Hi there, I've recently been looking at watercooling my newish pc. I have an i5 2500k which I would watercool and overclock to ~4.5 - 5 GHz initially and then add a GPU into the loop when I upgrade it. My case is the corsair carbide 400r, which has 240mm rad mounts, but with some careful measuring I can see won't fit full size (60mm) rads in without interfering with the mobo. I have been thinking about getting full size 120mm rads and mounting them in the back of the case or on the back of the hdd cages (one on both, or one on either for now). My question is, would an xspc x20 450 pump/reservoir be powerful enough to have two rads on the loop, and in the future have a GPU waterblock on it? Thanks in advance.
That's a good value pump although I find them a bit noisy at full speed. It's going to be better than the XSPC pump which don't have a great reputation for longevity. You might find a dual rad is enough depending on what GPU is in the loop but your temps might not be great. Most modern rads don't have a great deal of restriction (Black Ice GTX excepted) so shouldn't be a problem with either pump. Swiftech make great value 'slim' rads and providing you have enough rad you'd probably only see a couple of degrees difference between one of those and a thicker rad. Keep an eye on these tests which will give you a good idea of relative performance http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?279234-360-Radiator-Shootout-Begins!..
laing ddc id a great little pump. or a d5 if you need that. bear in mind that the pumps will be used in many future rigs/setups so dont skimp on it!!
It's a very expensive hobby and you'll be surprised how the cost can mount up for bits and pieces! That said it is also very satisfying to build your own loop and reap the rewards. The D5 Vario pump is very good and comes in various guises. I have an Alphacool VP655 with Plexi-Top which works great. Although I did need to strip the assembly and apply silicone grease around the o-ring to make it water tight.
2 x 120mm rad is unlikely to give you adequate cooling for both CPU and GPU. You will be better off buying a 240 or 360 rad, then adding another when you upgrade the loop. GPUs under stress can kick out a lot of heat.
Thanks for all the quick replies. I've looked at the EK DCP 4.0 pump and it looks like it might be the one. I'm not too worried about noise , as the front fans on my case are pretty noisy already. Also using my trusty ruler I reckon I could fit one of the XSPC EX dual radiators in the top with a single set of fans without interfering with the motherboard. I should be able to buy everything in the next few months, so long as my HDD doesn't give up on me (its about six years old and from dell!). Thanks again.
As a low cost pump it's very good. As with most pumps the vibration needs to be damped though. I use low density foam of the pond filter variety. Sitting on that stops vibration going to case. Except mine isn't in case but on a wooden mount along with radiator and res beside open window.
