Vio1's Watercooling Experience (Pics)

Vio1 · Dec 11, 2007

Hi,
so after years of avoiding water cooling, i decided to take the plunge (no pun intended).
I wanted to post my experience with moding the case, and adding in a water cooling setup.

Here is my pc as it is currently:

The first think i have done is lap my cpu. Here is the progression:

Untouched:

Sanded w/ 220 grit:

Sanded w/ 400 grit:

Sanded w/ 600 grit:

Sanded w/ 1500 grit:

Vio1 · Dec 11, 2007

Had a few questions about placement for my watercooling setup.
This is what i bought:

Thermochill Pa 120.3
D-Tek Fuzion cpu water block
Swiftech mcp655 adjustable pump
Swiftech micro res
1/2" OD 3/4" ID tubing

I drew up 3 possible options for my cooling setup.
1)Most amount of work (cutting of case, moving dvd drive around
2)Least amount of work
3)Is there any advantage to have the barbs of the radiator at the top?

Which of the following is best, and why? Any improvements?
Do i have the correct order in mind: pump-rad-cpu-res-pump ?

Option 1:

Option 2:

Option 3:

4od · Dec 11, 2007

I personally think the radiator on top style looks cleaner, but keep in mind that bleeding the system with the radiator on top can be quite a hassle

I would go with option 2 - the tubing loop is the shortest, and it doesn't look like it would be too much work

pak · Dec 11, 2007

all 3 are fine. Option 3 will bleed the easiest and fastest. But if you don't mind picking ur case up and moving it around 1 and 2 are fine.

Order does not matter aslong as you can prime the pump when filling the loop.

and what case is that? I like it.

--pak

Vio1 · Dec 11, 2007

the case is a silverstone tj-06
what do you mean by "prime the pump when filling the loop"?

pak · Dec 11, 2007

you need to make sure water is getting to the pump before it is turned on so it isnt started dry.

--pak

gangaskan · Dec 11, 2007

nice case VIO

i just got the 2nd rad installed on my machine the other day lol

edit:

also, priming the pump means making sure water gets a nice flow into the inlet so you dont damage the pump at all because turning it on "dry" destroy's the pump

Spawn-Inc · Dec 11, 2007

i vote for number 2 for less tubing but i am planning on mounting mine, come march, on top.

as the people before said, make sure there is water at the centre point (intake) on the pump and fill it as much as you can before turning the pump on. if you have a spare psu do the green to black short and use that psu to run just the pump.

Flip-Mode · Dec 12, 2007

That is one NICE lap job on the CPU, subscribed!

Clockwork_Apple · Dec 12, 2007

Good job on lapping the CPU, I'd go with option 3 for setting up, option 1 isnt bad either. But option 2 is going to be hard to bleed with the radiator barbs at the bottom.

sub'd

Jas · Dec 12, 2007

I'd go with option 3. Maybe even get creative with the pump mounting. See if you can mount it along the back of the case, right at the intake for the radiator. Would cut out some tube length from your loop and save a wee bit on your flow rate.

gangaskan · Dec 12, 2007

hey vio off topic, but how loud is your Tj06?

i put dampening all over mine and the noise has decreased considerably

Vio1 · Dec 12, 2007

i have the side of my case open all the time, so its rather loud. The fan i have on the thermalright heatsink makes lots of noise... thats one of the reasons im moving to a water cooling setup.

One question i have is why would i need to bleed the system after its been tested? To clarify: if i fill up the watercooling setup (out of the case to test the leakage) and bleed it then, why would i need to bleed it again afterwards once its been setup? Will air bubbles form even after a bleed?

Also, wouldnt it be advantagous to have a lot of tubing? As the more length you have, the more water in the system....

Jas · Dec 12, 2007

More tubing = more restriction
More restriction = less flow
less flow = less cooling

You want the least amount of tubing as possible, without resorting to to radical of bends.

As for bleeding the system, bleeding just referes to the initial filling of the system and running it to get all the air out.

Vio1 · Dec 12, 2007

so, couldnt i just have all the components on the floor, fill up the water cooling system, bleed it, run it, then mount it?

Jas · Dec 12, 2007

well yes and no.

You first need to get everything lined up. A mock up for sorts. Place your various compnents where they are going to go, and then start figuring out how to route your tubing. You might need to play around wiht some placements, before you com eup wiht a good solution. Then yo uwant to cut your tubing and connect it to your compnents to ensure you get the right bends, and no kinking.

Then you could remove everything, put it all together, fill and bleed it. However, you might find that more difficult than filling and bleeding the loop in the case. If you are worried about leaks, and shorts resulting from that...

Do yo uinitial fill with ONLY distilled water, no addatives. Also, do not connect any compnents in your computer to the PSU, don't power anything. That way if yo do get a little leak, it's just pure water, which will wipe off easily with a paper towel, and won't hurt anything as long as you take care of it quickly.

Once you have the system filled, and leak proffed, then you start plugging things in.

voigts · Dec 12, 2007

Vio1 said:
Also, wouldnt it be advantagous to have a lot of tubing? As the more length you have, the more water in the system....

the amount of water in the loop is irrelevant, unless you get so much water that it actually acts as its own heatsink (we are talking about many gallons here with a barrel or something for a reservoir). The water will quickly heat up to an equilibrium between heatload and heat exhausted.

It really is much easier to bleed with everything installed in the case. Do as Jas suggested and use just distilled water. I personally leaktest with air pressure, but that is another topic.

the least amount of tubing necessary with the easiest, simplest routing is the way to go.

Jas · Dec 12, 2007

Holy crap was my post in english?

I need to remember that spell check is my friend.

Vio1 · Dec 12, 2007

will i need to bleed the system after the initial setup? on a regular basis? or just when filling up?

Jas · Dec 12, 2007

nope, you just bleed and fill once (you may have to add some coolant once in a great while, but not more than a VERY small amount).

The basic idea is to get all the air out. Once the air is out of the loop, you're golden.

Vio1's Watercooling Experience (Pics)

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