Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance

surgeVel · 04-03-2008, 02:28 PM

I have been researching water cooling systems lately and I was wondering what the actual price/performance ratio is when comparing water cooling with a high quality heatsink and fan combo.

As far as watercooling, I am only basically interested in cooling the CPU with the watercooling.

Any details on price comparisons and performance temperature comparisons would be great! I'm not saying I'm going to be implementing water cooling into everything, I just want to know more about the option and to see how much it compares to other coolers when overclocking the cpu.

mgcook · 04-03-2008, 02:51 PM

you can run a higher clock with water. a good CPU loop should cost no less than $200-250

surgeVel · 04-03-2008, 02:58 PM

Can you give me some examples?

Such as: Q6600 at 4.2GHz running at max load 45C on water cooling.

veedubfreak · 04-03-2008, 03:04 PM

Pretty sure you wont get a q6600 to 4.2 on water or air. I have had my q6600 as high as 4ghz and never broke 65C but i run the highest end air cooler you can get. For the amount of effort and cost that water requires, i just stuck with air. Water cooling is its own project and something you should only really look into if you dont mind the extra cost and want something extra to tinker with.

Best CPU air cooler on the market and a good fan 85.
Cheapest possible water cooling that can match the TRUE - at least 200.

almightyobo · 04-03-2008, 03:04 PM

The best bang for your buck is to just have a well ventilated case w/ a TRUE

you will have to spend at least $200-250 for improvements beyond it

Personally, Id only go for watercooling if I were really really into OCing. The aesthetics is awesome tho

commandercup · 04-03-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veedubfreak

Pretty sure you wont get a q6600 to 4.2 on water or air. I have had my q6600 as high as 4ghz and never broke 65C but i run the highest end air cooler you can get. For the amount of effort and cost that water requires, i just stuck with air. Water cooling is its own project and something you should only really look into if you dont mind the extra cost and want something extra to tinker with.

Best CPU air cooler on the market and a good fan 85.
Cheapest possible water cooling that can match the TRUE - at least 200.

no way, the TRUE is poop compared to even cheapo water cooling lol

I should try a TRUE out and compare temperatures/overclocks... too bad they cost so much

veedubfreak · 04-03-2008, 03:25 PM

What price range do you consider "cheapo" water cooling.

aspire.comptech · 04-03-2008, 06:13 PM

The true loses out performance wise once tremendously once the clock speed is cranked up and put under load.

Otherwise the TRUE will perform on par or better.

mgcook · 04-03-2008, 07:48 PM

most run a q6600 at 3.8 or 4.0 on water. its not hard with good cooling, good chip, and a good motherboard.

Drizzt5 · 04-05-2008, 03:20 PM

Really with a q6600 you don't need it clocked up to 4.2ghz anyway, your best off with an air cooler... And to save money on the cooler some recommend the XIGMATEk
Newegg.com - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks

But WC is silent and sexy...

04-03-2008, 02:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
surgeVel System Builder/NZXT Deals Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 989	Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance I have been researching water cooling systems lately and I was wondering what the actual price/performance ratio is when comparing water cooling with a high quality heatsink and fan combo. As far as watercooling, I am only basically interested in cooling the CPU with the watercooling. Any details on price comparisons and performance temperature comparisons would be great! I'm not saying I'm going to be implementing water cooling into everything, I just want to know more about the option and to see how much it compares to other coolers when overclocking the cpu. __________________ -surgeVel Surge Velocity - Custom Built Computers For Speed and Power that is Light on Your Wallet! If you'd rather not risk building yourself, we won't charge an arm and a leg to do it for you! www.SurgeVelocity.com-Updated! \| NZXT Cases at lowest prices! \| Inferno Deals: The NewEgg Alternative! Latest Build: Case: NZXT Tempest, Mobo: Asus Rampage Forumula X48, CPU: Q9450 at stock (OC later), HS/F: Xigmatek Rifle 120mm (--C idle, --C max), GPU: Diamond Radeon HD4850 (CrossFireX later ), HDD: 500GB Seagate 7200.11, RAM: 4GB (2x2GB) OCZ Reapers 1000 DDR2, PSU: Corsair 750TX, OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

04-03-2008, 02:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
mgcook Monster Techie Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,732	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance you can run a higher clock with water. a good CPU loop should cost no less than $200-250

04-03-2008, 02:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
surgeVel System Builder/NZXT Deals Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 989	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance Can you give me some examples? Such as: Q6600 at 4.2GHz running at max load 45C on water cooling. __________________ -surgeVel Surge Velocity - Custom Built Computers For Speed and Power that is Light on Your Wallet! If you'd rather not risk building yourself, we won't charge an arm and a leg to do it for you! www.SurgeVelocity.com-Updated! \| NZXT Cases at lowest prices! \| Inferno Deals: The NewEgg Alternative! Latest Build: Case: NZXT Tempest, Mobo: Asus Rampage Forumula X48, CPU: Q9450 at stock (OC later), HS/F: Xigmatek Rifle 120mm (--C idle, --C max), GPU: Diamond Radeon HD4850 (CrossFireX later ), HDD: 500GB Seagate 7200.11, RAM: 4GB (2x2GB) OCZ Reapers 1000 DDR2, PSU: Corsair 750TX, OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

04-03-2008, 03:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
veedubfreak Official DFI Bricker Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,672	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance Pretty sure you wont get a q6600 to 4.2 on water or air. I have had my q6600 as high as 4ghz and never broke 65C but i run the highest end air cooler you can get. For the amount of effort and cost that water requires, i just stuck with air. Water cooling is its own project and something you should only really look into if you dont mind the extra cost and want something extra to tinker with. Best CPU air cooler on the market and a good fan 85. Cheapest possible water cooling that can match the TRUE - at least 200. __________________ Gaming Rig Mountain Mods UFO Intel Q6600 g0 3.6ghz 1.4v Custom H2O 2x2gb Ocz Reapers@ 4-4-4-12 HIS 4870 Crossfire Asus Rampage Formula x48 Corsair 750TX 24" Acer + 24" Soyo #1 3dmark06 holder 21554 "U" is a letter, "you" is a word. Just say no to lazy typing.

04-03-2008, 03:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
almightyobo True Techie Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 211	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance The best bang for your buck is to just have a well ventilated case w/ a TRUE you will have to spend at least $200-250 for improvements beyond it Personally, Id only go for watercooling if I were really really into OCing. The aesthetics is awesome tho __________________ MB - DFI LP DK P35-T2RS CPU - Q6600 @ 3.0 atm HSF - Lapped TRUE + Scythe RAM - 2x 1G Ballisitx Tracers GPU - MSI 8800GTS 512 (G92) HD - 500G Barracuda + 320G Ext PSU - PC P&C Silencer 610 OS - Windows XP 32-bit SP2 OEM Case - Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570 Monitor - Hanns-G 19" Widescreen LCD Headset - Sennheiser PC151 3DMark06 - 14186 (3.0 / stock gpu) You must try some of my purple berries...

04-03-2008, 03:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
veedubfreak Official DFI Bricker Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,672	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance What price range do you consider "cheapo" water cooling. __________________ Gaming Rig Mountain Mods UFO Intel Q6600 g0 3.6ghz 1.4v Custom H2O 2x2gb Ocz Reapers@ 4-4-4-12 HIS 4870 Crossfire Asus Rampage Formula x48 Corsair 750TX 24" Acer + 24" Soyo #1 3dmark06 holder 21554 "U" is a letter, "you" is a word. Just say no to lazy typing.

04-03-2008, 07:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
mgcook Monster Techie Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,732	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance most run a q6600 at 3.8 or 4.0 on water. its not hard with good cooling, good chip, and a good motherboard.

04-05-2008, 03:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
Drizzt5 Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New Joisy Posts: 2,823	Re: Water cooling vs. Air -- price/performance Really with a q6600 you don't need it clocked up to 4.2ghz anyway, your best off with an air cooler... And to save money on the cooler some recommend the XIGMATEk Newegg.com - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks But WC is silent and sexy...

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