UV reactive custom loop with Swiftech H220

Hi, dudes.

I'm considering to get my first liquid cooling loop. I think the H220 is a great option, because it's cheap, comfortable and expandable. I just don't like the included black PVC tubing. I want my tubbing to look something like this:



I just want to keep cool my CPU for now, and I like that UV reactive blue.

I'm considering three options for the coolant:

1. Feser One 1 l Clear UV Blue coolant: 7 €.
2. Reusing filtered HydrX PM2 drained from the H220 + Feser View Clear UV Blue dye (50 ml): 7 €.
3. Deionized water + Mayhems biocide + Feser View Clear UV Blue dye (50 ml): 19 €.

What do you like the most?

I will try with both transparent and UV blue tubing.

I have installed some blue LED strips in my case. Like this:



Will it be enough to make my coolant/tubing react to UV or I should go for a "UV" (actually purple) cathode?

Any advise?

Thank you!

Welcome to OCFs.

If you want to head towards H20, forget about the bling part of the "game" if you will and read up our water cooling stickies. You need to know the basic information for watercooling before stepping in the ring. It's not hard or rocket science but it needs to be done before your attention goes to the looks "cool" factor. We can make it look very majestic but you need to start from the basics first. The step you're in is towards the end of the process.

Let us know what system you are cooling and why you want to cool it. Give us the reasons behind it so we can better understand your case. Also a list of all of your system including the case. Thanks.

Thank you!

Well, I'm new to the water cooling scene, but I've been working with hardware for a long time.

I got a rig with a low budget, but with great hardware:

- Intel Core i5-4670K CPU.
- Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H mobo.
- Corsair BallistiX Tactical LP 8 GB 1.35v CL8 DDR3-1600.
- Thermaltake Urban S31 Window case.
- Corsair CX750 PSU.
- Stock Intel fan.
- Integrated graphics.
- Some blue LEDs.

Modest, as you can see. But now I want (and I can) to expand it with:

- Decent graphics.
- Decent cooling.
- 3x SSD (RAID 0).

I chose this processor for three reasons: it had a great performance/price ratio, I get funny overclocking and I wouldn't notice any differences in my daily usage over an i7-4770K.

I've been planning my water cooling for three days. I've read and learnt a lot and I'm pretty sure that it can't be that hard to replace the tubings and to refill the loop.

Why do I want to do this and why that way? Short answer: because I'm really bored. Long answer: because I want to keep my CPU over 4 GHz and I will enjoy a lot overclocking it.

This is a very basic and noob-friendly WC loop and I won't expand it. As I said: I only need to replace the tubings to get a glowing blue effect. I've read a lot about biocides, dyes, pre-mixes, corrosion, etc.

I will really appreciate your expert advice.

Will temps matter much to you and sound or you just don't care as long as it looks slick and OC's over 4.0? Will this include a full WB GPU cooling as well or will this strictly be a CPU only loop?

I hope you're aware you can't buy the H220 in the states.

As far as your case, its doable but some modding might need to be done or hanging radiators outside of the case which doesn't always look pleasant depending how much rad you will be looking for.

I don't want temps to limit me when overclocking. My mems are overclock friendly (recommended by Tom's Hardware) and my motherboard has 16-phase VRM, so I think I can achieve at least 4.2 GHz.

The noise is important and, as far I read, the Swiftech H220 is less noisy than the high end air solutions.

I won't upgrade the loop. My GPU will be a mid end one, so it doesn't worth to be water cooled.

I'm in Europe, so I can get the H220 (now we can buy even a Ford Mustang!). It is an AIO, so the radiator is included and fits into my case.

My concerns are about the mix and the resulting performance, durability and look.

Thank you.

Alright. Did some research for you and found that you can change the tubing on the H220 and yes it is accessible since you're in europe.

The tubing is just 3/8" ID - Swiftech Customer Support Team

Click to expand...

Source

Enthusiast grade 5/8” OD black PVC tubing - Swiftech Product Page

Click to expand...

Source

So from the looks of it you should be able to replace it ONLY with a 3/8 ID x 5/8" OD Tubing. My recommendation to you is the PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing 3/8"ID x 5/8" OD - Brilliant UV Blue since that is the UV color you want. Btw, in order to make the UV Blue tubing work is you will need a UV LEDs or cathode.

Looked around and found some info about your case because its important to know if it will fit in your case. It can fit up top but I believe the fans might need to go on top of the case if the motherboard is in the way internally. Here's a review with many pictures to give you an idea of your case.

Also I would just stick with the HydrX coolant as well. The only tricky thing will be is priming and bleeding the loop. I would most likely advise you to do this process externally. Once the loop is bled out than I would just install it but make sure you use some towels on your other components in case of a leak. Run a leak test for 12-24hrs only powering the pump and not the whole system. The Helix120 fans that come with the kit are great performers as well. I use those as rad fans on my system.

Hope this helps as it should.

I might add I don't think that is UV blue tubing in the picture you posted but UV Blue coolant. It will be blue but not bright blue like that picture.

GTXJackBauer said:

I might add I don't think that is UV blue tubing in the picture you posted but UV Blue coolant. It will be blue but not bright blue like that picture.

Click to expand...

Sure. The picture shows a very UV reactive coolant, but the tubing seems to be transparent. This is just what I want.

GTXJackBauer said:

Alright. Did some research for you and found that you can change the tubing on the H220 and yes it is accessible since you're in europe.



Source



Source

So from the looks of it you should be able to replace it ONLY with a 3/8 ID x 5/8" OD Tubing. My recommendation to you is the PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing 3/8"ID x 5/8" OD - Brilliant UV Blue since that is the UV color you want. Btw, in order to make the UV Blue tubing work is you will need a UV LEDs or cathode.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your deep research, but it wasn't actually necessary. I already know the tubing sizing since it is in the H220 product specs page.

I think Primochill Brilliant UV Blue is too opaque and I wouldn't get a glowing blue as I want. There's an example with this tubing:
http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/3627.html

Actually I already have ordered a XSPC Clear UV-reactive and a non UV-reactive:
http://www.xs-pc.com/tubing/highflex-hose-1610mm-2m-clearuv
http://www.xs-pc.com/tubing/highflex-hose-1610mm-2m-clear

I currently have blue LEDs in my case and I saw they can make a yellow marker glow, so I will try with them before buying a cathode.

GTXJackBauer said:

Looked around and found some info about your case because its important to know if it will fit in your case. It can fit up top but I believe the fans might need to go on top of the case if the motherboard is in the way internally. Here's a review with many pictures to give you an idea of your case.

Click to expand...

My case is a mid-tower and there is not a lot of room. But I made a paper mockup of a H220 (with the official sizings) and it fits with the fans in top pulling and the radiator in the motherboard space, just like shown in the review you're linking to. I will have to mod the case anyway to put the radiator facing up... They say it can work facing down, but it can be noisy.

GTXJackBauer said:

Also I would just stick with the HydrX coolant as well. The only tricky thing will be is priming and bleeding the loop. I would most likely advise you to do this process externally. Once the loop is bled out than I would just install it but make sure you use some towels on your other components in case of a leak. Run a leak test for 12-24hrs only powering the pump and not the whole system. The Helix120 fans that come with the kit are great performers as well. I use those as rad fans on my system.

Click to expand...

I can stick with the HydrX, but I will have to add an UV reactive dye like Feser View. With the same cost, wouldn't it be better if I get a pre-mixed UV reactive coolant?

Thank you very much!

€ 0,02

I'ld stay away from any colour additive.
Using coloured tubing is fine, but any dye in the liquid can cause problems, from increasing your maintenance, over staining, upto clogging.
Stay away especially from the cheap dye you can get on eBay.

RnRollie said:

€ 0,02

Click to expand...

?

RnRollie said:

I'ld stay away from any colour additive.
Using coloured tubing is fine, but any dye in the liquid can cause problems, from increasing your maintenance, over staining, upto clogging.
Stay away especially from the cheap dye you can get on eBay.

Click to expand...

So, would you recommend to use clear deionized water with a biocide?

Thank you for the advise.

Yes, distilled water and a biocide like a silver kill coil and use UV lighting on UV reactive tubing is your best bet as I recommended above. That should keep you system nice and clean, assuming you've cleaned the heck out of your water cooling components before assembling the loop. You reduce your chances of issues in the long run and increase your loops performance.

Thank you very much!