Finished my Water Cooled Rig (pics)

[jenkx]

Check it out. My system is basically a Swiftech setup. I used their pump, rads, and blocks on all three chips. I prefer their fill-and-bleed system to a reservoir because it is supposed to be self contained. I can turn the computer on its head, shake it all about with no fear of air getting into the system. Because the system is air tight and self contained Swiftech claims that the water will not evaporate and therefore never needs refilling. The also claim that no allege and other contaminates will grow or cause growth as long as distilled water with an additive is used. The pics are a little grany because all I have is a video camra and it doesent take good still pics. However, enjoy the pics and tell me what you think.

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_012.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_011.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_014.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_007.jpg As you can see I have the radiators in parallel configuration. Swiftech claims this will yields a performance improvement of 5c to 7c. I believe them, I have not hooked my system up with one radiator so I can’t tell you if it really works but it should because there is a greater cooling surface. By splitting the water in parallel radiators instead of sending it in series (i.e. one radiator after the next) the water is cooled faster

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_006.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_009.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_008.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_006.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_005.jpg http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_004.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_002.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_001.jpg

http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_014.jpg The video cam did not do this pic any justice. The UV reactive water glows brighter and the violet glow is not seen with naked eye.

[[KX3]rAge]

Very nice! not sure I like the pink LED though....
a lot goin on there though! very busy looking...
looks really nice though, temps?
and I like the dual rads in the back :)

[jenkx]

Thanks, the LED is not pink, it is a UV Light that cannot be seen with the naked eye, however the wack camara that I have picks up the UV light and displays it as pink. As far as temps the Asus utility probe is showing 42c idol and 49c Maxload. Remember I'm running a Prescott P4 which runs hot already. I placed temp probes from my Hardcano 12 Fan controler on the water block as close to the chip as I could get it and it reads 37c idol and 44c max. So there is about a 4-5c difference between the two readings.

[[KX3]rAge]

I see, I imagine it looks a lot better in real life! camera's never do your comp justice...
I'll hopefully have my WC setup ordered and on it's way soon!

[germanjulian]

how fast do your fans run? are they loud? nice and clean setup

[jenkx]

The fans are controled with the unit on the front which displayes their rpm. When turned down to 1400 rpm they run very quiet. When turned up to 3200 rpm they make a little noise. The speed makes about a 3c difference in temps as well.

[@/2ct!<]

How come I always see that 1/2 ID tubing with the 3/8 swiftech, that looks very similar to their demo picture.. Why dont they stick to one size?

[jenkx]

Here is a pic with the UV lights off.
http://img57.photobucket.com/albums/v175/jenkx11/Liquid_Cooling_002b.jpg



How come I always see that 1/2 ID tubing with the 3/8 swiftech, that looks very similar to their demo picture.. Why dont they stick to one size?

That's a good question. Swiftech ships a small 1/2 ID hose with a lot of 3/8 ID hose. Their pump is 1/2 id while their water blocks and fill-n-bleed systems are 3/8 ID. I don't know why they didn't just make everyting the same ID :bang head. However, it still works well the way it is but one cannot but think that a few degrees could have been shaved off if it all were 1/2 ID.

[SOShootME]

Which way are the fans on your 80mm rads running? Are they pulling air thru the rad into the case, or are they exhausting case air thru the rads to the outside?

The system looks very nice. :)

[jenkx]

Which way are the fans on your 80mm rads running? Are they pulling air thru the rad into the case, or are they exhausting case air thru the rads to the outside?

The system looks very nice. :)


It is pushing air out of the system. I'm thinkinng about putting two fans on the outside directly behind the rads pulling air out at the same time. I'll try it to see if it makes a difference with my temps at lower fan speeds.

The reason why I have them pushing air out is because the air becomes hot after passing through the radiator coils. I don't want that air sitting in the system.

[SOShootME]

Well you can always put a couple blowholes in the top of your case. :)

Here is my Chieftec case with two 80mm exhaust fans in the top panel.

http://webpages.charter.net/jim-decker/SOShootME/IM000525.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/jim-decker/SOShootME/Im000536.jpg

They work very well for venting the case air. I am sure your setup is fine the way it is, but it sure is fun cutting holes in cases.

[Eshiku]

Your system looks really nice

[Sun_tzu617]

um....thats the swiftech fill and bleed system for the driver cover right? Just checking..

[jenkx]

um....thats the swiftech fill and bleed system for the driver cover right? Just checking..

What do you mean by "driver cover?" Are you referring to the valves sticking out of the top bay on the front of the computer? If so the answer to your question is yes, that’s the fill and bleed system. Two hoses hook up to the two blue valves. The beige valve in the middle is closed and the two blue ones are opened to drain, fill, or bleed the system. No internal reservoir needed. The valves are pushed back into the system and covered with a regular bay cover that comes with the computer.

[Sun_tzu617]

then thats what im gonna get for my pc....

[orionnt]

Setup looks great. I hope mine looks that nice when im done

[jenkx]

Well you can always put a couple blowholes in the top of your case. :)

Here is my Chieftec case with two 80mm exhaust fans in the top panel.

http://webpages.charter.net/jim-decker/SOShootME/IM000525.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/jim-decker/SOShootME/Im000536.jpg

They work very well for venting the case air. I am sure your setup is fine the way it is, but it sure is fun cutting holes in cases.


I'm acturally thinkinig about adding a third rad at the top of the case. If I ever move from water to the pelt I guarantee I'll add a third rad at the top.

Another idea is to put a rad at the bottom with the front intake fan and let it blow cooler air onto the rad as it pulls air into the system.

The thing with water cooling is that the case is not as hot as it would be with strictly air becaue most of the heat is carried away with the water so its not such a bad thing exhusting air over the radiator coils. The only thing air cooled is my hardrive which has a fan in the font of the quick connect cassing that the harddrive sits in.

I wish more poeple would post pictures of their setups. I love to see what people have come up with.

[aaroncat]

Your temps seem too high for a high flow setup...Is that the MCP600 pump????
I have the same proc at the same FSB of 240 and my max load temp never goes past 45C.....keep in mind my water cooling is a very weak Aquarius2 kit(will be switching to pelt within the month).

It may just be the fact that you are cooling your CPU, NB & GPU with the same flow..........i.e. heat is being taken from your gpu to your NB to your cpu..

[aaroncat]

Also......I am very interested in certain swiftech components for my pelt setup......
But it is very confusing with all their different barb and tube sizes......
Can you explain in detail what hose size you have coming from each block, radiator and pump and if you needed any adapters to switch between different Inner Dimensions???

[aaroncat]

I am going to get all 1/2" ID that is why I am asking......

I know the pump has barbs for 1/2" ID and I will be getting the MCW5002-PT which has barbs for the 1/2" but what about the radiators? They are smaller right??? 3/8"?
Are the Black Ice Xtreme radiators (2x120mm) for 1/2" ID??? Anyone know?

[jenkx]

My temps are high for two reasons. I'm cooling a prescott P4 or a P4E which runs hotter than the Northwood's or P4c's. Pluse I'm cooling three chips in my circuit. But still my prescott temps are well below stock cooling. So I'm ok with the temps I'm getting

[jenkx]

Also......I am very interested in certain swiftech components for my pelt setup......
But it is very confusing with all their different barb and tube sizes......
Can you explain in detail what hose size you have coming from each block, radiator and pump and if you needed any adapters to switch between different Inner Dimensions???


Everything is 3/8id ecxept the pump, its 1/2id. I think swiftech's pelts are 3/8id as well. there sight is swiftnets.com

[aaroncat]

Jenkx.......dont know if you read my post right but I have the same P4 3.0E, and with a rather weak cooling setup I am getting better temps..........This shouldn't be the case, although the other waterblocks may have something to do with that (that was also in my previous post)

[aaroncat]

Check my sig we have almost identical setups.

Asus board............P43.0 Prescott @ 3.6 ..........DDR500..........Radeon..........

[jenkx]

Check my sig we have almost identical setups.

Asus board............P43.0 Prescott @ 3.6 ..........DDR500..........Radeon..........

aaroncat I read your post. I originally posted my temps the day I finished installing my water cooling setup. I've noticed that my temps have dropped since then. I'm now idling at 38c and maxing at 44c. One thing I did that may cause my temps to be higher is that I replaced the fans that came with the Swiftech radiators with UV reactive fans by Vantech. I believe that these fans move less air than the ones that came with the radiators.

Our system components are similar but one difference is that I'm running a 9800pro whereas you’re running a 9600XT. Maybe my 9800 is producing more heat than your 9600?

If I turn the fans around to pull fresh air in over my radiators my temps may drop as well but I'm satisfied with the way things are for now. I have a good stable o/c with room for more. I can go to a stable 3.84 but I have to tinker with stuff instead of just punch in 20% if you know what I mean.

[infinity9]

you are kiling the intake on the mcp600. 3/8 to 1/2 adapter right next to the intake is bad. you need about 3-4 inches of 1/2 id on the intake side before you switch to 3/8.

[Dubbin1]

Looks good :clap: One of these days I may just step up and build a water cooling rig.

[jenkx]

you are kiling the intake on the mcp600. 3/8 to 1/2 adapter right next to the intake is bad. you need about 3-4 inches of 1/2 id on the intake side before you switch to 3/8.

Please explain the rational behind whatyou have said. I'll be glad to change it given a good reason for doing so.

[@/2ct!<]

O/T No pictures ever show up for me since forum upgrade

[Jibjo]

jenkx : I love the looks of your sys... Personally I am really paranoid about flow restriction, so I tried really hard to keep my sys a full half-inch ID full around, even to the ID of the barbs. What are the diameters of your tubes, and do they change?

[jenkx]

Most of the system is 3/8 ID. The only part that is 1/2 ID is the intake and outlet of the pump. So far no problems. As I mentioned in another tread the Swiftech MCP600 pump works like a low gear. It doesn’t pump fast but it pumps hard. It churns water through whatever you put in front of it. It's the perfect pump for restrictive systems.

[Rilian]

How much did that setup cost?

[NiTrO bOiE]

Nice setup. Those cases are huge aren't they? I just got mine Friday and was also the first time I've actually seen one in person. (no stores carry them, and none of my friends are into computers)