Pre-assembled Water Cooler

This is my build so far:

Total: $1636

GIGABYTE Z68XP-UD3 ATX MOBO: $85 after rebates: http://www.microcenter.com/single_ [...] id=0366193

I5-2500K: $180: http://www.microcenter.com/single_ [...] id=0354589

MSI Radeon 7970 GPU: $580: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127645

Patriot Signature 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz SDRAM: $35: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820220570

CM HAF 922: $105: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119197

Crucial M4 128GB SATA III SSD: $182: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820148442

ASUS VG236HE 23" 120Hz 2ms LCD Monitor: $320: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] pk=vg236he

Antec Gamer Series 750W PSU: $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371049

Asus 24x DVD Burner: $20: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827135204
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Turtle-B [...] 0003142050

I will play: Runescape MMORPG, other Gaming (MW3, BF3, CoD, Dragon Ball Z, Spyro, Sonic, Tekken, maybe Skyrim, League of Legends, Counter-strike, Half-life 2, and Pokemon are some examples but I'm open to all genres).

The games I will buy are not included in the budget.

Should I water cool, and if so, what water cooler should I get?

This is a question only you can answer. Why do you feel you need/want it?

Is your budget meaning: $1800 - $1636 = $164?

If so, you are pretty limited to CPU-only, and to expand on this, only a Corsair LCS cooler or XSPC Rasa RS 240/360.

Have you read the watercooling sticky? (linked in my signature below).

You aren't going to get much other than what I listed above. As for 'very cool PC', do you mean in terms of stylish or temperature? I guess it depends on what your expectations are...for your budget, you are fairly limited in what your options are if you choose to go that route.

If you are looking for a closed loop system the Corsair H100 is one of the best if not the best closed loop system around. You can pick one up for a little over $100.

Having said that most high end air cooling systems offer similiar performance for slightly less $.

I like my Corsair H70 closed loop because of the clean appearance, no hassle installation, quiet operation, and clearance around the CPU for things like RAM with giant heatsinks. Plus your CPU will have a pirate ship picture on top of it.

And yes... it will fit in the top of the CM HAF 922 if you remove the top 200 mm fan. No modding needed

To clarify- closed loop coolers have these components as well.

The H100 rates within 1 degree C of the top air cooling systems under load.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/corsair-h100-review/7
So yes... it is among the best you can buy.
The ZALMAN CNPS9900 NT beats it by 1 degree C under load and costs only $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835118054

The benefits of the H100 over the Zalman are:

The ability to put the fan in a different area than on top of the CPU. This relieves pressure on the motherboard from a huge hunk of metal hanging off it to one side.

Looks. I think the H100 looks sexy and less cluttered.

Space. Your rig will have room in and around the CPU for whatever you want.

Completely agree with pacioli, here.

H100 does perform considerably well and often a bit better than most high-end air coolers. However, it does cost more than most and for the price of the H100, you can almost buy the Rasa RS240 kit as a full, entry-level watercooling setup that performs significantly better. This is where the price/performance curve looks ugly for the H100 in terms of good air and entry-level water.

This is your decision. For 1-2C better and costing $20-$30 more only you can determine if this is true.

For the record, H50 is not water cooling.

That's why we are here...there isn't really a lot to be afraid of other than cutting corners and rushing through your build. We try to stress that watercooling isn't something you decide on in a day and attempt the next...there should be a considerable amount of learning, planning and decision-making before you pull the trigger on loop components.