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Couple questions on WC.

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inkfx

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Location
San Antonio, Texas
Well im new to WC and I just have a couple things im not to sure about. First off, can someone explain to me the whole mixing things like the water, anti-freeze, and dye. I always see percentages when it comes to this but I dont really understand how much of each to put in, etc. Second, I've already asked about parts and I have a vague idea of what I want and just have some questions on it also. Im going to try to go for an Enheim 1250 pump because people tell me it is very reliable. Someone also told me I could fit a double heatercore in my case. (120mm fans) But im not to sure, how much room would I need in my case to do it? (pictures below) I also know that if I could do it I would have to take out the section that holds my HDDs, I was told I can get 5.25" to 3.5" adapters but where would I get this? What kind of tubbing should I get for this setup? Im not to sure on what kind of CPU block to get, so I am open to any suggestions on a reliable block. Last but not least is moving the case around. I go to LANs often and visit friends in other states a lot and usually bring my rig with me. What would I have to do to ensure that it is going to be fine? (would I just have to take the water out and then refill it when I get there?) Im willing to spend about $230 cause I will most likely get it around xman. Thanks for any help/suggestions you guys can give me.
 

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Premix the fluids. Measure out 1oz of antifreeze for every 10oz of distilled water. Dyes usually only need a few drops for the whole loop. If you don't mind green coolant, Hydrx is even better than antifreeze as you'll need less in your loop and it also has anti bacterial properties too.

For a pump, either get the Eheim 1250 or MCP650, as both are solid pumps. The MCP650 is considerably more powerful (by about 66%). It also runs off 12v so it'll connect directly to a molex connector, and doesn't have to be plugged into the wall like the Eheim. There is a 12v version of the Eheim 1250, but it is unreasonably expensive.

You could fit a double heatercore in your case. You could really just set your hard drive in a 5 1/4" bay, but the vibration might get a little noisy. Look for any hard drive silencer, or even better, get a Zalman heat pipe hard drive cooler. It'll keep your hard drive cool (because there are no case fans in your 5 1/4" bays, and not only will it adapt it to the 5 1/4" bays, it'll keep it silent too. Definitely the best way to go. They're about $28 most places.

For tubing, either get 1/2" ID (interior diameter) Clearflex tubing or 1/2" ID Tygon tubing. You can get both from most PC watercooling sites. Avoid UV reactive silicone tubing and stuff like that. Stick with Clearflex and Tygon. Don't buy Home Depot tubing either.

Most current CPU blocks are about equal, but the best option is really the Swiftech MCW6002 (A64 model). It's $10 less than the Danger Den RBX and TDX and outperforms them by a small margin too. It's solid copper (no acrylic top that might crack) and is very easy to mount. There's no reason to spend extra on an inferior, but flashier looking block. The MCW6002 is the way to go.

You should be fine to go to LANs with your watercooling stuff, provided you have everything secured in place. Keep in mind though your case will be a bit heavier. The radiator and water are not light.

Here's what you need:

Eheim 1250 (~$50) or MCP650 pump ($80)
MCW6002 waterblock (A64 version - $42)
77' Bonneville heatercore (get it at Autozone or Pep Boys for about $20)
2 120mm fans (preferably Sanyo Denki's off ebay for $5 each - you'll want a fan controller though)
6-8ft of 1/2" ID Clearflex or Tygon tubing ($10-20)
1- 1/2" ID T fitting ($0.50)
At least 7 metal worm drive clamps ($5 at Home Depot) - avoid the plastic ones (you can use zip ties though)
Distilled water
Antifreeze or Hydrx
Arctic Silver 5 or Ceramique

It should be arranged Pump-CPU-radiator-Pump. If you add a GPU block, add it after the CPU and before the radiator so the water doesn't get heated by the GPU before it reaches the CPU.
 
Get your hose clamps from the auto parts store. They are much narrower which makes them more attractive and also they are more secure.

It should be arranged Pump-CPU-radiator-Pump. If you add a GPU block, add it after the CPU and before the radiator so the water doesn't get heated by the GPU before it reaches the CPU.

Dont worry about the order of parts, just do what ever gets you the least amount of sharp turns and tubbing.

If you get a res the pump goes after it, the rest of the order doesnt matter.
 
Thanks for that help Alactrican. About the heatercore I will need adaptors for those fans, wont I? If I do I have seen some heatercores on WC sites that other people have suggested. Soon enough im going to have those 2 WD 80gb in there so I will just get two of those silencers. Thanks for explaining everything, its just what I need/looking for.
 
you should definately usea T line if you are going to move it a lot and make sure your T line is near the top of your loop. order of parts does make a diference as i and many others have proven many times but it may not be a big enough diference to matter to YOU
 
inkfx said:
Thanks for that help Alactrican. About the heatercore I will need adaptors for those fans, wont I? If I do I have seen some heatercores on WC sites that other people have suggested. Soon enough im going to have those 2 WD 80gb in there so I will just get two of those silencers. Thanks for explaining everything, its just what I need/looking for.


Yeah, shrouds are ideal. I forgot to mention them. That way you don't have a dead spot underneath the fans. You can easily make one out of cardboard or sheet metal or even tupperware. An inch in between the fan and the radiator is standard.
 
Alacritan, is it easy to make these shrouds? Or is it something I need to read up on a little more? Thanks for all the help so far.
 
thorilan said:
you should definately usea T line if you are going to move it a lot and make sure your T line is near the top of your loop.
As long as he doesn't turn the case over (letting air get into the loop) I dont think having the T-line at the bottom will be a problem.

inkfx said:
Oh I also forgot to ask what the best site or sites to get this stuff from.
I just ordered my stuff from Crazypc and cooltechnica. I would have ordered it all from Crazypc but they didn't have the pump I wanted. Crazypc has a wide range of products, excellent prices and ships same day if you place the order before 1PM.
 
Can someone show me a pic with a T-Line in the top of their system? I just want to get an idea of how to do it. Thanks.
 
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