Watercooling noob, in need of Help!

[tony_italia]

OK, this is my first post so please bare with me and be gentle! I really need help trying to figure this out.
I used to dabble with overclocking back in the day (AMD FX2 i think), and recently got back into gaming and overclocking. Up until now I've been only using air to cool, but now I have an AIO (H115i) with a i7-6900k @ 4.2ghz and its a little too warm for my peace of mind. Plus, it sounds like a turbine engine (Noctua 3000rpm fans) and heats up my computer room like a fireplace! So I have ordered everything to build a new custom loop rig, specs as follows;

Caselabs SMA8
i7-6950X
Rampage V Edition 10
64gb Trident 3200 (same ram)
2x EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW 3
Corsair AX1200i

For cooling I ordered;
1x EK 480mm PE Radiator w/8 EK-Vardar EVO 120ER 2200rpm fans {0.18a/2.16w} (push/pull)
1x EK 560mm CE Radiator w/8 EK-Vardar EVO 140ER 2000rpm fans {0.35a/3.86w} (push/pull)
EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM Serial Pumps (2 pumps in 1 package)
2x EK-RES X3 250 Reservoirs
4x EK-Cable Splitter 4-Fan PWM - Molex Power
(All other parts like blocks, tubing, fittings back plates)

4x Swiftech 8-Way PWM Cable Splitter - SATA Power

I decided to go push/pull so I can keep the fans at a much lower RPM to reduce noise, plus I understand that the i7-6950x gets pretty warm when you start to push it. Also both GTX 1080 Tis will be part of the loop.

Now, LOL, This will be a single loop, with 2 rads, 2 res and 2 pumps, but with 16 fans! I am pretty sure I'm just over thinking this and the solution is simple, its just I cant for the life of me see it! I can't figure out how I'm going to power all 16 fans with the same PWM signal, so they will be running together.
I was reading on another thread that the "Start-up Draw" can be almost double what the "Full Speed Draw" is.Is that something I really have to worry about? Should I get a controller like an Aquaero 6 Pro/XT?
I think I might have gone "Too Big" for my first Custom Watercooling Loop thinking.gif, but hey, I'm in it to win it now! Everything is here waiting for the case to arrive, so I need ya'lls help to plan it out before the case arrives.
So the main questions are:
Will the 4-way PWM Molex Powered Splitters have enough power with 1x Molex per 4x fans?(4x120's=0.72a/8.64w) (4x 140s=1.4a/15.44w)
Where will I get the PWM signal for 4 splitters with 16 total fans? (8x 120's=1.44a/17.28w)(8x 140's=2.80a/30.88w)
Should I use the 8-way Swiftech splitters instead? Or maybe use them both together?
I know there is a "HIGH_AMP" header on my motherboard, but no one, including ASUS Support techs, can tell me exactly what that particular header puts out for power. Maybe it could power all the fans? Probably not! Wishful thinking.

 

[trents]

I would not try to power the fans from the motherboard, high amp header or not!

I don't think you will have a problem if you are powering your fans directly from a PSU sata connector. I would be more concerned with what the splitter can handle and I would research that. That PSU is pretty potent and should give plenty of juice to all the rails, especially since you are using only one GPU. The problem I see is that your fans are not all drawing the same power. Whatever PWM setting you use for the higher power ones may not give the desired effect for the lower powered ones. You might want to go with two PWM splitters, one each for controlling the two banks of differing power fans.

 

[trents]

Ouch! 6 bills for a computer case!

 

[tony_italia]

I would not try to power the fans from the motherboard, high amp header or not!

I don't think you will have a problem if you are powering your fans directly from a PSU sata connector. I would be more concerned with what the splitter can handle and I would research that. That PSU is pretty potent and should give plenty of juice to all the rails, especially since you are using only one GPU. The problem I see is that your fans are not all drawing the same power. Whatever PWM setting you use for the higher power ones may not give the desired effect for the lower powered ones. You might want to go with two PWM splitters, one each for controlling the two banks of differing power fans.

Thanks for the reply!

I actually do have 2 EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW 3 cards that will be in the loop. That still should not present a problem though, right? An AX1200I should be able to handle everything I want to throw at it, I hope at least!
So I should connect each bank of 8 fans to a 8-way swiftech splitter, then use a "Y" connector to connect both 8-way swiftech splitters to the CPU_FAN header, right? Since each 8-way splitter is being powered by the SATA plug on it, they should not be drawing power from the motherboard, but by the SATA plug?
Also, with the Dual D5 Pump set-up, where should I get the PWM signal from for them? There is only one W_PUMP header on my motherboard? Could I use a "Y" connector for those 2 also?

 

[trents]

Thanks for the reply!

I actually do have 2 EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW 3 cards that will be in the loop. That still should not present a problem though, right? An AX1200I should be able to handle everything I want to throw at it, I hope at least!

Sorry, I missed that detail about the two video cards. That shouldn't be a problem with that PSU.

So I should connect each bank of 8 fans to a 8-way swiftech splitter, then use a "Y" connector to connect both 8-way swiftech splitters to the CPU_FAN header, right? Since each 8-way splitter is being powered by the SATA plug on it, they should not be drawing power from the motherboard, but by the SATA plug? I think that should work.

Also, with the Dual D5 Pump set-up, where should I get the PWM signal from for them? There is only one W_PUMP header on my motherboard? Could I use a "Y" connector for those 2 also? You could use a "Y" spitter, yes. But you could also use any motherboard PWM header for a pump. I don't think there is anything magical about having a header labeled "W-PUMP".

 

[tony_italia]

I really appreciate the insight trents! The fog is starting to clear, I was pretty sure I was overthinking it and just confusing myself!

 

[GTXJackBauer]

As long as your getting power from the PSU, you shouldn't have to worry too much about blowing anything. The only thing that could happen is the loss of PWM signal.

I have a similar setup and had wasted funds on different avenues till I ran into the Aquaero 6 XT and haven't looked back. Best investment I've made to date with all the bells and whistles (Fan (x9) and Pump (x2) control, Flow meter, Air/Water temp probes, deltas, RGB control). The only issue is, its a big learning curve and not all gear is compatible with the AQ unfortunately.

You could go the cheaper route and snag a Aquaero 6 LT for almost less than half the price of the Pro/XT and work with that. That shouldn't be an issue controlling your PWM gear. Only thing that won't work is if those EK PWM pumps aren't their newer G2 versions which were made to be within intel's PWM spec which some pumps and fans weren't and have had issues with.

 

[tony_italia]

As long as your getting power from the PSU, you shouldn't have to worry too much about blowing anything. The only thing that could happen is the loss of PWM signal.

I have a similar setup and had wasted funds on different avenues till I ran into the Aquaero 6 XT and haven't looked back. Best investment I've made to date with all the bells and whistles (Fan (x9) and Pump (x2) control, Flow meter, Air/Water temp probes, deltas, RGB control). The only issue is, its a big learning curve and not all gear is compatible with the AQ unfortunately.

You could go the cheaper route and snag a Aquaero 6 LT for almost less than half the price of the Pro/XT and work with that. That shouldn't be an issue controlling your PWM gear. Only thing that won't work is if those EK PWM pumps aren't their newer G2 versions which were made to be within intel's PWM spec which some pumps and fans weren't and have had issues with.

The Aquaero is looking better and better as each day passes! I'm def considering dropping some more money on it, just not 100% yet. Is there a way to tell by the labeling on the D5 pumps whether or not I have the newer G2 version? They are still packed away waiting for my case to arrive, I can check them tomorrow if something on them will tell me the version?

 

[tony_italia]

I would not try to power the fans from the motherboard, high amp header or not!

I don't think you will have a problem if you are powering your fans directly from a PSU sata connector. I would be more concerned with what the splitter can handle and I would research that. That PSU is pretty potent and should give plenty of juice to all the rails, especially since you are using only one GPU. The problem I see is that your fans are not all drawing the same power. Whatever PWM setting you use for the higher power ones may not give the desired effect for the lower powered ones. You might want to go with two PWM splitters, one each for controlling the two banks of differing power fans.

After re-reading this post about 20 times, I just now realized what you are saying about the 2 different powered fans! Was not even remotely considering the fact that I was buying 8x 120s and 8x 140s with different power requirements. DOH! This is almost certainly going to push me towards the Aquaero for controlling them. Was trying to not spend any more, but I guess there is a price tag on overlooking something like that. Again, Thanks for the insight, even if I'm a lil bit slow!

 

[GTXJackBauer]

The Aquaero is looking better and better as each day passes! I'm def considering dropping some more money on it, just not 100% yet. Is there a way to tell by the labeling on the D5 pumps whether or not I have the newer G2 version? They are still packed away waiting for my case to arrive, I can check them tomorrow if something on them will tell me the version?

What you have is this. Unfortunately, if you look at the first few sentences in the details section, there is a link that takes you to their original D5s. It is NOT a G2 D5. I would see on returning them and going with those G2 pumps or just refunding them and grabbing 2 Aqua D5 PWM or USB/Aquabus pumps. That all depends because each Aquaero controller can only handle up to 4 MPS devices and the D5 USB/Aquabus is considered one so if you were to add two pumps, that counts as 2 MPS used up leaving you with room for only 2 more MPS devices. That plays a roll if you add a flow meter or RGB lighting controllers, etc.

If it was up to me, I'd go everything Aquacomputer pumps, flows, air/water probes and case lighting or you can decide to keep it more simple and less costly and just work with what you have.

Gasp, if I confused you I apologized but you kinda gotta think this through before you do anything yet and to the custom liquid cooling world. It can be frustrating and addicting.

 

[tony_italia]

What you have is this. Unfortunately, if you look at the first few sentences in the details section, there is a link that takes you to their original D5s. It is NOT a G2 D5. I would see on returning them and going with those G2 pumps or just refunding them and grabbing 2 Aqua D5 PWM or USB/Aquabus pumps. That all depends because each Aquaero controller can only handle up to 4 MPS devices and the D5 USB/Aquabus is considered one so if you were to add two pumps, that counts as 2 MPS used up leaving you with room for only 2 more MPS devices. That plays a roll if you add a flow meter or RGB lighting controllers, etc.

If it was up to me, I'd go everything Aquacomputer pumps, flows, air/water probes and case lighting or you can decide to keep it more simple and less costly and just work with what you have.

Gasp, if I confused you I apologized but you kinda gotta think this through before you do anything yet and to the custom liquid cooling world. It can be frustrating and addicting.

I actually sent an email to EK asking about the pump version, they assured me that the pumps I was sent were the newer G2 versions, plus if you look about 3/4 of the way down the page for the Dual Pumps they have this posted:

Enclosed:
- EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM Serial (incl. 2x EK-D5 PWM G2 pump)
- Two mounting clips with rubber insert
- Two self-adhesive mounting hole pattern sticker
- Mounting mechanism and two mounting plates (incl. required Allen keys)
- Installation manual

I also sent an email to AquaComputer and asked a few questions to pick their brains!

I definitely am starting to understand why I should have taken it a little bit slower, and worked my way up to the system I am trying to build. That dam Aquaero seems to be calling my name! I'm just not sure if I want to spend anymore money yet, and the fact that it would be on the front panel. I think it would look sexy as hell somewhere inside the case, but i'm not up for that kind of Modding yet, need to get my feet wet first!

 

[GTXJackBauer]

They need to change their first paragraph as it links to those older pumps. Good to know you have the G2 pumps. Now you could control and monitor them through the AQ 6. Just make sure if you do go down that route, the AQ 6 LT is w/out a screen while the AQ 6 Pro or XT comes with one for a front single bay. The LT was made to be hidden within the PC and at a much cheaper option.

 

[tony_italia]

They need to change their first paragraph as it links to those older pumps. Good to know you have the G2 pumps. Now you could control and monitor them through the AQ 6. Just make sure if you do go down that route, the AQ 6 LT is w/out a screen while the AQ 6 Pro or XT comes with one for a front single bay. The LT was made to be hidden within the PC and at a much cheaper option.

Sorry for the delay. We were dealing with Hurricane Irma beating us like redheaded stepchildren. I'm still on the fence about the Aquaero, but like I said before, it's becoming a better sounding option everyday. How do you adjust everything with the 6 LT if it does not have a screen? Does it have a software suite?

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Sorry for the delay. We were dealing with Hurricane Irma beating us like redheaded stepchildren. I'm still on the fence about the Aquaero, but like I said before, it's becoming a better sounding option everyday. How do you adjust everything with the 6 LT if it does not have a screen? Does it have a software suite?

Yup. I only barely used the actually controller, only when setting up the PWM and non PWM settings as well as the power levels for said devices. You could connect the USB cable to the AQ 6 while the main PC is off and set your settings up before hand so your pumps aren't running at full load. I had to personally set mine or my pumps were doomed in sucking air back into the loop. Bad reservoir design on my end.

The rest is software based via Windows and you can save all the settings to the profile and there's a button to store said settings to the AQ 6's onboard memory as well.

 

[tony_italia]

Ok I need a bump on this.....

SOOOOOO, I have been dealing with the loss of a close family member over the past year or so, so this build was shoved to the side for quite a while. But, now I am able to try and pick up where I left off. I now remember just how confused I was in trying to figure out exactly how to hook up 20 fans and 2 pumps to the Aquaero 6XT with one of 3 different splitters that I bought way back when. I will list all the parts I bought below, so hopefully someone can grab me by the hand and walk me through this. I have been sitting on all of these parts for a year now, and want to build this thing before all of the parts are obsolete!

So this is where I am at now with this build:

Delided i9 7940x w/ Liquid Metal
ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme
2 EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW 3's
64gb Corsair Dominator Platinum 3466 (4 x 16gb)
Samsung 960 Pro M.2 1tb (OS)
2 x Samsung 960 EVO 1tb (storage)
2 x Samsung 850 Pro SSD 1tb (storage)
Corsair AX1200i PSU
CaseLabs SMA8

Aquaero 6XT
2 x 250mm EK Reservoirs
2 x D5 pumps (Dual Loop)
560mm EK CE Radiator w/ 8 EK Vardar EVO 140ER 2000 rpm fans in push/pull
460mm EK PE Radiator w/ 8 EK Vardar EVO 120ER 2200 rpm fans in push/pull
240mm EK SE Radiator w/ 4 EK Vardar EVO 120ER 2200 rpm fans in push/pull
2 x temperature probes screwed into the bases of the resevoirs
1 x temperature probe screwed into the EK GPU water distribution block

For Splitters I have several of each of the following:

GELID PWM 1 to 4 Splitter, Molex powered
Mod My Toys Low Profile 4 pin PWM 8-way Block, SATA powered
Swift Tech 8-way PWM Splitter, SATA powered

I think that is it, Dam, now that I just typed that out, I'm realizing just how much money I spent on everything, just to have it get set aside for so long....


Anyways, I want to have it setup to regulate the fans based on temperature, so I can have a "close to silent as I can" get system.

SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!! LMAOOO!!

 

[tony_italia]

Almost forgot, the 240mm and the 560mm radiators are for the GPU loop, and the 480mm radiator is for the CPU loop. The CPU block is an EK Monoblock, covering the VRM also.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Sorry for your loss! SS

I don't see any water blocks listed for the graphics cards, am I overlooking them?

You did say those would be in the loop, right?

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I think that is it, Dam, now that I just typed that out, I'm realizing just how much money I spent on everything, just to have it get set aside for so long....

It's best not to go there, just look at it as an investment that can be transferred to your future hardware upgrades, it is not a one time expense except for the graphic card water blocks that won't be transferable to new hardware.

 

[tony_italia]

Sorry for your loss! SS

I don't see any water blocks listed for the graphics cards, am I overlooking them?

You did say those would be in the loop, right?

- - - Auto-Merged Double Post - - -



It's best not to go there, just look at it as an investment that can be transferred to your future hardware upgrades, it is not a one time expense except for the graphic card water blocks that won't be transferable to new hardware.

Dang, didn't catch that omission! Yes, the 1080 Tis will be in the loop with the 560mm and 240mm rads, I have Clear/Nickle EK blocks for them.

 

[maxfly]

i cant help with the aquaro but it looks like your ready to get your loop set up. a few bits that may help in the process. grab a pair of mechanix type gloves to help in tightening your fittings down. otherwise its really hard to get them tightened properly and it will save your fingers from being worn to the bone.
before you start actually tightening things down draw a basic picture of how you want things to fit into your case including your tubing runs.
then draw another of how you want your fans to mount(and blow) and how you want the cables to route.
go thru the directions for your blocks a couple of times before you get started with mounting them. the little things are what will get you.
also make doubly sure your gpu and mono block are tightened down properly with no gaps(use a flashlight to look through).
dry fit your rads just to be certain everything is going to fit the way you want.
finally take your time, dont dry run your pumps and enjoy the process!

 

[tony_italia]

i cant help with the aquaro but it looks like your ready to get your loop set up. a few bits that may help in the process. grab a pair of mechanix type gloves to help in tightening your fittings down. otherwise its really hard to get them tightened properly and it will save your fingers from being worn to the bone.
before you start actually tightening things down draw a basic picture of how you want things to fit into your case including your tubing runs.
then draw another of how you want your fans to mount(and blow) and how you want the cables to route.
go thru the directions for your blocks a couple of times before you get started with mounting them. the little things are what will get you.
also make doubly sure your gpu and mono block are tightened down properly with no gaps(use a flashlight to look through).
dry fit your rads just to be certain everything is going to fit the way you want.
finally take your time, dont dry run your pumps and enjoy the process!

Thanks for the tips and encouragement! You see, it's the small things like the glove tip, that have the biggest impact with learning! I would've never thought about something like that until it was to late!

Still hoping for some configuration advise regarding the 20 fans and 2 pumps though. Is there anyone else that could shed some light on that?