New Vid card or water cooling?

[floppybootstomp]

Here's my dilemma. My XP3200 CPU runs hot, I can't fit a bolt-through cooler as the motherboard has no mounting holes. I have a good heatsink on it atm, a Thermalright SLK-800, with a Pabst medium flo fan. Tried a Vantec tornado fan, it helped, but it was just too damn noisy.

It's at 61C with the side of the case off. Room temperature is quite high, it will probably get better when winter arrives.

Looks like the only option I have is leave the case side off, which is a bit of a shame cos it's a Lian Li window'ed panel, or go for water cooling. I have a rough idea of the components to buy, but still not sure of a few things, where to mount the reservoir and stuff, so I'm a little nervous about it. Cost will be around £150.00-ish.

Or do I just buy an Nvidia 6800GT video card? I quite fancy the Glacier version that Shorty mentioned in another thread as it comes fitted with the new VGA cooler. That costs £305.00.

If I get one of those I can ramp up my Doom 3 settings and make Far Cry look even better.

So, do I be sensible and get cooled down, or be a big kid and buy a new toy? I can't afford both. In fact it's only cos work has been quite good lately that I can afford any of them.

What would you do?

 

[Matt Jason H]

New toy

 

[ChristopherP]

ditto - New Card.

 

[Reefsmoka]

I'd definatly go with the new card if your processor didnt run so damn hot. It is a toughy, if you want to have a browse of a good water cooling supplier try www.coolercases.co.uk , the guy that runs it also runs a forum, and he is extremely helpful.

But becuase i like those little graphics card so much, im gonna say a 6800Gt .

 

[ChristopherP]

what about the X800pro OCUK Mod with 16 pipelines?

 

[floppybootstomp]

what about the X800pro OCUK Mod with 16 pipelines?

That's another 35 quid. Another £52.00 if you buy the vga cooler and ram sinks as recommended. And it's not in stock atm anyway.

Damn, I thought you'd all say be sensible and go for the water cooling

Hard choice innit? When I woke up today I thought 'Right, let's order them water cooling bits n bobs' then I read this.

Now I'm really

 

[bodhi]

Get the water cooler cause its much cheaper. Then by the time you have it installed and you have made your system like a fridge and its running at a pretty stable temperature, then will have enough money to buy the graphics card. Also, you wont have to worry about putting the new card in and making the system even hotter. No one is allowed to call me sensible, or dad, or anything like that!!!!

 

[muckshifter]

If the CPU goes "pop", then what point is there having a video card ...

Go get the water cooling kit ... and go out with a splash.

 

[ChristopherP]

if you don't monitor the temperature of your CPU then you wont worry about it... just tell it to shut down at 80 and get that card

haha

 

[Spooky Mouse]

Yep .. I would cool it down.... 61c seems fairly high... I would definately cool it down..

 

[Spooky Mouse]

or Alternativly.. you could just get the card and re-package your PC as a Desktop Oven!...

 

[floppybootstomp]

or Alternativly.. you could just get the card and re-package your PC as a Desktop Oven!...

lol

Well, I've decided to water cool. This temp has been bugging me for too long.

I have a mind to fit the following parts. I can place the pump at the bottom of the case, mount the radiator at the rear of the case after removing the 80mm exhaust fan and I'll have to mount the resevoir externally, probably on the wall on a lift off bracket. I can probably also lose the roof exhaust fan, which will leave just the 2 x 80mm Vantec Stealths cooling the two Raptor drives at the front of the case. That means quiet

Here's the kit I have in mind, I also have a couple of questions following the pix:

My questions are (has anybody here any experience of water cooling?):

All components are half inch fittings, except for the reservoir, which has 10mm fittings. Will I need pipe diameter converters to attach half inch (12.5mm) tubing to the reservoir? And are such things available? Or do you think they mean 10mm is in fact half inch?

And do you think it would be worth fitting a 120mm fan to the radiator? I do, although the info supplied with reservoir says that because of it's design, a system can run fanless.

All comments apreciated

 

[Alf]

I was going to say a Geforce 6800 Gt OC for games. (but itll be outdated in 6 years- $300 dollars down the drain).... (Until then have fun using it!)
In the long run the Water cooler thing sounds good, but i dont trust water. especially near my computer. If you do get one though, be sure you know what your doin first! And i have no Idea on how they work.

 

[Reefsmoka]

I was going to say a Geforce 6800 Gt OC for games. (but itll be outdated in 6 years- $300 dollars down the drain).... (Until then have fun using it!)

6 years ?!?!?!

It'll be out of date within 2 1/2 - 3 years my dear. Then you'll only be able to play games with the in game settings on low and low res!

They'll be some new revolutionary graphics engine out soon, that'll eat any graphics card for breakfast. 512mb graphics cards should be out within a year, and game makers are gonna take every chance to use them cards to the full potential, having ridiculas polygon counts and graphics that will/might look as good as the stuff pixar does (toystory, finding nemo).

O yeah, flopps! Earlier on in your post you said your motherboard doesnt have the holes to support the newer heatsinks, well water cooling uses the same holes, so i think you might need a new motherboard .

 

[floppybootstomp]

O yeah, flopps! Earlier on in your post you said your motherboard doesnt have the holes to support the newer heatsinks, well water cooling uses the same holes, so i think you might need a new motherboard .

The Swiftie block uses a clip

 

[Me__2001]

use a hose clip like this http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=5278

 

[Reefsmoka]

Ya can get the proper clips/clamps from here: http://www.coolercases.co.uk/wc_hose.htm
They look a hell of a lot better, and will probably fit alot better too.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Eh? I thought were talking about the CPU block

I'm aware I'll need some jubilee clips, but thanks for the pointers guys

 

[Reefsmoka]

Eh? I thought were talking about the CPU block

I'm aware I'll need some jubilee clips, but thanks for the pointers guys

Yeah man, i was in my post, i wasnt sure if ME_2001 maybe mis understood, so i just carried it on to keep the flow going .

If you do decide to go through with the water cooling, could you do like a picture diary thing, i want to see it taking shape step by step to see how easy/hard it is to do. Good luck if you do try it though, i'm definalty going water cooled sooner or later.

 

[floppybootstomp]

If you do decide to go through with the water cooling, could you do like a picture diary thing, i want to see it taking shape step by step to see how easy/hard it is to do. Good luck if you do try it though, i'm definalty going water cooled sooner or later.

For sure man, come to think of it, it may make a good article. Sort of like 'The total newcomer's experience of setting up a water cooling system for the first time' or something like that.

I'm coming at this thing totally inexperienced. Only thing that's stopping me ordering parts atm is the fact that I have quite a bit of work on right now and there'll be nobody in to accept delivery of parts. When next I can take a day off, I'll order parts to suit.