Gonna Watercool... Need Major Help

U

USMC2Hard4U

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Apr 4, 2003
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I have already read all the FAQs posted questions before etc... I was always afraid to set up my Multi Thousand Dollar setup with Water inside, but I am going to bite the bullet.

I dont know what to get and whats right for me... The biggest thing is I look at alot of these peoples setups with this little O ring metal Clamp holding their hose to the waterblock.. I dont trust it. Maybe I should, but is their anyother better way? I wont skimp on money here to protect my stuff.

I need a Part by part list of what I need, down to each screw and clamp is possible. All I want is a CPU waterblock. I dont want to cool anything else with water.

What I am getting is a Athlon x2 4400+ (Socket 939)
Asus A8N-SLI Platnium Mobo (so i dont need a chipset waterclock)

Tell me please what will be the easiest to set up, but the best at the same time. Cost for all my parts under 300$ US if Possible. Just need a CPU block, Res, Tubes, Radiator, Fan, and Misc Parts (but I dont know what the misc parts are!) like fittings and clamps etc... so can someone help me? I will be forever greatful. Even down to what kind of water / anti frezee etc i need. Thanks!

PS, this is what I was thinking of for my first water cooling
CoolerMaster Aquagate Water Cooling System
Will this come with everything I need.
 
I find that I find the most secure are the barbs with worms clamps.

Barbs alone are damn hard to pull the tubs off but with clamps, I'd day to venture that its 99.9% leak proof, provided that you used the right size hose.

The best way that I found to start is picking a standard tube size, wether its 1/4, 3/8 (my fav) or 1/2 inner diameter, all up to you, the debate is endless.

I went with 3/8 because it's the best compromise between size and ease to work with.

I hope this helps.
 
Leatherneck,

Those round metal things you speak of are worm clamps, if we are talking about the same thing. They are very good for sealing off those connections, and it's all I use. I would forget about that Coolermaster Aquagate. It has a small rad with an 80mm fan on it, and not the best cooling. If you want to overclock, forget it.

Here is a new kit for power users (i.e. ppl who want to overclock). It has the Storm waterblock, which just hit the scene and has very good reported test results.

A quick word on Swiftech and their kits......... First, a lot of people swear by their customer support. Second, the directions they send out with their kits are VERY good.

Here's their new one:

H20-APEX.gif


Go to
http://swiftnets.com/products/H20-APEX.asp

$259.00

You can read all about it. The only thing I think you would have to buy extra are the metal worm clamps. You'll need one for each connection, so 8. Can get them for about a buck total at a hardware store. Other than that, the kit looks ready to go, and if you don't wanna mod your case to accomodate the rad (i.e. 120mm fan holes x 2), you can use that RADBOX they include with it.

Good luck, and start a worklog when you begin! Any other questions, post in here, and you can also PM me any time.
 
After you have selected your equipment, make sure you test route your tubing inside your computer first before adding water. Screw in your waterblock(s), locate a good place for your radiator/fan combo, reservoir and pump. This way you get to route the water tubing the way you want for a more efficient use of the case interior.

Once you have determined the correct lengths of each piece of tubing, you can start to disassemble your equipment (waterblock, pump, res, rad, etc).

Next thing you want to do (with your equipment out of your case), is to secure the hoses with some clamps (I would go to some hardware store for these). Turn on the waterpump and slowly add water and an additive (ie redline water wetter) to your reservoir. You want enough water in there so that the system is fully bled (no more large bubbles).

Some parts to keep in mind.
T-fitting - good for when you don't have enough space for a reservoir. This way, you can rig a long piece of tubing as a filler hose (takes a longer to time add water though) .
 
I am not sure what you meant by a little O-ring holding a tube in place, but I assume you were speaking in reference to a push-fit. The push-fit is the most secure tubing connector on the face of the earth at the current level of technology. The push-fit seals on the OD of the tube through the use of a very durable O-ring. At the same time it is held in place by a gripping ring that is almost impossible to pull out unless you do exactly the release sequence of pushing in the release ring at the same time as pulling out the tube. Please go to the Legris site and you can view some of the animation sequences to see exactly how they work. BTW, push-fits are used almost exclusively in automation machinery where it is critical that no failures occur due to leaks. Some of these fittings also can swivel and some are capable of high speed swiveling like in the case of a robotic assembly arm.

The other advantage of a push-fit is that you don't have to disassemble your box so you can get to some silly worm clamp as the push-fit tube is easily disassembled.

Since you are in a combat zone I would suggest you use nothing, but highly reliable 12v pumps in your system. My suggestion would be one of the 12V Eheim pumps made by Aqua Computer or Innovatek. Another possible solution would be one of the new 12V pumps from Asetek. However, since this is a new pump we don't know anything about its longevity.

BTW, what is your primary purpose in watercooling? Silence, brute cooling performance, or some combination of the these parameters. You telling us more about what you are trying to accomplish will give us a better idea of what parts you need. Speaking of which are you in a high dust environment?
 
I'll second the Swiftech kit, it has all you need and more. It'll offer you top performance without all the BLING that you don't need, Marines don't play the bling game last I heard, down to earth and mean on performance (my brother is a retired Marine and I'm retired Army). Anyway, the kit will do what you need and the cost is only $260.
Be safe and watch your back till you get back home.

Duty, Honor, Country
 
I, like you, was very concerned about turning my PC into an aquarium. After much help from the many experts here, I decided to go for it. If you follow procedure, kind of like the BlueJacket Manual, you will not have problems. I chose Aqua Computer based upon the way it looks, performance and its reputation. If you read the many threads in this forum you will find that there have been many debates concerning low-flow vs. high flow. Aqua is a lower flow cooling solution, but once again it depends on your ultimate goal. I would suggest you consider cooling your NB as they get very hot. In my case the NB was my reason for turning to H20 cooling in the first place. You also need to consider the case. If you are going to use a Lian-Li 2000, the ASUS Premium MB NB heatpipe cooler will not work as well because the MB is upside down.
If your desire for H20 is because you want to OC then you will want a higher flow cooling solution.
All in all, I am very happy with my system. Just ask alot of questions of the people in this forum. You will get a great deal of good advice here.
Since you have a military mind, proper planning is the key and then execution.
Just my opinion and .02!
OOHRAH!
 
The Swiftech kit mentioned by Scroatdog is made for you marine. Awesome performance, excellent reliability, and top notch support. You'll be hard pressed to find a better setup for what you need.
 
another concern of a well built w/c rig should be the case, make sure you size stuff ok, or at least as first on here, as others have come before you. It'd suck to get the whole setup and then find the radiator doesn't fit in the case. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but this case isn't going into a combat zone right? I don't see the need for a 12v pump over a 120v one. Also, I'd consider some neoprene or similar stuff (thicker version of cheapo mousepad) for the pump to sit on, it'll isolate the case from vibration, and make it silent. I'm a fan of tygon tubing over the "other stuff". I don't think a resevoir is needed, unless they are huge, it won't help temps any, and will just add to the clutter. The space would be much better spent on a larger/2nd radiator.

Frankly, as odd as it sounds, leaks are never a problem in a well constructed setup. If are going to have one, it won't be from the block, but from the seals around the fittings/barbs. This is why hose clamps are a must, especially when a block doesn't have barbs. Also, I don't think a resevoir is needed.

Trust me though, you will want to size your case around your radiator, and visa versa. I'm a fan of silence, and would suggest something that can accept 2 or 3 120mm fans, and then go with panaflos. There's nothing worse than an undersized radiator!
 
As I said before hose barbs leak... Clamps help, but can cause their own set of problems. Use a fitting that doesn't have these problems and your life will be a lot better.
 
Top Nurse said:
As I said before hose barbs leak... Clamps help, but can cause their own set of problems. Use a fitting that doesn't have these problems and your life will be a lot better.
Click to expand...


Interestingly enough, I have never had a hose barb leak on me, even when i use no clamps. My current build and several others have never leaked, and that is without clamps. Could be because of using 3/8 tubing stretched onto 1/2 barbs though.

Nevertheless, "I am not responsible for damages incurred due to misapplication of my statements." :D :D
 
I'm just going by my experience of using fittings in an industrial setting that is way more rougher than what we do with water cooling computers. In an industrial atmosphere the only time hose barbs and clamps are used is when it isn't a critical issue if they fail.
 
I've also NEVER had a hose barb leak and I've been doing this for a long time now and have tested more systems than most. IF you're careful with any system it won't leak unless you work to fast and don't know what you'r doing.
As plywood99 said, I run several systems at one time in tests at times and some without clamps at all during leak testing and they still don't leak, I guess some people just have bad luck
Compression fitting can also leak if not used correctly and over tighten to the point where they cut the tubing. And push fittings can also leak if the cut isn't straight and isn't pushed in all the way to make full contact with the retainer/sealer ring. They all can be a problem in their own way, so you CAN'T say any of them are 100% error free.
Looks like we're starting with all this negitive stuff again. If you point out negitive points, you should point it out on all systems involved. Not just the ones that you don't care for to try and pimp the ones you like.
 
a 12v pump is much more tailored to WCing a PC for one thing. It doesn't require a relay to turn on when you turn your computer on. The MCP655 is a Laing D5, just about the best RELIABLE pump you can buy without going to a much more expensive one. You also don't have to run a power cord out of your PC, so it will look better. 12v pumps (especially the D5) are also smaller than 120v pumps usually. There are many reasons to get a 12v pump, another of which is that since it's more designed towards WCing there's less risk of a leak (like in some aquarium pumps, which is what 120v pumps are) because it matters if you get a small leak, not usually the case in aquariums.

I would go with the swiftech kit for simplicity AND price. The D5 and storm is a combo that practically can't be beat!
 
Russ said:
I would go with the swiftech kit for simplicity AND price. The D5 and storm is a combo that practically can't be beat!
Click to expand...

Agreed, whether you are watercooling for performance, for silence, or even for looks the STORM cant be beat, and the D5 can match all of those (except maybe looks, but just hide the pump and you're set).
 
The Swiftech kit also uses 7/16"id tubing, so you can worry less about leaks. 7/16"id tubing will slip over 1/2" barbs relatively easy, butmakes an extremely tight seal over the barb, and useable without hose clamps if you desire. Just use 7/16"id tubing over 1/2" barbs, and add worm drive clamps if you feel you really need complete insurance against leaks.
 
I use worm drive clamps on my pump and spring clamps on my barbs, and the only major leak I've ever had was as a result of me forgetting that DD sends the barbs on replacement tops unscrewed in, and my NB cooler decided to piss on my GPU. It's still ticking tho (horray for not leak testing and being quick to pull the plug :p )
 
I used to have plastic clips... But they leaked way to easy... So I switched to those handy dandy worm clamps... And I have yet to have a leak and i've been pulling and pulling on them and nothing has happened yet. So, lesson to be learned, use the worm clamps, they help.

Also, if your looking for a really silent yet powerful pump, do a 1/2 barb mod on the DDC 12V pump. Its small, yet furious =). And yet, still retains silence. The MCP 655 looks really promising, I wish I had one for testing =(.

But yeah, that swiftech kit, is probably the best bang for your buck. If I hadn't already purchased my watercooling system, I think I would have gotten the Swiftech Kit available right now.
 
Just so you all know I don't think where this soldier is at has 120 Vac power, but who knows. If they are using their own generators then perhaps a 120 AC pump would be okay. However, since soldiers travel to many different places the 12 Vdc pump is going to be a no brainer. :p

I'm going to shut up about hose clamps and barbs because you will never convince me about how good they are and it seems to be a dead issue IMHO. But the OP has gotten plenty of info on this subject so they can make up their own mind. :D
 
Bio-Hazard said:
If you point out negitive points, you should point it out on all systems involved. Not just the ones that you don't care for to try and pimp the ones you like.
Click to expand...

Well since I only believe in two types of connectors: Those that work all the time and those that don't work all the time. I figure I will talk about the ones that work all the time and there are plenty of you guys who can talk about the other ones. :p But all kidding aside if you want a clamp type fitting then use a compression fitting, otherwise use a push-fit.
 
Like I said in my post above, they all work just fine if you know what you're doing and take your time. You just have to be smarter than equipment that you're working with................. :eek:
 
This will not be going into a combat zone. This is for when I return home which I am en route now back to the states.

I am going to go with the swiftech kit. I am just looking for "simple" right now, so I can practice with this without messing up. Then i can always get something more high performance later.

I am going to be using a ASUS A8N-sli Premium Mobo, so I dont need to cool the northbridge, I am going to use the heatpipe solution.

I need to pick a case. I was going to get the Antec P180 however it looks like their might not be enough room for a watercooling setup. What case do you recommend? I dont want something too enormous, but a big case is ok. And not more than about 150ish on a case.

So let me get this right... All I need is this Swiftech kit, and then 8 metal clamps and I will be good to go? Just want to make sure. Is their anywerhere I can get these clamps online? or is it hardware store only?

Thanks all.
 
The clamps can be picked up at any hardware store. I grabbed 8 of them at my local Home Depot (my mod shop...heh) yesterday, for something like $.66 per.

As for the case, you have several options.
I'm using a Lian-Li PC-65. It's a mid tower, but is quite popular for W/C'ing with. Some people have started prefering the V1000/V1200, but those are out of your price range.

Another option is to get one of the millions of Chenming/Chieftech/Antec clone cases. Those are of a reasonable size, and are often quite cheap. Just be sure that you get a decent powersupply. The ones that come bundled with cases (short of the Antec ones IMHO) are usually rather shoddy.

Just a few ideas, to add to your indecision (LOL). This is a major project, we all admit it. Just take your time, and go with what looks good to you.

-Ghent
 
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