Few pictures of my watercooled PC, about 95% complete

[IYIENACE]

It still needs some detail stuff like shrink tubing for the fan wires and a few other things - but for tonight it's enough.

It's nothing that special, but I did take bits of info from here & a handful of other online sites so thanks to those who contributed and provided ideas.
This is my 1st PC build ever but definitely won't be my last. :thup:
I'll add temps & benchmarks once I finish.


My camera is cheap and w/o flash is too blurry to use...so unfortunately it looks much different (really bad) under the flash. :(

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC1.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC2.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC3.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC5.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC6.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC7.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC8.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC9.jpg

http://www.rc-mod.com/vs/PC10.jpg

[Bad ConNecTioN]

Nice work, looking good.

[Senater_Cache]

what are your temps

what case is that

[OLMI]

Hey, that looks really nice. I like the wiring job. :) You sure decided to go all out on your very first PC you've made, hehe.

[Alacritan]

Looks good. Excellent pump choice btw. You should consider running a line from the reservoir to the pump inlet instead of pulling from the radiator. You'll get much better flow.

I suggest reservoir-pump-rad-cpu-gpu-reservoir. I had cavitation issues with my Mag 3 when I accidentally put the radiator on the inlet instead of the outlet. There is a definite improvement of flow rates by pulling from the reservoir instead of the radiator.

[Bad ConNecTioN]

what case is that


From the look of it, it is an Antec solution series. The cheaper version of the Antec Sonata....nice case he has there.

[Gongo56]

that looks nice.. how did you run your ribbon cable from your audigy to the front panel?

[Legion2005]

Just my opinion... but I think you would get a cool effect if you put highlighter and a few UV cold cathodes in there.

Really nice job.

[Bugsmasher]

Really nice looking setup.

[sunrunner20]

What Res is that?

[techun]

that looks sweet, computers with wire management look so much better

[IYIENACE]

Nice work, looking good.

Thanks man :beer:

what are your temps

what case is that

I haven't benched it or tested it yet, but I do have temp probes between the radiator/inside fan, on the inlet barb of the res (you can see it in the pictures), on the NB & in the HDD rack. I'll post temps and everything once I finish.

As someone mentioned, it's the Antec SLK3700BQE. It is a great case for the price, and it also uses a 120mm fan (Vantec) in front of the HDDs.


Hey, that looks really nice. I like the wiring job. You sure decided to go all out on your very first PC you've made, hehe.

Thanks for the compliments. :beer:
True I have gone pretty much all out lol. But in this forum my rig is pretty mild . Even so it's been a steep learning curve. ;)

Looks good. Excellent pump choice btw. You should consider running a line from the reservoir to the pump inlet instead of pulling from the radiator. You'll get much better flow.

I suggest reservoir-pump-rad-cpu-gpu-reservoir. I had cavitation issues with my Mag 3 when I accidentally put the radiator on the inlet instead of the outlet. There is a definite improvement of flow rates by pulling from the reservoir instead of the radiator.

I do have slight cavitation, and I really wanted to put the pump inlet from the res but w/ the mag3, it just barely fits as is. I wish the pump would have fit turned the opposite direction. I even bought a CSP750 with the intention of doing that and putting the res along the bottom horizontally, but the low flow rates just don't compare to the Mag 3. It was buzzing pretty badly too until I took everything apart and put 2 mouse pads (cut to fit the bottom) underneath and through-bolted the pump to the case. It's pretty quiet now. :thup:

that looks nice.. how did you run your ribbon cable from your audigy to the front panel?

Thanks Gongo56. The cable runs back behind the case. To do that, One day I was reading an article on rounding your own cables & next thing you know lol....
I just split them down to every 3rd or 4th one and rounded them. I used zip ties every few inches to keep it neat and then wrapped it.

Just my opinion... but I think you would get a cool effect if you put highlighter and a few UV cold cathodes in there.

Really nice job.

Thanks man. Actually I don't know if you can see them but there is a 4" UV light running along the bottom between the pump and the acrylic of the case window. I have DD blue dye for the water. I also have a 12" blue CC light but I'm debating on using it, it mounts up and slightly behind the PSU along the back of the case. ;)

Thanks Bugsmasher :beer:

[IYIENACE]

What Res is that?

It's the 6" criticool waterplant.

[IYIENACE]

that looks sweet, computers with wire management look so much better

Thanks alot man. Makes all the little cuts worth it lol.

[Alacritan]

You're sure you can't rotate it so the inlet is vertical and the outlet is pointing towards the radiator? That's how I have mine set up, sitting on top of a gel wrist pad thing.

[CandymanCan]

I have mine set up like this

Pump to rad, rad to cpu, cpu to pump. Ifi get a water block it would be pump to rad, rad to cpu, cpu to gpu, gpu to pump.

Doing it this way will make sure youre cpu imediatly gets the cool water from the rad, then youre block getting the water from the cpu.

[Alacritan]

That's what I told him, but there are logistical problems with that it seems. He would have arranged it that way but lack of space won't allow it.

[CandymanCan]

Yea that so true, thats why i keep my rad and pump outside my case.

[Etacovda]

I have mine set up like this

Pump to rad, rad to cpu, cpu to pump. Ifi get a water block it would be pump to rad, rad to cpu, cpu to gpu, gpu to pump.

Doing it this way will make sure youre cpu imediatly gets the cool water from the rad, then youre block getting the water from the cpu.

The difference between the hottest and coldest parts of any loop is less than 1 degree C (generally in the region of 0.25C). Order doesnt really matter; plumb how its convieniant. (man, i get sick of typing that, i should put it in a notepad on my desktop :P)

hes a braver man than me, though - no way any water system that goes near my hardware doesnt have hose clamps on everything.

[jackrungh]

That remains the single most reoccurring piece of misinformation suggested in the WC forum.

If you arent more than absolutely 183% sure about the things you are saying, just be quiet and prevent the propagation of this ignorance. It gets the forum into trouble when we breed a whole legion of misinformed, supposed regulars and mentors.

[BigStan]

IYIENACE

I'm trying to understand your air flow direction across your rad. It looks like you have a fan on the back blowing on to the rad. Then the rad is mounted near the fan mounted on the back of the case. Which way are those two fans blowing air?

[DerekDRP]

first this should be move to project logs .

second Very sleek and sexy case set up you got there. check my southpark project like ina week or 2 I am doing the same thing sort of i give this work 4-5 ( would have gave it a 5 if it stood out more hehe )

[(HR)Titan]

very nice job
;)
keep going

[Alacritan]

The difference between the hottest and coldest parts of any loop is less than 1 degree C (generally in the region of 0.25C). Order doesnt really matter; plumb how its convieniant. (man, i get sick of typing that, i should put it in a notepad on my desktop :P)

hes a braver man than me, though - no way any water system that goes near my hardware doesnt have hose clamps on everything.


This is true, but when you have a reservoir in your loop, order of parts does matter. You really need to have the pump pulling from the reservoir and not pumping into it to maximize flow. Because he's pulling from the radiator he does have a little big of cavitation and I'm sure his temps aren't quite as good as they could be.

[IYIENACE]

hes a braver man than me, though - no way any water system that goes near my hardware doesnt have hose clamps on everything.

Under any other circumstances I would definitely agree, but the fittings I put on my Mag 3 are 5/8" id. On the inlet you can see the hose isn't pushed completely on; the truth is I couldn't get it to bottom out. The hose is on there so tight I swear to pull it off would probably pull the fittings out, threads and all. :thup:
It is on there. I took it off before to route things differently and ended up cutting the hose at the fitting & finally splitting the hose to get it off lol.

That's what I told him, but there are logistical problems with that it seems. He would have arranged it that way but lack of space won't allow it.

Give this man a cigar. :cool:

IYIENACE

I'm trying to understand your air flow direction across your rad. It looks like you have a fan on the back blowing on to the rad. Then the rad is mounted near the fan mounted on the back of the case. Which way are those two fans blowing air?

Yessir. I reversed the airflow/fan at the back of the case. Air is pulled in through the fan, through the heatercore and through the 2nd 120mm fan.
There is a 3rd 120mm fan in the front of the case (also reversed) now acting as an exhaust fan. It is between the HDD rack and front cover in the factory location.
If it becomes an issue I'll put a diverter for the PSU exhaust fan to prevent pulling it directly back in across the heatercore.


Thanks DerekDRP. I'll be sure to check yours out. ;)


very nice job

keep going

Thanks man. :beer:

[Alacritan]

Slap some zip ties on there and you're about as good as you're going to get. You did replace the o-ring on the Mag 3's intake with silicone sealant, right?

One thing you might want to consider:

Use your 120mm rad as a blowhole and put the reservoir on the back of the case. That way you can pull from the res and not change the layout of your tubing at all. When you consider your primary source of case heat is your CPU and all of that heat is being dumped into the water, your case temps should be low enough that using the radiator as an exhaust instead of an intake won't make any noticable difference. If anything your temps will improve because you'll have better flow. Something to consider, just swapping the rad and the reservoir. Of course, you would have to cut a 120mm hole in the top of your case then.

[thorilan]

looks nice but i would change the tubing around a little but thats just me