Is this a waste for a newbie?

[huck_finn]

I'm working on getting a new mobo and processor (3200+ Venice) and I was looking at the water cooling. I've read the reviews on this one, and read some of the posts on this forum regarding water cooling (but couldn't find the sticky about it)

My Q is: Is this a waste of money? Or is it a good water cooler for a newbie who doesn't know what he's doing?

I really dont know much about hardware, so learning to overclock this thing will be new to me as well. Plus, I'm coming from an HP mobo with a P4.

Water cooling:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835124005

 

[Calzinger]

Bah, water cooling kits are ridiculous. But that water cooling kit seems to be ultra-ridiculous.

Think of it this way, Dell:Custom build :: WC kit:Custom WC kit

If you're going to go as far as water cooling your computer, you could probably save some bucks by getting those kits, but the quality is right down at the bottom. By getting a custom WC kit, you can take advantage of the better parts that are offered.

The only difference in this case would be pricing. I've never seen a WC kit for so cheap, though the quality probably justifies that. I'm going to be spending around $220 for my WC kit in a few weeks, but I can garauntee that it will kick that kit's butt by a long shot.

So after ranting on, yes, it is a waste of money. Is it good for a newbie? Probably, but it's not like a custom WC kit is too much for a newbie. With the right help and some work, a custom WC kit would not only bring you much better cooling efficiency but also much higher overclocks.

Again to summarize, a water cooling kit is like buying a Dell. They buy the cheapest things possible and make it easier for you to put together.

I strongly hope you change your mind and look into building the WC rig yourself. There are plenty of people here that can help you build it, namely Him, Gaara, and Nubius. I already planned on my rig; it's just a matter of time before I buy it. So I have an idea of some parts you could get for the rig.

 

[Counter-Strike]

Well, it all depends on how much you want to overclock. Usually 4+ case fans can keep parts cool, especially w/ how great AMD's HSF's work. If you just want to bump it up by 100-200Mhz, then just go w/ fans. But if you're trying to pull what I like to call a suicide clock, then yea, go for water cooling.

 

[jtrotman]

You can OC the Venice up pretty high using just the stock fan. Alot of people have hit like 2.7ghz

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

Thats one of the watercooling systems that should just be called water system. Because they dont cool well...

Watercooling is harder for someone new, I would just go air cooling for now

 

[diabloII]

^ yea

just get like a zalman 7700cu and a tube of arctic silver 5

 

[Shumway]

Stay away from crap like that,A good after-market heatsink will cool better than that thing,Same thing goe's for the ThermalTake Big Water.

 

[angryOGG]

wut about this monstrosity?
http://www.xoxide.com/koolance-aquian-icm-505-silver.html
or this:
http://www.xoxide.com/koolance-pc3-720bk-case-black.html

 

[Calzinger]

I'd hate to quote myself, but come on already.

Dell:Custom build :: WC kit:Custom WC kit

Nearly EVERY water cooling kit will be outperformed by a custom rig if not all of the kits. Buying a water cooling kit is just plain ridiculous. There is no reason to even consider buying a WC kit, regardless of what you need.

A custom WC kit will destroy any sort of aftermarket heatsink. Most custom heatsinks will still run very hot underload whereas WC can make that difference as low as 3C. You could have an idle of 37C and a load temperature of 40C.

 

[huck_finn]

Thanks everyone

Looks like I'll be saving my pennies then for a custom kit. Is there a link that has an affordable list of parts put together already?

I'm not in a hurry really... I'll just get a better heatsink and I have five fans built in to my case already so maybe that will be enough for now. I'm new to overclocking as well, so I'll probably be cautious in the beginning.

I appreciate the help!