Help Needed: building dual RAD setup for trifire 7970

B

BostonHXC

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
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As the title says I need help building out a custom loop for my TriFire setup in my sig. Here is what I have so far please critique and let me know what I need for hoses, coolant, fittings etc. I am new to water so ANY help is appreciated.

3x EK FC7970 Water blocks

1x Black Ice GTX Extreme 240 RAD
1x Black Ice GT Stealth 240 RAD

1x Danger Den DD-CPX Pro Pump

1x Bits Power 150 Inline reservoir
 
First, you are only cooling the gpus?

Why do you want to use two radiators? space?

Never heard of that DD pump, but I would guess it's low cost and G 1/4 capable fittings are a good reason?

I would not buy EK GPU blocks, but that is just my personal feeling about the company.
I have Heatkiller blocks and backplates on their way from the company, no one in the US has them yet; but release should be this week.
They are about 10 bucks more than the EK blocks, but in my humble opinion, they are much better made.

Their new backplates are slick.:D
 
magoo said:
First, you are only cooling the gpus?

Why do you want to use two radiators? space?

Never heard of that DD pump, but I would guess it's low cost and G 1/4 capable fittings are a good reason?

I would not buy EK GPU blocks, but that is just my personal feeling about the company.
I have Heatkiller blocks and backplates on their way from the company, no one in the US has them yet; but release should be this week.
They are about 10 bucks more than the EK blocks, but in my humble opinion, they are much better made.

Their new backplates are slick.:D
Click to expand...


Cool I will look into those blocks. What pump should I get?
I am going with 2 RADs for optimal cooling. Is there another RAD I should consider?
 
BostonHXC said:
Cool I will look into those blocks. What pump should I get?
I am going with 2 RADs for optimal cooling. Is there another RAD I should consider?
Click to expand...

Well, if space is an issue, especially height, the MCP 355 is my go-to pump. If you want muscle.....MCP 655........

Look at these: http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/pumps.html

Sidewindercomputers and Jab-tech will always have the best prices on pumps. For instance, look at the pump you were considering on the DD website, and then look at what Sidewinders charges for the same pump (made by EK).....http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ekwaek4012vd.html.

As far as radiators go, if you have the space, a single 120.3 radiator should do just fine for your needs.
You can spend more, but this is a great radiator and cheap too.
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swmcexperase2.html

The other thing I like about Heatkiller, when you buy the block they provide all the thermal pads needed pre-cut and ready to be applied.
Their blocks generally are very simple to install as well and the instructions are simple to follow.

Heatkiller 7970 blocks: http://shop.watercool.de/epages/WatercooleK.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/WatercooleK/Products/15020

Heatkiller backplates: http://shop.watercool.de/epages/WatercooleK.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/WatercooleK/Products/16002
 
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Since you have the Cosmos 2 (based on your signature), get a 360 radiator and a 240 radiator. A 360 radiator usually is only ~$20 more expensive than a 240 radiator of the same series, so it would be worth it.
 
655 has a higher flow rate than the 355, but the 355 has higher head (pressure). So in low restriction situations, the 655 will provide higher flow rates, while the 355 will do better in high restriction situations. Also, in general, based on what some people say, the 655 lasts longer than the 355 due to it's larger size and better construction.
 
bacon11 said:
A 655 does not have more muscle than a DDC.
Click to expand...

You ever owned one?:eek:

The 655 will outperform the 355 all day long.
There are some sites that will say the 355 is better IF equipped with special reservoir/pump tops.

While that may be true, stock vs stock, the beefier 655 will outperform the 355.

I use both. I have the 655 in my gaming system and the 355 with an XSPC res/top in my second system and in my XBox 360.:D

The 355 also runs warmer and is louder, due to the temperature the 355s have been known to fail faster.

In a small space though, the 355 can't be beat.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. Any suggestions on:

Fittings?
Reservoir?
Hose?
Coolant?
 
Fittings: what's your budget? If it's a lot, and aesthetics are important to you, get compression fittings. If aesthetics aren't important, or you're on a limited budget, get barb fittings with worm gear clamps. You can easily spend $50-100 or more on compression fittings.

Reservoir: Personal choice on aesthetics and budget should dictate your choices here.

Hose: I use Primochill LRT tubing, and it's worked well for me for ~2 years now. No clouding issues, and the UV touch is nice. Although, your case does not have a side window, so it may be a moot point. Tygon is also highly recommended, as is Feser.

Coolant: Your garden variety distilled water found at any grocery market. Get PT Nuke or a silver killcoil.

With a 360 and a 240 radiator (your Cosmos 2 is capable of supporting this natively), I would add the CPU into the loop as well. Aesthetically, it's nicer, and it will cool your CPU better.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/gptr1.html Get this if you get the Heatkiller blocks. I would stay away from EK due to shoddy customer support.
 
Tsumi said:
Fittings: what's your budget? If it's a lot, and aesthetics are important to you, get compression fittings. If aesthetics aren't important, or you're on a limited budget, get barb fittings with worm gear clamps. You can easily spend $50-100 or more on compression fittings.

Reservoir: Personal choice on aesthetics and budget should dictate your choices here.

Hose: I use Primochill LRT tubing, and it's worked well for me for ~2 years now. No clouding issues, and the UV touch is nice. Although, your case does not have a side window, so it may be a moot point. Tygon is also highly recommended, as is Feser.

Coolant: Your garden variety distilled water found at any grocery market. Get PT Nuke or a silver killcoil.

With a 360 and a 240 radiator (your Cosmos 2 is capable of supporting this natively), I would add the CPU into the loop as well. Aesthetically, it's nicer, and it will cool your CPU better.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/gptr1.html Get this if you get the Heatkiller blocks. I would stay away from EK due to shoddy customer support.
Click to expand...

Thanks a ton! That is great info!
 
Tsumi said:
Fittings: what's your budget? If it's a lot, and aesthetics are important to you, get compression fittings. If aesthetics aren't important, or you're on a limited budget, get barb fittings with worm gear clamps. You can easily spend $50-100 or more on compression fittings.

Reservoir: Personal choice on aesthetics and budget should dictate your choices here.

Hose: I use Primochill LRT tubing, and it's worked well for me for ~2 years now. No clouding issues, and the UV touch is nice. Although, your case does not have a side window, so it may be a moot point. Tygon is also highly recommended, as is Feser.

Coolant: Your garden variety distilled water found at any grocery market. Get PT Nuke or a silver killcoil.

With a 360 and a 240 radiator (your Cosmos 2 is capable of supporting this natively), I would add the CPU into the loop as well. Aesthetically, it's nicer, and it will cool your CPU better.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/gptr1.html Get this if you get the Heatkiller blocks. I would stay away from EK due to shoddy customer support.
Click to expand...

OK Now, which 360mm and 240mm RADs to look at?

Also how do I know which fittings to get? I am going to go with compression fittings.
 
Here is what I am thinking:

Throwing the CPU into the mix
1x 120mm - Black Ice GTX Xtreme 120 Radiator LINK
1x 240mm - Black Ice GT Stealth 240 Radiator LINK
1x 240mm - Black Ice GTX Xtreme 240 Radiator LINK

I would of course re-use all the Noctua NF-P12 fans on these. For the double RADs I would do a push pull and on the stealth 240 RAD I would do a push out the top of the cosmos.

Thoughts?
 
Not sure how three blocks and two radiators all in series is considered a low restriction loop, but we'll go with it.
 
bacon11 said:
Not sure how three blocks and two radiators all in series is considered a low restriction loop, but we'll go with it.
Click to expand...

You thinking it needs another pump? If so where in the loop? I was thinking this:

Reservoir > Pump > 240mm double thick RAD > 3 GPUs > 120mm double thick RAD > CPU > 240mm Sealth RAD > Beginning of loop.
 
BostonHXC said:
OK Now, which 360mm and 240mm RADs to look at?

Also how do I know which fittings to get? I am going to go with compression fittings.
Click to expand...

Why do you want to use so many radiators?

I would make it as simple as possible.

If you want two radiators......pump>blocks>big radiator>cpu>little radiator>reservoir>

Compressions.....if you want good: Bitspower. Standard fittings these days are G1/4(the end that screws into the block) the compression end depends on which tubing size you use. I use 3/8" ID and 1/2" OD, some people prefer larger sizes.....it's all in the individual preference.

Hose: I use Tygon, it's simple, tough and easy to find. Plus it's cheap. Only problem there, the clear hose tends to cloud up over time. I use black 3400 http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ty3id1odlatu1.html I have a window and the black cuts down the light exposure.....no algae that way.

you may need some anti-kink coil if you have sharp bends. primochill makes good, cheap coils http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6...ls_-_12_OD_Tubing_-_Pearl.html?tl=g30c289s715 comes in a variety of colors and clear.

reservoirs.....I use the swiftech Micro-Res version2, not sexy but very small and does the job. i don't care for bay reservoirs, they look cool, but are hard to fill and bleed. The Micro comes with all the hardware and has all kinds of access.
 
As far as I know, the order in which the different components are placed in the loop is purely a case of aesthetics. When put under load, the water temperature will remain almost the same throughout the loop - perhaps only a few degrees delta. Ofc the reservoir is right before the pump, to supply water to the pump, but otherwise it's really not that important.
 
Guys this is all extremely helpful. I will get a final build list together and have you all critique once more.
 
Final Build list:

Pump: 1x Swiftech MCP655-B 12v Water Pump w/ 3/8" Conversion Kit
Reservoir 1x Swiftech MCRES Micro Rev. 2 Small Form Factor / High-Flow Reservoir
RAD1 1x Swiftech MCR320-XP eXtreme Performance Triple 120mm Slim Radiator -
RAD2 1x Swiftech MCR220-XP eXtreme Performance Dual 120mm Slim Radiator -
RAD3 1xSwiftech MCR120-XP eXtreme Performance 120mm Slim Radiator
CPU 1x Heatkiller Rev 3.0 1155/1156 CPU Liquid Cooling Block - Nickel / Black
Barbs 14x Bitspower Ultimate G 1/4 Thread 1/4" ID x 3/8" OD Compression Fitting
Tube 20' x Tygon 2375 Ultra Chemical Resistant Tubing - 3/8" ID (1/2" OD) - Clear
GPU 3x Heatkiller 7970 blocks

Extra stuff:
3x Heatkiller Backplates
1x Water Treatment: andH Silver KillCoils - Antimicrobial .999 Fine Silver Tubing / Reservoir Strip
1x Heatkiller GPU-X² Triple-Link


Opinions?
 
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Double check your barbs there........

remember the part of the fitting that contacts the tube MUST have the same diameter as the ID of the tubing......

You have: Barbs 14x Bitspower Ultimate G 1/4 Thread 1/4" ID x 3/8" OD Compression Fitting
Tube 20' x Tygon 2375 Ultra Chemical Resistant Tubing - 3/8" ID (1/2" OD) - Clear

You want: G 1/4 compressions......3/8 ID and 1/2 OD.......compressions = tubing.;)

20 feet of tubing is an ass-load of tubing, I am a believer in extra, but even 15 feet is probably too much. 20 feet could do two jobs.:eek:
 
BostonHXC said:
You thinking it needs another pump? If so where in the loop? I was thinking this:

Reservoir > Pump > 240mm double thick RAD > 3 GPUs > 120mm double thick RAD > CPU > 240mm Sealth RAD > Beginning of loop.
Click to expand...

No, I think this is a better situation for an MCP 355 aka DDC 3.2 rather than the MCP 655 because this isn't a low restriction loop.

As stated before, a low restriction loop benefits (marginally, if at all) from having a higher flow 655 pump. A high restriction loop does better with a 355 pump.

Loop order does not matter aside from the reservoir being before the pump. Route the tubing so it's as short as possible with as few sharp bends as possible.
 
Get the Apogee HD or XSPC Raystorm. Both are better blocks than the Heatkiller. Lower restriction blocks as well too.

The Heatkiller GPU Triple-link creates parallel flow in the blocks. This is a situation where the 655 will be more beneficial.

I would drop the single 120 radiator. It won't do much to help your loop, and adds more restriction than necessary.
 
Tsumi said:
Get the Apogee HD or XSPC Raystorm. Both are better blocks than the Heatkiller. Lower restriction blocks as well too.

The Heatkiller GPU Triple-link creates parallel flow in the blocks. This is a situation where the 655 will be more beneficial.

I would drop the single 120 radiator. It won't do much to help your loop, and adds more restriction than necessary.
Click to expand...

Cool, good to know on both of those. Ill check the other blocks.
 
I decided in the end to keep the loop dedicated to my GPUs for now.

I pulled the trigger on the GPU Blocks just now:

3x Heatkiller 7970 water blocks
3x Heatkiller Backplates
1x Heatkiller GPU-X² Triple-Link

In a couple of weeks I will get the following:

1x XSPC Tank Reservoir w/ Swiftech MCP655 pump
1x Black Ice GT Stealth 360 RAD
1x Black Ice GT Stealth 240mm RAD
Primochill PrimoFlex clear tubing
Bitspower Ultimate G Compression fittings
64oz of PrimoChill ICE with red dye
M4 Screws

The 360 RAD will be in a pull config with 3x Noctua NF-P12 fans

The 240 RAD will be a push/pull with 4x Noctua NF-P12 Fans

So whats do you think?
 
I would get Gentle Typhoons. They're cheaper than the Noctuas I believe, and perform just as well, if not better.

Edit: I would also go with colored tubing rather than the dye, and go with straight distilled water. Too many horror stories about the dye gunking up your blocks.
 
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Tsumi said:
I would get Gentle Typhoons. They're cheaper than the Noctuas I believe, and perform just as well, if not better.

Edit: I would also go with colored tubing rather than the dye, and go with straight distilled water. Too many horror stories about the dye gunking up your blocks.
Click to expand...

Noted, ill switch to the distilled and will go colored on the tubing. I already have the noctuas though.
 
BostonHXC said:
Noted, ill switch to the distilled and will go colored on the tubing. I already have the noctuas though.
Click to expand...

Second the colored tubes and distilled.

Buy a couple kill-coils to put in the system to act as algaeside. You can buy them at Sidewinders or Frozencpu for 4 bucks. The silver metal is a great biocide and wont gunk anything up......you can place the coil in the tubing or in the reservoir.:D
 
Nice, it turns out that my buddy wants to buy my h80. So I am going to add a black ice 140mm RAD and two 140mm noctuas in push/pull to the mix with an xspc water block for my CPU.
 
Finished! Here are the pics of the build, right from flushing the RADS, to installing the GPU blocks, to the finished product!

Temps are at 30c idle and 45c load!!!! and its almost silent!!!






























 
Water cooling is amazing. My load temps on all 3 cards was 68-72c

With the loop and the heatkiller blocks I am at 41c at load! AMAZING drop and NO fan noise. The noctuas are almost silent even at full blast on these RADs.

I have the 360mm setup in a pull config with 2 noctuas at the top and the phyoba thick 240mm at the bottom with a push/pull. These results are outstanding and I will now forever water cool.
 
Thank you again to: magoo, Tsumi, and Bacon11 for all the input on this thread and my other related thread. Your input was invaluable! You guys are [H]!
 
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