Newbie DIY Watercooling

I've seen a lot of threads lately that start off with, "I'm new to watercooling, what do I need..." and "Is XXX a good watercooling setup/kit..." I'm going to try to help out a lot of newbies at once and post a HOWTO Do-It-Yourself file for setting up watercooling. It really is easy once you understand the basics of what you need, and the experience of putting it together yourself is very worthwhile. This guide is an introduction, not an all-inclusive guide. It will teach you how to setup a closed loop watercooling system for your CPU. Once you understand how to do this, other components can be easily watercooled as well.

What you will need:

• CPU Waterblock with mounting hardware
• Radiator
• Pump
• Tubing
• Hose Clamps
• Fill/Bleed Line and/or Reservoir
• Fan for radiator
• Distilled Water
• Corrosion Prohibitor(highly recommended)

Here is the basic setup we will be doing:


Description of each part. Check out the links highlighted in orange for a more detailed explanation.:

CPU Waterblock: Replaces your heatsink. It works the exact same way a heatsink works, except the working fluid is water, not air. There are many manufacturers of waterblocks. Among the more popular are Swiftech, DTek, Danger Den, and Gemini. There are many options in waterblocks, almost as many as in heatsinks.

Radiator: Used to transfer heat from the water to the air. This will cool the water in your system to almost ambient temps, making your system as efficient as possible. Many prefer to use automotive heatercores for the radiator. They work well and are inexpensive. When space is a concern, other options such as the Black Ice radiators will work well. All large waterblock manufacturers sell radiators through their websites as well.

Pump: Used to circulate the water throughout the system. Does the same job as the fan on a heatsink. Although the pump is shown as inline, you can also use submersible pumps. A submersible pump is submerged in a tank of water, or a reservoir. Popular brands: Eheim, Danner, Maxijet, Hydor, Via Aqua...

Tubing: Used to connect the pump, radiator, and waterblock. 3/8" and 1/2" are the common sizes used. Either will work fine. Be sure to match the Inner Diameter (ID) of your tubing to the size of the hose barbs on your components. Otherwise you will need to buy adapters. I recommend 1/8" wall thickness tubing. Tubing with thin walls will tend to crimp and collapse. I recommend PVC and Tygon tubing, although Vinyl will work.

Hose Clamps: Don't skimp! Use these at ALL connections. You really don't want water leaking on your computer, do you?

Fill/Bleed Line and/or Reservoir: This is how you fill your system with water in the first place. A T-Line will take up less space than a reservoir, but is more difficult to fill and bleed. Bleeding is the process of removing all the air from the watercooling system. Air in the lines will kill the performance of even the best components.

Fan/Shroud for Radiator: A fan blowing across the Radiator will make it cool MUCH more efficiently. Most use low-RPM 120 mm fans to get high airflow:noise ratios. The fan should be approximately 1 inch away from the Radiator, pushing air through it, and will work best if enclosed with a shroud. A shroud can be built out of almost anything from cardboard to plexiglass to sheet metal.

Distilled Water: Should be used to prevent corrosion and deposits from forming in your system. It is the cheapest thing you will buy. It is recommended that you put some additive in the water for corrosion protection and to kill bacteria. Water Wetter, anti-freeze, and Purple Ice are common. You only need about 3-5 tablespoons per gallon of water. Too much will cause the water to lose some of its cooling effectiveness. See this thread for hard data.

Now to put it all together. First of all, unplug your computer. Lay out the parts in the approximate places that you want them to go. The most difficult thing will be deciding where to place the radiator. Many put it in the front of the case, below the hard drives. Others put it at the top of the case where they have existing blowholes. It's up to you to decide where to put it.

Once you have everything in its approximate locations, cut the tubing to fit between components. Attach the tubing with hose clamps to the hose barbs.

I recommend that you now remove the watercooling system from your case to fill and leak test it. It is much easier to spot leaks when it is outside the case. Again, the slightest bit of water can kill your computer, so take your time and be careful! The easiest way I have found to fill the system is to place the pump in a large bowl or bucket filled with distilled water/corrosion protector mixture. Remove the hose from the inlet, and turn the pump on. Filling this way will naturally help you bleed the system. Make sure that your Fill/Bleed T-Line is at the highest point, so air collects there. Tap all of the components gently to dislodge any air bubbles that may be clinging to the surface. Tilt the radiator in all directions to ensure that there are no air pockets. Remove as much air as possible with the T-line, then re-attach the inlet hose to the pump. The system should now be filled and bled. Now it is time for leak testing. I Leak test (with the pump running) for at least 2 hours before putting a new system into a computer. Paper towels placed under every component are a great way to spot leaks.

Once you are sure that there are no leaks, place the system inside the case (again) and mount the waterblock to the CPU. Turn on the pump, do a quick last check to ensure there are no leaks, and boot up your computer.

You've just built your first watercooled system, and it probably cost you less than a "kit" and will perform better! Good luck and enjoy.

Helpful Links

• Pics of Watercooling setups
• Overclockers.com Watercooling Guides

Very nice! I vote a sticky!

nice job, neomoses. definately needs to be a sticky. i was actually thinking about writing something like this earlier this week because of all of the newb posts that repeat the same questions over and over.

Or?

What about situation whereby the radiator and pump are switched.

Pump to CPU to Radiator to pump etc. or pump to CPU to Radiator to Resevoir to pump etc.

Any comments?

M.

must include pics cause this is for the one that has no ideas about wc

Nicely done, and it is definately needed around here (Sticky) - Maybe some more pics tho. Also maybe submit it to the main page as not all n00bs use the forums - I know I didn't for a while.

very nice i do also vote sticky

well see I'm a "n00b" that you guys are talking about, but I do know all that already, I just need to know powerful pump, what do you get out of it vs weaker one

also block types, which is more effective, stuff like that, but nice for complete n00bs

I vote sticky if you actually tell how to bleed the system.

Heres my way
Either use a rez instead of a T line, just fill it, turn on then fill and cap it off,
or inline, I hook everything up in the system, then I take it out, then unhook the inlet hose from the pump, drop the pump and that hose into a rez, turn on the pump, let it fill and bleed out ALL air, then stick it back no underwater and fill and cap off the T line

Very nice and well thought out

Just a suggestion- perhaps replace "via aqua" with "maxijet"

I'll throw in my vote for a sticky as well

Many suggestions were added as well as some helpful links.

very good, very nice and clear, perhaps u could add a link to the watercooling section of overclockers.com to show people where to look for waterblock reviews and such like, also www.procooling had a very good article reviewing slightly older waterblocks that could also be included?

I think it's also important to clarify some myths with water cooling for those coming into it. Fear is ok if it's justified and it's the american way to exaggerate anything fear related.

Myth 1. Water will kill your computer.
Truth: Water is not guaranteed to kill your computer. It is highly dependent on what exactly the water contacts and the ionization of the water as to how much if any damage is done. PCB is coated with a plastic substance that protects the printed circuits and many other wires and such are coated with a resin as well. Completely drying the affected components will usually result in them continuing to function.

Myth 2. Distilled water is what you should use in water cooling systems.
Truth: The truth is you want deionized water, which is not necessarily the same as distilled. It depends on the process of distillation as to how deionized it is, but they're not the same. Calcium ions in the water are the leading cause to buildup in radiators that cause the systems to fail and the infamous battery effect.

Myth 3. Pump failure means destroyed system.
Truth: The pump is really a lot less important than people would have you believe. In truth, you dont need a very powerful pump to cool a system down very well. It's to compensate for bad designs that powerful pumps are needed. If the pump happens to die, those with compact inline systems like described in the thread are likely to survive by simple water convection. Overclocked processors are less likely to survive off of convection because they cannot survive the same overall high temps that non-overclocked cpus can and because they put out even more heat, are likely to equilize at a temp too high to be safe anyway. 50-60C should be expected during pump failure (still well within safety limits)

Myth 4. Push or pull for radiator fans?
Truth: It doesn't matter if you wanna do push or pull, you get the same results as long as you have the room for either. The decision should be based on how the piece works with the rest of the system.

Myth 5. Watercooling is too expensive.
Truth: Strictly speaking in terms of money, yes, water cooling is expensive. Those who put some effort into buying the parts can usually do a complete system for about 100-130. Not counting the people who can happen to get the parts for free or really cheap from some local place. Myth 5 is really a not a myth. But, the motive for using water cooling is not because people want a cheaper method to cool their computer. It's becoming almost necessary for anyone without a soundprood box to hide their machine in. Therefore, economically, it's a steal in the perfomance/cost ratio where cost is not just monetary.

Myth 6. Water cooling leaves you with a silent computer.
Truth: Only if you can only hear 50dB sounds or above due to hearing loss. Water cooling systems still require radiator fans and the rest of your components still require either case fans or psu fans. You can get away with very little, but water cooling systems so far have not been shown to be viable in a passive cooling situation. Your computer will not be silent, but will be much less noisy than before. Pumps are not silent but not noisy in the same way that high pitched whirring of fans are. It will feel silent until you get used to not having the airplane turbines in your room, then as long as the computer is the loudest thing in the room you will still notice it, it's just much easier to drown out.

Myth 7. There exists systems that work better in low flow environments than high flow.
Truth: Everything works better by increasing the speed of the heat transferrer (water). As long as you dont strain the system's components, you'll get better results (lower temps) by increasing the flow. How much better and such is variable and may not end up being worth it. And some systems can function at lower flow rates than others but that's not what this myth is about.

Myth 8. Water cooling requires more hands on maintainence than air cooled systems
Truth: This depends on the type of system you build an the care taken to build it. Open systems will always require frequent maintainence. Some inline systems can go many months and even into year+ without touching a thing. Most fall in the area of a month or so. It's especially important to pay attention to the liquid you're using.

Myth 9. Water cooling systems use water to cool the cpu.
Truth: Water is just an intermediate transport agent. What still cools water cooling systems is air. The difference between air cooled systems and water cooling systems is the amount of surface area you can have access to by using water to transport heat compared to not using it. The waterblock is just like the bottom of the heatsink, the water is the middle and the heatercore is the fins of the heatsink. With water cooling systems we spread the heatsink out to a very large size in the hopes that it doesn't take more heat in the process than we can easily get rid of at the heatercore with less noise. In just about all cases this works. In the end it's air, unless you somehow linked into your house's waterline and/or never have to worry about recirculating water.

Myth 10. Water cooled systems run within a couple degrees of ambient.
Truth: Most water cooling systems will run in the mid 30C range at room temperature. This is around 70F or about 22C-24C. Of course it depends on the heat the system has to deal with but even more importantly, it depends on the kind of air flow you have over your heatercore. Do not expect super low temps if you are looking to actually have your computer quieter than your air cooled one. Mid 30's is nothing to laugh at for the noise level, but it's certainly not within a couple degrees of ambient. Also, one thing not mentioned in anyone reporting temps is the temps of other components, it's very easy to focus just on the cpu and have it be extremely cool while not taking care of other components and having them suffer as opposed to someone who goes for overall good temps at the expense of extreme low temps for a single component. They're all integral and it's best to keep that in mind at all times.

This should make up a nice preface for any newbie water cooling guide.

As for putting it together in the instructions above. I would think that the most common set of systems cannot be constructed outside of the case while completely put together and then placed into the case without taking it apart. So instead of having the instructions be what you did, i would try and put out instructions that work for the majority case. And more importantly to describe than just unplugging the computer is to gut it entirely. Almost all cases worth the money spent on them have motherboard racks. Removing all the electronic components of a system should be as easy as unscrewing or unlatching the mobo rack, disconnecting the power cables from the psu and sliding it out. Remove the psu as well as it can still be keeping a charge even though it is unplugged and water may damage it if it happens to spray everywhere when you test the thing. I suggest constructing the system inside the chassis keeping in mind where components you took out would be. Also, anytime you need to use goop in the construction of the system, wait 24 hours for it to cure before adding water. If it leaks and you need to fix it. Dry it and put use it to fix the leak, wait another 24 hours. Not waiting can result in the water pressure causing a weak bond and give you problems later on if you ever stress the system a little (like during a move). Do it right the first time and skip having to do it over later.

And to knit pick because that's what everyone loves, heh, the pump is not like the fan on the heatsink. The fan on the radiator is like the fan on the heatsink. There is no analoguous component in a air cooled system like the pump in a water cooling system. It's just a step in the cooling process that isn't there for air cooling.


Also lacking from the list is a couple rules of thumb ...general rules that are not specific to any certain type of system.

1. Keep the tubes short but not at the expense of hose kinkage. The shorter the better.
2. some polymers that make up tubing absorb water at a much higher rate than others, this is usually a problem with the softer plastics. Stay away from them despite their convenience, in the long run they wont be.
3. Dont mix metals that have contact with the fluid. Make sure if your heatercore has a copper tube that you get blocks with copper tubes and etc. substitute aluminum if that's your thing.
4. with the removal of many fans from a system that is watercooled, you have to watch out that the places that still emit a lot of heat (hdds and ram) still get good air flow to keep cool. The cpu isn't the only important part of a system that also puts out a lot of heat.
5. More important than water cooling the northbridge etc, would be the video card if you're looking to water cool something other than the cpu. The bridge on the motherboard actually run quite cool passively cooled.
6. Clean your components especially if they're not brand new. Some sort of sterilizing fluid that doesn't leave residue. I'd suggest isopropyl alcohol. Get rid of as much buggies as you can, it cant hurt. And if you buy your heatercore used, really clean it and flush it because it had tap water in it and you can bet the money you spent on it that it has calcium buildups and other yummy minerals.

Always remember with hardware you're more than likely going to get what you paid for, so if something looks too good to be true pricewize, it likely is too good to be true. Certain things you dont want to skimp out on. Your first system is likely to always be more expensive than successive ones if you make it through the first. Once you know how things work with certain materials and components, you can go for cheaper things without having to worry about replacing stuff when it fails. Going for the cheapest route the first time results in you getting advice from a bunch of people who are doing things DIFFERENT than you are and the advice isn't really going to work for you. Just accept the fact that you are going to spend a bit more than the minimum possible your first time and things will go much smoother and quickly in the short term and long term.


And that's my two cents for the newbie DIYer.

WOAH DUDE!!!!!

WE DONT NEED A NOVEL

j/k j/k....

Thats some good advice.

When using a T fitting inline I fill the system until you cannot put any more water in the T-line. I start the pump (not the computer) as water starts moving I keep adding water. Make sure that you keep water in the T-line above the flow line and keep the T-line open so air can escape. It will take about a week for all the micro bubbles to completely exit the system. Once all air has been removed then place a cap on the T-line. It is very important that you have a system free of any small leaks. You can have a leak and water will not show it’s self do to evaporation, but you will continue to lose water. A good way to check if you are losing water is to draw a line with a pen on the outside of the T-line at the water level in the T-line.

The photo below shows the T-line with a pen marking the water line from the day before. I was losing water do to evaporation because of the use of the clamps I had used.

Very well done everyone props to ya all

some great advice

If searching for specific sized heater cores check airspirit's very useful database HERE.

peace.
unloaded

One more item regarding the T-fitting. I no longer use the T-fitting, but instead I placed a fitting at the top of the heater core. By doing so, I was able to bleed the system of all air in about 15 minutes. There is also another plus in using this method, you eliminate two additional clamps and you remove another point where the water flows from the ID of the tubing back to the ID of the fitting removing a bottleneck in the system. If you click on the link above that NeoMoses provided under shrouds you will see the fitting on the top of the core.

i like to look at this:

pump]=[block]=[[rad]]= ~[pump



=_=