Opinions wanted on setup + some n00b Qs

Hey all im in the process of building a wcooling system. Im getting the parts mainly from these classies as im not rele in a big rush and im a bit short on cash. I want you opinion on the folowing setup. I will be using it on the pc in my sig.

Already got:
Swiftech Storm
240mm x 120mm Heater core
Waterchill Nb block - not sure if ill use it
Misc 120mm fans i could use....or i could buy come more if needed

May be getting soon:
Eheim 1250

Need to get:
T-line - cheaper than res.
1/2" tubing
1/2" barbs for nb block.


What do u guys think???

A few Qs
- how much will the quality of the tubing effect the temps? basically can i get the cheapest 1/2" tubing and not worry
- should i use the nb block or will it hinder temps too much
- have i forgotten anything?

Edit: some more Qs
- is the pump sufficient?
- the cpu and nb blocks are copper but the heater core is alu...iv herd i can minimize corrosion by using a high proportion of anti-freze....is this correct?

Thanks in advance
Sam

Sam__ said:

Swiftech Storm

What do u guys think???


- how much will the quality of the tubing effect the temps? basically can i get the cheapest 1/2" tubing and not worry

Click to expand...

Storm block works best on single cores as it concentrats it's cooling in a smaller area. Will it work on a multi core?...sure, but blocks made for multi cores will cool a few degrees more. Not really a big point for your first WC setup though.

The differences between various kinds of 1/2' tubing are so small as to be unmeasurable, just so long as the ID is smooth, which pretty much any will be. The reason for using "better" tubing is ease of us. Better tubing will make tighter bends without kinking, and is easier to get a good seal with on barbs.

billb said:

Storm block works best on single cores as it concentrats it's cooling in a smaller area. Will it work on a multi core?...sure, but blocks made for multi cores will cool a few degrees more. Not really a big point for your first WC setup though.

The differences between various kinds of 1/2' tubing are so small as to be unmeasurable, just so long as the ID is smooth, which pretty much any will be. The reason for using "better" tubing is ease of us. Better tubing will make tighter bends without kinking, and is easier to get a good seal with on barbs.

Click to expand...

okey, thanks you....i guess ill be getting some cheaper stuff then

bump

Sam__ said:

Hey all im in the process of building a wcooling system. Im getting the parts mainly from these classies as im not rele in a big rush and im a bit short on cash. I want you opinion on the folowing setup. I will be using it on the pc in my sig.

Already got:
Swiftech Storm
240mm x 120mm Heater core
Waterchill Nb block - not sure if ill use it
Misc 120mm fans i could use....or i could buy come more if needed

May be getting soon:
Eheim 1250

Need to get:
T-line - cheaper than res.
1/2" tubing
1/2" barbs for nb block.


What do u guys think???

A few Qs
- how much will the quality of the tubing effect the temps? basically can i get the cheapest 1/2" tubing and not worry
i wouldn't worry about it. once i get my pc gaming ready i will be water cooling it and i am gonna use clearflex
- should i use the nb block or will it hunder temps too much
with the proc you have it shouldn't as long as you have good fans for the res. (i was told/gathered 80CFM plus for rads unless you have a thermochill) get some yate loons.
- have i forgotten anything?
water cooling wise not really, get some arctic cooling 5 if you haven't already.

Edit: some more Qs
- is the pump sufficient?
not sure i have only looked at swiftech's MCR655
- the cpu and nb blocks are copper but the heater core is alu...iv herd i can minimize corrosion by using a high proportion of anti-freze....is this correct?
i think thats right but don't trust me alone by a long shot.
Thanks in advance
Sam

Click to expand...

.

^^ Hehe arctic silver 5 you mean.

That pump will work fine but isn't optimal for the storm. You may want to use something more substantial like a Laing pump. You should see about stalking the Cooling classifieds for one.

Moto7451 said:

^^ Hehe arctic silver 5 you mean.

That pump will work fine but isn't optimal for the storm. You may want to use something more substantial like a Laing pump. You should see about stalking the Cooling classifieds for one.

Click to expand...

thanks...what do you mean by more substantial? like more head, or higher flow rate?

Sam__ said:

thanks...what do you mean by more substantial? like more head, or higher flow rate?

Click to expand...

Here's a pump curve for an Eheim 1250.
What he ment was that you will get better performance with higher pressures with the Storm block because it takes high pressure to get adquate flow rates with a storm, though Cathar states that they will function adequately with lower flow rates, just not optimally. That statement is ambiguous though, as pump pressures and flow rates depend on the restriction the pump sees.

Since you're in Europe (like me), Eheim based pumps aren't a bad idea, but look for some of the OEM Eheims like the Watercool Eheim 12V pump (3.5m max head), or the new 12V Aquastream XT (4.2m max head) also made by Eheim. Both are adjustable. Eheim has a good rep for making very durable and silent pumps.

The tubing can certainly be cheap, just realise that some of the cheaper stuff can "cloud" pretty easily, as the plastiziser is drawn out of it. But if you don't care too much about pretty colored water in clear tubes, then that's fine.

As for coolant, yeah, since yer mixing metals, you'll wanna consider some anti-corrosive perhaps. If you feel confident that you can run a completely closed loop, with no added oxygen from the air, distilled water without any additives is all you need to keep corrosion and algae at bay, but personally, if I mixed copper and aluminium in the loop I'd probably get some anti-corrosive anyway. Just keep in mind that any additive in the water is likely to decrease cooling performance slightly down the line, so don't overdo it. (I had a chemist look into this for me, and that was basically what he said.)

thanks for all the advice so far....

I just went ahead with the deal for the eheim 1250 cos it was a rele good deal. $50 from classies....as opposed to £70/$140 new in the UK!!

another Q....will the heatercore be able to cope with the heat from the cpu,and potentially the nb??

Moto7451 said:

^^ Hehe arctic silver 5 you mean.

That pump will work fine but isn't optimal for the storm. You may want to use something more substantial like a Laing pump. You should see about stalking the Cooling classifieds for one.

Click to expand...

oops, i was looking at my arctic cooler freezer 7 pro at the time.

You're good to go with that heatercore, it will have plenty of capacity for your needs.

seamadan000 said:

You're good to go with that heatercore, it will have plenty of capacity for your needs.

Click to expand...

awesome..thanks

Just be sure to build a shroud for the heater core if it's a thick one (>1") - it'll improve cooling a lot. The 80 CFM (x2) fan suggestion is a good one, stick with that and you should be OK. I've got a pair of 140 CFM fans on one heater core w/a 3" shroud cooling two Opty's and a 7900 GTX - 40°C load temps on the CPUs.


And if you're mixing metals like that use at least 10% anti-freeze in your loop to inhibit galvanic corrosion ...

QuietIce said:

Just be sure to build a shroud for the heater core if it's a thick one (>1") - it'll improve cooling a lot. The 80 CFM (x2) fan suggestion is a good one, stick with that and you should be OK. I've got a pair of 140 CFM fans on one heater core w/a 3" shroud cooling two Opty's and a 7900 GTX - 40°C load temps on the CPUs.


And if you're mixing metals like that use at least 10% anti-freeze in your loop to inhibit galvanic corrosion ...

Click to expand...

thanks....ill have to look up how to make a shroud. there a tut in here u know of?

Sam__ said:

thanks....ill have to look up how to make a shroud. there a tut in here u know of?

Click to expand...

Not really though many guys have pics of theirs posted. I make mine out of 1/8" foam-board, others use metal. Then important thing is to make it long enough so the fans pull evenly through the heater core. Mine is 3-4" since I have 140 CFM fans. I think the normal shroud is a 1.5-2" space between the rad and fans ...