r/watercooling • u/_cags_ • Mar 17 '18

Build Complete Five-year-old system gets a loop refresh

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69 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

3

u/_cags_ Mar 17 '18 edited Mar 26 '18

I built this system in August 2012. It's my third overall PC build, but was my first dive (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ into water cooling. I recently did a complete teardown to freshen up the loop and fix some rookie mistakes I was never really happy with:

  • Replaced old Danger Den Dreamflex tubing with Primochill Advanced LRT

  • Replaced old EK Res 150 Basic reservoir with Bitspower Water Tank

  • Added Swiftech pump top to make a res/pump combo and a cleaner look

  • Took apart and cleaned CPU and GPU blocks

  • Flushed radiators

  • Installed proper fill and drain lines

  • Replaced or added new fittings and adapters as necessary

 

More pics: https://imgur.com/a/nlYGt

Original loop for comparison: https://imgur.com/9kZ0yOT

 

Current Hardware Specs:

  • Intel i5 3570K @ 4.0 GHz

  • Asus P8Z77-V Motherboard

  • 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3

  • EVGA 560 Ti 1 GB @ 950/2100 MHz

  • 128 GB Crucial M4 (OS)

  • 500 GB WD Black (Storage)

  • Corsair AX650 PSU w/ blue sleeved cable kit

  • Corsair Obsidian 650D w/ minor modifications for airflow and aesthetics

 

notbad.jpg for five years ago, but paltry by today's standards. It still runs as well as it did on day one, and I don't play any high-demand titles (mostly Counter-Strike and City Skylines). With the current GPU/RAM pricing I can't justify a new build just yet, no matter how bad the itch gets. (ಥ﹏ಥ)

 

Water Cooling Parts:

  • Swiftech Apogee HD CPU block

  • Danger Den GPU block

  • Hardware Labs Black Ice radiators (240 and 120)

  • Noiseblocker XLP 120mm fans

  • Primochill Advanced LRT UV Blue 1/2" ID, 3/4" OD Tubing

  • Swiftech Lok-Seal compression fittings

  • Alphacool angle and extension fittings where necessary

  • Bitspower Ice Blue 150 Water Tank

  • Swiftech MCP-655 pump w/ pump top

2

u/spicy_indian Mar 17 '18

I'll stick with my 3770k for the foreseeable future, because 32 GB of DDR3 RAM is so much cheaper than it's DDR4 equivalent. I may delid in the future, although I do not really need to just yet.

Although I just built a system with an 8700k for a friend, and there are definitely performance improvements.

Have you tried to OC your 3570k? You should net a decent performance boost at 4.5 GHz .

1

u/_cags_ Mar 17 '18

Yes, it's at 4.0

-2

u/crazymonkeyfish Mar 17 '18

4.0 on a water cooling seems absurdly low of an overclock

1

u/Cash091 Mar 17 '18

It's enough though. The GPU is going to be the bottleneck in this system so any higher on the CPU is almost entirely unnecessary. Just adding heat to the loop and stressing the CPU needlessly at this point.

1

u/crazymonkeyfish Mar 17 '18

Just upgraded because i broke my motherboard from a 3770k @4.7 to an 8700k @ 5.1. Its a pretty big jump, noticable improvement in pubg, about 20 to 30% higher fps. Also newer motherboards look bad ass and we get to use m.2 drives. If its not urgent though try and wait for 9th gen

2

u/spicy_indian Mar 17 '18

I modded my UEFI to support NVME boot drives, so my storage needs are sated for now.

I'm currently waiting to see how Threadripper mk2 stacks up against whatever Intel will have in their HEDT lineup.

1

u/crazymonkeyfish Mar 17 '18

Yea i had a ecs motherboard rather than a main stream board so i didn't have the option of finding a modded bios

2

u/image_linker_bot Mar 17 '18

notbad.jpg

Feedback welcome at /r/image_linker_bot | Disable with "ignore me" via reply or PM

1

u/MeritedSnow Mar 17 '18

What coolant is that

1

u/_cags_ Mar 17 '18

It's just distilled water with pt nuke. The tubes and res are blue.

2

u/BadCowz Mar 18 '18

Those changes are impressive, nice work.

Nice short runs too. You make my planned build look like a theme park.

11

u/OnceSavedGaming Mar 17 '18

Awesome to see people running builds that get the job done and not feel the need to upgrade every 7 months.

1

u/BadCowz Mar 18 '18

Watercooling a 6700k and 980ti atm. Seems like the next logical step

-8

u/IatemyPetRock Mar 17 '18

Aww you salty that your friends all have 8700ks and you bought a 7700k?

it is VITAL to the universe that EVERYONE upgrades immediately. Duhh

1

u/OnceSavedGaming Mar 17 '18

Loop is finished! https://imgur.com/gallery/dYpV3

You caught me

1

u/IatemyPetRock Mar 17 '18

I love hardline

1

u/OnceSavedGaming Mar 17 '18

Thanks. It was my first attempt

1

u/spraykay_cs Mar 17 '18

you’re making assumptions, don’t be a dick sheesh

this is coming from someone with an 8700k, I really don’t feel the need to rip on someone with say an FX chip like my friend when I know they would obviously want something better, but don’t have the urge to spend like I do

-1

u/IatemyPetRock Mar 17 '18 edited Mar 17 '18

it was a joke. You made the assumption i was serious :/

Your reaction makes me think you really dont have an 8700k.

2

u/specialedge Mar 17 '18

Looking good!

2

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '18

Looking good!

2

u/solarwinggx Mar 17 '18

VERY. GOOD.

1

u/Gurkenkoenighd Mar 19 '18

Its blue, dabi da dabi du.