Antec 1200 watercooled build log..

[moogle]

I'm serious
I'll have to get a Thermochill first so it won't be for a while. But it's still quite cool. Puts my Swiftech Radbox to shame

[dangel]

I'm serious
I'll have to get a Thermochill first so it won't be for a while. But it's still quite cool. Puts my Swiftech Radbox to shame

No problem - got it in autocad now anyway If you do get the rad get the performance shroud too - don't buy the gasket you'll get one anyway.

[bluff73]

Loving that bracket

Need to sort out a mount for the water tank

[moogle]

No problem - got it in autocad now anyway If you do get the rad get the performance shroud too - don't buy the gasket you'll get one anyway.

Oooh I thought it'd be in Google Sketchup
Yep I remember theres a gasket with each rad. Thanks for the reminder

[Pob255]

Looking good so far, must admit I kind of like the waterbottle gaffer'd to the side, even if it does look a bit like a hamster's drinking bottle.

Wonder if anyone does a 200mmx200mm rad, would be intresting to have one stuck below the big fan at the top.

[dangel]

Loving that bracket

Need to sort out a mount for the water tank

lol - yeah i know (I said as much) but i needed to check everything out to plan positioning (slowly slowly). Duct tape is wonderful stuff in the interim! I'm planning on a mounted clip - probably X2 top and bottom.

Never underestimate the usefulness of a big tube res like that - not only does it make filling easy but draining too

[Hicks12]

Just wondering but how much did the watercooling setup cost you? thinking of saving for watercooling as a project(moddign my pc=hobby ). Looks good, keep up the log and hopefully you get the 280 back soon to add for watercooling lol.

[Webby]

Hicks you will be looking at ~£250 to get everything you need for a decent watercooling loop rough prices would be,

DDC 3.2 Pump with after market top - £65
Thermochill Rad - PA120.1 £44 - PA120.2 £49 - PA120.3 £54
CPU Block - £35 - £45
GPU Block - £30 just GPU, Full cover depends on the card £45 - £80
NB Block - £20
Tubing - £10
Fittings/barbs - £1.50 each So estimate at 10 = £15
Tubing Coils to stop kinking £2.50/m
Reservoir - £15
Fans for Rad - £4 - £10 each
Plus any other fittings, tools, heatsinks you may need for Mofsets, Video RAM etc.

Obviously if you go for multiple loops it starts getting expensive fast what with extra pumps and rads.

[Hicks12]

Wow, wish it was like £100 cheaper then id get it maybe ill get sli ro something.

Thanks for giving the costs .

[dangel]

Just wondering but how much did the watercooling setup cost you? thinking of saving for watercooling as a project(moddign my pc=hobby ). Looks good, keep up the log and hopefully you get the 280 back soon to add for watercooling lol.

No idea - too much probably! The prices above are about right - although i didn't bother with coils (i don't get kinking with this tubing anyway) and got the vario pump with simple 1/4" fittings (and so didn't need the acetal top stuff). Pumps/rads will last you - tubing is cheap - so the only real ongoing cost is new blocks for different cpus/gpus (the latter changes more often for me).

The 280 was picked up today - fingers crossed!

[moogle]

Wow, wish it was like £100 cheaper then id get it maybe ill get sli ro something.

Thanks for giving the costs .

Don't we all.

Hopefully it comes down like aftermarket air cooling did. I remember back in the Athlon days a heatsink with a fan was like £50.

Like Dangel said once you're sorted with a Pump and Rad it's just the blocks that will need changing. Those are the expensive bits though

[Webby]

Well if you choose a universal GPU block (Swiftech MCW60 or D-Tek Fuzion GFX) then upgrading GPUs is less of an issue equally most highend CPU blocks will do you for every socket under the sun and most will get new brackets released for new socket revisions. So with that in mind you really have little to upgrade one you have it. The initial outlay is quite hefty though...

[moogle]

Lets hope EK release a 771 bracket for the Supreme then.

[dangel]

Well if you choose a universal GPU block (Swiftech MCW60 or D-Tek Fuzion GFX) then upgrading GPUs is less of an issue equally most highend CPU blocks will do you for every socket under the sun and most will get new brackets released for new socket revisions. So with that in mind you really have little to upgrade one you have it. The initial outlay is quite hefty though...

Problem is, it's only a half-solution - a full cover block cools not just the GPU chip itself, and quite a bit of otherstuff gets very warm (RAM/power regulation etc). I used to do it - years ago - but look at the air coolers on GPU cards thesedays - they're full block solutions too.

[Webby]

Video memory is happy enough with ram sinks and a bit of airflow the voltage regs are the only real concern and with a decent sink and some airflow they are fine as well, to get the required airflow you may require a fan nearby especially if you have few or only low powered case fans.

I agree full cover blocks make for a better over all solution but getting one means that every graphics card upgrade is increased in cost by £50 which is quite substantial especially if you upgrade GPUs a lot (obviously you can sell the old block for a bit to recoup some of the loses but you will not get back what you paid out).

[dangel]

You pays yer money.. n'all that Personally I don't mind the extra once a year - peace of mind and better for overclocking IMHO.
Anyway we digress.. on with the build!