We have always been a fan of liquid-cooled systems here at ThinkComputers, but it has been a while since we looked at anything beyond AIO coolers. So we decided to give our friends at Alphacool a call to see if they wouldn’t mind helping us put together a full custom loop. They responded generously, and as you will see in the video, we ended up with a pretty great setup.
Special thanks to Alphacool for providing us with all of the cooling components used in this build, as well as their insight into component selection.
Our loop design is pretty simple – both the CPU and videocard will be cooled, and the loop will use two radiators to help dissipate the heat. We went with a hybrid loop design, with both the CPU and videocard in a parallel configuration, and the rest of the loop in series. The parallel layout for the CPU and videocard gives is a nice and symmetrical look and doesn’t really have a major thermal impact. This design also worked out best for us as we are using the InWin 905 case for this build. The 905 has a somewhat unique fan layout with three 120mm fans along the bottom portion of the case, two 120mm fans in the front that are actually used as exhaust fans, and a single 120mm in the rear for a bit more exhaust.
Be sure to check out the video for a full rundown of all of the components in the build, along with the teardown of our old build, and the installation of the new custom loop.
We will also be converting this build to a hard tubing loop in the near future, as we transition the components to an InWin 925.
Alphacool Components (Amazon Affiliate Links When Available):
Eisblock XPX Aurora – Plexi Black Digital RGB (12946)
Eisblock Aurora Plexi GPX-N GeForce RTX 2080/2080Ti FE (11738)
Eisbecher D5 150mm Acetal Reservoir (15199)
VPP655 Pump Core (13122)
NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper Radiator V2 – 240mm (14344)
NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper Radiator V2 – 360mm (14345)
AlphaTube HF 16/10 (3/8″ ID) – Clear 3m (9.8ft) Retail Box (18575)
Eiszyklon Aurora LUX Pro 2 Digital RGB Fan (120x120x25mm) (24808)
Eiszapfen 3/8″ ID x 5/8″ OD G1/4 Compression Fitting – Black Sixpack (17234)
Eiszapfen G1/4 90-degree Rotary L-Connector – Black (17248)
G1/4 Revolvable 45-degree Male to Female Angled Adapter – Black (17051)
Eiszapfen G1/4 Dual Rotary 45-degree Adapter Fitting – Black (17250)
Eiszapfen G1/4 Male to Female Extender Fitting – 20mm – Black (17256)
Eiszapfen G1/4 Male to Female Extender Fitting – 10mm – Black (17254)
Eiszapfen G1/4 2-Way Ball Valve Fitting – Black (17142)
Aurora Eiscontrol Addressable RGB Controller – Black (15360)
System Components (Amazon Affiliate Links When Available):
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero
EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 Super XC Ultra
Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (64GB, 3200MHz)
Western Digital Black SN750
InWin 905