First custom loop: please have a look and tell me what you think.

[Nebulous]

yayyyy!!!

 

[Paracelsus]

Ok lets have another go at this:



CPU Block: XSPC Raystorm >> Great block
Radiator: HW Labs Black Ice SR2 Xtreme+ 420 MP >> @ 9 FPI 45 Micron Copper Fins, low RPM fans will do nicely with low to virtually silent cooling
Fans: Thermalright TY-149 >>> @ Airflow : 31.4 – 130.0 CFM & Sound Level : 21 – 45 dB(A) you have a good level of both airflow & noise. Ugly fan IMHO tho, but my tastes don't matter.
Reservoir: Watercool Heatkiller Tube 200 >> Awesome new design for a res. Nice touch
Pump: D5 Vario >. Same pump I currently own. Great pump.
Tubing: EK ZMT or Tygon Norprene >> Go with Primochill Advanced LRT; Comes in different colors and sizes and the bending radius is tighter with minimal kinking.
Coolant: Mayhems XT-1 Nuke >> Again I don't recommend colored fluids/dyes. My recommendation is distilled water and PT-Nuke/Biocide
Fittings: Compression? Barbs? >> Compression fittings add a cleaner look over barbs. They also come in different colors and will add a more pleasing and finished look to the loop.


You'll want to stick with 1/2" all around. Some ppl go with 7/16" for a tighter seal, but because you're going with compression fittings, I'd still stick with 1/2"


There you have it

Thank you most kindly, that's exactly the kind of thing I wanted. An adult and on-point answer with specifics.

The Thermalright fans are there because I already have them (they came off a Silver Arrow and a rear exhaust) and although ideally I'd like some Noctuas I will at least try them out. Looks are of zero importance, since no-one will ever see them. Including me, once the machine is built and working.

The tubing was chosen because the longevity is much better than anything else on the market and I'm aiming for a loop which is as maintenance-free as possible, over the longest period of time possible. The same goes for the coolant, as Mayhems state that XT-1 Nuke can be left in situ up to 5 years. There's no dye in it and colours play no part in the plan, especially since the tubing is industrial black.

Other than aesthetics, are there other reasons for choosing compression over barbs? Again, looks are of no interest to me, while I have read here and there that barbs have the edge when using ZMT or Norprene. Presumably due to these types of tubing being comparably soft and barbs + clamps providing a more secure fastening. Bend radius is also really a non-issue for me, as there are oodles of space and no need to create sharp corners.

Thanks again, the comments are much appreciated.

Edit: I'm happy to see that pretty much everything got a seal of approval. I see now that XT-1 Nuke also come in colours. Never even noticed that when I was planning this thing.

 

[Nebulous]

Well if you decide on the barbs route, then use spring style clamps, not worm style. Worm style clamps cut into the tubing being soft. Spring back style uses pressure and is quite reliable. I've been using them in all my builds. The compression fittings are pretty nice and just add that cleaner look without the show of the clamps. They also will seal nicely. I have no knowledge of the ZMT or Norprene type of tubing. I used to use Kleerflex back in the day and swapped over to Primochill Advanced LRT tubing. I've had great success with it.

I was one of those ppl that had colored fluid go bad in my system. It gellied up and clogged up my blocks, rads and killed my pump. Never used it again and now I only use distilled water and a biocide. For color I used colored tubing and it looks great. I do regular maintenance once a year.

Well looks like you have decided what will and will not work in your build.

 

[Paracelsus]

I've come across a fair few horror stories caused by using dyes, so that was an instant no-no. To be fair it would have been anyway, even if I'd gone with translucent tubing. Since it'll (hopefully) be years between anyone seeing the inside of my case, it would be utterly pointless.

Thanks for the tip regarding types of clamps, I'll keep that firmly in mind. The thought is to use Koolance hose clamps, which I assume are of the spring-back type given how they work, although I wasn't familiar with the term.

What will or will not work has yet to be determined of course, but I do at least know what I'm aiming for.

 

[Nebulous]

Ahh, gotcha. These are the type of clamps i was referring to. Different watercooling brands carry them in either chrome or black. They won't damage the tubing and have a really good holding force. I've never had a leak using them.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

I don't know of any pre-mixed coolants that will last longer than 1-2 years. I picked Aquacomputer's DP Ultra clear coolant from Germany and has worked well for me. It's recommended to drain and refill with a new batch annually.

Another coolant that can last for 2 years since it contains stronger toxins but can't recall which company that was from. Most are only 1 year and you'll have to drain and refill annually. Of course that all can change if there's some type of loop degradation.

I would also recommend on the PrimoChill Advanced LRT for tubing.

 

[Paracelsus]

Ahh, gotcha. These are the type of clamps i was referring to. Different watercooling brands carry them in either chrome or black. They won't damage the tubing and have a really good holding force. I've never had a leak using them.

Yup, that's the kind I was planning on using. Thanks for the confirmation.

I don't know of any pre-mixed coolants that will last longer than 1-2 years. I picked Aquacomputer's DP Ultra clear coolant from Germany and has worked well for me. It's recommended to drain and refill with a new batch annually.

Another coolant that can last for 2 years since it contains stronger toxins but can't recall which company that was from. Most are only 1 year and you'll have to drain and refill annually. Of course that all can change if there's some type of loop degradation.

I would also recommend on the PrimoChill Advanced LRT for tubing.

If you have look here, in the description, it states "5 Year System Life". How accurate that is I've no idea, but I gather Mayhems has a good rep for quality and for testing their stuff thoroughly. While the coolant is incompatible with most soft tubing, it is compatible with ZMT and therefore should be fine with Norprene too, which is even less reactive/more resistant. I won't be leaving it for 5 years of course, I'm not that brave, but neither do I want to feel I have to drain & clean every year when I don't really have to.

Any kind of clear & soft tubing isn't really an option, simply because ZMT and Norprene are vastly more durable materials, while hard tubing is a no-go because of the work involved. More work = bad.

 

[Nebulous]

When I first started watercooling, I used ClearFlex 60 tubing. The plasticizers in it started to leech out of the tubing causing a clouding effect in the tubing wall. No matter how many times I scrubbed, the tubing still got cloudy in a short amount of time (4-6mos). Using MasterKleer also caused this same effect.

The Primochill Advanced LRT tubing has stayed clean since day 1. It's the only tubing I recommend. I have no clue of the ZMT nor Norprene brands so I cannot vouch for it as I've never heard of them or used it. But if you're confident on using it, then by all means go for it.

 

[RollingThunder]

Now that the insults and topic is back on track, let's keep it that way.

Originally Posted by Paracelsus: Given that acknowledgment I'm perfectly happy to stay on and see if someone will chime in with something valuable and on-topic. If the Great Sage keeps butting in I hope I can send you a PM and request removal directly?

Whose removal, his or yours?

 

[Paracelsus]

When I first started watercooling, I used ClearFlex 60 tubing. The plasticizers in it started to leech out of the tubing causing a clouding effect in the tubing wall. No matter how many times I scrubbed, the tubing still got cloudy in a short amount of time (4-6mos). Using MasterKleer also caused this same effect.

The Primochill Advanced LRT tubing has stayed clean since day 1. It's the only tubing I recommend. I have no clue of the ZMT nor Norprene brands so I cannot vouch for it as I've never heard of them or used it. But if you're confident on using it, then by all means go for it.

Pretty confident. Norprene is basically a food grade EPMD rubber, which is highly heat, cold and ozone resistant, doesn't leak plastiziser or anything else, has excellent shape retention and is non-reactive to pretty much everything other than petroleum derivatives, some solvents and concentrated acids. It's extremely durable and for uses such as water cooling it is pretty much the best tubing in existence. Should you feel the need it can even be autoclaved repeatedly.

EK's ZMT is pretty much the same thing. Less highly specced, but superior to any regular tubing in every respect. Other than looking good inside a blinged-out case that is. I hate bling though, so for me it's a win all around.

Now that the insults and topic is back on track, let's keep it that way.



Whose removal, his or yours?

I meant mine; I'm not quite that overconfident. And yes, I feel much better now...

 

[Nebulous]

Well alrighty then, looks like you've got pretty much all your ducks in a row. Good luck with the build, I'm sure it'll be a beast!

 

[Paracelsus]

Thank you very much. I'm vaguely hopeful, but the apprehension is less vague. I mean....water inside a PC case? Still, there's a first time for everything and it's worked for others before me.....

 

[Nebulous]

Thank you very much. I'm vaguely hopeful, but the apprehension is less vague. I mean....water inside a PC case? Still, there's a first time for everything and it's worked for others before me.....

I'm sure you'll be fine. Take your time, check and recheck your fittings before you start filling and bleeding the system. Wrap paper towels around fittings to hold back leakage and reduce the possibility of fluid damage. Be sure to leak test the system for a minimum of 24 hrs. Once you inspect everything after this point and there's no leaks, then you're good to go. Also it'll take a bit of time to bleed all the trapped air in the rad/block(s). We'll help you with that when the time arises

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Thank you very much. I'm vaguely hopeful, but the apprehension is less vague. I mean....water inside a PC case? Still, there's a first time for everything and it's worked for others before me.....

Here's a video that I like to share with many new comers to custom water cooling to ease the transition.




Good luck!

 

[Paracelsus]

I'm sure you'll be fine. Take your time, check and recheck your fittings before you start filling and bleeding the system. Wrap paper towels around fittings to hold back leakage and reduce the possibility of fluid damage. Be sure to leak test the system for a minimum of 24 hrs. Once you inspect everything after this point and there's no leaks, then you're good to go. Also it'll take a bit of time to bleed all the trapped air in the rad/block(s). We'll help you with that when the time arises

Actually I thought I'd run the whole thing outside of the case for 24h, with Mayhems Blitz Basic cleaning solution, followed by a couple of flushes. I gather that HW Labs radiators are generally very clean compared to many other brands, but I may as well if I'm doing an extended test run anyway.

There's exactly no chance it's going into the case if there's the slightest uncertainty as to whether everything is A-OK. I've got well over 75TB of stuff in there which I'd rather not lose or have to re-rip, quite apart from the shiny new hardware which will be there.

Anyway, hopefully you're right and everything will be fine.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's a video that I like to share with many new comers to custom water cooling to ease the transition.

Brilliant, I'll stick it up on the TV right away.

Good luck!

Thanks a lot, much appreciated.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Sure thing.

If you're still contemplating about maintenance and want something maintenance-free to last quite a few years, I would look no further than looking at the sealed AIOs maintenance-free loops. Many out there and some have lasted for quite a while. I believe my old Corsair H50 is still pumping away (5+ yrs) in my brother's PC. If you're set with custom, rock on and hope to see your finished project.

 

[Paracelsus]

I did consider an AIO, but decided that if I'm going to do it at all, I'd prefer to do it "right". It also seems that you need a really, really beefy AIO to best the new line of air coolers from Noctua and then you're getting close to the price of custom anyway.

 

[||Console||]

I did consider an AIO, but decided that if I'm going to do it at all, I'd prefer to do it "right". It also seems that you need a really, really beefy AIO to best the new line of air coolers from Noctua and then you're getting close to the price of custom anyway.

And you can always add more rad's =) , I kinda want 2 more 1x140's