First timer - Water Cooling

Fritzz

[H]ard|Gawd
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Feb 11, 2008
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Looking for feedback on my first custom loop. Goal here is to cool CPU and GPU(eventually once I upgrade my 980ti). I chose cross flow radiators to limit the amount of tubing I would have to run. I want a clean layout without a ton of clutter. Case is being modified to move the PSU to the other chamber, which will leave an open main chamber to allow me to mount the res/pump in the bottom of the case.

Initial parts list is:
Various fittings to make it work
1 - Hardware Labs 420GTS XFLOW
1 - Hardware Labs 240GTS® XFLOW
1 - EK Velocity CPU Block
1 - GPU TBD whenever I get a new GPU
1 - Res/Pump Combo -leaning towards the Watercool HEATKILLER® Tube Length TBD.
1 - Case Lian Li D600
Tubing - debating hard tube or EK ZMT

Here's my epic Paint 3D attempt. Grey is the radiators and blue is the tubing and reservoir. Happy to hear what folks have to say. Like I said first custom loop and looking for feedback.
 

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You should have your res upright, otherwise it will be a pain in the arse to fill it. Also, a pump+res combo pretty much rules out a horizontal mount, otherwise there is a very real risk of running the pump dry (= dead pump).
 
Where do you plan on placing you drain valve? I personally use a T-fitting to QD combo at the bottom of my loop. Similar to the picture below, but I use a QD instead of the drain valve.

I'm assuming you'll be using a res/pump combo. If so, then youll want to hit at least one of the rads before you get to your blocks. Ideally Res-->Pump-->Rad-->Block-->Rad-->Block-->Res-->Pump. I suppose it wouldn't hurt going Res-->Pump-->Rad-->Rad-->Block--Block, but i think the former would be the best route.
 

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There are plenty of videos on YouTube that explain loop order and how it doesn't make any meaningful difference to temps.

Just make sure that your pump is nearest the bottom of your loop and that your res feeds directly in to it for easy filing (generally not an issue with a res pump combo).

Also try to avoid complicated bends to get the best flow rate you can.
 
Thanks for the info all. This is very early in the planning stages. I still have a lot of custom work to do on the case.

I too would agree that loop order doesn't matter. There may be some initial differences on temperature increase, but the saturation temperature of a loop is going to be the same regardless of loop order. It simply comes down to reaching the point where you can only absorb so much heat and dissipate so much heat. The 420 and 240 are more than adequate for cooling anything I am going to throw at it.

Fill and drain ports will be integrated into the loop somewhere. Obviously the drain as low as I can get it and fill as high as I can get it.

As for the horizontal reservoir I think that since it's very low in the loop the likelihood of running the pump dry is pretty low. I think that any air in the loop will work it's way to the top an be well away from the pump. If anyone has experience otherwise, please chime in.

With the space limitations of the case, the horizontal res will IMO be the most aesthetically pleasing.
 
Well, the purpose of the reservoir is to trap air in your loop, and it provides some volume for makup from losses (although that's a really, really small amount for that or you have big issues). You want ~some~ air in there, as it acts as a cushion against pressure changes (which will occur just due to temperature changes). Even if it's located at the bottom of the case, there should still be an air bubble in there, as the inlet/outlet lines should tap into the lowest portion of the res, leaving the air trapped in the upper portion of the res.

You don't want air anywhere else in your loop, be it top of the case or otherwise. The res is the only place you want air. In rads and blocks it just takes away from surface area for heat exchange. And it will make noise.

The pump inlet always has to have water on it. If it gets air in there, first off they can't pump air, your flow will stop. Second, it can damage the pump.

You can do a horizontal mount on a reservoir, just be aware of where your fluid level is with respect to pump inlet. And make sure the inlet/outlet on the res are located below where you determine that minimum fluid level is going to be in the res.

Some pumps can be picky about their orientation as well - another thing to be aware of.

Being in the bottom of the case, it's possible to do - don't get me wrong. Your going to have a bitch of a time trying to get all the air out of the rads and blocks though without a lot of vent ports and patience.

Aesthetics are great. But it still has to work.
 
Feedback like this is why I started the thread. Really appreciate everyone's insight. I want it to look good, but it has to function too.
 
Looking at that case it appears that it will not allow a front mounted radtiator, the motherboard will be to close to the front. I dont see a tube res fitting in the bottom because the psu goes where you have it in your diagram. The case seems to be geared towards a bay res. Looks like a 360 will fit on the hidden side only.
 
Looking at that case it appears that it will not allow a front mounted radtiator, the motherboard will be to close to the front. I dont see a tube res fitting in the bottom because the psu goes where you have it in your diagram. The case seems to be geared towards a bay res. Looks like a 360 will fit on the hidden side only.

Case does support a front 420, it just has to be thin due to the GPU length of my 980ti.

From my first post "Case is being modified to move the PSU to the other chamber, which will leave an open main chamber to allow me to mount the res/pump in the bottom of the case." I still have a lot of work to do on this case to get it close to putting parts in it.


Image borrowed from Spider1 on OCN.

IMG_0424_zps3b564c22.jpg
 
Apologies, missed where you said you were moving the psu. Gonna be tight, but that can be fun. Bay res would make life easy in this case.
 
Apologies, missed where you said you were moving the psu. Gonna be tight, but that can be fun. Bay res would make life easy in this case.

Totally agree, but with what I have planned for the other side of the case, the bay res gets in the way. Will probably do a build log, but going to be putting a second system in the other half of the case. It will be my mini itx server I have in another case and I will need the bay space for some hot swappable HDD cages. Plan to watercool the server on the otherside(totally overkill but this is [H] lol). So in reality there are going to be two reservoir pump combos down in the bottom. We'll see though, single bay reservoirs would fit with what I have planned. I just like the thought of having the two down in the bottom, plus I have already cut up the back panel ;)
 
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