New to WC, what do I need?

trick0502

Supreme [H]ardness
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Apr 17, 2006
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So I’m looking to go custom wc setup. My current system doesn’t really need it, but the blocks seem to work on more than one socket. I’m looking to do a 360 setup for just the cpu. What is really needed? Is there kits? I plan to go soft tube for now.
 
There are kits. At minimum, you need the radiator, CPU block, pump, tubing, fans, and fittings. A reservoir would be highly recommended, as well as a T for draining.

What you can get depends on how much you plan to spend. Watercooling gets expensive real fast.
 
It's up to you, but I don't see the advantage of going custom water cooling for just the CPU, especially as the component that spews the most heat in a powerful gaming system is going to be the GPU. But even if this isn't a gaming system, if all you care about is the CPU, there's still no need for custom watercooling - you might as well just get a cheap no thrills AIO double or triple rad and be done with it.

Custom watercooling isn't for everyone. Given the money and the time you'll spend setting up a good loop, it's often better to go all the way or not at all.

(but if you really want custom W/C'ing, I found it useful to identify what you want then work backwards. For example, a good start would be considering what you want to watercool first: usually the GPU and CPU, but some people do their motherboard as well. Identify decent blocks. Add a pump, reservoir, and whether you want one / two / three radiators. Visualise where all these parts go and work out a decent loop. That determines the fittings you need to buy. And now you have your shopping list....)
 
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Tsumi's list is correct. I would put a reservoir as a must have. Yes, it is possible to not have one but filling the loop would be a pain and it would not have as big a visual impact. I would not say that CPU only is pointless. However I can say from experience that if you build a loop and enjoy it, you WILL want to cool the gpu as well. So, yea, as echn111 stated, its often better to just go all in. I would suggest you have fun, look at some parts, come up with a case and a list, post it here and get advice before buying.

I would never discourage someone from doing a custom loop. Many people will say that the cost is not worth the temperature benefits you get. You will get the best cooling possible if you do it right. In the short term 10-20 degrees under load may not be worth it to you. What people never talk about is how custom loop building can transform an old system into something beautiful. So you may not have 2000 bucks for a brand new rig this year, but you have a couple of hundred to update your loop and make it feel brand new. So, in my case, getting into custom loops has saved me money on occasion.
 
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Yes it can get expensive and boy is setup time consuming. I don't regret doing it though. I'm still using the same parts mostly and it's nearly 15 years later. It was a great investment.

You could try what I did, get some of the parts used.

If you want to run distilled or deionized water, you'll need some sort of biocide to keep algae out. I've been using a little bottle of PT nuke all this time.

As others have said, look into putting the GPU on water. The whole point of water cooling is to get your temps way down while reducing noise levels. The GPU will usually make a lot of noise at full speed. The downside is if you want to keep using your parts. The GPU blocks are mostly specific to the card and must be replaced as you upgrade - it's expensive! An alternative is a universal block that cools just the processor. I'm still using an old swiftech MCW60. Nvidia hasn't changed their mounting holes since the GeForce 8 cards.... however, you'll need to put some heatsinks on the memory chips and figure out how to cool the VRMs. My solution was to simply attach a 120mm fan to the card with some spare wire...ghetto, and it works.

I'd highly recommend getting a reservoir. Makes filling and bleeding air so much easier.
 
The big exception for WC a CPU only is a Threadripper. They almost require WC. Also, there are NO reliable All In One coolers for Threadripper that are made the right way. I had previously used an AIO on a few i& generations that I owned.

I did just the CPU on my system and it's fine but I really wish I had added the GPU as well. Changing the loop to add the GPU later is a pain just do it out of the box. I am cooling my TR 2950x with a small (240) radiator and it is fine. I will probably move up to a 360 if I add the GPU at some point.

Water Blocks - For whatever you want to cool. Be sure your block is up to the task for your CPU and get the right GPU block.
Reservoir - size is mostly about aesthetics. Pick one that fit's your build. I had to custom print some brackets to fit in my case because of what I bought so choose this carefully as it's not necessarily an easy fit depending on the case.
Pump - Be sure to get something reliable. Tearing things apart for a crappy pump will make you want to have spent the extra money. The pump will either mount into a stand-alone housing or into a base that is connected to the reservoir.
Pump "top" or housing - see above. The most space efficient way seems to be a pump top that the reservoir mounts to.
Radiator - Get the biggest one you can fit. If you do a GPU and CPU, I would definitely at least use a 360.
Drain Valve "assembly" - You will need to have a way to drain the system so you will want a fitting directly off of the reservoir or a T someplace down low that you can connect the valve to. I use a valve that I can screw a 1/4 barb with a short hose onto so I don;t have to leave it dangling in the system all the time.
Tubing - Hard tubing looks way better than soft but is more challenging to bend.
Bend Kit - If using hard tubing, it includes the parts necessary to bend the tubing correctly. Watch videos and make sure to have extra tubing on hand for screw ups.
Connectors - You will need connectors for your tubing (hard and soft use different connectors) to connect to each part of the system. In/Out for GPU, In/Out for CPU, In/Out radiator, In/Out reservoir so that's 8 if you have a reservour/pump combo. Add another In/Out if you have a stand alone pump housing.
Caps - Your reservoir and pump top will likely have multiple ports that need to be capped off if not in use.
Bends/adapters- If you do hard tubing and don't want to master bending, you can go the *cough-ugly-cough* route and simply use fittings to make your necessary turns. Look up pictures and you will see what I mean. It's potentially easier and can look cool in the right build but will cost more money for all the hardware.

If possible, buy some used parts but be sure you get the right stuff. Tubing has different sizes, hard and soft use different connectors, pumps are not universally compatible with housings/tops, and those aren't aren't compatible with all reservoirs.

As you find stuff, you will probably get some good confirmations here.
 
I agree With some of the above, but don’t necessary agree with All of it.

Agree;
add the GPU on the first build, assuming you’re not just building a threadripper with a GeForce 710. If you don’t have a gpu worth water cooling and not using a threadripper, an AIO is probably the better solution.

Some Parts last a long time - you’ll carry over rads, res, and pumps for 10+ years, so it makes sense to get good ones.

Things I disagreed with:
Changing fluid:
You don’t need to change the fluid in your loop annually and if you aren’t mucking with upgrading components in your loop, you can keep the same fluid in the loop for years. I’ve been running distilled + kill coil in one loop for 5 years and just top off the fluid when I blow the dust out of the system annually.

Tube type:
If using soft tubing, you can go with hose barbs and worm clamps at minimal cost. Soft tube is almost certainly the better tube to use for your first loop because it’s just flat out easier to work with.

Fittings:
Don’t spend a bunch of money on fitting on your first build. Cheap worm clamps on soft tube is fine, and leaves you money for the other parts.
 
I agree With some of the above, but don’t necessary agree with All of it.

Agree;
add the GPU on the first build, assuming you’re not just building a threadripper with a GeForce 710. If you don’t have a gpu worth water cooling and not using a threadripper, an AIO is probably the better solution.

Some Parts last a long time - you’ll carry over rads, res, and pumps for 10+ years, so it makes sense to get good ones.

Things I disagreed with:
Changing fluid:
You don’t need to change the fluid in your loop annually and if you aren’t mucking with upgrading components in your loop, you can keep the same fluid in the loop for years. I’ve been running distilled + kill coil in one loop for 5 years and just top off the fluid when I blow the dust out of the system annually.

Tube type:
If using soft tubing, you can go with hose barbs and worm clamps at minimal cost. Soft tube is almost certainly the better tube to use for your first loop because it’s just flat out easier to work with.

Fittings:
Don’t spend a bunch of money on fitting on your first build. Cheap worm clamps on soft tube is fine, and leaves you money for the other parts.

You build your systems like I do :) ease of use is exactly why I stuck with soft tubing. Plus if you get some good stuff made for water cooling, it's gotten way better over the years for kink resistance.

I change my coolant usually only when I need to do maintenance such as new parts, etc. I never liked the idea of the chemical coolants in a bottle when I can buy cheap distilled or deionized water for next to nothing. We've seen a lot of long term problems with the pre made coolants too like residue buildup. Some have had outright sludge after a year. So long as you're not mixing copper and aluminum in your loop, water with a little biocide is just fine. Most of my parts are around 15 years old or more (some were purchased used). I've had no problems. The worst of it has been some copper tarnishing on one of the old blocks. Thin black stuff that doesn't affect cooling or water flow. Doesn't grow either, so I couldn't care less.
 
I'm also in the group that doesn't change water frequently. I don't think my water has been replaced in 5 years, just topped off. No sign of growth in my reservoir, just discoloration of clear tubing (kind of expected for cheap tubing) and some tarnishing on my silver killcoil.
 
I had not even gotten to figuring out when to change fluid. I'm a few months in and I have been putting off adding the GPU until I did some sort of coolant "maintenance" and upgraded my video card. If it lasts years, I better rethink than strategy and just do it when it's convenient. Time to pickup a bigger radiator and a water block. Of course, is a 2070 worth putting under water or is this water cooled GPU project going to set me back another $800+ ?!?!?!
 
I had not even gotten to figuring out when to change fluid. I'm a few months in and I have been putting off adding the GPU until I did some sort of coolant "maintenance" and upgraded my video card. If it lasts years, I better rethink than strategy and just do it when it's convenient. Time to pickup a bigger radiator and a water block. Of course, is a 2070 worth putting under water or is this water cooled GPU project going to set me back another $800+ ?!?!?!
A 2070 is worth putting a block on, though you may have a hard time finding a full coverage block for it if it’s not a reference design. There are companies that make universal blocks just for the GPU but the last time I used one of those was a years ago (ati Radeon 9700pro, I think).
 
You may have noticed that water cooling is very expensive, but if you are adventurous take a look at Bykski and Barrow/Barrowch from China. Bykski is especially active in the GPU block department, often offering blocks for cards that are not available from the mainstream brands. Yes they are Chinese but they have been proven to be acceptable quality but the price is much cheaper than EK, Alphacool and Corsair equivalents. Downside is that you have to order them from China, which may take a while...

Safest choice for the beginner is of course a ready made kit from the mainstream brands. Alphacool makes good and relatively affordable kits, with different price points and reservoirs and pumps. They have everything you need for CPU cooling, except the draining valve which I consider a big quality of life improvement, almost a necessary one. But it is not hard to buy separately. You just need a 3-way splitter, the valve itself, a plug (for safety, in case the valve leaks or you turn it by accident) and couple of extra fittings (or extensions, depending on where you are going to put it) and 1 soft tube barb fitting for the draining tube, which you can attach in the place of the plug when you want to drain. And assemble the whole thing to the lowest point that is possible for the system.

And if you are tipping your toes the first time in water cooling I disagree that cooling CPU alone is not worth it. It is good to learn the ropes and keep things as simple as possible. You can always add GPU block later. Or maybe you cannot find GPU block for the GPU model you have now but at least you have the system ready for your next GPU purchase and you can choose a model that has a block available/coming from some manufacturer. Water cooling is flexible like that, as long as you stick to soft tubing. With hard tubes you pretty much have to rebuild the whole thing when you do changes.

*Edit* I know this is a manufacturer advertisement but it shows quite well the different kit models Alphacool has. I did not remember they came with quick disconnects. Kinda neat idea.

 
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I was going to do quick connects but the price started to get pretty high so I backed down. The drain valve was the compromise.
 
I started ordering parts for a new loop this week. Originally planned to spend $700 for a dual 360 rad and GPU/CPU loop; I ended up spending closer to $1000 once I opted for more premium parts and extra fittings just in case.

It's addictive, know what you're getting yourself into.
 
i'd say the GPU is always worth putting on water. I've always put my cards on water over the years and been happy that i have. i find that a lot of the fan noise in any system is usually when the video card goes to full power. water eliminates that and keeps the temps way down. then you can put some more voltage to it and overclock it safely. i'm still running an older gtx 970 on water. solid overclock and voltage bump.

one thing to consider is the GPU block. a block that is full coverage for that specific card is definitely the better option. it will ensure all parts that need cooling get it. gpu, vrm and memory usually. however, they're not cheap and when you upgrade you'll need a new block. there are less popular universal options that can be carried over to a new card. they're not as expensive because it's just a block for the GPU and nothing else. however, that's where most of the heat comes from. you'll need some heatsinks for the memory chips but those are reusable. it's the VRMs that i found to be problematic. those need more than passive cooling. i kept getting lockups from the video card until i figured out that the VRM's were running close to 100ºC. strapped a 120mm fan to the card and that solved it.
 
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