How to setup a loop?

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fantomau

2[H]4U
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Aug 25, 2007
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Ok,PLEASE dont laugh or anything, But this is my 1st watercooling setup and I'm just wondering how to actually connect the tubes to the cpu block, rad and res.

My pump has a top on it, so I only need 2 fittings.

I'm ONLY cooling my cpu, nothing else (1 step at a time)


The cpu block has a IN on it and so does the res/pump.

So where does the tube from the cpu blocks IN go and so forth?
 
For the cpu block, the direction of the waterflow has to be going in to the CPU block at the hole labeled In, and out the other. As for where it comes from, it doesn't matter, as long as the direction of the waterflow is proper.
 
It should go Pump out > CPU block in. CPU block out > Rad (doesn't matter what side). Rad (other side) > Res in. Res out > Pump in. That's how mine is at least.

Most setups it doesn't really matter the order as long as the Res is before the pump in the loop. Yours however seems to need a certain way to flow water through the CPU block. So just make sure that water is flowing the right direction through the "in" and the Res is before the pump and you should be golden.
 
traderj said:
It should go Pump out > CPU block in. CPU block out > Rad (doesn't matter what side). Rad (other side) > Res in. Res out > Pump in. That's how mine is at least.

Most setups it doesn't really matter the order as long as the Res is before the pump in the loop. Yours however seems to need a certain way to flow water through the CPU block. So just make sure that water is flowing the right direction through the "in" and the Res is before the pump and you should be golden.
Click to expand...

Basically this. Beyond that, it doesn't matter what order things are in, so just try to get the setup that needs the least amount of tubing without bending it too much for your case. For example, you don't have to have the radiator after the CPU block, just layout the things in your case and go for the simplest loop possible keeping in mind the in and out connections where appropriate.
 
Wouldn’t you want it to go Pump > Rad > CPU > Res then back to pump? If you go Pump > CPU is that not just going to add the heat from the pump to the CPU?
 
damn the tubing is a BITCH to put on LOL. is there a trick to getting it on the damn fittings.

tubing is 1/2 - 3/4
 
Tanquen said:
Wouldn’t you want it to go Pump > Rad > CPU > Res then back to pump? If you go Pump > CPU is that not just going to add the heat from the pump to the CPU?
Click to expand...

A pump dumps, at most, 18w of heat. That's nothing when your processor is dumping 200w or more.

Water temperature throughout the loop equalizes for the most part, so water leaving the radiator is not appreciably cooler than the water entering it. Technically it is, but fractions of a degree is nothing to write home about or change loop order.
 
fantomau said:
damn the tubing is a BITCH to put on LOL. is there a trick to getting it on the damn fittings.

tubing is 1/2 - 3/4
Click to expand...

Are you sure you bought the proper sizes? Because my 1/2" ID 3/4" OD tubing slides right onto my 1/2" fittings with barely any resistance.

One thing you can try is dipping the tubing in hot water.
 
If your tubing is 1/2 ID and your fittings are say... 5/8 or 9/16, you can dip it in hot water, and take skinny needlenose pliers, insert into the tubing and open them up gently, rotating the pliers slightly with every widen. This works well, but if your fittings are awfully bigger, not sure... get new tubing lol.
 
bacon11 said:
A pump dumps, at most, 18w of heat. That's nothing when your processor is dumping 200w or more.

Water temperature throughout the loop equalizes for the most part, so water leaving the radiator is not appreciably cooler than the water entering it. Technically it is, but fractions of a degree is nothing to write home about or change loop order.
Click to expand...

So are there any order advantages then? I can see what you are saying about the loop equalizing to a point but that makes it sound like the radiators not doing anything. Can I just leave it out? :) I guess if the water is moving fast enough it’s like the radiators are removing heat from the loop as a whole.
 
You need the radiator ;)

What happens is as the water temperature rises, the rate of heat transfer out the radiator increases, until it matches the heat being dumped into the loop. With a high enough flow, the heat being dumped is spread out over a large volume, so the water temperature hardly rises due to the high heat capacity of water. Everyone should know how long it takes to get water to boil.
 
I have my setup going from my dual pumps straight up to the 240mm rad at the top of my case, then down to CPU, then GPU, then 120mm in front, then return to pumps. This eliminated extra tubing and seems to make sense to do all the anti gravity travel first, but I guess having two pumps worth of heat dump go to first rad doesnt hurt either.
 
semiconductorslave said:
I have my setup going from my dual pumps straight up to the 240mm rad at the top of my case, then down to CPU, then GPU, then 120mm in front, then return to pumps. This eliminated extra tubing and seems to make sense to do all the anti gravity travel first, but I guess having two pumps worth of heat dump go to first rad doesnt hurt either.
Click to expand...

The "pumping against gravity" thing is a myth as well. Unless you're using an open bucket (or something that is vented to atmospheric pressure), pumping up or down doesn't matter. The water being pumped up is being pushed up against gravity not only by the pump, it's also being pulled up (a syphoning effect) by the water flowing down with gravity. This holds true for sealed reservoirs.

The up/down thing would be noticeable if you were say pumping out of your basement (using geothermal cooling or something) up to your room on the second floor of the house not because of the distance, but because of the frictional losses incurred by the water flowing in the tubing.

What you did is good though - I'm assuming you routed your tubing such that it has few or no harsh bends and uses the least amount of tubing possible, not because you wanted a radiator between the GPU and CPU to dump heat. It's a misconception that water entering a GPU block is say 25c, and because the GPU runs at 40c, the water leaving is thus 40c, etc.. Our blocks are nowhere near that efficient. If the delta T between the inlet and outlet of any block was 1c, that block would be phenomenal and worth hundreds in the eyes of enthusiasts.
 
bacon11 said:
The "pumping against gravity" thing is a myth as well. Unless you're using an open bucket (or something that is vented to atmospheric pressure), pumping up or down doesn't matter. The water being pumped up is being pushed up against gravity not only by the pump, it's also being pulled up (a syphoning effect) by the water flowing down with gravity. This holds true for sealed reservoirs.

The up/down thing would be noticeable if you were say pumping out of your basement (using geothermal cooling or something) up to your room on the second floor of the house not because of the distance, but because of the frictional losses incurred by the water flowing in the tubing.

What you did is good though - I'm assuming you routed your tubing such that it has few or no harsh bends and uses the least amount of tubing possible, not because you wanted a radiator between the GPU and CPU to dump heat. It's a misconception that water entering a GPU block is say 25c, and because the GPU runs at 40c, the water leaving is thus 40c, etc.. Our blocks are nowhere near that efficient. If the delta T between the inlet and outlet of any block was 1c, that block would be phenomenal and worth hundreds in the eyes of enthusiasts.
Click to expand...

ya, the order was dictated by where I could fit them (I did want the 120mm in front for cold air intake). The performance thing for me isnt that big of a deal because I still hit a 3.6Ghz stable limit on my CPU (3.8 is possible but more unstable) and my GPU is at 1Ghz anyways, so heat isnt limiting me.
 
Tanquen said:
Wouldn’t you want it to go Pump > Rad > CPU > Res then back to pump? If you go Pump > CPU is that not just going to add the heat from the pump to the CPU?
Click to expand...

My idea for the way I set up Pump > CPU was because I actually have 2 video cards after the cpu. My thought was that the water would be traveling at a slightly less rate of speed going through the Rad after all the blocks. Thus having more contact time with cooling surfaces.

I may have to switch the hoses on my next water change and see if Pump > Rad works better.
 
traderj said:
My idea for the way I set up Pump > CPU was because I actually have 2 video cards after the cpu. My thought was that the water would be traveling at a slightly less rate of speed going through the Rad after all the blocks. Thus having more contact time with cooling surfaces.

I may have to switch the hoses on my next water change and see if Pump > Rad works better.
Click to expand...

My loop will go: Pump>Rad>CPU>Rad>GPU>Rad>Res>Back to Pump
 
Tsumi said:
Are you sure you bought the proper sizes? Because my 1/2" ID 3/4" OD tubing slides right onto my 1/2" fittings with barely any resistance.

One thing you can try is dipping the tubing in hot water.
Click to expand...

Yes I got the proper sizes

Bitspower ID: 1/2 - OD:3/4 fittings
Primochill ID: 1/2 - OD: 3/4 tubing
 
I run Primochill PrimoFlex tubing myself. Same size as well. Use a few different fittings and the hose always slides right on. Now taking it back off, not so easy. The tip of the fittings should fit inside the hose with no effort. Unless your using something like a dangerden perfect fit or something with a wider mouth.

Some links to what you purchased might help us figure out what the problem is.

TIP: Try going at is from an angle. Basically put a corner on and then stretch it around the fitting. Then pinch the tube about a inch and a half away from the fitting and push straight on.

Another method I use for sprinkler setup is to us a lighter to warm up the tip and about an inch in. Then quickly place and push the hose on the fitting. I never used that method on WC hose so YMMV.
 
That should slide on quite easily, perhaps they shipped you the wrong sizes? Best way to check is to get out a ruler and measure it.

Did you get compression fittings? Did you make sure to take the compression ring off first? Sorry to ask, but gotta make sure to cover all the bases.
 
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