My First W/C system

Well after doing a lot of research, asking questions in forums and slowly purchasing parts yesterday day I finished my first w/c system.

With posting in this forum and other forums about setting up a dual loop system I've finally decided against the idea and looked into a more simplistic set up.

I originally purchased a Coolermaster Stacker 830 then decided it wasn't quite what I was after so I also purchased a Lian Li V2000B+ (fantastic case I must add).

Well, with my changes to the 2 loop set up and having already purchased the Stacker as well as 2 pumps I decided to w/c my original computer (as a bit of a learning curve) until I purchase everything for the Lian Li (7900GTX vid cards & intels new cpu when available etc). I'll finish the Lian Li later on this year.

OK... back to my w/c set up.

Specs
Case: Coolermaster Stacker 830
Mother: Abit IC7-G
CPU: Intel P4 3.4G Prescott
Memory: 2x Corsair TwinX1024-3200CT PRO 512MB DDR400 - 4 Sticks
Video: nVidia 6800GT
PSU: Antec True Blue 480W
H/Drive: 74G Raptor & 36G Raptor
Sound Card: Creative Fatal1ty X-FI
Controller: Coolermaster Aerogate 3
Drive: Pioneer DVD-R/RW 110 DBK
PCI Extra: Netgear Wireless adapter (for when I build next comp I'll move to another room)
Monitors: 2x Samsung 930BF 4ms 19" LCD's
Keyboard: Logitech G15
Mouse: Razer Copperhead
Speakers: Creative Gigaworks 7.1
Router/Modem: Belkin F1PI241EGau

Cooling
Radiator: Thermochill PA 120.2 Radiator
Pump: Swiftech MCP655 12V Pump
Reservior: Swiftech MCRES-MICRO Reservoier
CPU Block: Swiftech Storm G4
GPU Block: Swiftech MCW60
Chip: Swiftech MCW30 (I wanted to keep noise down as the air cooler is noise as hell)
Tubing: Tygon 7/16" ID
Rad Fans: Tricod Science 12V/.12A
Coolant: Distilled water with Swiftech HydrX Coolant
Clamps: Stainless Steel worm
Res Support: Sunbeam Wherever PCI Rack

Pics:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0759.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0767.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0773.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0795.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0777.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0781.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0787.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0789.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0791.jpg
This is the only modification I had to do with this case. Drill two clearance holes in motherboard tray to attach pump.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0790.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0799.jpg
Leak test. I decided to go Rad>GPU>Chip>CPU>Res>Pump>Rad due to a using least amount of tubing and I had read it doesn't make a lot of difference in temps which order they are.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0808.jpg
I need to make some brackets to fix hard drives in place or come up with a better way.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0810.jpg
I had shorter tubing coming from GPU to Chip, Chip to CPU & CPU to Res. I had to lengthen them as they were closing/kinking.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0812.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0814.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0822.jpg
I may take out mesh and relace with an acrylic window.. not sure at this stage as this doesn't look too bad and quite transparent.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0823.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0811.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0826.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/Crusty_R1/CIMG0832.jpg
I may need to fill in the gaps on each side of the rad. The fixing of the rad worked out quite good. I attached 5mm rubber to bottom of rad and the side bay holes lined up perfectly with the shroud holes in the PA120.2, no drilling necessary. I used 4 off 30mmx6G Pan head screws to attach.


Comments:
Noise - The system is quite silent but the things that make most noise is the memory, Hard drives & most of all the Antec power supply. (I have purchased a Seasonic S12 600w for my next system but didn't want to waste it on my current set up).

Overclock:
I have kept the o/c the same as when it was air cooled so I can compare temps.
CPU - Stock: 3400MHz - O/C: 3706MHz
GPU - Stock: Core 350MHz, Mem 1.0GHz - O/C: Core 410MHz, Mem 1.11GHz
DRAM Ratio: 1:1
CPU Core: 1.3875v
DDR SDRAM: 2.7v
AGP: 1.55v

Temp - I'm a bit dissapointed with temps as I don't find them much different than my previous air cooled set up. Unless theres something wrong it's not that great. Just by using MM5 (i know it's not the best but it's how I guaged temps with air so as a direct comparison) - CPU Idle 42 - 42C, Load 52-55C case temp being 28.5C and room temp being 22C.

Questions:
A) I can fit a shround to rad on the inside of case - will this make much difference?
B ) I can fit 38mm or 25mm 2x fans to front or rad for a push/pull set up as well a shroud on inside will this be a waste of time/money & unnecessary noise or will it make temps a little better?
C) I have placed 4 off temp probes:
- 1. On the top of storm block as close to cpu as possible with block pre-fitted. I have it attached to a small part of the copper.
- 2. Attached to tubing at outlet of radiator.
- 3. Top of 74g Raptor.
- 4. Attached to case frame
Now with these placement of probes I'm not sure if I have them in the best spot/s? Getting close to the CPU is difficult.
D) Anyone have any suggestion as how I can better place or secure my two hard drives. I have considered getting a 150g Rapter and dropping down to one so not so cluttered.

Thanks in advance to any helpers and thanks to everyone that helped me with my previous w/c posts

nice greatly done

try this Pump>CPU>GPU>CHIP>RAD>RES would run alot coler

About your temps,

the reason your temps might be high is because you are not doing any favors for your pump. The fact that the pump has to draw water up against gravity is probably hampering its performance. You should have the pump's inlet free of any restriction to make good use of it.

Bryan d

looks really great I hope you get your temps sorted.

did you try checking your cpu block to make sure it is making good contact?

you are right, the order doesn't matter. there isn't a huge difference throughout the loop. If you use fans in a push/pull config you could see a couple C difference. Shrouds help as well, especially to reduce noise.

for me this is the resource for figuring out push/pull water temps certain places etc: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/SewerBeing/shrouds-BIX.gif

looks great, but ur pump looks like it's having problem moving water because of the way ur position it. try to move the pump where the water does not have to move up into the pump. You might increase performance that way....imo

I would also recommend switching up the loop since your temps aren't what you expected, here's how my setup looked when I had your pump. (pump->cpu->gpu->res->rad->pump)

Yeah.... fuzzaba11; I was going to do cpu first but decided not to worry about it and go with the flow for bottom to top i.e gpu, chip, cpu. Also, I read a lot about it deosn't make much difference which order block are in... so i didn't worry about it.

I think some heat or a lot of heat is being generated from the 2 Raptors being so close to the tube coming out of rad.

y2jed_2000; the flow in the whole loop is excellent, not disappointed with that at all. I didn't think it mattered how the pump was positioned that why i opted to place it there kinda out of the way. I can always change tubing and put the pump down lower. I don't think it matter that it is sitting upside down (if there is a upside down to it) but i'm not terrible sure. I did read that, that pump can be fitted any direction but that maybe not ideal as well.

I put a probe on the tube going into rad it read 35c also the one coming out of the rad was 41c so that wierd. Don't know how accuate these temp probes are....

Anyway.... I've decided to:

1. Put the pump on the case floor maybe this will help and be better for the pump.
2. Reseat the Storm (bad seating may be why my temps are high. I used artic silver 5, I'll just re-do it.
3. Put two fans on the front of rad to be controlled by aerogate. I got 60mm to play with so maybe some 38mm thk fans. Might get some LED for the bling bling factor and lower the volts so as to lower noise.
4. Put a shroud on the rad back.
5. Make some sort of HD bracket and fix hard HD's where pump is now so any heat will rise to top fan blow hole.

Set up take 2:

I changed a few things around.

1. Put a shroud on PA120.2 and changed fans to push instead of pull. Also, put in some Panaflo M fans in but this doesn't change much from Tricods. Just give me the option to turn them up in really hot days.
2. Flipped rad to have barbs at top. Better to eliminate any air pockts.
3. Pulled Storm apart incase of any blockages from build shavings etc. Didn't see anything wrong with jet holes.
4. Storm now get first connection from rad.
5. Removed the chip block from loop, don't think it does much anyway. I'll just get a quieter HS or a passive one.
6. Put pump on case floor.
7. During leak test made sure I got all air out of components, a lot of shaking going on..

Same O/C
Overclock:
CPU - Stock: 3400MHz - O/C: 3706MHz
GPU - Stock: Core 350MHz, Mem 1.0GHz - O/C: Core 410MHz, Mem 1.11GHz
DRAM Ratio: 1:1
CPU Coret: 1.3875v
DDR SDRAM: 2.7v
AGP: 1.55v


OK Temps.... We'll I'm now ecstatic about the temps I'm getting. Gone from one extreme to the other.
CPU
Probe - Idle: 26.5, Load: 30.5
MM5 - Idle: 30, Load: 37
CASE
Probe - Idle: 23.5, Load: 24.5
MM5 - Idle: 28, Load: 31
GPU
Core- Idle: 39, Load: 42
Abmient- Idle: 35, Load: 38
RAD Tube out
Probe - Idle: 24.5, Load: 28

Room Temp: 18
A few more pics
Storm
CPU Probe
Case Side
Case Close
Rad Close
Case Front - Rad

Now I'm a happy camper.

very nice gj m8 love the case.

Well now you gave me some ideas for my case. I think I'll pick up a couple of feet of 2" Velcro at Home Depot in the morning and a couple of 5 1/2" HD coolers to get rid of the 4 in1, plus the CD ROM. That's 6 slots for the rad, 2 for the HD, and 1 for the HD = 9.

bryan_d said:

About your temps,

the reason your temps might be high is because you are not doing any favors for your pump. The fact that the pump has to draw water up against gravity is probably hampering its performance. You should have the pump's inlet free of any restriction to make good use of it.

Bryan d

Click to expand...

I don't think the pump position would be a problem. The interesting thing about closed loop hydronic systems like this (and baseboard heating in your home) is that as far as gravity is concerned, the pump just becomes a circulator. The force needed to move the fluid up one side of the loop is equalized by the head pressure (downward force - potential energy of the liquid cause by gravity) on the other side of the loop. With gravity taken out of the equation, the pump only needs to generate enough force to overcome the static pressure losses (friction) of the system. Of course, the static pressure losses are proportional to the flow rate. Anyway, my point is that I don't think position of the pump, top or bottom would be a factor.

Very well thought out, nice setup.

Great setup man. Im glad you got things worked out. Have you considered adding 2 additional fans to the rad? Not only would it improve flow but it would give you something to bolt the radiator to

Sentential said:

Great setup man. Im glad you got things worked out. Have you considered adding 2 additional fans to the rad? Not only would it improve flow but it would give you something to bolt the radiator to

Click to expand...

Firstly.. Thanks
Secondaly.. I'm not quite sure what u mean. The rad is screwed fixed by the case on both sides - 4 pan head screws. I did try a push/pull if that what you mean as well. It didn't make any difference especially rad being a PA, so i opted for Panaflo's which Marci recommends.

Good to hear you fixed your high temps, lets see some updated pics!

I just learned a lot from this post and btw...GJ! Demon!

fuzzba11 said:

Good to hear you fixed your high temps, lets see some updated pics!

Click to expand...

There are some updated pics in post #10

Nice job!