Water Cooling.

[PyroSama]

Im looking for a fairly good water cooling solution that is under 150 dollars preferably under 130. Needs to be from a reliable resaler and cant require you to screw it to the MOBO (no holes in mine) For athlon xp CPU.



Thanks,
PyroSama

[PyroSama]

How are these?

http://www.ahanix.com/iceberg.html

and

http://www.thermaltake.com/products/...aquariusII.htm


PyroSama

[beppodmime]

Every review I've seen on the hundred dollar units pretty much come to the same conclusion- you get what you pay for. The Ahanix unit is pretty much on par with some of the better air-coolers as far as performance goes, albeit with less noise. Overclockers.com has reviews for both products on their heatsink rankings page, and both kits fall towards the bottom of the list, with the Thermaltake unit faring better.

If I had to choose between those two, I'd go with the TT unit. Mind you, these are not agressive watercooling solutions, and as such you probably won't be able to do any more serious overclocking than you would be able to do with a good quality air-cooler.

Quotes from Overclockers about the two kits:


TT unit: "While not overwhelming performance by any means, it is very quiet and easy to install. If you're just looking to quiet things down and not pushing things too hard, this can do the job, although it competes head-on with low noise aircooled heatsinks."

Ahanix unit: However, as shipped, there are also low noise aircooling options that will deliver the same performance at lower cost."

[PyroSama]

The I think I might go with the SLK900 instead. Noise doesnt really bother me. I have muzak or games going most of the time.

Im looking for a good unit I could use with a peltier in the near future.



PyroSama

[Telexen]

It's usually true that you get what you pay for. From the reviews I've read, the Thermaltake system does not cool very well, and the Iceberg is worthless.

Checkout http://www.dangerden.com/

There you can build more of a "custom" watercooling system that seems to beat out all of the packaged systems that cost under $200 (swiftec, innovatek)

I'm personally looking at Corsairs external water cooling kit...expensive...but supposedly does better than the rest.

[PyroSama]

Im getting a peltier from them actualy. I may look into some of thier water cooling solutions.



PyroSama

[Idigguns]

IMHO, the absolute BEST waterblock on the market is this Innovatek which you can get for $75. If you buy that and then go to Home Depot and get a sub-pump like this Beckett and some tubing. Get a Tupperware container to put the pump in. Then go to a junkyard and get a radiator from a motorcycle or a transmission cooler from a truck or something along those lines. Get a 120mm fan or two (or whatever fits the radiator) you should easily be able to hook it up for under $150. The water block is the most important part of the system, and the hardest to try to make yourself (or cut corners on). So, spend the $75 on that. If you don't feel like going through al l the trouble of the junk yard, here is an excellent radiator for $25 and it's the perfect size for a 120mm fan. I know, I have one. Here is a good pump for any of you not trying to go cheap... Eheim 1046 for $40. Total cost of those three items is about $140 + S&H. But you also need a resevoir and tubing.

[Telexen]

But the point of buying a kit is so you're sure you don't have leaks with properly fitted tubing...

If you have the knowledge and will to put together your own kit and just buy a block, do so...it's a good idea.

[PyroSama]

I can talk to my uncle about a radiator and I have a pump then I can make a resevoir easy enough (I read a tut on that) then buy the water block and a couple of 120mm fans.


PyroSama

[Idigguns]

Well, just because you buy a kit doesn't mean you're not going to have leaks! The connections I've seen on some kits don't look very secure to me. If you put together your own kit, you can make sure that every connection is tight. Whether you buy a kit or make your own kit, it's always a good idea to put the whole thing together and let it run for 24 hours before you even put it in the case.