1st Build Complete ! Still more improvments to come. Need some advice

[Zentech]

Took several days and many trials and tribulations but we got there! I have gained a respect for all people who watercool it may not look complicated on paper and im sure it is easy as cake for some people but I never imagined making my loop would be as tedious as it was. The amount of thinking planning , and trial and error along the way was insane! That being said I had fun building this loop even though there was alot of struggles and complications along the way. I still have some questions that maybe you guys can help me out on.

#1 Push vs push pull vs pull - I have 3 noctua ippc 3000rpm fans connected and pushing air through the rad. I have 2 200mm fans That use to be on the top and was wondering if it would be a good idea to add those fans or 3 more 120's for a push pull or is pull the way to go?

#2 Airflow in case - How many intake fans vs out fans should I have and where should they be set up, currently have 1 in 230mm fan in the front bottom my case and two out one 200mm on the side of my case and a 140mm at the back top.

#3 Premix vs Concentrate(pastel or non) vs Distilled water + biocide + dye(or no dye). I have some Feser red dye and was planning on adding it but wanted to hear peoples advice on this subject before I do

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Sorry one more question should I keep my reservoir topped off?

 

[Blaylock]

Zentech to OCF!!

First I'd like to mention you will likely get a few differing opinions on some of these questions as everyone has their own preferences for some of these questions. Here are my opinions...

#1 Push vs push pull vs pull - I have 3 noctua ippc 3000rpm fans connected and pushing air through the rad. I have 2 200mm fans That use to be on the top and was wondering if it would be a good idea to add those fans or 3 more 120's for a push pull or is pull the way to go?
Deciding whether to go push, pull, or push/pull is a very common question and the answer is not simple. I will try to simplify it as best as I can. If you are looking for the lowest deltaT (closest temp to ambient as possible) then push pull is your way to go. If your goal is silence then you need to try both to find out which works best. (Note: Some times you can reduce the fan speed to help reduce noise without adversely affecting temps.) I personally chose to keep the fans the furthest internal as I feel this reduces the noise the most however I have no scientific proof to back this claim. I also believe fans with high static pressure have an easier time pushing air through a rad rather than pulling it through. Maybe a more experienced member can confirm this.

#2 Airflow in case - How many intake fans vs out fans should I have and where should they be set up, currently have 1 in 230mm fan in the front bottom my case and two out one 200mm on the side of my case and a 140mm at the back top.
In almost every case airflow should intake from the front, bottom, and side and exhaust from top and rear. The number of intake vs. exhaust has been a matter of debate for many years. Most believe that positive case air pressure (more intake than exhaust) is the way to go to help reduce dust assuming the case has intake filters. Others believe that exhausting as much of the warm air as possible it critical (negative pressure). The one thing that we all agree on is that maximum airflow is what matters most. I prefer positive case pressure.

#3 Premix vs Concentrate(pastel or non) vs Distilled water + biocide + dye(or no dye). I have some Feser red dye and was planning on adding it but wanted to hear peoples advice on this subject before I do
Color dyes are frowned on as they look cool but can/will eventually stain and gum up your loop. We recommend Distilled water and biocide or quality product that doesn't contain dyes. Premixed or concentrate shouldn't matter as long as you use distilled water to mix it. There is a great discussion in the Watercool thread that Jakob from Watercool started. I'll post a link when I find it.

EDIT: Here's the thread. There will be some sifting through but it's all a good read! :END EDIT

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Sorry one more question should I keep my reservoir topped off?
So long as the pump isn't running dry it wont hurt anything. Some people like the look of it partially filled other like it filled to the top. So long as the pump is pulling water and not air it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[EarthDog]

Can't say it much better than that. ^^


Welcome! Good looking rig!

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Nice post Blay!

Awesome rig there, nicely done!

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Well said Blay.

I will add that with distilled water, as many mfgers warn about using it, its the cheapest and best thermals to use if you maintain the loop from draining and refilling to dismantling everything. You will eventually run into oxidization. Some will be worse then others. I got sick of dealing with it after many years and have gone pre-mixed fluid from a reputed water cooling company. Its more of a premium price compared to distilled water but felt with the premixed loop, you literally drain it annually and refill it with a new batch which gives me corrosive and a biocide. Its up to you which route you want to go with this.

As for your first H20 build, it looks good and reminds me of my first time. You will look at it and love it and realize you did build that. Eventually you will catch the bug and start tinkering with it. You will simplify your routes and get more ideas, etc. It's a fun and can be a expensive hobby but well worth it in the end.

 

[LawShadow]

Good job on your first watercooled rig congrats!

As some one here already said you will get different opinions.

For me personal i went with pre mix coolant i to had to deal with oxidation in less then a year using only distilled water + silver kill coil. I never going to use that combo again.
Then i switched to pre mix coolant and what a surprise even after 3.5 years my nickel plated cpu block (Koolance CPU-380i) looked like brand new not a single dis color oxidation nothing...all my black fittings were spotless as well. The only thing i did was refresh the coolant after 2 years. 3.5 years later i opened my blocks and looked new.

Look for a reputable brand and their pre mix coolant some pre mix coolant need to be refreshed after 9 to 12 months while others can be used for 2+ years (thats an indication of strong anti corrosive additives imo).

Have a look at these:

Koolance Liq 702 clear (personal experience love this stuff it seems that Koolance use their own distilled water and conducted long term testing of their coolant bit expensive but deserves it)
Innovatek Protect (highly recommended by Watercool representative, and loved by the German WC community)
Aquacomputer Double Protect Ultra (this has also good reviews/feedback on forums mainly on the German ones)
EKWB Coolant clear (seems to be a good coolant judging from user feedback)

Hope this helps

 

[Tír na nÓg]

As some wise senior member in this forum said a few days back, no matter push, pull, push/pull, you won't get any performance increase megahurtz wise. 5/7c less in the coolant/ambient won't net you any extra MHz, as soon as you have enough radiator of course!

Coolant? Distilled water and a few drops of PT nuke and you are all set.

I even used 90% distilled+10% car coolant a few years back, and no oxydation or algae whatsoever.

Water cooling is for fun (will net you some perf increase on NVidia GPU's, up to 2 gens ago, don't know about last gens. Nothing with Radeon, unless you run reference cooler...).

Beatiful rig you have BTW.

 

[Blaylock]

Ensure that PT nuke is the newer PHN Nuke and I'm all agrees.