First ever water cooling setup.

After years of wanting to get into water cooling and using AIO kits I finally bought a kit and going to dive into things.

I ordered the XSPC Raystorm EX240 kit from Performance PCS, I opted out from buying the $16 coolant they had and wanted to ask a few questions before I got some coolant. Since coolant is just distilled water with PH Nuke added, if I go buy a gallon of distilled water from wal-mart and pick up some $5 PH Nuke off amazon that should be good enough for my system shouldn't it? Also, if I want to dye the water, what do most companies use? Food coloring? or would that stain the inside of the system?

Distilled water + Nuke absolutely!
Dyes no way man.
If you want color get colored tubing.

ssjwizard said:

Distilled water + Nuke absolutely!
Dyes no way man.
If you want color get colored tubing.

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Would the PT Nuke be ok for the XSPC kit or would I need to first figure out what metals are used in the kit and get the correct solution? As I know the radiator is brass / copper core, but for the water block / fittings I couldn't find any info on metal type.

Also, as a first timer would colored tubing be harder to make sure the water is flowing thru all the tubes and back into the res. and to make sure air bubbles are gone from the system so I don't overfill it?

I use Xspc parts and have never had issues with corrosion so you should be fine with distilled water and pt nuke. I also use some Xspc tubing in Orange and you can see through it ok.

Lochekey said:

I use Xspc parts and have never had issues with corrosion so you should be fine with distilled water and pt nuke. I also use some Xspc tubing in Orange and you can see through it ok.

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Appreciate it, already ordered the kit and just selected the default clear tubing, guess I'll just order some red tubing also and replace it.

Depending how long ago you ordered the kit you can contact performance pcs and have them modify the order before shipping. They are normally pretty good at the customer service thing. The other good tubing to look at is Primoflex advanced LRT tubing.

Lochekey said:

Depending how long ago you ordered the kit you can contact performance pcs and have them modify the order before shipping. They are normally pretty good at the customer service thing. The other good tubing to look at is Primoflex advanced LRT tubing.

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Prob should of did a little bit more research before I ordered the kit. I got the default 7/16 x 5/8 fittings that was already selected on the page, says it also comes with G1/4″ to 1/2″ Barbs and 7/16 tubing. So the tubing should be the same diameter as the fittings? So with 7/16 tubing I would need the 7/16 x 5/8 fittings?

Just ordered the kit a few hours ago, so they are probably closed for the New Years so I should have time to change anything.


PerformancePCs is crazy on the shipping and they are from FL and I'm from AL, it's like 8 hours away from my house to their warehouse. $12.50 for 5 foot of the PrimoFlex tubing which doesn't even weigh a lb. and it's $8 shipping. I just emailed them and asked them to change out the clear tubing for the UV Red/Orange tubing, I'll wait and order some red tubing at a later time. Cause I still haven't ordered any coolant yet.

7/16 tubing will fit over 1/2 barbs with minor difficulty you may have to warm the tubing in hot water first,but it'll make a tighter seal. I used to use 7/16 on 1/2 barbs without clamps all the time. Now I use compression's for the look. Coolant all ya need to do is go to the super market and buy a couple gallons of distilled water no need to order it and pay shipping on that heavy jug of water. Around my parts its like 1.50 a gallon iirc. Since your order has not shipped yet you can add an item easily to it. I've done it before without having to call them. Just make the changes and it'll update. 12.50 for shipping 5 ft of tubing sounds about right remember its shipping and handling. I paid that 12.50 shipping as well for 9 fan dual fan cables and 1 sata to mini pc cable. cause they put it in a medium flat rate box lol when a video sized small would of worked. Anywho PPCS is a great company and you'll have no issues with them.

S_I_N said:

7/16 tubing will fit over 1/2 barbs with minor difficulty you may have to warm the tubing in hot water first,but it'll make a tighter seal. I used to use 7/16 on 1/2 barbs without clamps all the time. Now I use compression's for the look. Coolant all ya need to do is go to the super market and buy a couple gallons of distilled water no need to order it and pay shipping on that heavy jug of water. Around my parts its like 1.50 a gallon iirc. Since your order has not shipped yet you can add an item easily to it. I've done it before without having to call them. Just make the changes and it'll update. 12.50 for shipping 5 ft of tubing sounds about right remember its shipping and handling. I paid that 12.50 shipping as well for 9 fan dual fan cables and 1 sata to mini pc cable. cause they put it in a medium flat rate box lol when a video sized small would of worked. Anywho PPCS is a great company and you'll have no issues with them.

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Yea I just checked online at wal-mart and I can get the wal-mart brand distilled water for $0.88 / gallon and I'll just pick up some PT Nuke from amazon for like $7. They seem like a good company with a lot of good reviews so I just emailed them and asked if I could change out the tubing from the clear to the UV Red/Orange and I'll change out the hose to red later on down the road.

Looking at the specs page of the kit it shows it's a universal kit for AMD/Intel and comes with 1/2" barbs, but when you order the kit it makes you select several different options, you have to pick what CPU block you want and what size compression fittings you want. So guessing it's not going to be the complete kit with the 1/2" barbs and the AMD / Intel block. Also says they will send you the right size tubing depending on which compression fittings you picked.

PT Nuke is the old one. Petra came out with PHN Nuke for loops about 7 years ago. See if you can find it. Yep, it's on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Petras-Tech-Nuke-Concentrated-Biocide/dp/B008EH4STK

Nuke -PHN is a specially formulated Benzalkonium chloride solution intended for use as a biocide in your water cooled PC. Primarily geared toward systems running straight distilled water, Nuke -PHN is not acidic and will not drop your coolant's pH, making it ideal for use in poorly buffered coolants and situations where corrosion is a concern (since many corrosion inhibitors are optimized for use within a pH range of 7-8.5). However, we do not recommend the use of Nuke -PHN with most "pre-mixed PC coolants" and dyes (though, our testing indicates that there may be no compatibility issue with Feser's UV dyes). Do not mix Nuke -PHN with the original Copper sulfate based Nuke -Cu.
Instructions & Ingredients:
Use: Add 4 drops per 1L of coolant for approx. 2ppm Active Ingredient: Benzalkonium chloride 1.65% Warning: This product contains Benzalkonium chloride. DO NOT INGEST! AVOID CONTACT WITH EYES AND SKIN! KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS! • If ingested, do not induce vomiting. Give plenty of water to drink and seek medical attention. • If contact with skin occurs, rinse with plenty of water. Seek medical attention if pain or irritation persists. • Contact with eyes can result in corneal damage--AVOID CONTACT WITH EYES! If contact with eyes occurs, thoroughly rinse eyes under tepid running water for at least 15 minutes. If sensitivity to light, irritation, pain, or swelling persists, seek medical attention immediately.

I still recommend good ol premix fluids from reputed companies that not only have biocide but corrosive additives. I used distilled water and a kill coil with a little dead water for a large loop for close to 5 years. While I enjoyed it's cheaper costs, I couldn't stand oxidization on all my CPU blocks. Some fittings didn't dance well too. I got some Aquacomputer clear premix and haven't looked back. Just draining and refilling annually now.

I should also add, the reputed custom water cooling companies echo the same and warn the use of fluids without all the needed protections in place which I completely agree and regret taking their premix fluids as a gimmick in the first place. For a costly premium loop, I don't feel $20-$30 should be negotiable annually or every couple of years.

Well my kit came in today and I mounted the res/pump, still have to order the liquid and a few more fittings to make a drain plug and I'll be set.