Dual rad for single loop?

[Jeffery_Paul]

Hi guys, first post here *excited*

I have been reading up on watercooling from many websites including long hours of reading forums here, at Atomic and xtremesystems and I can say after this intense week of research my head is spinning!

I have a pretty good grasp of the main concepts but still need a few pointers for my first WC setup.

Here's the gist:

The case I am buying is an Antec TWELVE HUNDRED, I'm looking at WC only for the CPU (Core I7 build)

I plan to mount the res externally on the back, meaning I can't mount a rad there, also only wish to take up a single trio of drive bays (case has the 12 bays split into groups of 3) so don't want to put a 2x120 rad there.

The parts I have picked out are:
waterblock: Swiftech Apogee
Radiator(s): Swiftech MCR120-QP or XSPC RX120 (Haven't decided)
Pump: Swiftech MCP655-B 12V
Reservoir: EK Moltioption 250 Rev2
Tygon 3603 tubing

I am thinking a dual rad setup with 2 small rads would work a treat. I'l try to explain....

2 120mm rads internally in the case, one in a drive bay taking up 3 drives space, behind the intake fan which pushes cool air through the rad, thus offering the coolest possible liquid to the CPU block, meaning better heat transfer, then from the CPU block, another 120mm rad fitted under the big boy fan (heat rises, so I thought this was logical) and that would cool the liquid that reenters the reservoir, externally mounted out of the case.

The first rad would be easy to mount, and would just have to make a bracket to mount the other rad under the big boy exhaust fan.

So the setup is: Res>pump>rad1(drive bays)>CPU block>rad2(under 200mm fan>res

What I ask is, is this system viable? or am I adding too much resistance restricting the flow of what I want to be a high flow system?

Please offer criticism and suggestions, oppinions of all sorts.

[CharlieCS]

The 655 will be able to handle even more raqs and blocks :) no worries there . Well intaking fresh air trough the rad is a good thing but exhausting hot case air is not although is still acceptable .2 120 mm rads will suffice for i7 , optimal would be a triple .

[BeHappy]

Hi guys, first post here *excited*

I have been reading up on watercooling from many websites including long hours of reading forums here, at Atomic and xtremesystems and I can say after this intense week of research my head is spinning!

I have a pretty good grasp of the main concepts but still need a few pointers for my first WC setup.

Here's the gist:

The case I am buying is an Antec TWELVE HUNDRED, I'm looking at WC only for the CPU (Core I7 build)

I plan to mount the res externally on the back, meaning I can't mount a rad there, also only wish to take up a single trio of drive bays (case has the 12 bays split into groups of 3) so don't want to put a 2x120 rad there.

The parts I have picked out are:
waterblock: Swiftech Apogee
Radiator(s): Swiftech MCR120-QP or XSPC RX120 (Haven't decided)
Pump: Swiftech MCP655-B 12V
Reservoir: EK Moltioption 250 Rev2
Tygon 3603 tubing

I am thinking a dual rad setup with 2 small rads would work a treat. I'l try to explain....

2 120mm rads internally in the case, one in a drive bay taking up 3 drives space, behind the intake fan which pushes cool air through the rad, thus offering the coolest possible liquid to the CPU block, meaning better heat transfer, then from the CPU block, another 120mm rad fitted under the big boy fan (heat rises, so I thought this was logical) and that would cool the liquid that reenters the reservoir, externally mounted out of the case.

The first rad would be easy to mount, and would just have to make a bracket to mount the other rad under the big boy exhaust fan.

So the setup is: Res>pump>rad1(drive bays)>CPU block>rad2(under 200mm fan>res

What I ask is, is this system viable? or am I adding too much resistance restricting the flow of what I want to be a high flow system?

Please offer criticism and suggestions, oppinions of all sorts.

Your part selection looks great. Personally I would mount an external 3x120mm rad and wouldn't even consider the single internal 120mm rads. If you're going to make the jump into watercooling, do it right the first time. Those i7's run hot and you need to have your temps in check if you plan on overclocking it. I don't think 2 individual internal 120mm rads would do it. Here is a good pic from andressergio @ (XS)

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5089/p10103451oq7.jpg

Original Thread (http://www.xtremesystems.org/Forums/showthread.php?t=205740)

That's functional and very clean looking. Don't worry about the temps at a certain part of your loop. It doesn't typically vary enough to make a real difference, so just stick to keeping your overall loop temps in check.

[ascl]

Given you haven't (I think?) purchased the case yet, is there a reason you need to stick with the 1200? Its far from an ideal WCing case (not that its impossible, just more difficult than it could be).

Apart from that, my comments echo the above... 120.2 is a little on the low side for an OC'd i7, but the parts themselves are fine.

[Porvalsh]

I have a Pii X4 955 and its the only thing in my loop. I have a 120.2 radiator mounted internally and while it cools better than air its nothing to write home about. I'm going to get a 120.3 to add to my loop, and will build it internally of course. Its more fun that way. :)

IMO I would take the advice and at least go with a 120.3 radiator.

[Otter]

I agree with the above. While the two singles would work, and blowing the heat back into the case won't break anything, an external triple would be better. If you mount it on top, you'll have cool air coming the rad, your rad won't be heating the air in the case, and natural convection will help take the heat away from the machine.

But if you have a strong reason for the two singles in a case, please explain. There are many ways to build a watercooling system, and none are superior for all situations. Once we understand your needs, we might be able help you fine tune the design.

[Conumdrum]

The fan on top is a 200mm and it's very slow speed and low pressure. It is a poor choice for a radiator fan. Plus, the dead spot in the middle of the fan will pull very little air through the rad. And you'd be pulling warm case air through the rad. Since you have only 120x2 rad in total, your temps won't be stellar by a long shot.

I have seen a 120x3 done in the front, but it only leaves you two slots for devices. And a bit of modding needs to be done to ensure a tight seal so your only pulling outside air through the rad, not recirculating the air in the case.

Think about a different case if you can.

[Jeffery_Paul]

Hey guys, thanks for such informative responses.

@BeHappy: thanks for the pic. I read through that thread and found some varyinh oppinions. The case in the pic is a 900, as I quickly worked out by the small size single rear fan, but its more or less the same.

The issue with that setup is the holes for WC hoses on the 1200 are oddly placed, which are placed in a way that is advantageous for a reservoir to be mounted there, but not so for a large rad.

I saw on youtube a video of a man mounting a (i think it was a 2.120 can't remember) in the drive bays of the 1200, which fit nice and looked good, but to fit a 3.120 in there would take up all bar 3 drive bays, and I am getting 2 optical drives and 3 HDD. (althought I suppose I could make do without the second optical)

@ascl: you are correct in thinking I haven't yet bought the case. I haven't bought any of the parts yet, they are all sitting in my shopping carts accross a couple websites, and I am researching as best as I can before I buy. (have been working on putting together a good parts list for a couple months, and researching WC for little more than this past week as I thought it would be a fun adventure. I am very particular about spending all my hard earned savings so I make sure its EXACTLY what I want. Which choosing a GPU is killing me as a loyal nVidia consumer, and seeing the new ATI....) Oh dear I am missing the point....

The reason I chose the 1200 is because I just personally think it is awesome. I love the look at it, and the functionality is ace. Basically, I want a full tower case with more than too much room inside, a good solid build, plenty of options to customize yet being an out of the box gem that doesn't need modding. I am a PC mod/OC virgin, and this is my big venture to enter the world, so I am doing it right the first time.
edit: btw I wasn't even considering WC when I chose the case
The 1200 just appeals to me in every sense, except the noise, it looks like a noisy case but thats what you get for superior cooling.

If you or anyone who is experienced with WC could recommend a case that would be suitable. (weight doesnt matter, it doesnt go to LANs so I don't mind heavy at all) please do so, some more oppinions are always a good thing.

@Otter: I toyed with the dual rad idea because I knew a single 120 wouldn't be sufficient, I may as well stick with the TRUE heatsink in my shopping cart which would probs do better than a single rad, but I didn't want to externally mount the rad as I wanted the res out the back, and I didn't want to obstruct too many drive bays as I have a habbit of adding more HDDs over time (sometimes 2.3TB just isn't enough, but 3.3 is an obtion!)
I found Antec's 200mm^2 rad but then red they made it from Al, and that won't go too well with my water block. the idea just sort of struck me, it was a way to have a 2.120 rad spread over 2 differing spots, and the more I thought of it the more it seemed like it would offer good cooling, but wasnt sure.

maybe if I was to use a bay res or the Swiftech micro (shown in pic above) then mount the rad at the rear? I wanted to mount the res out the rear because of the size/shape of the res I have chosen and the position of the WC hose holes on the back of the case.
(When it comes to the idea of modding, I'm all for adding brackets and adding parts, but I'm not yet up for the idea of cutting)

This post is getting long, I'l leave it here for now

[ascl]

The following cases all allow at least a 120.3 internally mounted with little or no mods:
-ATCS 840
-Cosmos (either S or 1000)
-HAF 932 (although its ugly as sin)
-Silverstone TJ07

I personally think the ATCS 840 and the TJ07 are great looking cases, and are great for WCing. Both can fit 2 rads internally without too much hassle.

[BeHappy]

I could have fit an internal 220 rad in the armor+ i'm using. But I wouldn't suggest this case to most people, as it has its flaws as well. The TJ07 is, of course, gorgeous. The only thing is that its expensive as all hell. Just make sure you take under consideration the cable management, cooling system (air flow and mounting of watercooling parts), size, drive bays, reviews by others, looks, price. You sound like you have a good idea of what you want, just make sure before you click buy.

I personally would change from the 1200 to a case that is better suited for watercooling. You want lots of room to work with on your 1st build. Buying your setup is kind of like painting: %90 prep %10 execution.

+1 for cosmos 1000/S

[Otter]

@ascl: you are correct in thinking I haven't yet bought the case. I haven't bought any of the parts yet, they are all sitting in my shopping carts accross a couple websites, and I am researching as best as I can before I buy. (have been working on putting together a good parts list for a couple months, and researching WC for little more than this past week as I thought it would be a fun adventure. I am very particular about spending all my hard earned savings so I make sure its EXACTLY what I want.
That's the way to do it. Refining your design after you've bought less than ideal parts is both more expensive and much harder on your hairline.

edit: btw I wasn't even considering WC when I chose the case
The 1200 just appeals to me in every sense, except the noise, it looks like a noisy case but thats what you get for superior cooling.
Well, that may be true for air, but once you move most of the heat out to a nice big rad or two, all that changes. If you're going to do water, I suggest you go back and start from the beginning. Put your aircooling plan aside and visualize a great watercooled system. There's really no reason why you should have to put up with anything that sacrifices a great WC build for aircooling features you aren't going to need.

[Jeffery_Paul]

Just a note, I'm only putting a WC loop on the CPU, everything else is left to air out like a soggy pair of trousers on the balcony. So good airflow is important.

I had a look through those cases ascl mentioned, I don't like the HAF as I'm not into pulling cases apart to paint them, lacking air filters is a pain as I would rather clean airfilters than all the componants and it isn't overly sound insulated (Yes I know the 1200 is loud too, but at least it looks good for it!)

The silverstone looks very elegant and seems pretty solid, but reading reviews made me worry about noise from vibration, as there was little to no dampening and certain parts seemed to resonate and rattle something shocking!

The ATCS 840 is actually pretty nice, and I'm likely to remove the Coolermaster logo badge from the front and make one of my own design just to make it a bit more my own.
Having WC is an adventure for me, so I wouldn't mind showing it off a bit (I like to marval at my creations) Is it a bit over the top to make a window to show off only a single loop? As a minimalist I am conflicted between my desire to show off my hard work and the want to keep things simple. Also I'm NOT comfortable with cutting :S but I suppose it would make it just that much more 'my own'

two further questions:

#1: If I were to change to this case, I would put the rad flat accross the top (internally) so will that affect the rad at all compared to hanging it out the back (affect things like bleeding, air pockets forming, filling/draining?)
#2: Should I stick with the barb n' hose clamp method or use bitspower compression fittings?

Thanks for your time.

Jëff

[ascl]

If/when I get a new case, I think the ATCS 840 will be it, its a very nice looking case. Oh, I did forget the new corsair case, that is very nice too, and will also (I think) fit a triple in the top.

Both rads in my case are horizontal... and bleeding isn't much of a hassle. Takes a few minutes, and some tilting of the case (but this is during leak testing time anyway, where you should be glued to the case for a few minutes checking for any moisture!).

The choice between barbs n clamp or compression seems to be personal choice... I haven't found a solid argument for or against either of them aside from looks. Barbs n clamps gives you a little more flexibility of tube size (well, wall thickness anyway).

Last thing... it seems you value quiet. If this is the case... plan on WCing your GPU at some point. Even if it doesn't fit the budget for now, or you want to keep it simple for your first attempt, plan on it sometime. The GPU was by far the nosiest thing in my system and silencing that has been an amazing change :) It doesn't have to be very expensive (MCW60 + ramsinks is about 60 USD)... I understand wanting to keep it simple for now, but.... its addictive :)

[Jeffery_Paul]

thanks ascl, that cleared up a fair bit.

As for the quietness, I'm not overly fussed about the noise level in relation to fans and such, but I definately don't want a case that is going to help it along and produce more noise through vibration or lack of insulation/dampening.

Im still trying to think how I would mount everything in the ATCS 840. the rad would be accross the top obviously, the pump I would make a bracket for to hold it a bit higher than the bottom (I saw people are sometimes using a T fitting, making a tail of hose with a cap on the end to aid with draining- should I do this and add it after the pump or after the radiator or where in the line is best?)
I am not sure how I would do the res, any ideas? I could use a bay res, but would rather have a taller res rather than a wide flat one. Then there is teh Swiftech micro but it looks better suited to small cases. Or I could stick with what I chose and just find some random spot to shove it?

@WC on the GPU: I would love to, but am completely freaked out by the thought of it. A CPU block can just be whacked on like a heatsink, but a GPU block, thats a different story.
The thought of voiding warrenty terrifies me due to my inexperience. Not only that, but I also haven't yet decided on which card to get. The new ATI 5 series is out, but I'm not one to get something fresh off the line, I like to let it work out the kinks with some real world testing first. (Like how the GTX295 was a PCB sandwich at first, then both GPUs eventually got mounted on one PCB)
Another point on the GPU is that one I buy now will be pretty top of the line, but in 12months time I'm likely to upgrade as the new cards from nVidia will be out and ATI will release the next version of their new cards. The old card would likely get sold to a mate, but if I pull it apart and put a waterblock on it, I can't do such a thing.

I guess GPU WC is something I have to just think about for the future when I have more experience. This project will be the eye opener I need to determine how to proceed with future cooling.

[jr1]

Here is the case i'm using http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1274&ID=1414 in that one you can easily put 3 X dual 120 rads without any modding
Here is how i have done it with 2 rads http://s490.photobucket.com/albums/rr266/grandpi/ as you can see there i have put them of the back for ease of cleaning the filters i have on them
as you can see in the pics there i have one of the rads standing out a little for ease of mounting them side by side
Also mounted that way the lower rad of those two makes a perfect handle to lift it with when i need to move it :)
Only modding i have done to the case is to make 4 holes for the hoses and one hole on top for ease of filling the res
The res i have inside far enough back to that i can add more drives later on if i ever should need it
The res is a microres v1
If i wants to add another rad i can mount that in the front where you can see the 3 fans in one of the pics
the other side of the case is where the psu is whitch is pulling fresh air from the side and out the back so even when that side is filled with cables and stuff it doesn't suffer from bad airflow
Only bad thing with that case as i see it for now is that it isn't black on the inside too like it is on the outside ( next project i think ) and that it is a bit pricy

[ascl]

I personally think a drain line is great. Easy to put in, and makes draining super easy... I have a ball valve on the end of mine (plus a cap). Stick it anywhere in the loop, doesn't matter, but obviously to drain properly it has to be the lowest point.

The swiftech microres is what I use. Its easy enough to attach either behind the 5.25 drive bays, or even at the rear, beside the expansion slots. No need to have a bigger res! Also, make sure you plan to have some kind of soft-mount for the pump. I suspend mine with elastic/the tubes, which looks pretty terrible, but removes the vibration from the case, which can be noisy.

[Jeffery_Paul]

thanks for the tip on the pump vibrations, I don't think I'l copy your mounting system, as I'm going to make a metal bracket to securely hold it a few inches from the case floor, so to dampen vibrations I could put a rubber pad between the case and the bracket, as well as another pad between the pump and bracket, so I think that should save it some.

Would you or someone with a similar oppinion mind telling me why you don't think a drain line is great? would be handy in knowing why you don't like them, since I can only see it as a good idea.

Cheers mate

[Otter]

A drain line adds a little complexity to the build, and it makes the loop very slightly more restrictive, but it's worth it when it's time to change the coolant.

I like to have both the intake and exhaust of the radiator outside the case. Besides lower temps, this means less air going through the case. Less air means less dust, and hence you may find you don't really need a filter if you thermally control the case fans.

[Jeffery_Paul]

Ok, so I think I'm almost set, just got to pick out a good res to make it all possible. for convenience, I like the idea of a bay res, but their designs are annoying me as I am not really sure what I'm after. I came accross Frozen.Q's T-Virus inverse which looks incredible! but the case (CM ATCS 840) doesn't have a window to show it off. That being said, If I were to go with the Antec twelve hundred, it does have a window. (Yes I know CM make windows, but those things just don't look that great. I don't really like the Swiftech micro, don't know why, just don't.

Here's the question: What res would you get/recommend and where would you mount it in the above case(s)?????

[Conumdrum]

I'm a simple builder. Buy a good res that's known to be effective. The Micro res or a XSPC restop for the DDC3.2. Those are good reses, popular for a reason.

Where in the case? Where it's accessable and less tubing runs. Thats it.

[Jeffery_Paul]

looking back on the bay res idea, probably not good for the tooless design of the CM case. And I was going to settle for the Antec, I would mount it out the back to try replicate CyberDruid's green A900 with the cyclone in the res (that looks fantastic to me, but I worry about air getting sucked into the pump)

Suppose I will just have to keep reading reviews til I find one that fits the job just right

[Porvalsh]

I also vote for planning in a drain line or fill port design. You'll thank yourself later because you don't want to be pulling tubing off of barbs and flipping your case all around to get the fluid out and back in.

Filling my system isn't too hard but draining it can be tricky.

The micro v2 res has extra ports which is nice.

The res doesn't need to be big and in fact you don't really want it big. As far as mounting, you only really need it at the highest location when you're filling the system. My pump is at the bottom of the case and res mounted above it. When filling the system my case is on its side and I turn the res 90 degrees so that its now the highest spot in the loop. Then I can fill it up. I don't know if this leads to more air bubbles than you want but after the right fluid level is acheived I then turn the case back upright, fix the radiator, and begin to bleed off the air. I usually have to add a little more fluid but I can do it upright.

[Jeffery_Paul]

OK making great progress here, I can't thank you guys enough for your input. (Not sucking up or anything, but ocforums is the single best bunch of forums I have spent any time on, good information provided constructively, its a nice change from the usual shove-a-non-detailed-answer-that-doesn't-answer-the-question-down-your-throat style many other forums have adopted)

Anyway, BACK TO THE POINT:.:

I think I will go with the Swiftech micreres, make a short length of hose with a cap at the end of it as a drain pipe, so that I can drain it a bit safer.

take a look at this and tell me what you think:

Swiftech MCRES Micro Rev2 Reservoir (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=8509)
XSPC RX360 Radiator (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=12559)
Swiftech Apogee GTZ SE CPU Waterblock (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11807)
Swiftech MCP655-B 12V Pump (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1663)
PrimoChill ICE Non-Conductive Coolant-32oz (964ml), Blood Red (http://www.gammods.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_90_124&products_id=2045) (or maybe I will go with distilled water and some additives, not decided yet.
Tygon R-3400 UV Resistant Tubing (Black 1/2 3/4 1/8) per metre (http://www.gammods.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_3_262&products_id=524)
Will be using Bitspower G1/4 Silver Diamond 1/2 High Flow Fitting (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11729) barbs, and secure it using Norma Hose Clamp (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=690)
Just using 3xCoolerMaster Long Life 120mm Fan (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=8135) to cool the rad

CM ATCS 840 case

thats all I can think of for now, its not a cheap lil' setup but the quality should make it worth while.

EDIT: will having the rad above the res cause any problems for bleeding the air? I might have to take on your idea of turnign the case on its side. Hopefully those links I added work, they go to the sites I am buying from, prices should be in AU$

[Spawn-Inc]

it will make bleeding a bit difficult, but nothing to worry or change the whole layout over. the hardest is with the end tank in the air, which i've done with a t line mind you. it takes longer but never took more then an hour.

i really recommend going distilled water if you can get it.

for silver check out these fittings.

http://www.gammods.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1607

[Conumdrum]

On your drain line, make it long enuff to reach outside the case or able to get a bowl under it. And you can never drain it all. I have a horizontal mobo, I have to remove the CPU block and point it upside down (with hoses attached to drain it) and then have to be careful. Still, a well situated drain loop helps.

Don't fret it a lot, as you get better at this, your design will improve. No leaks is paramount, and that all depends on your careful prep, your attention to detail.

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=312743

I wrote this two weeks or so after my first loop install. I knew what to do from reading buttloads before my first order. And I kinda deal with stuff like this in general the last 25 years.

Common sense and takin it slow......... It's a hobby right? Have fun!

[Jeffery_Paul]

Wow thats a great resource for first time cooling! cleaning out the rad like that would never have occured to me!!

thanks for the link

[Jeffery_Paul]

should I use 1/2" ID or 3/8" ID tubing?

I'm going to use the Tygon black UV resistant stuff, it looks good quality, and looks awesome.
(Also means I don't have to worry about dye or anything lol, just the water and anti-corrosive stuff)

Is one size 'better' than the other? I'm using 1/2" barbs and going to use clamps regardless.
At this stage 1/2" is the most likely candidate, just heard that 3/8" is a better option but can't really find confirmation.

[hokiealumnus]

Impact of Tubing Sizes (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=515368). Basically, it doesn't matter. 1/2" will get you a very slight increase in flow rates. It's really up to you.

However, you can't use 3/8" tubing on 1/2" barbs, so the point is rather moot if you already have the barbs. You could use 7/16" tubing to fit a little more tightly on the barbs for that extra level of leak protection. That's what I use and love the combo.

[Porvalsh]

I used 7'16" tubing on half inch barbs. Its pretty tight but there is some peice of mind that comes from knowing your system might be leak proof without hose clamps. I use hose clamps...but especially on the pump, its so tight I sometimes don't think I would need to.


The primochill fluid. I bought some red, which turned out pink and in some cases a weird dark brownish color. Point is, the fluid comes in colored containers so when its in your system it might not look as cool as you originally thought.

Some people have said in the past that if you're interested in having color in your loops, its best to just get colored tygon tubing. Then you can run distilled water and some biocide and have less maintenance down the road and possibly better performance.

[Otter]

Is one size 'better' than the other? I'm using 1/2" barbs and going to use clamps regardless.
At this stage 1/2" is the most likely candidate, just heard that 3/8" is a better option but can't really find confirmation.
Read the sticky that hokiealumnus linked. What you'll learn is that 1/2" offers slightly better performance than 3/8". Which is best depends on the flow rate of your system, and whether or not having slender, bendy tubing is more important to you than a slight increase in performance.

7/16" tubing on 1/2" barbs is a good compromise between the two. The ID of the tubing is close to the actual ID of the barbs, which will reduce turbulence a bit. The end result is performance that's nearly indistinguishable from 1/2", even at high flow rates, but with the same 5/8" OD as 3/8 ID tubing.

[Jeffery_Paul]

wow that tubing sizes sticky did my head in, had to read it thrice to get the hang of it.

So I am settling on 1/2" ID tubing.

Back on the topic of coolant:.:

De-mineralised water seems to be the way to go, but what do I have to mix in with it? should I add Swiftech HydrX? or is there some other anti-corrosion agent I should look at?

[hokiealumnus]

As long as demineralized = distilled, you're good to go. If it's deionized, that isn't quite as good as distilled but will get the job done. Get whichever is cheapest in your area. No need to add HydrX or anything of its ilk. Distilled + PT Nuke PHN (http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/peptpcobi1.html) (or a silver kill coil (http://www.petrastechshop.com/sikibyia.html)) is the way to go, at least IMHO and in the opinion of lots here. I linked to Sidewinder for the PT Nuke because they ship internationally. If you can't get PT Nuke for a reasonable price, there are other biocides that can be substituted. Basically, you want water + biocide and that's it. There is no need for anti-corrosion as long as your parts are all copper, which they appear to be.

[ascl]

Petra's ship internationally as well, have had several orders from them, just shoot them an email for a quote.


(I have also had several orders from sidewinders... both are excellent).

[Jeffery_Paul]

quote from Petra's on silver coils:

Warning: This product contains...uh...Silver!

• If ingested, you may choke... so just don't do that.

• If contact with skin occurs, smile... you're holding silver!

• AVOID CONTACT WITH EYES! If contact with eyes occurs... wait, why are you shoving metal coils into your eyes?


OMFGROFL!!!!!

So which do you prefer, PT_NUKE? or silver kill coils?

[ascl]

FWIW I prefer silver barbs... kills two barbs, err birds with one stone :)

EDIT: Note that Bitspower Shining Silver and *not* silver, but the True Silver ones are.

[hokiealumnus]

I prefer PT Nuke PHN. Not because there is anything wrong with kill coils; just because I use colored tubing and my brilliant self would change tubing out and forget it was in there. You only need four drops/liter...I bought three bottles (so I didn't have to pay extra shipping on such a small item) and haven't scratched the surface on the first one after three complete tear down and refills.

[Jeffery_Paul]

OK ordered the PT Nuke from petra's, also put a few other lil' items in there while I was at it, they have an adapter to jump your PSU, which just seems convenient lol, some vibration dampening 'stuff' to mount the pump on, and while I was at it I grabbed some arctic silver 5. I figured if I'm going to buy from overseas, I may as well get a few items rather than just one.

just need to work out where is best to add the drain line, then I'm set.

This has been one hell of an eye opener for me, and I have barely started!

[Porvalsh]

Looking forward to seeing the final build Jeffery!

[Conumdrum]

Hey Jeffery, when you get all your stuff give this a good read, it's someting I wrote on how to build your first loop for someone long ago. Might have some pointers.

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=312743

[Jeffery_Paul]

AHHHH GRRR **ANGRY**

car decided its clutch doesn't like me, so I gotta get a new clutch put in. It couldn't be a simple $200 fixup type thing, it HAD to be the clutch!

</vent>

The reason I am posting right now is that I have to delay the build for another month at least to save up the money again ($4400 build)

On the bright side, it means the new nVidia cards might be out, so I will keep revising the build, it will be utterly PERFECT when I buy it.

hmmm, angry-jeff is angry!

@Conumdrum: that link is pure gold, fantastic! I never would have thought to clean out the rad, or flush out all of the parts! I would have just taken them out of their packaging and straight away installed it

[Conumdrum]

Hehe, Jeffery, I posted that link back on post #25, didn't realize it.

Anway, there is more info you can have at this link, more good links.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/253958-29-watercooling-guide

[Jeffery_Paul]

yeah I know you posted it earlier, but was more than happy to read through it again :)

[Jeffery_Paul]

The Swiftech microres has 4 threaded holes, one top, one bottom, two from the side. Should I put both the inlet and outlet>pump on the side, or should the outlet to the pump be on the bottom hole? Obviously I am going to use the top hole for a fillport. Maybe the drain line could be out the bottom hole? But I don't think I should have it from the res, as the res will be fairly high in the loop, not at the lowest point

[Spawn-Inc]

i used the bottom port for mine setup. worked much better and less tubing.

[Otter]

Obviously I am going to use the top hole for a fillport. Maybe the drain line could be out the bottom hole? But I don't think I should have it from the res, as the res will be fairly high in the loop, not at the lowest point
You are correct. And adding a T for the drain won't reduce your flow significantly.

You can use either the lower side port or the bottom one for the pump. Just use whichever gives you the best route for your tubing.