Considering First Custom Loop In New Year

[OliverQueen]

Been a long time coming but seriously considering going down the custom loop route in the New Year on my main rig. I may have to buy a new case as well & if that was the case, I would have to look into options, but for the moment i just need suggestions on the core components required for the loop.

I would be looking at a soft tubing setup to start with as I just don’t trust my precision measuring/cutting skills with hard tubing, although I would not rule it out at a later date so would like the option to swap over to it if I decided to go for it in the future. i don’t need anything fancy as won’t be having any RGB lighting etc in the system (I hate it & I prefer to look at my screens than the insides of the PC). All I am concerned about is the overall cooling of the solution.

CPU - i9 13900K
Motherboard - ASUs TUF Gaming z790 Plus WiFi D4
GPU - PNY Uprising XLR8 RTX3080ti
Current Case - Lian Li lanCool II Performance Mesh-C

What I would like is suggestions for water blocks, radiator (not size as may need to change case so internal space depends on that), fittings (just brand & type of them as obviously would depend on tubing route, case, etc), pump, reservoir, tubing & coolant (as well as anything I may have missed).
I would be reusing my Noctua fans I already have as well as adding any in if needed (4 x 140mm & 3 x 120mm) & have plenty of other fans of both sizes sat on the shelves to use temporarily until i can get any additional Noctua’s should I need them.

If I need to change case, then would prefer one with the least amount of ‘window’ as mentioned, I won’t be looking at the internals & if I do I can take the side off.

Any suggestions would be appreciated as don’t want to fork out on anything to find out that could have done better for less money or if had taken something else in to consideration.

 

[Gavster]

If you`re doing it purely for cooling purposes then I` forget a custom loop and stick with air cooling as there isn`t that much difference these days. Water cooling is expensive so I`d save the money you would spend on the water blocks and swap the 3080ti for a 4090FE, they run a lot cooler then the 3080ti and get the best air cooler there is.

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

Very first thing
Find out if there's even a gpu block
For that model card
There's not a block for every card
And that's not a common one
Unless it's a reference pcb

 

[OliverQueen]

If you`re doing it purely for cooling purposes then I` forget a custom loop and stick with air cooling as there isn`t that much difference these days. Water cooling is expensive so I`d save the money you would spend on the water blocks and swap the 3080ti for a 4090FE, they run a lot cooler then the 3080ti and get the best air cooler there is.

Already running a NH-D15 Chromax on the CPU & haven't seen anything that outperforms it on air. I was going to try to push the CPU a bit faster than already getting from it but I can see your point.

Very first thing
Find out if there's even a gpu block
For that model card
There's not a block for every card
And that's not a common one
Unless it's a reference pcb

It is the same card "apparently" as the Palit & Gainward cards so I would assume it is a 'reference' layout but PNY are useless with giving out information on their cards so without taking it apart & comparing it to pictures found online of reference layouts, I could not say for certain.

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

Already running a NH-D15 Chromax on the CPU & haven't seen anything that outperforms it on air. I was going to try to push the CPU a bit faster than already getting from it but I can see your point.

It is the same card "apparently" as the Palit & Gainward cards so I would assume it is a 'reference' layout but PNY are useless with giving out information on their cards so without taking it apart & comparing it to pictures found online of reference layouts, I could not say for certain.

Yeah apparently and maybe reference
Just won't be good enough
Need to know 100%
Have you looked at ek block configurator?

Edited
Looked on ek
Only the xlr8 gaming revel edition is listed
Doesn't mean no block from byski,alphacool,barrow etc
Aren't available
Just means more research needed

 

[OliverQueen]

Yeah apparently and maybe reference
Just won't be good enough
Need to know 100%
Have you looked at ek block configurator?

Edited
Looked on ek
Only the xlr8 gaming revel edition is listed
Doesn't mean no block from byski,alphacool,barrow etc
Aren't available
Just means more research needed

From what I have seen with images of the cards the board layout for the Revel & Uprising are the same, just the plastic shroud & addressable RGB on the Revel that is the difference along with the supposed slightly higher stock clocks on the Revel (although looking at the datasheets for the cards they both clock to the same for core/memory/boost even though the cores are supposedly binned better to justify the extra cost of the Revel).

As mentioned may just fork out for a better GPU for myself & give the wife this one (she isn't really going to be stressing it much with what she does). As I need to get her a HSF as well, I may just plump for a decent non-Corsair AIO (largest that will fit in the Lancool II) as having to limit the power draw of the CPU to keep the temps under proper control with the NH-D15 means not getting the most out of the 13900k (it does struggle when the CPU starts drawing close to 275W+ consistently even with undervolt). Talking of undervolt, I should redo the GPU one again after the reinstall as knew I forgot something but that might wait until I get this niggly boot issue sorted.

 

[Gtiracer]

Custom water cooling is much better for all-round cooling ability if you have a decent pump & rad/s combo. I've been on custom loop for at least 3 years and unless i owned a bog standard PC again I would always have a custom loop for my gaming build

 

[pastymuncher]

I had high end custom watercooling for 17+ years and early last year got rid of it and went back to air cooling as it was no longer worth the hassle. Overclocking is just about dead with less and less headroom with each new generation. You can overclock a cpu and gpu to their limits these days and all you will see are single digit fps gains while getting a whopping increase in power consumption and temps. Undervolting is the new overclocking. I did it on my 3070 and knocked just over 100w off it's power draw, it now runs cooler and quieter and boosts higher and for longer due to the lower temps. Try it on your 3080ti and you will be pleasantly surprised. That has a very good cooler so you should be able to get it running cool and quiet anyway. The only thing I would be concerned about is your 13900k as they can draw silly amounts of power and get really hot so I would consider a 360mm or 280mm AIO (if your case will take one that size). You can also undervolt a 13900k and some of the guys on here have had very good results so that's worth looking into.

At the end of the day custom water is now stupidly expensive and simply no longer worth it. I for one will not be going back to water after seeing the results I have with my stock GPU cooler and a £35 cpu cooler.

 

[kaku]

For looks/compactness custom water is the way to go in my opinion. Custom water is still unrivaled for quietness and tuning potential.

If you just want a "normal" gaming build, from a performance perspective you're probably better off spending a bit extra on the higher end air coolers and you'll have something "good enough".

 

[therealdippy]

I agree with @kaku - personally I'm not that bothered about aesthetics - the only reason I have a glass sided case is because I thought it would be a good idea to be able to see a leak before it became apparent in other ways. The main benefit for me is how quiet it runs compared to an air-cooled gaming PC. I also agree that the tuning potential is greater. A good water cooled loop allows the heat to be moved out of the case more efficiently than relying on air alone.

 

[pastymuncher]

You can't write off all air cooling setups as being noisier than water as that's simply not true. My setup now that it's on air is completely silent. That wasn't quite the case with water cooling as there is pump noise to contend with as well as multiple fans and how they are set up. As for tuning potential there is very little of that left these days and all you really end up doing is increase power draw considerably just for a few fps extra which is why I ditched water after 17+ years. Building a loop from scratch is simply not worth the outlay which for a cpu and gpu loop is going to be close to £500.

 

[kaku]

I'm not writing off all air cooling setups, I even said for the vast majority who just want something to work it's worth spending the extra on a premium air cooler and leave it at that. Everyone is happy with their "silent" air cooling setups in winter - come back at peak summertime and say the same thing.

 

[dessimpson]

I binned of my custom loop when I moved my old PC into a smaller case (It became my spare PC). I just went with an AIO on the CPU and left the GPU as standard. I've still got all the stuff for water cooling but dunno if I'll get around to fitting it all back together.
Even though I had more fans with the water cooling. I did feel like it ran quieter due to the fairly constant low speed of the fans.

 

[Sin_Chase]

You need to be invested into water to get the most out of it. By that I mean you ENJOY doing it. High end air is effective but anyone who states they can get the same cooling potential out of air within the same noise envelope as a well built custom loop is in fantasy land.

Whether you NEED the cooling potential or not is a different question.

I would highly recommend picking up an Aquacomputer Octo as a PWM fan controller and configuring a Water/Ambient DeltaT sensor to control your fan speeds based on the amount of heat in the loop. It's much better than using a static set point as seasonal changes will either make it unachiveable or just too damn loud. To do this you need at least a water temp sensor, whether that is built into the pump solution you pick or as a seperate fitting.

Don't put blocks on your motherboard or ram, that really is throwing good money after bad these days.

Radiator choice you will need to make a decision on. All out cooling potentrial or low noise? High Fin Denisty (FPI)/Thicker radiators have more cooling potential but require higher static pressure/fan speeds to make work and in turn increase noise. Lower Fin Density (FPI)/Slimmer radiators the opposite. I have always run slimmer/lower FPI radiators for noise benefits and have never had a problem with being able to dissipate heat. I admittedly do have 960mm of rad space (2 x 480s) but the better efficiency of parts mean you dont NEED mental thick/high FPI rads. Having had a quick look at your case you more than likely want to maximise the space available for rads. A 240 up top and a 360 up front appears to be supported.

Res/Pump Combo, Distribution Block, Other? Personal choice and may well be dictated by what your case supports. I have always used Pump/Res combos in my 900D but distribution blocks are much more common place these days. They have some great advantages for tube runs but are arguably a little more complex to get initially setup. Make sure your pump has PWM/Other digital speed control. Nothing worse then trying to get to a physical speed dial on the pump to adjust speed, especially when trying to bleed with different pump speeds. Get a D5 pump in whatever solution and you will have more than enough headroom for even the largest of loops.

Try to avoid mixing metals. Although this isnt nearly as much as an issue as it was 10 years ago. You would have to go out of your way to really cause an issue and all the mainstream products will be fine.

PUT A DRAIN PORT IN, ideally at the lowest point of the loop. Put in a T fitting and have a ball valve and blanking cap for extra piece of mind. Having a G1/4 fitting with a length of soft tube on to screw in and drain fluid out into the sink/whatever is super cheap quality of life. I have a quick disconnect on a T-Fitting with stop valve and whislt it is a little OTT it makes filling/draining a breeze. If you CAN put a port up high for air venting this will also make life easier when bleeding/draining the loop.

Pick up a 24 PIN ATX jumper plug. It's cheap, better than using paperclips and invaluable for filling/leak testing without powering up your system.

All that being said you cannot go TOO far wrong in 2024 with custom loops. Any combination of rads, blocks and pump will work and as long as it doesnt leak you will be fine!

Below is my 4th iteration of a custom loop in an aged 900D in which is currently bleeding having been rebuilt this week!

 

[embalse]

You need to be invested into water to get the most out of it.

I agree. I watercool because I enjoy building them. If it was performance related I probably would not bother.

.

 

[Webzta]

Having just built a full loop to cool similar specs, if purely for noise levels IF the 4090 are quiet then this would be a much larger gain for the same objective.

For me I hated hearing the GPU under load, even though my card was reasonably quiet, and the aesthetics were important.

Taking aesthetics out of the equation, I would not do it again

 

[Jay85]

Having just built a full loop to cool similar specs, if purely for noise levels IF the 4090 are quiet then this would be a much larger gain for the same objective.

For me I hated hearing the GPU under load, even though my card was reasonably quiet, and the aesthetics were important.

Taking aesthetics out of the equation, I would not do it again

From my experience, watercooling your gpu can eliminate coil whine too. I've had this happen a few times now where cards exhibit some form of coil whine but a full enclosed waterblock will eliminate it.

It's worth it just for that alone .

 

[kaku]

From my experience, watercooling your gpu can eliminate coil whine too. I've had this happen a few times now where cards exhibit some form of coil whine but a full enclosed waterblock will eliminate it.

It's worth it just for that alone .

I've experienced the inverse too (lack of other sound makes coil noise more prominent), so buyer beware I guess.

 

[Sin_Chase]

My factory blocked 2080 whines like hell at high FPS!

 

[Jay85]

I've experienced the inverse too (lack of other sound makes coil noise more prominent), so buyer beware I guess.

My factory blocked 2080 whines like hell at high FPS!

Were they completely closed blocks or just sandwiched with the pcb exposed down the side? All mine have been enclosed as in the none of the pcb is shown so i guess that helps with that.