I recently upgraded my system to a i5-760 and a GTX 470. I had fallen in love with the SG05 due to its size - size DOES matter! I went from a virtually deadsilent system in to a tornado - I had expected that since fase 1 was simply getting the parts and fit them in the system on stock cooling, while the old system was based around a big case (Antec 3000 BQE) and all the huge air cooled components that could run with Nexus 120mm's @ 5V and the ol' 8800 GT ran passive with S1 from Arctic Coooling - so no surprise there!

So now it's time for cooling the lil beast. I don't care about overclocking so the max TDP will be the stock variants, which is a total of 310W TDP. (95W TDP for the CPU and 215W TDP for the GFX) and as space is my enemy #1 in this system it's actually starting to look as if WC'ing might be an option, but since I'm all new in that I need some advice to figure out, if it is possible.

I'll try to ask one question at the time as some issues are critical, so I don't waste time asking ten questions and people answering, when the setup will fail on the first.

The first real question is 'How big a radiator is needed for 310W TDP'? Can a single 120mm rad do it? Say pehaps an XSPC RX120? It could be an option to remove the CPU out of the loop if needed reducing the TDP to 215W, but I'd prefere if both could be in the solution.

Optimally the XSPC RX120 would be cooled in a pull setup by a Noctua NF-P12. Just if people need the bigger picture I had imaginged the other components to be Laing DDC - 1T (10W) pump, EK - FC470 GTX - Acetal, EK - Supreme HF - Acetal. No reservoir.

I know this is a very expensive solution compared to an aircooled solution, but really... I have 45mm space from the gfx card to the case side. So help me here. Thanks!

A 1x120 radiator can cool 300W, but it will be loud and/or hot. Forget the water for a moment, and imagine cooling your rig with a single 120mm fan. Same deal.

I've never even seen your case, so there's not a lot more I can offer.

Good luck & please let us know your results.

Wanting to use watercooling not for the l33t uber-OC coolness but for the practicality of it seems a bit odd to me.

(That case is more holes than metal btw )
You could use aircooling - A 25€ Big Shuriken, a €10 PWM-fan paired with a €2-cable used to connect the fan to your graphics card, and a custom fan profile in MSI Afterburner for your GTX 470 should bring the noise level down a whole lot, probably making the hardmounted HDD and PSU fan the loudest parts Mount the fan between the perforated case panel and your GTX 470 (maybe you could remove the original fan & shroud) in the generous 45mm space (you only need 25mm! 45 mm is even enough to mount 2 Scythe Kaze Minis! )