My 1st loop : planning things altogether

[White Wind]

Hi guys
I open this thread to sum up the informations I've gathered till now and to ask you to help me plan things right altogether so I can figure out the remaining parts to collect.
I'm a first-time pc-builder and same goes for watercooling of course and I'm focused on performance and balance.
So here we go..

My future rig : 4670k - M6Gene - 2x8GB RipJawsX 2400 CL11 - Gtx 770 ( and later 2x 880's ) - Super Flower Leadex Gold 1300W - NZXT Phantom 410

Usage : primarily for hardcore gaming, running VM's, and a bit of video editing and of benchmarking.
I'll be overclocking and watercooling the 4670k and the SLI of 880's, with a big external radiator. I plan to watercool the cpu directly on its die, with thermal paste ( non-metal ) between the block and the die.


Here are the selected parts so far :

- CPU block : EK Supremacy copper/acetal + Naked-Ivy Precise Mount ( for direct-to-die cooling.. it fits Haswell too )

- Radiator : Phobya Xtreme Supernova 1260
Copper fins and pipes, brass chambers, good flow, 460x420x46mm. With that much radspace I can aim for low rpm and have low-rpm fans, and the 1260 is more suited for low rpm than the Mo-Ra3, and doesn't need lots of static pressure.
I've also bought that stand/cage for it.

- Rad fans : The 1260 can be mounted with either 9x 140mm-fans or 4x 200/220mm-fans. Firstly I'll go with the Yate Loon D22BL-12H 220mm ( as I've seen them do well on the 1260, at low rpm ) so 8 of them in a push/pull config... and then when I can I will see how 9 good, more recent 140mm-fans compare to them on that rad.
9x 140 and 8x 220 of fans cost about the same price here, and I really want to know what will perform best between those two configurations... will test that but that's for later.


Now the rest..

- Thermal paste : still have to dig around the web to see which thermal paste would be the best for naked-die cooling. I'm not going liquid metal as it won't improve temps by much when used between the die and the block and can cause hassle. Also there is some Gelid Extreme included with the EK block.. but well, will see.

- Pumps : I will be using two ( more reliable, a bit more performant, and it's possible that I'll go parallel with the gpu blocks ). They'll be PWM, low wattage ( 10-22W ) pumps. Of course I want good "performers" and quiet, as most as possible. I'd like them to be placed inside my case since it will be dampened.. will see later how I will place them inside the Phantom 410 ( there should be enough room for them ) and how to proceed with decoupling.

I've been advised to use D5 pumps, but actually the only thing I know about pumps is that D5 have higher flow rates and less head pressure than DDC.. my cpu block and the Phobya rad will allow for good flow ( don't know yet about gpu blocks, nor if they'll be in series or parallel ) ..well all in all I don't know what would be better for my config between two D5 and two DDC.
And a pump top ? I don't even know what's that used for.

- Reservoir : So no res/pump combos. Still don't know if I will mount the res internally, on the pump(s), or externally, on the rad stand. I don't know if there are pros and cons to both.. and if internal : bay-res? dual-bay res?
And what capacity ?

- Tubing : The connection threads on the rad and on the block being G1/4" I thought maybe that going for that tube size would be better ? I know that the pros and cons of each size are related to pressure and flow, and looks, but I can't tell much more than that. The good choice here would be the one that would fit the more with the rest of the config, performance-wise.

And : Polyurethan ? Polyethylen ? Silicon ?.. I've heard vinyl is bad. Maybe a material that is a good heat conductor ?
And I'd like them to be translucid and red, and maybe flexible too if that can help the flow.

- The liquid : So what I hope here is that the blocks/rad/pumps/res/tubing won't get corroded by the liquid or react with it, and that "dirt" won't appear in the loop ( I won't add any colorant ).... so better make it myself ? buy it ? What quantity ? I've heard of pure water/ osmosed water/ distilled water/ demineralised water/ ionized water/ cooling liquid for cars + algicide/anti-moisture and anti-corrosive... but here I have no clue what I should go for.
And I guess the liquid should be a very good heat conductor.

- The rest : compression fittings or clamps ?
Draining port / T-fitting / Silver coil...
any brand would do ?


That's a lot, I know ^_^ but your help would be greatly appreciated on that one. When it is about balancing things altogether, there's actually too much to consider for the noob that I am.
If you have advices, pointers, on anything, or recommendations on brands/models, or just thoughts, they're very welcome

Thanks for your attention !

 

[MattMan657]

That Naked mount looks pretty hardcore. Might be overkill.

 

[Supertrucker]

Pump tops can be for performance, for looks, or for added features. The older ddc style pumps gained performance though the top on the mcp-35x is already great. There were d5 housing kits for bling and housing kits that added g1/4 ports for barbs.

For pumps themselves, the d5 tends to be a bit quieter and max power, but is also a bit lower performing than the 35x. There is a pwm version available now so that isn't an advantage to the 35x anymore. The biggest difference between them for practical purposes is that the d5 dumps it's heat(a small amount not to be worried about) into the water and needs no real airflow whereas the 35x pumps it's heat out the bottom making a heatsink and airflow a good idea and a gel pad right to the bottom for quiet a bad idea.

I have a tube res mounted right to my 35x I like it because there is no way for a kink or air pocket to stave the pump of water unless the res is completely empty. But the swiftech bay res with the built in water temp sensor sure looks nice to me.

Primochill advanced is the most commonly recommended tube, it's what I use. Doesn't cloud up, flexes well, and comes in an assortment of colors and sizes.

For liquid you want pure distilled water with either an additive or silver, or both. I use silver only, same strip for 3 years or so with no issues.

As for compressions or barbs. I find compressions harder to work with, but they seal better and look better than barbs to me. I've had slightly bent worm drive metal clamps cause slow leaks, and the little plastic c clips go on great but are a pita to take off so I don't use them.

1300 watts is overkill for a two gpu system unless you plan on liquid nitrogen. But I guess it's better to have too much than not enough.