For my recent build, I'm trying to go quiet, while getting the best OC I can get everywhere. My current set up is

Intel E8400
DFI DK P35 T2RS mainboard
OCZ ReaperHPC DDR2-800 RAM (4-4-4-12@2.1v)
Nvidia 256mb 7900GS video card
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy SE
Antec Sonata Plus 550 case (Solo w/ NeoHE 550w PSU)
WD2500KS 250Gb drive + 40Gb Maxtor Fireball3

I haven't upgraded from stock cooling, or added any case fans. Actually, I did hook up an old PSU fan to cool off my 2500KS harddrive as it's very hot and starts to click if it doesn't get it's own cooling, but that fan is only temporary.

I want to set up a watercooling setup for the CPU, but I would like to keep it completely internal. I'm trying to keep cutting to a minimum, and I want to keep the case looking near stock. I've thought about sever different mounting places, and the two that seem the least fussy would be either

A: A single 12cm radiator in the 5.25" drivebays, with a couple Yate Loons in a push pull config. or

B: using the top of the case between the PSU and the front to mount a dual 12cm radiator up top, and I was thinking of using the 5.25" bays as an intake for the fans.

Will there be a big difference between having a 12cm radiator as opposed to a dual 12cm radiator? Also what about cooling? Will I get better cooling if I use push-pull config for the fans, or should I just put fans on a single side of the radiator?

What if I only put radiators where the case fans are? Would I still get adequate airflow though the case?

You light want to look at a couple of the offerings from CoolIt

http://www.coolitsystems.com/

They have a couple of completely self contained units that simple mount in place of the rear case fan and provide liquid and liquid/TEC cooling to the CPU as well as 5.25" bay units for video cards.

Actually I was looking at the PURE, but it's performance wasn't as good as a water-cooling set up should be. Most reviews I've read said that the pump was weak, and it's not expandable, should I decide later I'd like to watercool my single video card. However, they did say it was quiet, but I'm wondering if it's quieter-than-8-case-fans quiet or SPCR quiet. I could swap the fan for a Nexus or something, but that would only degrade cooling capability, and I can't mount two in a push-pull config.

I've also looked into the the older Emliminator models only available refurbished or used. They're the performance I'm looking for, but I'm wondering at what cost to noise it'll be.

Also, it might sound dumb, but I hate CoolIT coolers simply for that large plate that blocks the whole view. I love looking inside of my PC and looking at it. I still haven't figured out what's so damn intriguing about it, but I love looking at the inside of computers. I spend my free time looking at the gallery sections of places like Xtreme Systems and HardOCP

I suppose the CoolIT coolers are options, but those will be one of my last resorts in liquid cooling.

It's a pretty big leap, from stock cooling to water cooling. It seems you are seriously underestimating the effectiveness of good air cooling. You can put a heatsink and a fan, each from the top of SCPR's recommended list, and obtain silent CPU cooling comparable to a water setup of the kind you suggest.

What's more, I don't think your CPU cooling will be the limiting factor in your system. With decent cooling, the E8400 can go to 4GHz and higher, but for that you'll have to run your motherboard and memory at 1800 MT/s and 900 MT/s, which they might not handle too well.