world of tanks. I don't keep up with laptops, so I am not sure what's out there. He didn't gve me a price range, just looking for a great deal.

He does plan to use autocad/solid works.

Looks like they are discounted only up to $150 off. And that only applies to the two i7 models. The i5 models are $100 off and the i3 64GB gets no discount. Definitely worth the extra $100 to get the i5/128gb for $899.

I still think they are too expensive as a whole, at least for my use. I originally wanted one, but I realized that since I'm at home 90% of the time, I'd likely end up using it as a laptop 90% of the time, so there's no point in paying the mobility premium.

Highly doubtful. PC parts don't go on any major sales this time of the year (except Hard drives and peripherals).

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I don't think I can fit a 3 fan rad in my r4.

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nope

Custom water cooling stuff only goes on sale if inventory is being cleared of an old item to make room for a new one, and in those cases you're probably still better off buying used. It's a niche market with so few vendors that there's rarely a need for much competition.

It is by far the least cost-effective hobby related to computers -- expensive, semi-low resale value on some parts, and doesn't necessarily beat the good all-in-ones like the swiftech line in terms of coolig performance unless you go balls to the wall. It's easy to spend close to $1000 on highly aesthetically pleasing custom loop with premium parts if cooling multiple GPUs and a CPU.

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What's the bare minimum on rad size for a cpu and 2 780tis?

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1 x 120mm rad per component = adequate but depending on fans used, can be noisy if overclocking CPU in particular

1.5 x 120mm rad per component (for example a 360 rad for a GPU/CPU loop)= balanced noise/performance and most likely to reach the desired DeltaT < 10C at sub-1000rpm fan levels on decent static pressure fans (like some quiet gentle typhoons).

2 x 120mm (240mm) rad per component = top of the noise/performance window and pretty much overkill, easily reaching DeltaT<10C with well-undervolted fans

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What would you go with for 240/280 size?

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A swiftech all-in-one, but don't try to add your two 780 Tis to the loop. You'll want 360 minimum to cool 3 components.

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I plan on doing it, cost isn't a huge issue for me. May just end up getting a bigger case and moving the r4 to my Mame cabinet. It's in need of better cooling.

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I just went to FrozenCPU and added all of my water-cooling components to a shopping cart.



Just realized I forgot to add my SLI bridge pipes to that -- another $30. Also, this cart isn't precisely my setup -- my pump is the black version but it's out of stock on the site. Also, my fans are the gentle typhoon AP-15s, but I could've just used the AP-13s and probably wouldn't have needed a fan controller.

It can easily get more expensive than this if you go all out with pump redundancy, more expensive radiators and blocks, rigid acrylic tubing with tons of angled fittings, etc. You can also go a lot cheaper without losing much performance. You'll probably just be sacrificing aesthetics and acoustics.

For example, the biggest budget-killers in a custom loop are full-cover GPU blocks and fittings. The full-cover GPU blocks are the worst in terms of value: They are proprietary, and once you upgrade your graphics cards, the blocks are useless and you'll need to buy new full-cover blocks if you want to watercool your new cards. They are difficult to sell second-hand, because it's less common for folks to want to water-cool last-gen cards. But... they look damn good.

Fittings can get expensive too, depending on type used and number of components in the loop. Compression fittings look best but are in the $5/piece range up to $10+, and angled fittings, if you end up needing any, can be over $20.

If you like the r4, the new r5, arc midi line, and nzxt H440 are all similar

Yeah, it appears that's a major point of being able to remove the top ODD cage. With the ODD cage removed, you can mount a 3x120 rad or a 3x140 rad.

Or, you can remove the HDD cages and mount a 3x120 rad in the front of the case. There are SSD mounts behind the motherboard tray.

Good lord man, your cooling system is 1/2 what my new build was. Makes my $175 cooler look like a water pistol.