Second Build - First liquid cooling attempt, advice, tips, and recomendations :)

[zharbison]

First WC attempt 800 Build Log -*UPDATE*-

INTRO:

Hello all, this will be my official (hello im a new member) and also an advice/progress thread, most of it will revolve around my first experience with H20 cooling systems.

I already have my own computer, that is air cooled and a relatively simple gaming rig, this rig however is for my girlfriend who will be less apreciative of the work i will have put in it, but, none the less...who wants to take steps backwards when building their second rig? So, this rig will be better, faster and flashier.

PART 1: PC COMPONENTS
CASE: Corsair Obsidian 800D
MOBO: ASUS P8Z68 PRO
PSU: Corsair TX850
GPU: XFX Radeon 6950
RAM: 16gb (4 x 4gb) Corsair Vengeance
HDD: Two Western Digital Black 1TB (2TB total)
PROCESSER: SB i5 2500k
OPTICAL DRIVE: Samsung BR-D Burner/reader
OS: Windows 7 64-bit

PART 2: WATER COOLING SET UP
PUMP - Swiftech MCP655 Watercooling Pump - $80
GPU H20 Block - $115
PT Nuke - $4
CPU H20 Block (HF due to single loop) - EK-Supreme H - $95
RESERVOIR - EK-Multioption RES X2 - 250 Advanced - $60
RAD - XSPC RX360 - $95
RAD FANS - Yate Loon 120mm x 3 MEDIUM SPEED UV BLUE - $15
CASE FANS - Yate Loon 140mm x 3 MEDIUM SPEED UV BLUE - $30
TUBING - Primochill LRT (ID 1/2", OD 3/4") 10ft - $20
Compression Fittings (5 total) (ID 1/2", OD 3/4") - $35
45* Compression Fitting (4 total) (ID 1/2", OD 3/4") - $60

Updated Cooling Loop: FINISHED!!!!

overall i am VERY pleased, the custom sleeving (although trivial) really ties the whole build together and takes it to that next level.





FILL PORT, was a *****.



WITH THE LIGHTS ON













I APOLOGIZE FOR THE QUALITY OF THE PICTURES, HOPEFULLY AROUND CHRISTMAS ILL GET SOME HIGH DEF ONES.

 

[zharbison]

UPDATE:

Thanks to peeking around the forum and evensens007 build i know remove all of my doubts about mounting an internal RAD in the Raven RV-02, he mounted it in the same theoretical place i was going to put mine, thanks again if your reading this for putting my worries to rest. Looks like i am going ahead with my original case choice.

 

[Conumdrum]

Lets see. The pump/res setup is overpriced and does NOTHING for performance.

How can you buy a ALUMINUM RAD with us preaching for years you want no aluminum?

How can you use the premixed CRAP lliquids when we have preached for years (with solid evidence) that distilled water and a biocide/silver is the only way togo.

I guess you haven't read much in our stickies or guides at all.

Your NOT ready, you got a lot to learn.

 

[zharbison]

reading as i go along, try not to flame please i was referred here by someone i respect very much due to how helpful he said this board is.

I just registered today, and had done my best to group together what i THOUGHT would be atleast a good starting point.

 

[zharbison]

better resevoir and pump choice?

XSPC 5 1/4 Drive bay Resevoir

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2184/ex-res-104/XSPC_525_Bay_Reservoir_-_Black.html

Swiftech MCP655 Watercooling Pump

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108082

Any help is appreciated, would like to have this rig up and running by christmas

 

[Conumdrum]

I'm sorry, but I do have your attention now. Long day. Please don't even consider one single part till you have a week or so under your belt of reading and learning the stickies/guides, and reading lots of posts here. You'll see many threads just like this and we always say you gotta learn the basics first.

Your one of many we help week in week out. We are very successful because we guide folks so they learn.

When I get home from work (4 AM pacific time) I'll posts my list of links. In fact you read threads similar to this, you'll see my list of links posted many times.

Take your time, you should be watercooled in 30-45 days or so.

 

[Knufire]

reading as i go along, try not to flame please i was referred here by someone i respect very much due to how helpful he said this board is.

I just registered today, and had done my best to group together what i THOUGHT would be atleast a good starting point.

I don't even watercool, but I've been around enough to tell you what everyone here is bound to say eventually. And I'm not trying to flame, I say this with all due respect.

You're not ready. Read all the stickies, ALL OF THEM. Then read them again. Then read though a couple of other threads, then read the stickys again. Read some stuff on http://skinneelabs.com/. And then maybe read the stickys another time. You want a good two-three days of solid reading before you even start to put together a loop.

 

[zharbison]

alright fair enough, off to reading i go.

I have updated my opening page with some new equipment choices, please feel free to take a look and comment, i am still reading and learning, but updating as i go, this way i dont forget anything important >_< lol

 

[Conumdrum]

You'll thank us later. Better doing it right than ruining a CPU, MOBO, PSU etc with simple to prevent mistakes. CYA in a week or so!

 

[Conumdrum]

INTRO:

RESEVOIR - XSPC 5 1/4 Drive bay Resevoir
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2...-_Clear_Silver_Black.html?tl=c97s168b49#blank
Single bay reses are hard to fill and bleed. Have you considered once all connected how you will fill it?
PUMP - Swiftech MCP655 Watercooling Pump
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108082
Sure, easy click n buy find. Is it the vario or the fixed version. Know the diff?

CPU H20 Block (HF due to single loop) - EK-Supreme H
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ekwaekhffuco.html
OKay

GPU H20 Block
http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=2021
Okay

RAD - XSPC RX360
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8523/ex-rad-146/?campid=sl
Enough for your heatload?

FANS - Yate Loon 120mm x 3
http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-120mm-Case-Fan-D12SL-12-pr-3009.html

Is the low speed ones going to give you enough flow/pressure for air through the rad? For your heatload? DT temps?

TUBING - Primoflex LRT (ID 7/16) 10ft
http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...oduct_info&cPath=59_413_292&products_id=24505

Whats the ID? don't want thinwall

Compression Fittings (8 total, 4 pairs) 1/2" fittings, will stretch 7/16" tubing
http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=747
LOL, gotta laugh at this one. You don't know yet that compressions have to have exact same ID/OD as the tubing. And compressions are no better than barbs with clamps.

Pump MUST be after res, and res MUST be higher than pump. Rest doesn't matter.

Wasting time picking parts now buddy.........................

 

[zharbison]

well for the tubing the OD is 5/8, id say 1/8" wall is plenty thick? And as far as the compression fittings go, if i can manage to budget for them id like to get them for the ease of install and for the over all eye candy look, and yes the pump is vario and yes i do know the difference

good question about the res, did not think of that, got any suggestions on how to eliminate that problem?

and P.S i know i have seen people on here fit 7/16" tubing over 1/2" barbs, maybe i will just go that route, dont know ill read more when i get home from work.

 

[m0r7if3r]

and P.S i know i have seen people on here fit 7/16" tubing over 1/2" barbs, maybe i will just go that route, dont know ill read more when i get home from work.

barbs =/= compressions.
comressions =/= barbs.

If you stretch tubing over barbs, you do it for the clampless look, and I would really only recommend that for someone who has been building for a while and has at least 1 WC build under their belt and is doing a build centered on looks. Compressions are a completely separate way of avoiding clamps. If you go compressions, go exact sized. Period.

 

[zharbison]

barbs =/= compressions.
comressions =/= barbs.

If you stretch tubing over barbs, you do it for the clampless look, and I would really only recommend that for someone who has been building for a while and has at least 1 WC build under their belt and is doing a build centered on looks. Compressions are a completely separate way of avoiding clamps. If you go compressions, go exact sized. Period.

Check check and check, before I read this post I had already done a good amount of research and realised the same thing you just pointed out to me, I found some 7/16" I'D and 5/8" OD compression fittings that should work with my tubing, now my only concern is the G1/2's coming off my mpc655 will I just need to stretch the tubing with pliers to get them over that? All my other components are G1/4

 

[m0r7if3r]

gx/x is a thread size...your pump (unless it comes with a different top) is not fitted for g ANYTHING. It might be fitted for 1/2" id tubing...(which it is, I know the 655 rather well). You can get g1/4 (what everything sans the thermochill radiators uses for threading in the WC world) to g1/4 adaptors and just get 2 fittings, one in 7/16" and one in 1/2"...that's the usual workaround to that problem

 

[zharbison]

Okay I've grasped everything well so far up to what I need to connect my housing to the pump, if you would be so kind as to explain again or provide links I would be very grateful, my hosing will be 7/16" and ill be using compression fittings wherever possible, thanks again for your patience with me.

 

[m0r7if3r]

yup. OK, so g1/4" is the abbeviation (don't ask me why) for bspp 1/4", which is a thread spacing. (see more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_standard_pipe_thread). That will be something you use on all your parts, your fittings will be threaded g1/4", your rad, your blocks, everything that doesn't come with fixed barbs. What you'll need to buy to convert from 7/16" id (note the lack of g, i'm taking about the tubing size) to 1/2" id is a piece that has g1/4" threading (basically a slot for a fitting) on each side. You then get a fitting that is for 1/2" id tubing and a fitting for 7/16" id tubing (both threaded g1/4") and put them in, you'll need a short 1/2" tubing run, so get some of that. Alternatively, you can stretch tubing over the fixed fittings, but that's difficult and really more trouble than it's worth in most cases.

 

[zharbison]

SCRATCH THIS, I AM JUST GOING TO GO UP TO 1/2" TUBING TO AVOID THIS HUGE HASSLE. LOL

however, thank you VERY much m0r7if3r, although i am choosing to abandon the conversion option since most likely my case will be pretty spacious, i do very much appreciate the time and effort it took to write that up, i now have a much better understanding of what you were talking about.


UPDATE on the top page, should be close to complete, just need to find a solution to the issue Conundrum pointed out to me earlier with my Res. Decided on fans, new tubing and compression fittings.

 

[m0r7if3r]

Everyone was where you are at some point in their WC career

 

[Conumdrum]

You might want more radiator than that. I wouldn't be happy with just one 120x3 for that setup. I'm not saying it won't work, but your temps will be higher and your fans louder than they need to be. Conversly, you can always add more raddage later. So give it a try.

Especially if you want it really quiet, have high room temps, plan to overclock etc.

Please use the DT link in the stickies to ensure you have enough raddage.

Ohh, did I forget this link? Think I did, lots of fun reading......

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6489396&postcount=3

 

[zharbison]

Thanks Conimdrum,

so, what have I learned so far? Well for one, i know that a bay res is a bad for my set up, so instead I'm going with a Phobya Balancer 250ml, it will fit nicely in my full size 800d, and second, i found out what DT is, and with my current fan choice (3x 120mm Yate Loon med speeds) i would be averaging around 4.5 degrees DT, which according to the article i read was pretty darn good, this is, of course just theoretical, but i figure even if i am low on the calculations, i still have plenty of wiggle room before i reach the 10 degree mark.

I also found out that my GPU will consume on average around 140w of power, reaching close to 300 if i crossfire them.