Question Help with water cooling RTX 3090

[billyb0b]

I have a EVGA 3090 XC3 - very happy with the card but of course it runs toasty, especially the VRAM.

I want to put it underwater.

I'm aiming for the EK Quantum Vector 2 as the water block and backplate -- this guy: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-vector2-xc3-rtx-3080-90-abp-set-d-rgb-nickel-acetal

Questions I have are (prefer to stay with all EK parts):
- What radiator? I'm thinking 280 or should I go 360? How thick on the rad? This 280? -- https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-surface-p280m-x-flow-black
- What pump/reservoir combo? Is this smaller 120mm once sufficient on volume? -- https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-kinetic-tbe-120-vtx-pwm-d-rgb-acetal
- What fittings and tubing size?


Thanks for the help

 

[In2Photos]

I'm not a water cooling expert by any means, but maybe my response will get others to chime in.

Good choice with the active backplate, the 3090 has RAM modules on the back that need cooling IIRC.

The radiator and pump/res combo will depend a lot on your case and how much room you have to mount everything. I would opt for as much water as you can get so go with the largest pump/res combo you can fit. Radiator thickness is dependent on how much room you have again, but keep in mind that the thicker you go the more air flow you need to get through it. Typically if you start getting over a standard 30mm thick radiator you would start to also think about a push-pull fan configuration.

For tubing size and fittings do you plan to use soft tubing or hard tubing?

Any chance you can share a picture of your case and where you are thinking of putting the radiator and pump/res combo?

 

[aigomorla]

I have a EVGA 3090 XC3 - very happy with the card but of course it runs toasty, especially the VRAM.

I want to put it underwater.

I'm aiming for the EK Quantum Vector 2 as the water block and backplate -- this guy: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-vector2-xc3-rtx-3080-90-abp-set-d-rgb-nickel-acetal

Questions I have are (prefer to stay with all EK parts):
- What radiator? I'm thinking 280 or should I go 360? How thick on the rad? This 280? -- https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-surface-p280m-x-flow-black
- What pump/reservoir combo? Is this smaller 120mm once sufficient on volume? -- https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-quantum-kinetic-tbe-120-vtx-pwm-d-rgb-acetal
- What fittings and tubing size?


Thanks for the help

eK doesn't make the best parts in some categories, and a full custom, you really don't want a single brand because your not locked to it.

eK GPU blocks are great, and if you want the rear mem cooling, you only have 2 options which is eK or Blyski, which i do not recommend on new installs, as they are not up to quality of eK, and may require additional parts like mem pads, because they sometimes do not supply you with enough, or wrong pads.

I also recommend you doing the CPU while your at it, it will only cost you an extra block, and will make routing a heck of a lot easier since you don't have a massive heat sink in the middle of your PC build.

As for radiator, i always state, the biggest you can physically fit in your PC.
My personal favorite line is the Alphacool NEXXXOS UT series.
They are full copper radiators, which outclasses eK in every category including port options.
Only downside tho, is they are massive thick radiators, designed for low to medium spinning fans.
If you can fit a 360, id go 360 only because you have better fan options on 120mm vs a 140mm.

As for pump and res combo, what case do you have?
If this is your first attempt, a distro plate might be a better option, as it will help you route things a lot easier and will have pump and reservior integration features on it, to keep things nice and clean.
This is an example of a distro plate:

Alphacool Core Distro Plate 360 Left with VPP/D5 Pump Mount

Distro Plate is a must have for any performance-oriented custom water cooling systemOriented with the ports on the left and the pump mount on the rightPump Compatibility:?D5/VPPVolume:?309mlDimensions (L x W x H):?360 x 125 x 68.80mm

www.titanrig.com

AS for fittings and tube sizing, that also depends on if you want to hard pipe it, or use regular tubing.
Hard pipe has its advantages, and downsides, like less coolant loss over time, but at the same time, you need to tear your entire system down and drain the coolant each time you want to change, or modify the cooling.

But in regards, a real distro plate will make both style a lot easier.

 

[Tech Junky]

This all gives me flashbacks of car work I've done with the cooling system for the supercharger. I took the dinky little radiator on the front and enlarged it to the same size as the engine one. Thus dropping the temps on the supercharger at a higher spin rate due to changing the pulley ratio by using a larger crank pulley to get more spin per rev.

That distro plate looks convenient though compared to the crap inside the car under the hood and behind the grilles. In the car world though a lot of talk about divorcing the systems to keep them targeted at their parts thus keeping the liquid cooler per cycle.

Having played with the GPU game before w/ mining though they're atrocious for turning the case into a space heater compared to the CPU. I agree that if you're doing one you might as well do both though. My focus would be on the GPU first and the CPU secondary if it's a funds issue. GPU under load will use 2-3X as much energy and thus more heat generated that soaks the rest of the system.