Throwing RAM into the loop

Hey all,

I just completed my first watercooling setup. It was simple and easy with a solo CPU loop....

Well now I have a design and layout I drew up after researching a ton and picking items.

I have been told to stay away from Y splitters and I understand why but...

What I cannot find info on and know many people dont like to use them because they believe its pointless is, how do I put RAM in a loop?

With their high resistence of liquid bypass, wont it cause the CPU to heat up being there is not as much flow through them?

Can you place a splitter/Y before RAM/CPU then reconnect it after without issues?

Many people ask why do I want to do this. My answer to them is I have them money, want the look, and dont care about overclocking(Was a past hobby and came to realize that 1 to 2 fps isnt worth the short lifespan hassle).

Can anyone show a diagram or write how they would put RAM in a loop? I know RAM blocks are pretty restrictive. Also, RAM-33 seems like the best choice out there right now. If you run the parallel splitting each one, say 1 - 1/2" tube split into 4 - 1/4 inch tubes going in, reduce the amount of restriction vs running 1/2" in and linking them all to 1/2" out?

m0r7if3r have any charts/diagrams I can check out?



Any thoughts or advice is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

When you're going through equal restriction, it's actually better to use parallel flow, so if you're gonna split and go through ONLY identical components, then rejoin, that's a good idea. What I cautioned you about doing earlier was splitting and taking one side to the ram and the other to the CPU, as they would have uneven restriction and it could cause a flow problem.

Yes, having the ram in your loop will hurt your flow. Yes, this will raise your CPU temps. No, no one can really tell you how much.

Link: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums...Actual-influence-of-flow-rate-on-system-temps

m0r7if3r said:

When you're going through equal restriction, it's actually better to use parallel flow, so if you're gonna split and go through ONLY identical components, then rejoin, that's a good idea. What I cautioned you about doing earlier was splitting and taking one side to the ram and the other to the CPU, as they would have uneven restriction and it could cause a flow problem.

Yes, having the ram in your loop will hurt your flow. Yes, this will raise your CPU temps. No, no one can really tell you how much.

Link: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums...Actual-influence-of-flow-rate-on-system-temps

Click to expand...

This makes sense, so in parallel I would want to set up the RAM like the illistration on the right of the picture, which in turn would increase flow rates and also reduce temps overall? is that correct? Is that what you are saying and what the link is showing?

Thanks for all the help m0r7if3r. Im trying to get a better understanding of just about everything available and whats out there.

Also, in this case, the order would be Rad --> CPU --> RAM --> Res. Correct?

i would throw another Rad in there

trekky said:

i would throw another Rad in there

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From past experience and info I have gained from here, I don think it would make too much of a difference. If a 240(120.2) Rad can cool a CPU by itself without much trouble, then adding RAM isnt going to effect it too much since they put out very little heat.

Sorry I didnt list a size of the Rad, was just more or less trying to get to the roots of flow and temps a little better.

I might be wrong about this though, thats why im here

If the splitters are large enough diameter and you run the ram blocks in parallel like the right hand picture, it likely won't hurt flow too much.

All this talk of throwing stuff sheesh.

RAM can get warm, but not nearly as hot as CPU's can get. There are blocks that cover the whole RAM set. I don't know how effective they are but it seems like it would be a lot easier than trying to split and join 4 different lines.

Mehovoric said:

All this talk of throwing stuff sheesh.

RAM can get warm, but not nearly as hot as CPU's can get. There are blocks that cover the whole RAM set. I don't know how effective they are but it seems like it would be a lot easier than trying to split and join 4 different lines.

Click to expand...

Your mention was only the third in this thread...I'm not sure that that's a lot of talk of throwing things (4).

OP pretty clearly stated he was going for looks, so

OP: look order doesn't matter, run it how the tubing is easiest. You'll probably wanna find a 4 way splitter or you'll end up with a rather large bulk of splitters. alternately, you could do something similar to how graphics cards get run in parallel if the blocks support it (I know that's not clear...I just can't explain myself any better without a picture, which I don't have time to make...sorry)

trekky said:

i would throw another Rad in there

Click to expand...

Without knowing what hardware he has in the system and what his temps are currently? Just put another one in there? Why? Cooling the RAM will cause some pressure drop but won't add an appreciable amount of heat to the loop.

so... my 2 cents. run the split->parallel After the proc. while ram doesn't generate much heat, when you start throwing more volts at it, it can make a difference on your cpu. SO... i would recomend if you have the tubing / fluid *(from personal exp):

pump->proc->ram->rad->[repeat]

knope said:

so... my 2 cents. run the split->parallel After the proc. while ram doesn't generate much heat, when you start throwing more volts at it, it can make a difference on your cpu. SO... i would recomend if you have the tubing / fluid *(from personal exp):

pump->proc->ram->rad->[repeat]

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I feel like a jerk naysayer right now, but we repeat often around here that loop order doesn't really matter. It's better to route tubing in the easiest order. Temperatures don't vary by more than 0.5C or so throughout the loop.

the apogee hd block with multiple outlets could be a good option

4 of these
6 of these
2 of these
6 of these

+ 2 barb/compression fittings to match your tube.

Make 2 bars and run them parallel.

Edit. Just considered that you must offset every other stick so you will probably have to change this to an all barbs configuration.

johan851 said:

I feel like a jerk naysayer right now, but we repeat often around here that loop order doesn't really matter. It's better to route tubing in the easiest order. Temperatures don't vary by more than 0.5C or so throughout the loop.

Click to expand...

I would like to take your word for it but I would rather be cautious... and I really like that order... lol so if it doesn't matter, step-off. jk-haha (no you didn't come off as a jerk)

(i lack the proper testing-equip.... ie. thermometers in my system. so I have been building all of my loops since 07 similarly. *(honestly though, its not hard to achieve in most standard atx cases.... since ram and proc are normally close enough, its not hard to tube them... unless you have some ****** mobo with the ram under the PCI slots, i cant imagine having difficulty with any path on the loop: cpu, ram, rad, pump.)

knope said:

I would like to take your word for it but I would rather be cautious... and I really like that order... lol so if it doesn't matter, step-off. jk-haha (no you didn't come off as a jerk)

(i lack the proper testing-equip.... ie. thermometers in my system. so I have been building all of my loops since 07 similarly. *(honestly though, its not hard to achieve in most standard atx cases.... since ram and proc are normally close enough, its not hard to tube them... unless you have some ****** mobo with the ram under the PCI slots, i cant imagine having difficulty with any path on the loop: cpu, ram, rad, pump.)

Click to expand...

I forget where the source is, but it's true! I don't see it in the stickies...

The only part of the order that is important IMO is to have the reservoir right before (and ideally above) the pump.
Beyond that, it really doesn't matter.

johan851 said:

I feel like a jerk naysayer right now, but we repeat often around here that loop order doesn't really matter. It's better to route tubing in the easiest order. Temperatures don't vary by more than 0.5C or so throughout the loop.

Click to expand...

johan851 said:

I forget where the source is, but it's true! I don't see it in the stickies...

Click to expand...

BOOM, LINKAGE! http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=225485

Don't you love it when you're right?

m0r7if3r said:

BOOM, LINKAGE! http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=225485

Don't you love it when you're right?

Click to expand...

reading...

well. i skimmed through most of it. i cant argue with his science. thanks for sharing, and now i know -and knowing is FUNdemental. lolhaha-sry i like my booz when im forced to read some long project... i admit i was into it

-cheers