Critic my shopping list and build

[Mpegger]

Before I plunk down money on this setup, I wanna make sure I get some opinions on the items. Mainly though, I wanna make sure I'm not forgetting something important. :o I'm buying the parts from Sidewinder Computers unless otherwise specified.

Swiftech Apogee GT CPU Waterblock
Swiftech MCW60 GPU Waterblock w/ G80 Adapter Plate
Laing D5 Vario/Swiftech MCP655 Inline 12V DC Pump
Swiftech MCR-320 "Quiet Power" Series Radiator - Black (3/8 NPT)
Swiftech MCRES-MICRO Hi-Flo Reservoir
DTek High Flow Fittings 1/4in BSPP thread to 1/2in ID Hose Barb (x 2 for the flow meter)
Black Nylon 3/8in. NPT thread to 1/2in. barb fitting (x 2 for the rad)

From Koolance:
INS-FM16 Coolant Flow Meter (http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=0_70&products_id=288)
Flow Meter Power Adapter (http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=502)

From Petra's:
D-Tek GFX UNI-Sink (8800GTX)
1/2" ID (3/4" OD) Tygon Silver Antimicrobial Tubing (5 Feet)
Petra'sTech "Gel-Stuff" Vibration Absorption Block

I know I also need clamps. I'm going with the standard worm gear types.

I would also like some coils, as I expect some tight turns for where I plan to install the pump, rad and res, but all the ones I see in Sidewinder and Petra's is for 5/8" OD tubing, although I do see that FrozenCPU has out of stock coils for 3/4" OD tubing. Any suggestions?

Are the barbs I'm going to purchase correct for the items I purchasing them for?

Since I wanna get the Petra "Gel-Stuff", sould I even bother with the variable speed pump, or just get the single speed version? It'll save almost $14 if the single speed pump + the gel-stuff are sufficiently quiet enough to negate the need of the variable speed pump.

Temp sensor. I dont want to add in another device to the loop. I wanna keep as few possible connections so I need some suggestions for how to have a close to actual water temp available. I have both the bulb type, and flat type temperture sensors at my disposal, plus my case has a temp display built in. How can I use this to my advantage? Stick the sensor in the res directly in the water? Heavily wrap the sensor against a portion of the water tubing to keep it insulated from outside temps? :confused:

Last question for me, is fluid. Yeah yeah, standard water + additive sould be enough. But this system at times runs 24/7, and many times its turning itself on and off throughout the day when I'm away (TiVO), so I'm paranoid about any leaks that may occur while I'm away, asleep. whatever. I'm also lazy and dont wanna bother with mixing stuff or going to multiple stores just to get water, anti-freeze, water-wetter, anti-microbial, etc etc etc. SO, FluidXP. Is it good enough and is it actually non-conductive as they claim? :-/

[thideras]

Have you considered a T-line?

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g121/thideras/Computer%20mods/IMG_0908.jpg

I wouldn't worry about the gel stuff, that pump is really quiet (it is in the pic)...can't hear it over my fans at setting 5.

If you do a t-line or res, you could just put it in the fill port.

STAY AWAY FROM FLUIDXP. The MCP655 will shear it and you will have dye floating in your loop. Just use distilled water with a little radiator fluid.


Otherwise, good to go :thup:

[Mpegger]

I did, but as I understand it, the main purpose of the T-line is to help with bleeding. The rad will be attached flat on the top of the tower case, so unless I want a snorkel sticking out the top so that its the highest point in the loop, I'm gonna pass on it. Unless that is false, then I may go with a T-Line. It might be a short one though, cause the pump will be installed near the top of the case in the 5 1/2" bays.

And is distilled water+additives non-conductive? That is my main concern for the fluid! Is there a alternative? I could care less about UV dyes (I'm getting silver tubing as it is), so I was also considering the Innovatek Protect fluid. Same price as that FluidXP.

[thideras]

I did, but as I understand it, the main purpose of the T-line is to help with bleeding. The rad will be attached flat on the top of the tower case, so unless I want a snorkel sticking out the top so that its the highest point in the loop, I'm gonna pass on it. Unless that is false, then I may go with a T-Line. It might be a short one though, cause the pump will be installed near the top of the case in the 5 1/2" bays.Actually, as you see in the attached pic, not having a res cleans up the loop tremendously!


http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g121/thideras/Computer%20mods/IMG_0906.jpg

[Otter]

And is distilled water+additives non-conductive? That is my main concern for the fluid!
Yes, unless the additive is conductive. The only commmon WC additive I think of that's a good conductor is copper sulfate (used as a biocide). The problem with all non-conductive coolants, including distilled water, is that over time they pick up copper ions from the rad and blocks and become conductive. I think it might be possible to design an additive that would at least delay conductivity, but despite all the hype, I have yet to see any evidence that any of the wonder coolants stay nonconductive longer than distilled water and propylene glycol antifreeze. Hence, your best bet is probably to use distilled and cheap additives to prevent corrosion and growth. Because the coolant is inexpensive, you can change it more frequently.

If noise is a concern, give some thought to the mcp355 or 350. If the other components in a system are very quiet, the D5 will seem loud.

[Mpegger]

I guess I'll go with distilled + Water Wetter. I use WW in my own motorcycle, and know lots of amateur racers who swear by distilled water + WW for thier cooling needs. The silver lines sould be all the anti-bacterial I need.

If the MCP655 is comparable to your average 120mm fan, then it sould be just fine for me. I'm concerned about noise from panels vibrating from the pump though, so I think I'll stick with the gel-stuff. For the price, it couldnt hurt to have a little extra dampening.

Any other comments or suggestions? I'm still wondering about alternative coils for 3/4" OD tubing and temp sensor mounting.

[bumsquad]

t-line FTW :) bleeds a lot faster than everyone says!

[GTFouts]

I have 2 of the variable pumps and I ended up keeping them maxed out due to the length of my loops. I suggest you save the money and just get the single speed pump. Remember, you want as much flow as you can get, and with these pumps, even mounted with the foam square they come with, they are very very quiet and have nil for vibration. So using the gel squares will help some, but I doubt you would even be able to tell the difference. Just so you know, I'm changing mine to the gel too cause I like the idea and will have 3 pumps after I upgrade my W/C setup... :)

Stay away from the Fluip XP. I changed my whole system over to it, cost me $250 to do that and was the biggest waste of money, sickens me. These pumps are strong and it sheared the stuff in less than a month. Looked like I had two seperate fluids in my loops that refused to mix and was turning my new tygon tubing white. I went back to water and iodine and was even more disgusted when I found my temps did NOT change at all, they were the same as the Fluid XP. Listen to these guys and stay away from all these exotic fluids. You cannot beat water and its ability to perform the same or better than these expensive fluids.

I use the 5/8 coils on my 3/4 tubing, doesnt hurt a thing, as long as they are new coils and still flexible. Just keep this in mind, after you have it on there for a while it eventually dries out and then will break if you try to remove it or move it roughly of what have you. Not a big deal really, just letting you know. If you plan on putting it on all of the tubing then wait for the 3/4 to come back into stock. It will keep the frustration level to a minimum when it comes to installing it on the tubing. But if you only need it on a few bends then the 5/8 will do you just fine.

I do suggest a T line for 1 reason only, Draining! I dont have them in mine and it makes draining a pain in the butt. Yes your res's will do the exact same thing as a T line, and do keep them in your setup if you want them, nothing wrong with that, but also have a T line so you dont have to take connections off to drain the system. Trust me, you will be glad you did it.

[treatmentx]

I had the same dilemma with the T-line, and my rad is also mounted on top of the case. I did the "cheat" as someone has said, and what you do is tilt the system on it's side, and the T becomes the highest point, just first hour or two, so to let it bleed. After that, the T can be anywhere. My system's up after that headache, and it's running awesome.

(btw, I have a similar set up, from the h20-220 kit. It's really nice)

[RockyC2D]

Does the T line act like a RES, looks like fluid is just sitting in the upper t line?

[QuietIce]

For a temp sensor - get a short (maybe 2") piece of 1/2" copper pipe and insert it where you want your sensor (if you use a copper T that'll work fine). Put some Ceramique on your sensor and thermal-tape it to the center of the pipe. Now wrap the pipe and a 1/2" or more of the tubing on either side of it completely in thick foam, then secure the foam with some electrical tape or whatever you have that's good tape. Regular pipe insulation (for 3/4" pipe) from the hardware store is good for this if you happen to have some but any good foam will do. Hook up your sensor to your display unit and you're done. :)


I did, but as I understand it, the main purpose of the T-line is to help with bleeding. The rad will be attached flat on the top of the tower case, so unless I want a snorkel sticking out the top so that its the highest point in the loop, I'm gonna pass on it. Unless that is false, then I may go with a T-Line. It might be a short one though, cause the pump will be installed near the top of the case in the 5 1/2" bays. A T-line does not have to be the highest point in the system - even for filling and bleeding. I've had my system running for almost a year with no issues. I used a 1/2"x1/2"X3/4" copper T for the connection using 3/4" tubing on the T. The 3/4" T is connected to a fill-port mounted in the case top, as usual. The top of the rad sits ~5" above the case top and the barbs are pointed down and are slightly behind the back of the case. I filled the loop with the case upright by filling the T then jogging the pump. I did this several times 'til the loop was full, then let it run. I had to add water once about a half-hour later but everything was bled out in ~2 hours - no air pockets anywhere including the rad. I filled the T about halfway and capped it off. I've added a little water three times over the year - no other issues.

Since your pump will be near the top of the case you still might want a res. A short T-line won't hold much water but it will make adding water easier and will provide a drain for the future. If possible find a res that has an extra port for attaching a T-line, there are several out there.
Does the T line act like a RES, looks like fluid is just sitting in the upper t line? Yes it does. One foot of 3/4" tubing is about half the capacity of a Swiftech Micro-res.

I use 3/4" tubing for my Ts not only because they hold more than twice as much water as a 1/2" T-line but they also bleed much faster and better. When the bubbles go through the 1/2"x1/2"x3/4" copper T very few of them get past the 3/4" "hole" in the top of the 1/2" line. Also, a copper T (or any 1/2" copper pipe for that matter) has virtually no resistance in a 1/2" tubing loop - 1/2" barbs are very restrictive by comparison ...