This is what I decided to go with and I couldn't be happier even though my first unit was defective:
http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Reservoir-Integrated-High-Pressure/dp/B00OWL5LO8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_15?ie=UTF8&refRID=0G8PSCKKR7CWPAJY9QTV
 

 

Thanks for the quick responses and vote of confident - makes me feel better about my choices.  I was hoping to do a all Swiftech build.  Dave how did you get 2x 360 radiators in the HAF?  Also, which size radiator can I install up top without clearance issues?
 
Update:  I ordered the Swiftech reservoir and pump and I just received the gpu water block and back plate, so the build has started.  I will now check on the radiators.
Thanks...Al

Methodical2
Thanks for the quick responses and vote of confident - makes me feel better about my choices.  I was hoping to do a all Swiftech build.  Dave how did you get 2x 360 radiators in the HAF?  Also, which size radiator can I install up top without clearance issues?
 
Update:  I ordered the Swiftech reservoir and pump and I just received the gpu water block and back plate, so the build has started.  I will now check on the radiators.
Thanks...Al

How I got those, I will preface this with, this build was more for proof of concept, but it worked so friggin well I left it for years.  I ran a pair of the MCR320Stackers.  Now, before the readers launch their beverage  out their nose all over the monitor because we have all seen the TERRIBLE numbers form those, I changed it up a bit.  Normally there are 2 connectors between the rads and they water enters and exits from the same rad, I went in through the top rad, with a connector to the bottom rad and the water exitted there, basically creating a thin 720 rad, I sandwiched them together originally with 3 Ultra Kaze fans which did rather well, but after a few years the bearings bit the dust and I replaced them with a trio of SanAce 38mm fans, the high speed one from Boredgunner's sticky.  I will try and find a way to get a pic of these up here so you can see.  Yes, you can say that I am blowing hot air through one of the rads, but I tested it with a single rad, which outperformed the setup from the instructions which was in parallel, and then when I set them in series I smoked the numbers I had from either setup.
The fitment in the top was tight to say the least, but it fit.  There were some tabs along the back above the mobo tray that I needed to fold out of the way, but aside from that, great fit, great cooling.  If you have a board like a X79 Dark, due to how the MOSFET heatsink is shaped it might be really tough to get the EPS connector in, but most would be fine.

EVGATech_DaveB

Methodical2
Thanks for the quick responses and vote of confident - makes me feel better about my choices.  I was hoping to do a all Swiftech build.  Dave how did you get 2x 360 radiators in the HAF?  Also, which size radiator can I install up top without clearance issues?
 
Update:  I ordered the Swiftech reservoir and pump and I just received the gpu water block and back plate, so the build has started.  I will now check on the radiators.
Thanks...Al

How I got those, I will preface this with, this build was more for proof of concept, but it worked so friggin well I left it for years.  I ran a pair of the MCR320Stackers.  Now, before the readers launch their beverage  out their nose all over the monitor because we have all seen the TERRIBLE numbers form those, I changed it up a bit.  Normally there are 2 connectors between the rads and they water enters and exits from the same rad, I went in through the top rad, with a connector to the bottom rad and the water exitted there, basically creating a thin 720 rad, I sandwiched them together originally with 3 Ultra Kaze fans which did rather well, but after a few years the bearings bit the dust and I replaced them with a trio of SanAce 38mm fans, the high speed one from Boredgunner's sticky.  I will try and find a way to get a pic of these up here so you can see.  Yes, you can say that I am blowing hot air through one of the rads, but I tested it with a single rad, which outperformed the setup from the instructions which was in parallel, and then when I set them in series I smoked the numbers I had from either setup.
The fitment in the top was tight to say the least, but it fit.  There were some tabs along the back above the mobo tray that I needed to fold out of the way, but aside from that, great fit, great cooling.  If you have a board like a X79 Dark, due to how the MOSFET heatsink is shaped it might be really tough to get the EPS connector in, but most would be fine.

 
I'd love to see some photos of that set up.
 
Thanks

Ok.  Thanks.  I will take a look at those fans.  I still have a few decisions to make for this build - radiators, fans and tubing (thinking of going acrylic) - still researching.

Zuhl3156

Methodical2
Ok.  Thanks.  I will take a look at those fans.  I still have a few decisions to make for this build - radiators, fans and tubing (thinking of going acrylic) - still researching.

They make a 120mm Vardar too I think but I'm getting really good results with the Noctua NF-F12 fans that Linus said were the best. Acrylic would look nice if you have room to work. I live in an apartment that is too crowded for a workbench. Plus I'm getting a little too old to be playing a young man's game. My hand shakes too much since my minor stroke in March. I could never keep pace with you youngsters out there anyway. LOL   Good luck with your decisions. Looking forward to some pics and benchmarks. With that watercooling you'll be able to crank your voltage up and never have to worry about throttling.

Thanks again.  I'm no spring chicken myself - 49, but not quite where you are, yet (saw you post your age in your thread). As my Moms always say - keep liv'n.  I will take a look at both of those fans, including the Swiftech fans.  Like I said, I still have some shopping to do and decisions to make as far as tubing, fans and radiators.  I have the other big items - cpu block (using block from 220x), gpu block and backplate and reservoir and pump.
 
Take care and thanks for the encouragement.
 
PS.  I want to see if I can get the old 2600 to 5.0 with the water loop.

Zuhl3156
I got my 2600k to 4.8 Ghz at 1.41 vCore with an air cooler. I might have reached 5.0 at 1.45v with a loop but I didn't see much improvement from 4.5 to 4.8 so I just backed down the multiplier and voltage.

Yeah, I had to up my volts to 1.4 to get a stable 4.6.  I probably won't run it that high, but want to see if I can get there.  What is the highest safe voltage for this cpu?

Ok.  Thanks.  I don't plan to go that high myself.

Methodical2
 
I'd love to see some photos of that set up.
 
Thanks

I ma looking for old build pics but not having much luck, I seem to be missing a few folders of pictures in general which I'm not happy about.  However I do have that radiator set on my desk as I have used it hear for testing, mainly because it can keep pretty much any build I throw at it safe, and most sane builds nice and cool.  I will try to get a pic of it today and post it for you.

It was awfully loud but the only thing I have is an iPhone. These are the videos I uploaded for Swiftech support who agreed that it wasn't right and they RMAed the pump for me. I meant to have my post on watercooling the video boards more informative but everything went horribly wrong from the very beginning with wrong parts, defective parts, and more wrong parts. The only way I could keep from losing my mind was to interject some, if not too much, humor into the final assembly. Sorry I didn't do a better job with it.
 

 

Zuhl3156
It was awfully loud but the only thing I have is an iPhone. These are the videos I uploaded for Swiftech support who agreed that it wasn't right and they RMAed the pump for me. I meant to have my post on watercooling the video boards more informative but everything went horribly wrong from the very beginning with wrong parts, defective parts, and more wrong parts. The only way I could keep from losing my mind was to interject some, if not too much, humor into the final assembly. Sorry I didn't do a better job with it.
 

 

Thanks for the video.  How long did they take to get you the new part?  I ask because mine has a buzz to it, too, but not as loud as yours, but even worse, I turned off the computer and now the pump won't start.  I wonder if there's an air pocket causing the problem?  So, my joy has been short lived.  I'm going to call them tomorrow.  
 
Cool GTX, you can ask questions if you need to, but I am no expert at this.

Due to my fillports on the top of my case and according to Swiftech and Performance-PCs no one knows the thread on the top of the Maelstrom, so no adapter, so have to take apart my case to fill it, no thanks.  If they could TELL me the thread I would have found a way.  Instead I went with the XSPC model you have pictured here as well (had some issues with an older model I had, which is no longer made so I replaced it with these).  it works like a champ no complaints whatsoever, and Performance-PCs has the M20 to G1/4 adapter for a few bucks, so put the adapter on, put on a barb or a rotary and tube it to the top of your case, makes things nice and easy.
Personally BUILDING my setup at home was a MAJOR PITA, lots of stuff, big hands terrible eyesight for small parts with lots of shadows, BUT everything is about making the maintenance or dis-assembly in the future easier, not planning on bad things, but eventually parts die or get upgraded, just how it is.  So to me ports liker that and lots of other things are not icing on the cake for my build they are mandatory.  OK, got myself a bit off topic there, but yeah, the Maelstroms are great, BUT, the ease of adapting it to standard fittings, at this moment I will take the XSPC.  It also sits well with ym look of just plain, simple and functional.

Wow, that's not good; customer service can make or break a company, at least for me.  I can't wait for the RMA process, so I asked them to do a cross shipment, which they agreed to do, so I hope they don't give me the run around about refunding my money, but it's on my credit card, so I have recourse.  I need to get my computer up and running as I use it for my photography work.  I looked at the XSPC, but I wanted an all in one pump reservoir. Hopefully this goes well.  If not, I will look elsewhere.  I will update.
 
Is your new unit running fine?
 
Btw, I did some googling and found others with similar issues.
 
Thanks...Al

Zuhl, I saw your thread on the Swiftech forum and noticed the Swiftech to increase the motor speed to help bleed pump. How did you do that?  Is the pump speed adjustable externally on the pump or did you adjust it via MB pwm speed?

Methodical2
Zuhl, I saw your thread on the Swiftech forum and noticed the Swiftech to increase the motor speed to help bleed pump. How did you do that?  Is the pump speed adjustable externally on the pump or did you adjust it via MB pwm speed?

I have the pump hooked up to the CPU-1 fan header on the motherboard and have it running at full speed now as recommended by most watercooling users. I have the radiator fans hooked up to the CPU-2 fan header and have a custom profile controlling the fans according to CPU temperature. This is all done through the HW Monitor function in my motherboard's BIOS.