Please critique this proposed watercooling set-up

It's about time for a new PC build and this time I thought I'd finally make the jump to watercooling. I'll be building a Threadripper-based system (either 1900X or 1920X) and I've considered an AIO, from either Swiftech or EK (which should be arriving by the end of the year), but rather than wait for those to launch I thought I might as well opt for a custom loop.

So....given that this is fresh territory for me, I thought it best to run it past people who know before actually buying anything. Below is a list of the main components I've settled on right now and if anything stupid or sub-par jump out at you I'd be grateful to hear your thoughts.

Waterblock: XSPC Raystorm or EK SupremacyPrimoChill (depending on price & availability)
Radiator: Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 Full Copper 420mm
Fans: 3 x NB eLoop B14-PS (1200rpm/24dB)
Pump/Reservoir: XSPC D5 Bay Reservoir, EK DBAY D5 or Alphacool Eisfach
Tubing: Soft 16/10 tubing, EK or PrimoChill
Hose Fittings: EK-ACF Compression Fittings
Cooling Liquid: Whatever's easily available

Does this look like a competent set-up?

My primary concerns are silent operation and dependability, not overclocking (or I wouldn't be building a TR4 system, although I would like to run it at 4GHz). Given that, I'd like your thoughts on whether I can step down to the 900rpm NB eLoops and still retain sufficient cooling, or if I'd be better with the ones listed? Any other thoughts you may have would of course be very welcome.

- B

You could get the faster fans and throttle them down to a slower speed if they're too loud, using a fan controller or the fan control on your motherboard

That's true, but I'd prefer not to use controllers of any kind and rather get the "right" fans right away. If at all possible, of course.

Having no experience with radiators I don't know what kind of fan performance is required, but I decided on the radiator in question because it is optimised for low noise fans. I just have no idea how low noise I can go and still retain the necessary cooling power.

3 x 24dB fans should be fine in any case, but obviously 3 x 19dB (or whatever it is) would be even better if I can get away with it.

Most motherboards come with fan controllers built into their software these days. I just swapped out my closed loop fans with some Corsair magnetic bearing jobbies, and whilst less rattly, they spin faster, until I calibrated them in the BIOS and now it's deathly quiet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Agrippa

That's true, but I'd prefer not to use controllers of any kind and rather get the "right" fans right away. If at all possible, of course.
Having no experience with radiators I don't know what kind of fan performance is required, but I decided on the radiator in question because it is optimised for low noise fans. I just have no idea how low noise I can go and still retain the necessary cooling power.
3 x 24dB fans should be fine in any case, but obviously 3 x 19dB (or whatever it is) would be even better if I can get away with it.

---

There's nothing wrong with "tuning down" higher performance fans. Drop them to 90% and you will hardly hear them.
Most modern motherboards allow you to control the attached fan speeds and you've already bought that functionality so you might as well use it.
The build you suggest sounds fine to me and is very close to what I will be putting in my next build.

Just a few quick thoughts of my own:


Waterblock - EK Supremacy EVOs are among the best and easiest to get on with. Not the prettiest, but very good. Raystorms worked well, but not many people I know of using them these days.

Radiator - Awesome. Great rads.

Fans - No. See below.

Pump/Reservoir - I personally find bay reservoirs a PITA to fill and maintain. You will need to flush your system out and replace the fluid regularly, at least once a year. You also have to allow enough tubing slack to pop them out for filling and draining, or build in fill and drain ports. They look cool, but if you have to deal with them even semi-frequently, it gets to be a huffy hassle....
As I understand it, the Lian Li D8000 is a hoofing great big case with oodles and oodles of space - So consider a vertical tube res.

Tubing - PrimoChill is rumoured to be of lower quality and the internal coating can degrade, resulting in plasticiser flowing through your system, gumming stuff up. Just a rumour, mind, but a lot of people are switching - I think Mayhems tubing is the current favourite.
Good size, though - You don't want to go too small in diameter.

Hose Fittings - Your colour, your choice. I picked Monsoon ones for my build. EK's are pretty good. Have you considered whether you'll need any 45º and 90º angled fittings, too? Remember these will still require a straight fitting on the end, too.

Cooling Liquid - Mayhems is the usual go-to. The best is their Ultra Pure H2O, which is exactly what it says!
Failing that, X1 or Pastel, both in the colour of your choice. You can also get colourless X1 and either just run that, or add any combinations and volumes of their dyes, to get the exact colour you want.
DON'T buy the Aurora, as it's for short-term show displays, not end-user home systems!
Also avoid the XT-1, as it's only for sub-zero chiller systems.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Agrippa

3 x 24dB fans should be fine in any case, but obviously 3 x 19dB (or whatever it is) would be even better if I can get away with it.

---

Those NoiseBlockers will be nice and quiet, yes... but that's all they're good for, in terms of watercooling.
Pushing air through fans requires a high Static Pressure. These fans have quite high Airflow (142m³/h) but very low Static Pressure (1.080mmH2O) compared to other options.
If you want to stay with Blacknoise fans, the Blacknoise NB Blacksilent Pro PK-3 has 1.95mmH2O for 33dB.
Noctua's NF-A140 do 2.08 at 24dB, or the Corsair ML-140 does 3 at 37dB.

What makes 'fan noise' is not the fan itself, but the airflow pushing (or pulling) through the radiator, fan grilles, meshes and other bits.
What makes fans actually "noisy" is mostly down to what you yourself find the acceptable level. I still think my case sounds like an F-14 launching off a carrier... but I also know it's pretty quiet compared to more average rigs.

So a LOT depends on your individual setup, what bits you have working together, and so on... There is a science behind it, but it's generally far easier to just try them and see. High SP fans on a radiator with low fins per inch generally works out better.

Personally - I love Noctua, but would recommend the Corsair ML fans. As Dave says, you can always turn them down, maybe just set up your fan curve profile in BIOS or software and have at it.

I'd have thought they'd have built it by now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr_Jon

I'd have thought they'd have built it by now.

---

Aw flippin 'eck, I missed that.... Who necroed the thread, then??!! :rant::angst:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster

Aw flippin 'eck, I missed that.... Who necroed the thread, then??!! :rant::angst:

---

Lolol........ Still, some great ideas.