Cooling the CPU is first - the most gain for the buck. GPUs second since they can be thermally limited and certainly last longer when cooler. RAMs and the VRMs come after those, in my opinion.
In my case, the GPU is way not thermally limited so it doesn't get water and I chose not to tackle RAM cooling yet. Here's what I did.
Note the G1/4 connections for water in and out of the CPU waterblock and the Crosschill. The radiator shows at the top of the case. An EK reservoir with pump is hiding in 5 1/4 drive space. The dangly thing tied to the HDD bay is a drain plug.
FrozenCPU is an online dealer in such things that I use a lot.
Jeff
In my case, the GPU is way not thermally limited so it doesn't get water and I chose not to tackle RAM cooling yet. Here's what I did.
Note the G1/4 connections for water in and out of the CPU waterblock and the Crosschill. The radiator shows at the top of the case. An EK reservoir with pump is hiding in 5 1/4 drive space. The dangly thing tied to the HDD bay is a drain plug.
FrozenCPU is an online dealer in such things that I use a lot.
Jeff
jab383 wrote:
Cooling the CPU is first - the most gain for the buck. GPUs second since they can be thermally limited and certainly last longer when cooler. RAMs and the VRMs come after those, in my opinion.
In my case, the GPU is way not thermally limited so it doesn't get water and I chose not to tackle RAM cooling yet. Here's what I did.
Note the G1/4 connections for water in and out of the CPU waterblock and the Crosschill. The radiator shows at the top of the case. An EK reservoir with pump is hiding in 5 1/4 drive space. The dangly thing tied to the HDD bay is a drain plug.
FrozenCPU is an online dealer in such things that I use a lot.
Jeff
Hi Jeff ... greetings ! I have this mobo too and I´m just start to install a watercooler custom. At this moment, I wanna cool only my CPU. My major concern is about the direction of fluid. My ideia is use a SC600 or SC1000 (from Syscooling) pump. Please, advice me about this sequence : (OUT) pump >> (IN) cpu block >> (OUT) cpu block to (IN) radiator 480 mm >> (OUT) radiator to (IN) reservoir >> (OUT) reservoir to (IN) pump and back to cpu ckp again. This loop arrangement is correct ?
I understand that about paying what it should cost and not for extravagance. There is an EK kit to replace the Crosschill block and add one on the PCH (the Z87), but I didn't go for that.
I suggest a diagram. Sketch out the components you want to cool - CPU and VRM. Sketch in the waterblocks and whether they are already present. Sketch in radiator, reservoir and pump. Attach g1/4 fittings to each. Picking the right ones for each component of the water loop is more work. Most of us want everything to fit in the case. That's a constraint you have to think through, especially for the radiator and its fans.
Tubing is a bigger consideration than you might expect. Some use rigid tubing cut exactly to size and clamped in tight, then have to tear apart the whole loop to troubleshoot when the tiniest thing goes wrong. I change CPUs often - alternating among three for benchmark scores. That wouldn't work without flexible tubing and the length that allows the CPU waterblock to swing out of the way. The only specific suggestion I'll make right now is to use PrimoChill PrimoFlex tubing. I started with cheaper tubing and had to spend a day cleaning plasticizer crud out of the CPU block to restore cooling performance.
I added more doodads like the drain plug and water temperature sensor as afterthoughts - not in my first sketch. Expect it to evolve.
Jeff
I suggest a diagram. Sketch out the components you want to cool - CPU and VRM. Sketch in the waterblocks and whether they are already present. Sketch in radiator, reservoir and pump. Attach g1/4 fittings to each. Picking the right ones for each component of the water loop is more work. Most of us want everything to fit in the case. That's a constraint you have to think through, especially for the radiator and its fans.
Tubing is a bigger consideration than you might expect. Some use rigid tubing cut exactly to size and clamped in tight, then have to tear apart the whole loop to troubleshoot when the tiniest thing goes wrong. I change CPUs often - alternating among three for benchmark scores. That wouldn't work without flexible tubing and the length that allows the CPU waterblock to swing out of the way. The only specific suggestion I'll make right now is to use PrimoChill PrimoFlex tubing. I started with cheaper tubing and had to spend a day cleaning plasticizer crud out of the CPU block to restore cooling performance.
I added more doodads like the drain plug and water temperature sensor as afterthoughts - not in my first sketch. Expect it to evolve.
Jeff
