Water Cooling, or New Video Card?

[Dr. Spankenstein]

Well, I mean how I will spend it!

I'm torn between purchases at the moment. I already bought a new PC P&C Silencer 750 to base all my potential upgrades.

I wanted to set up some water cooling on my rig. Danger Den or Swiftech CPU block, DD chipset block, ATI Tyee, BIX 120.3 rad and DD 12v pump.

Then I wanted to ready myself for DX10. Thought about a 2900XT 512 but then heard about the release of "limited edition" (read: R600 chips that didn't make the XT grade) 2900 PRO. O.K., so now I'm thinking of crossfired PROs, but I'm not sure if my PSU can handle it even though it has 60A on the 12V rail the potential 525W draw from crossfired (and potentially OC'd) 2900s.

Or....

Do I wait for the next revision of cooler, less power-hungry ATI products?

Honestly, I'm leaning more towards the W/C (that's water cooling, not water closet-although this project might send my PC down the toilet!!!)

Decisions, decisions....

 

[panchoman]

i say go wc, and wait for some dx10.1 cards. and ofcourse you want a custom wc system.

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

Any timeframe for ATI's next "high end" offering?

And yes, I'm piecing the wc system together myself. Still debating on rad placement though. I want it on the bottom of the case pulling in.

(I know, I know. "Why would you want to fill the case with warm air?") I just want the whole system contained within the case. (I like "clean", not "FrankenPC"!!!)
I would certainly make a blowhole on top with a fan blowing out.

 

[DaMulta]

You need to get yourself some TECs

The 2900pros looks like the way to go IMO. The limited editon HIS ones will even have the 512bit bus. All they are are hd2900XTs that didn't make the cut. With proper cooling they should hit and go above the HD2900XT.

 

[panchoman]

i agree with damulta, tecs are nice if can spend the money but otherwise get grab some 2900pros and oc the hell outta em. they can be oced higher then xt so. dont forget to skimp on the psu relay switch if you're going ot do tecs lol. poor wile e..

 

[Chewy]

The pro's would be interesting.. but I say get water too help get some of that heat out.. I think the pro's are going to have a single slot cooler

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

You need to get yourself some TECs
QUOTE]

Errrmm...I'm not looking to go that EXTREME yet.

Any thoughts on if my PSU would puke with 2900PRO CF on it?

I agree that HIS makes good stuff. I am waiting to pounce on a good deal on these upcomming cards.

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

dont forget to skimp on the psu relay switch if you're going ot do tecs lol. poor wile e..

Oh man, I hear ya! Poor, poor Wile e....

But, I heard it was going to be more of a crapshoot as to whether you would be able to clock them to XT speeds, let alone beyond. Just becase those luck Polish fellows did it?

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

The pro's would be interesting.. but I say get water too help get some of that heat out.. I think the pro's are going to have a single slot cooler

That's true. I mean, who's gonna be using the stock cooling on these babies anyhoo?!?!

 

[Chewy]

I think the psu will do fine.. should handle 2x 2900xts easy enough even overclocked some. but I still think the 2900pros have a single slot cooler so 2 of them will bring your case temps up quite a bit I think, hopefully you have good airflow or do a case mod.

 

[Chewy]

That's true. I mean, who's gonna be using the stock cooling on these babies anyhoo?!?!

yeah but the cost of the coolers might bring it up to the price of the real 2900xts (though you will get better cooling )

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

That's goo to hear! That "PSU Calculator" said I would need close to 1200W it I decide to drop a Q6600 and 2900 CF in my rig!!


Is this where we've come to? 1200W of snarling game hardware?!? Hope I don't cause any brown-outs in my neighborhood...

 

[hat]

Arent the 2900pros supposed to be 10.1?
BTW, 10.1 is just 10 with forced 4xaa.

 

[panchoman]

The pro's would be interesting.. but I say get water too help get some of that heat out.. I think the pro's are going to have a single slot cooler

nope they're deal a pro is litterally an underclocked 2900xt with no other changes. its the rejected batch of 2900xt that didn't make the cut.

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

yeah but the cost of the coolers might bring it up to the price of the real 2900xts (though you will get better cooling )

Those DD 2900 blocks are uber sexy though. *Ohh, ohh, OOOOHHH...*

 

[panchoman]

Arent the 2900pros supposed to be 10.1?
BTW, 10.1 is just 10 with forced 4xaa.

you're thinking of the 2950, the 2900 is still .0

 

[panchoman]

Those DD 2900 blocks are uber sexy though. *Ohh, ohh, OOOOHHH...*

i wouldn't advise em, just cool the core with water i say, theres no point in dumping the v reg heat into the system, just use a sink for the v reg and you'll be fine and same for the memory, though i dont really object with wcing the memory.

 

[panchoman]

That's goo to hear! That "PSU Calculator" said I would need close to 1200W it I decide to drop a Q6600 and 2900 CF in my rig!!


Is this where we've come to? 1200W of snarling game hardware?!? Hope I don't cause any brown-outs in my neighborhood...

make sure you dont type in that you have 4 cpu's, you only have 1, though it has 4 cores lol.

you shouldn't need more then the 750w that you already have. unless you're going tec. which required a seperate psu.

 

[panchoman]

Any timeframe for ATI's next "high end" offering?

And yes, I'm piecing the wc system together myself. Still debating on rad placement though. I want it on the bottom of the case pulling in.

(I know, I know. "Why would you want to fill the case with warm air?") I just want the whole system contained within the case. (I like "clean", not "FrankenPC"!!!)
I would certainly make a blowhole on top with a fan blowing out.

you can always get a swiftech radbox to mount the rad to the back of your case.

 

[DaMulta]

dont forget to skimp on the psu relay switch if you're going ot do tecs lol. poor wile e..

I haven't installed my relay yet playing with fire I b


I put a black Ice 240 inside the hard drive cage.

For crossfire TEC setup it's going to cost around 700USD after the red,blocks,PSU,High end Pump, and liquid.

 

[panchoman]

I haven't installed my relay yet playing with fire I b

you know what happend to wile e lol, just be very careful but other then that, just spend the damn 20 bucks and save yourself from what happend to wile e

 

[Chewy]

nope they're deal a pro is litterally an underclocked 2900xt with no other changes. its the rejected batch of 2900xt that didn't make the cut.

humm I thought (havent reviewed to much on them) that the pros were only going to have a 256 bus.. today si the 1st time I heard of the special His batch that will have a 512. ofc if you can get your hands on the His batch @ a decent price all the power to him .

but I really though I had read before that the pro's had 256mb bus.

 

[Dr. Spankenstein]

I have the sinks from my HR-03 that I stuck (or should I say, "attempt" to stick) to my vregs. Personally, I don't think they do crap. Maybe you could lend a suggestion as to a more elegant solution for cooling my vregs. I have been trying to keep these things cool because I think that they are the weak link in my card's OC. I have to pump 1.6v to keep 722 core stable!

 

[p_o_s_pc]

water cool it... Buy a DD water block. FYI: I like the TDX block

 

[DaMulta]

you know what happend to wile e lol, just be very careful but other then that, just spend the damn 20 bucks and save yourself from what happend to wile e

I have one....I bought it when I bought all of the stuff to do this LOL