Best Liquid cooling Unit?

[drumsonly2002]

Building a PC for FSX / flight sims only. So it will not be running 24 / 7 like my current unit. The new computer will only be used for flying or driving. Thus it is a 2 trick pony. Read about the horror's of water cooling, but this unit will be used several hours a week, so the fear of leakage is not a big concern. With that being said, there are so many liquid cooling systems, what do you find works the best? Going to over clock as high as possable (stable) so I want to lessen the CPU temps as much as possable. I do not mind spending more for quality. Thank you.

[alainneedle1]

IMHO I will use this cooling system before using water, if you want to overclock as far as possible and futher more you said your rig will not run 24/7, I think the price is right and you will get a much better overclock.

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/cooling_products/ocz_cryo_z

http://www.guru3d.com/news/ocz-cryoz-phase-change-cooler-379/

[Jared Charalambous]

This is a good, customisable, do it yourself, cheap kit. You can see my clocks on my sig, this is running usualy atleast 20 hours a day, with maintainence once every 6 months. (change of fluid)

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Liquid-Cooling-System-CPU-NB-VGA-Pump-Radiator-Pipe_W0QQitemZ370289038395QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Components?hash=item5636f2543b

Hope this helps

[VOZzer]

I've been using the Domino ALC Liquid Cooler for almost a month now and it's never faulted me. I also love the proud Blue LCD Display telling me how fast it's running and how hot the coolant is.

[drumsonly2002]

alainneedle1, you got me thinking Phase Change cooling. Never knew it existed prior to your post. Think I found a used one. Since i am a technician, units like that are right up my alley. Phase change cooling is -0 style cooling, thus do better than water or air. The trade off is space,noise, power, time and expense. Not the most practical thing  for the sake of a 1 to 2.5 GHZ overclock on a I7 processor. But for a fun side project i can nip away at in my spare time, why not? been to too many funerals in the last 5 years so and life should be lived. Thank you for listening and for all the responses/ ]

[skypilot]

buy a freezer, frost free of course, and stick the whole PC inside it????

Or liquid cooling - stick it in liquid nitrogen - that will help with superconductivity too. Fan probably would not turn too well but you would probably not need fans or heat sinks???

Sorry I will stop being flippant now....

[drumsonly2002]

LOL!! SkyPilot. Good post. That is one of the better ideas mentioned. What I like about your plan, I can cool the computer and beer all in one! That may be the  better plan. After 3 beers, I will not notice FPS, plus not have to leave  the room to get more beer. You got me thinking now. The closer the fridge, the closer the beer!

[alainneedle1]

alainneedle1, you got me thinking Phase Change cooling. Never knew it existed prior to your post. Think I found a used one. Since i am a technician, units like that are right up my alley. Phase change cooling is -0 style cooling, thus do better than water or air. The trade off is space,noise, power, time and expense. Not the most practical thing  for the sake of a 1 to 2.5 GHZ overclock on a I7 processor. But for a fun side project i can nip away at in my spare time, why not? been to too many funerals in the last 5 years so and life should be lived. Thank you for listening and for all the responses/ ]

Since you are looking to built your rig for FSX only and it will not be for a 24/7 use and you are also loking to get 5.0GHz this cooler is the solution.

Be carefull with a use unit, the old one had condensation problems, the new one are built with better isolation, you don't want any water on your new mobo. Good luck.

[macca22au]

Skypilot I'm with you.  It's hard enough to save up for next years super 6 core CPU and the new nVidia 380 as it is, let alone turning the computer room, or the computer into a refrigerator. By the way, it's cheaper to buy a refrigerator than a gaming computer by a long shot.

Then do we sit in the fridge, or does the computer, and we'd then need holes in the door, and those special rubber sleeves that they have in labs to put our hands and arms through.  The mind boggles.

For me, if it doesn't run sufficiently cool in an Antec case, then I'll tune the computer down, not invest more.  Ah, well, we're all hobbyists, and you ought to hear what my wife says about my boat!

[drumsonly2002]

One thing I agree is the wasting money aspect. A very good air CPU cooler well below $200.00 on a I7 vs the nosy complex expensive Phase Change cooling unit. Those puppies are expensive. I bid on a used unit on E Bay cheap. Curosity got the better of me, plus my inner technician calling out for as much over clocking a CPU can muster. The thing about phase Change cooling is it involves HVAC skills. (heating ventlation air conditioning). Thus a used unit = something to experment on. I do industrial ware wash repairs  for a living, and asked a lot to repair ice machines. The same principles in cooling apply to the phase units as do ice machines. Thus my soon to be gnnyi pig phase cooler will be tricked out to get -60 temps on the evaporator head. If I can get an intell CPU to matain -10  to -30 over clocked under full load, I'll end up with a very fast CPU. Fast CPU = more FPS. More FPS = smoother flying. The side bonus is the HVAC tools for the phase mod will be used for my new side business in repairing ice machines. Thus, I get to jazz my computer, learn more skills, take those skills as an extra service for my customers. make more money, buy more computer junk, and the cycle endlessy repeats it self, untill the beer money is gone. (unless I stop buying computer stuff and break the cycle). Nonetheless, when reading my post, as a middleaged man, supposing to have matured over the years,  it does seem silly to put that much time and expense into a hobby. The draw for me is learning new skills, (HVAC), plus overclocking my future computer.

[drumsonly2002]

I little light reading on what a Phase Cooling unit can do in 2007. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/1006477/vapochill-chills-intel-qx9770-record-shattering-5ghz

I like this part: Quote  "Now, this stable, everyday 4.5GHz configuration, obtained after 10 minutes of simple BIOS tuning, can be pushed quite a bit higher. The 4.5GHz 1.4+ volt QX9770 CPU doesn't reach anywhere near 200W yet in real thermals, and we reckon 5GHz is quite doable with some fine tuning. The QX9770 has some incredible potential here."

This guy is selling computers on E Bay running at 5 GHZ using a Vapo Chill. http://cgi.ebay.ca/INTEL-CORE-i7-975-5GHZ-EXTREME-GAMING-COMPUTER-GTX-295_W0QQitemZ120485859543QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDesktop_PCs?hash=item1c0d8450d7#ht_15724wt_1166

I imagine that would do a nice job running FSX + the new GTX 380.

My goal is to get the 5GHZ mark, via home built, used/ on sale/ method. Got 2 x 256 SSD's on sale. Going to Raid 0 them, and buying the computer part by part. The CPU is the big expense. In the end, the computer will not be cheap, as I do not think the prices of the upper end i7's will drop that much in the next 6 months. Have to fix a few ice machines to pay for it.

[Heiko Glatthorn]

Most likely you'll need the 1000 bucks 975 extreme with the open multi and the best components available for 5 GHz. This speed is anything else than a save 24/7 setup. 4.5 you can reach, but it's not as easy as you think (promised). With only one weak link (including the BIOS) it won't happen.

If you really target 5 GHz, wait for the new 32 nm generation. In the meantime you are set with a 4.2 GHz 920 and a good custom water system.

Don't overdo it, you won't have fun long 

[drumsonly2002]

I decided not to sacrifice beer money on computer stuff. That is the $1000  CPU's. I should lower the bar a tad. There reaches a point of diminishing returns.  Better to have a few less CPU cycles that a lot less money. The crazy thing about this computer stuff, it is so easy to  get carried away with power, and loose practical perspective. I do not regret the SSD drive purchases. I will know about the phase cooler tomorrow. That is more of something to hack around with and learn the HVAC ropes as I get a lot of request for that type of work. That does have some value in education outside flying / computers. I can see the $$ floating away with CPU / mother board combo's. I am more of a $500.00 vs $1000.00 for a CPU type. The 920's are looking like a best bang for the buck. Initially focus on obtaining the less expensive hardware, like case and power supply etc. Maybe by the time I save for a CPU the prices will be more reasonable. My gut greedy impulse is to go for the fastest money wasting video card when it finally comes out, like the GTX 380. Hopefully  by the time that unit is unleashed the GTX 285's will drop, but my crazy buy on impulse reflexes may cut in for the GTX 380. Time to sell some drum gear, as flying and hanging out here is more fun than a hungry bucktooth redneck eating corn on the cob through a picket fence.

[drumsonly2002]

Good news Bad news. Bad news ..... The bid on the Phase cooler bombed. Good news....  After reading your posts and suggestions, for the sake of simplicity, time and money decided on this cooler. http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/14861-cooler-master-v10-cpu-cooler-review.html  or http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/8580-ocz-vendetta-2-cpu-cooler-review.html

Ok, I will not get the super 5 ghz benchmark, but, guess what, at the end of the day, I'll have a computer running at 4 GHZ stable with a i& 920 chip on air, without all the drama of Phase Cooling, plus time saved. Still going to work on compressors etc, as I can get used ice machine to experiment for free.  Well, there you have it. I am one to go for the brass ring, but after talking it over with you guys, changing direction. A new Phase Cooler is too expensive, plus the condensation issues (though I had them planned out), are now, not a worry, since I will be using air. This summer, will have more beer money, and with the money saved, get one of those smancy fancy Nvidia sooped up thing a ma gigs... the GTX 380. 1/2 of the brass ring is better than no ring at all. I enjoy the forum a lot and the technical tips and suggestions are the best. To get the extra HP out of a chip is diminishing returns financially and time wise. Tweek or fly? Cannot have a beer tweeking as I'd probably burn something out, but can flying.  Decision.. Cool with air. Easy to install, no leaks or condensation, cheap, and can still over clock for reasonable gains.  Thanks for putting up with my rants. Sometimes one has to bounce ideas off others to gain a clearer perspective. Thanks for helping me gain that.

[jgruschow]

I have a Corsair Cooling Hydro H50, CPU Cooler, 120mm, Black

It's a sealed unit. Never needs water added and no condensation.

It is giving excellent service and has reduced cpu temp by about 15% 

[alainneedle1]

OK! you can change your mind but if you'r going air there is a better solution beside the one you picked and here it is...........ready.........      http://www.guru3d.com/article/noctua-nh-d14-review/

Just make sure your memory will not be to tall cause this puppy is freeking  HUGE.........did I say HUGE.....

[drumsonly2002]

Wozers! That unit could cool my house! Didn't know it existed. Reading the reviews this unit is very appealing. Excellent find. I serf the net for hours and do not find stuff like that. Going to order one just to have it LOL! It is less expensive than the coolermaster V-12 by $50.00. One review Quote

"No doubt, Noctua NH-D14 is an excellent cooler starting with secure packaging and highly informative official web-site and ending with superb manufacture quality, highest performance and low noise levels. Obviously Noctua engineers paid attention to every single detail, every little trifle, which paid back big: their true work of art became the indisputably best cooling solution out there. That is why we are proud to award it with our Editor's Choice title as the best CPU air-cooler in the today's market."

I am going to order one tonight! Fantastic find!

It can do a I7 at 4 ghz no problem cooling wise! Glad I lost the Phase Cooler bid.  This type of info jazzes me up. Next stop, EVGA mother board! THANK YOU for that!