Water cooling Ultra Grid?

[Pax]

Hey everyone, I've scoured the forums here, and have spent hours searching google for information on adding water cooling to my current case, the Ultra Grid.

I've found that the Grid is a bit cramped, so I don't know if there's going to be enough space for a decent system. Does anyone have experience adding water cooling to a smaller case like this one? Any info on what some good components would be for it (I've read a bunch of the topics on the forums here and at other sites, but this is my first WC project, and I don't want to get crappy parts)?

My whole system is as follows:

Ultra Grid case
Ultra XVS 700W Modular PSU
XFX 680i LT mobo
Q6600 2.4ghz (G0)
2gb OCZ Platinum PC6400 ram

EVGA 8800GT
Seagate 500gb HDD


My current idle temps are 37-44 Celsius, and load temps get into the low-mid 50s. On a side note, could the varying range on the cores mean bad thermal paste distribution?


I'd like to get into OC'ing a bit, but don't feel comfortable doing it when my temps seem fairly high already, and I think if I can get a decent water cooling system in place I could start having some OC fun.


Thanks for the input/help.

Edit: Not sure if it matters, but I'll be adding more ram, and 1-2 more hard drives in the next few months. And the ambient room temp is rather high too. Between my computer and my wife's Mac Pro, there's a lot of exhaust heat in our little office...enough that you can notice the difference walking in or out of the room.

[sswilson]

Can you get a picture of your case as it's currently set up? That would help folks come up with some ideas for you.

If you truly don't have much room inside your case you can either use a Swiftech radbox to hang the rad off the back of your computer, or you can try mounting it up top like this.... Case Pics . Have a look through the rest of the case pics, and/or the WC pics, you'll find a ton of excellent ideas to get you started.

Welcome to HWC!!!

[Squeetard]

Or even the on side door if room at the back or on the top is an issue:

[Pax]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll take a look at the pics/links there. This is my case as is...let me know if you need different pics. The small pic is linked to the high res version in case you need to see things closer.

Edit: After looking at the pics of the side/top mount rads, a top mount would probably work better for me. I currently have my computer under the desk between two legs of the desk. If I had it on the side, it would be really tight sliding the comp out (it's on a rolling stand), as there is only about 3 or so inches of clearance on each side.

The legs don't interfere with the airflow, they're just 2 inch wide metal tubes. I have a good 10 inches of clearance between the top of the computer and the bottom of the desk, and if I were to take the computer off the rolling stand, I'd probably get another 3-4 inches if I needed it.

I'm assuming I'd need a dremel to cut holes in the top of my case?

[sswilson]

Yeah, a dremmel is probably the #1 tool once folks decide they want to start modding their case. The link I provided uses stand-offs to raise the rad above the case, but you can also cut fan holes in the top and mount it flush to the top of the case. Babrbarossa has a great worklog of a flush top mount rad mount, but it's probably back a year or so if you're looking for it.

[slntdth93]

I'm not a wc expert but i think you should add some mosfet cooling (those tiny enzotech ones)
-maybe remove the fan duct and add a fan there (air flow is good- doesnt need that high cfm)
I think a back mounted rad w/ the radbox would be better after you drill holes through the space between teh side panel and pci expansion slot

[Pax]

I like the sounds of the top mount a lot. After doing more research, I've made a quick shopping list...thoughts on this? I'm trying to get something that will fit in the case, yet still be powerful enough to get the job done well.

CPU Block: ($65)
Swiftech Apogee GT or D-Tek FuZion V2

Rad ($55):
Swiftech MCR220 Quiet Power Dual 120MM

Pump ($63 - $90):
D-Tek DB-1 or Swiftech MCP655

Res ($15):
Swiftech MCRES-Micro


Now I'm not too sure about the following things:

Coolant?
Barbs?
Clamps?
Fans?
Tubing?

Everything seems to indicate that I'd want 1/2" internal diameter on my tubing, right? I'm assuming all these components are compatible with that?

[Squeetard]

Get the kit then:

NCIX.com - Canada's Premier Computer Store - Great Technology, Service and Selection.

It has everything you need.
I have the ultra +, love it.
Also, holy crap, prices have gone through the roof.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by Squeetard

Get the kit then:

NCIX.com - Canada's Premier Computer Store - Great Technology, Service and Selection.

It has everything you need.
I have the ultra +, love it.
Also, holy crap, prices have gone through the roof.

Hah, thanks. Didn't realize they had that. The ultra+ looks pretty sweet (wasn't planning on cooling the GPU or chipset, but....why not?

What price range should I be waiting for those to get into before I buy?

[MpG]

If you don't go with a kit, that DB-1 is a little weak. It'll work, but you might consider it's big brother, the CPX-PRO. Also nicely priced, and noticeably more powerful.