How much power do I need?

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

I just got my new case, heater core (1x120mm), shroud, and fans (I'll have pictures when I get it all mounted now).

So now I want to buy the pump and res.

I'm going to use one of those 5.25" Bay Reservoirs. Basically I want to make sure I dont over power my system with a pump that's too much for it. I thought I read something about how you can do that, so...

Its going to go: Pump>Rad>Res>CPU

Only going to have one block on my CPU. As you can see from my sig I'm doing this only for the O/C trying to squeeze out any extra MHz I can get!

What pump would you recommend for my system?

I was looking at:

Swiftech MCP650™ 12v Water Pump ~ 80.00
DangerDen DD12V-D4 Water Pump 1/2" ~ 75.00
Hydor L35 Water Pump ~ 65.00
Hydor L25 Water Pump ~ 50.00
Hydor L20 185GPH Pump ~ 35.00

I'm figuring theres going to be about 3-4' of tube.

Thank you!

nartac · Sep 12, 2004

if you have some money to blow and may add additional blocks in the future, go with swifty or DD. With others, you may have to buy a relay in addition to the pump if you want to turn the pump on/off with the computer so the total may be equal or close to cost of 1st two.

I think you are better off with pump->rad->cpu->res->pump configuration.

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

nartac said:
With others, you may have to buy a relay in addition to the pump if you want to turn the pump on/off with the computer so the total may be equal or close to cost of 1st two.

Thank you, I would have never thought about that myself

I think I'm going to keep mine on 24/7 anyways, minus vacations. My computer is almost always on. How does the Swiftech and DD turn on and off? It goes off and on automatically with the PSU or computer???

nartac said:
I think you are better off with pump->rad->cpu->res->pump configuration.

I never even thought of doing it that way either! That might actually work out better. I'm just trying to run it the shortest way possible.

Thanks again :beer:

DarkJester · Sep 12, 2004

JPetrillo said:
How does the Swiftech and DD turn on and off? It goes off and on automatically with the PSU or computer???

Yep, they draw their power directly from the PSU.

Moony349 · Sep 12, 2004

Don't forget about what block you're using. You can look on procooling for a graph of block c/w's vs. lpm and guage what pump you need from there.

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

DarkJester said:
Yep, they draw their power directly from the PSU.

So say I got one of those two, and I shut my computer down - the pump would stay running as long as the PSU was still on? The only way the pump will shut off is if I switch off the PSU? Because thats what I want.

Moony349, I'm thinkin of those white water blocks, but I dont know if I like the three barbs. I have no idea what I'll end up getting for a CPU block, but either way one of those two pumps would be enough no matter which block I got, no?

Edit: Actually, I might get the Danger Den RBX - Socket A 1/2" ID Water Block.

nartac · Sep 12, 2004

JPetrillo said:
So say I got one of those two, and I shut my computer down - the pump would stay running as long as the PSU was still on? The only way the pump will shut off is if I switch off the PSU? Because thats what I want.

This is correct.

Edit:Remember that most PSU's are connected to the mb so when you shut the computer down, the mb will shut off the PSU also (thus the pump) but the power switch of the PSU may still be on. If you have a second PSU and not connected to the mb then that's a different story.

The Procooling interactive water block test will help you decide which is right for you. I would recommend comparing a swiftech 6002 with the blocks that you are thinking of getting. (I said swiftech because it's more available than say cascade at a reasonable price of ~$40)

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

Thanks nartac, I'll check out that link right now.

When my computer shuts down the motherboard light stays on. This would lead me to believe my motherboard does not turn my PSU off and it stays on 24/7.

Edit: Hrmm according to that chart the top 3 are:

Little River Cascade SS
Little River Cascade
Little River Whitewater

sandman001 · Sep 12, 2004

It shuts off the pump when you shut down your computer. Think about it, it's run off a molex, does your cd-drive spin up after you shut down your computer?

nartac · Sep 12, 2004

"off" I guess is not the right word but I guess "standby" is more close to what I want to say. Either way, the PSU will not supply any power to anything despite it is "on" while the system is off. I guess you can get around this by splicing the power wires on the PSU and it will work. My knowledge about electrical stuff is nil so I have no idea which wire to spice. I would venture to guess it's the green and black wires.

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

LOL sandman, yeah that would make sence

So then all these people who have their pumps going 24/7 but not their computers are using a 2nd dedicated source of power to power them then?

The only thing I dont like about that is when I first get it setup its not going to run at all before I get everything hooked up and turn the whole computer on at the same time... what happens if the whole thing just comes apart and drips out everywhere or somethin?? LOL, or if I didnt sit the block correctly on the CPU and it fries!!

I just see a lot of pictures of people's water cooled setups running or bleeding them or whatever and in just an empty case with nothing else in it.

nartac · Sep 12, 2004

JPetrillo said:
So then all these people who have their pumps going 24/7 but not their computers are using a 2nd dedicated source of power to power them then?

I would dare to guess that their pumps are connected directly to a/c plug and not drawing any power from the PSU at all. Doubt they are using the swiftech or DD pumps unless they have an external 12v dc converter or second PSU.

nartac · Sep 12, 2004

JPetrillo said:
The only thing I dont like about that is when I first get it setup its not going to run at all before I get everything hooked up and turn the whole computer on at the same time... what happens if the whole thing just comes apart and drips out everywhere or somethin?? LOL, or if I didnt sit the block correctly on the CPU and it fries!!

you can leak test your setup by using a wire and connect the green and ground wire (black) on the PSU power molex (the one that plugs into the mb) and you can run fans and pumps that way without having to go through the mb. I will try to find a link for you.

nartac · Sep 12, 2004

Ah, found it. Click here. You don't really need the on/off switch. I just use the on/off switch of the PSU to turn it on and off.

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

Alright, thanks nartac. This is my 1st time, I'm not really sure on how to go about filling and bleeding it and all that.

But anyways I'm about to place this order, for the 5.25" bay res and the Swiftech MCP650 pump, and also 5 ft. of 1/2"ID (5/8" OD) tube. So... this pump, no matter what block I get, will be enough for it? And there is no such thing as being too powerful for it??

Thanks

About that link... I have so many spare PSU's I might actually do that... none of them are really that great though - I would be "you know what" if it ever decided to !@#$ the bed though. I'll think about doing that

JPetrillo · Sep 12, 2004

K - Well I'm about to place this order... there is no such thing as a pump being too powerful for a smaller setup then, right?

Again, I'm going to get the Swiftech MCP650 My system is going to cool just the CPU and maybe in the future my GPU.

How much power do I need?

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