Best loop order

[L33t Masta]

I'm a bit perplexed as to how I should order my new watercooling loop. I went with the compression fittings, a few Quick disconnects and will have a GPU and CPU waterblock, 2 GTX 240 radiators, a fillport and a pump. Right now I'm not going to have the GPU waterblock until the Kepler GPUs launch and I grab one of those. What order should I connect everything?

 

[scaarbelly]

res->pump->rad1->cpu->rad2->gpu->res

 

[DeathPrincess]

I never bother sticking the res into the loop. Just attach a T line with the resevior feeding into it. Therefore much less flow resistance (not that it will really matter most the time).

The tempreture equalizes so it doesn't really matter, but I would stick a radiator after each hot element. The pump can go wherever, it doesn't add significant heat to anything (unless it's faulty or on fire).

The quick disconnects should probably go on the element you are most likely to upgrade (CPU or GPU).

Photos of case? (location of elements may effect things)

 

[L33t Masta]

Well as soon as Danger Den ships it and it gets here I will be more than happy to provide pictures. Basically the 2 rads will sit on the front and one on the right side, motherboard will be flat above those and the pump will be located on the bottom of the case with the fillport probably on the top of the case.

 

[86 5.0L]

Res before pump, that's the only thing, u can go wild on the order to Ur hearts content, just keep the Res before the pump

 

[German Muscle]

res->pump->rad1->cpu->rad2->gpu->res

This. The fillport can just go into the top of the res.

 

[Erasmus354]

Res before pump, that's the only thing, u can go wild on the order to Ur hearts content, just keep the Res before the pump

THIS!!!


Don't worry about anything else. Route it in whichever way makes the cleanest tubing runs. There is almost zero benefit to doing anything else. The water in a cooling loop moves too fast for it to matter.

 

[L33t Masta]

...what if I don't want a res but instead want to t-line in a fillport with some extra liquid?

 

[vivithemage]

res->pump->rad1->cpu->rad2->gpu->res

This is probably how I would do it as well. Just make sure the res is above the rads if you can.

 

[vivithemage]

...what if I don't want a res but instead want to t-line in a fillport with some extra liquid?

If that's the case, then put a T near the top, make it a bit easier to fill.

 

[Erasmus354]

...what if I don't want a res but instead want to t-line in a fillport with some extra liquid?

This will work just fine as well. Just make sure that the t-line is before the pump--and physically higher than the pump--in the loop order. This is to help with filling and bleeding the loop (same as the res).

 

[DogChainX]

Res before pump, that's the only thing, u can go wild on the order to Ur hearts content, just keep the Res before the pump

Again +1 for this.

10 years of water cooling, and this is the only thing that I have found as well.

It doesn't matter if you have a heat source, then a radiator, then another heat source. The water flows way too fast, and the water temperature equalizes throughout the entire loop....that is, the water temperature going out of GPU 1 isn't that much different than the water temperature going out of GPU 2. Water pressure, aka rez before pump, makes the biggest difference IMO.