Newb to Water Cooling Direction

brachy33

Gawd
Joined
Oct 14, 2004
Messages
567
I have a new build using the parts in my sig. Currently using 2x140mm intakes, 2x140mm top of case out flow and 1x120mm outflow on the rear. Case is a maingear Vybe 2019 case. Current CPU cooler is a Notcua NH-U12A with dual 120mm fans.

With my i9-9900k OC'ed to 5Ghz gaming temps never reach above 60-65 deg C but when using OCCT or Prime CPU can get in the high 80's. While this is probably fine, I'm not about to settle for 'OK' CPU temps. I want this thing COLD!

All the AIO solutions out there appear to be made to 2 brands (Asetek, CoolIIT) and all have issues and benefits, but I'm thinking it's time I do my first hard-line tube build. I would prefer to get this right on the first attempt, so outside of searching this forum for options, was hoping you hardline cooler people might recommend a good place or 2 to start with for researching a new build and whats parts are best? Is there a particular website out there where everyone is buying their components these days (pumps, lines, connections, ect)?

Thanks for any basic guidance to this Newb hard-line water cooling...person. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
I have a new build using the parts in my sig. Currently using 2x140mm intakes, 2x140mm top of case out flow and 1x120mm outflow on the rear. Case is a maingear Vybe 2019 case. Current CPU cooler is a Notcua NH-U12A with dual 120mm fans.

With my i9-9900k OC'ed to 5Ghz gaming temps never reach above 60-65 deg C but when using OCCT or Prime CPU can get in the high 80's. While this is probably fine, I'm not about to settle for 'OK' CPU temps. I want this thing COLD!

All the AIO solutions out there appear to be made to 2 brands (Asetek, CoolIIT) and all have issues and benefits, but I'm thinking it's time I do my first hard-line tube build. I would prefer to get this right on the first attempt, so outside of searching this forum for options, was hoping you hardline cooler people might recommend a good place or 2 to start with for researching a new build and whats parts are best? Is there a particular website our there where everyone is buying there components these days (pumps, lines, connections, ect)?

Thanks for any basic guidance to this Newb hard-line water cooling...person. Thanks.

I can't speak to hard lines, as I have always used soft tubes, but some things apply to both, and I'll comment on those:

1.) Order of components makes no difference. Only thing here is that you really want your reservoir immediately before and above your pump so that gravity makes sure it is always wet and never runs dry, as a dry running pump is a dead running pump. Other than that, ideally your pump provides high enough flow that there are only insignificant temperature differences in your coolant in different places in the loop, and it enters a steady state.

2.) Within individual components (usually only blocks, but also some other accessories like flowmeters (if you choose to use them, not required) the flow direction does matter, as they may be designed to optimize performance with flow in a certain direction. Read the manual that comes with with the blocks you choose and it will tell you how to install them so that the flow is optimal across the fins.
 
I can't speak to hard lines, as I have always used soft tubes, but some things apply to both, and I'll comment on those:

1.) Order of components makes no difference. Only thing here is that you really want your reservoir immediately before and above your pump so that gravity makes sure it is always wet and never runs dry, as a dry running pump is a dead running pump. Other than that, ideally your pump provides high enough flow that there are only insignificant temperature differences in your coolant in different places in the loop, and it enters a steady state.

2.) Within individual components (usually only blocks, but also some other accessories like flowmeters (if you choose to use them, not required) the flow direction does matter, as they may be designed to optimize performance with flow in a certain direction. Read the manual that comes with with the blocks you choose and it will tell you how to install them so that the flow is optimal across the fins.


Excellent recommendations, thank you for that.
 
Excellent recommendations, thank you for that.


Happy to help. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Water cooling can seem rather tricky before you do it your first time, but then when you get your hands on all the parts an put it together, it all falls into place.
 
View attachment 193095 View attachment 193096
I was in the same boat as you with my 9900KF, the AIO even being a 280mm it wouldn't keep my CPU above 4.6GHz so I ended up looking into a Loop with hard-tubing w/o all the damn bending which I considered to be a possible waste of tubing if I were to screw up and being that I've never done it, most likely I was going to waste too much time measuring and bending that I decided to buy the 90° angles fittings and PETG, looks so much better than soft-tubing, way better.

Anyhow, there are a few well known brands but since that I heard Corsair was making it into the Loop arena I decided to go with them, it ain't cheap but it was worth it.

Plus it gets confusing but in the end you only need to know that G1/4 is "standard" and "rotary" fittings can be your friend. Then it's just a matter of how you'd route the tubing in the case you currently own or perhaps buy a new one.
Tubing diameter is also impotant, 10, 12, 14 and 16mm, but mostly 12 is the one most go for/with but I opted for the 14mm. 16 would've been too thick. Plus Corsair only has 12 and 14 available.
Also, the instructions are very easy to follow.

I believe some reviewers that got the Corsair Hydro X kits have said that the parts seem to be that of Bitspower, a company that's known for good water cooling stuff. In my case, I waited for the rotary 90 degree angle fittings to be in stock at the Corsair site but couldn't wait any longer so I went to Microcenter and bought them there.
If you're going to stick with chrome, stick with that throughout all the fittings you need, somehow the difference in plating can cause an issue, from what I saw at this guy's youtube channel. He used dark chrome for ONE plug and had the coolant turn milky pink, white? Can't remember what color exactly but it was nasty.

There's my system with PETG tubing (don't get acrylic, it's not flexible and cutting it can be a pain), I think soft-tubing looks crappy. Sure, it cost a hell of a lot more, but it looks way better, way, way better.


BTW, if you get a 50+mm radiator it might be too thick, that's a 30mm RAD with 25mm fans and looks how low it comes down. Thicker it would've blocked the RAM and possibly create some unforeseen issues.

Although this is damn expensive...........your least expensive alternative would be a "be quiet Dark Rock Pro 4" heat-sink/fan, it's very silent and it does a good job, not as good as a Loop but a good for, for about $400 less, in my case.


Nasgul...that is a beautiful setup! You appear to be as OCD as me when it comes to cleanliness and organization with the window. Thanks for sharing all the details.
 
So on your open loop water cooled setups, how often are you having to empty and refill the setups? Yearly event?
 
So on your open loop water cooled setups, how often are you having to empty and refill the setups? Yearly event?

Who has an open loop system?

I haven't seen anyone do that since the shower head "Bong Cooler" days.

I wouldn't do that, as it is a potential source for contamination and spillage.
 
Who has an open loop system?

I haven't seen anyone do that since the shower head "Bong Cooler" days.

I wouldn't do that, as it is a potential source for contamination and spillage.

Wrong terminlogy. Sorry bout that. Closed loop, is what I meant... How often is everyone flushing these out?
 
Wrong terminlogy. Sorry bout that. Closed loop, is what I meant... How often is everyone flushing these out?

If you cleaned out the components before install (the radiators are the biggest culprits here due to soldering flux, but other parts can also be problematic) and you use a good fluid (absolute best is just distilled water + propylene glycol or ethylene glycol, as it serves as a surfactant, growth inhibitor and corrosion inhibitor all in one, but there are some chemical compatibility issues with some hard tubes, so read the labeling carefully)

There are also many over the counter fluids that do a good job. Dyed fluids are fine (never do this on your own with food coloring, food coloring is mostly sugar which is terrible for your loop) but I'd avoid the shimmery/opaque varieties, as they inherently have microparticles in them that can block the microfins in your blocks. These fluids are generally labeled "for show use only" for a reason.

Anyway, if you do all the above, clean first, chose a good fluid second, you really don't have to flush it out very often.

The rule of thumb is once a year, but I'd argue that this is overly conservative. I've gone much longer than that. In fact, there was a video in which JayZ opened up a system and checked on it after a few years of use, and it still looked pretty reasonable on the inside. Personally I just leave the fluid in there, and swap it out every time I break into the loop, like when I'm replacing components. I usually don't go much longer than a year with out doing this, so it winds up being a moot point.

You may have to top it off occasionally though, especially when new. Over time more and more trapped air will make their way out of the loop and stay in the reservoir, so your fluid levels will drop. Some even say that there is evaporation through the tubing. I don't know for sure how big of an effect this has.

Either way, even if you have no leaks, levels will drop over time, so it is good to have some extra fluid on hand to top it off with.
 
If you cleaned out the components before install (the radiators are the biggest culprits here due to soldering flux, but other parts can also be problematic) and you use a good fluid (absolute best is just distilled water + propylene glycol or ethylene glycol, as it serves as a surfactant, growth inhibitor and corrosion inhibitor all in one, but there are some chemical compatibility issues with some hard tubes, so read the labeling carefully)

There are also many over the counter fluids that do a good job. Dyed fluids are fine (never do this on your own with food coloring, food coloring is mostly sugar which is terrible for your loop) but I'd avoid the shimmery/opaque varieties, as they inherently have microparticles in them that can block the microfins in your blocks. These fluids are generally labeled "for show use only" for a reason.

Do people still toss a silver coil in the reservoir to prevent growth?
 
Do people still toss a silver coil in the reservoir to prevent growth?

Some do. There is much disagreement here regarding what is the best approach.

Technically, a silver coil can cause galvanic corrosion.

Common metals in a water loop are copper and nickel. Their difference in Anodic Index is only 0.05V, which means they are highly unlikely to cause galvanic corrosion.

The cutoff for harsh wet conditions is 0.15V.

The difference between silver and copper is 0.20v, so it is above that.

Now, Even at 0.20, corrosion will be rather low, but it is possible, and thus probably better to avoid it.
 
I've always done distilled plus a kill coil. This thread has made me reconsider this for the future.

That said, I only drain, flush and refill my loop with upgrades. I did do a run of pastel dye for fun once, and I will never again go that direction. It needed quarterly flushes as the color would change. Each flush took multiple washes to remove all the old before refilling. 4 of those and I went back to distilled.
 
So I decided to go with a full Corsair Hyro X Series hardline cooling system. All parts are in including 14mm hardlines tubing and fittings. Couple of questions for you experienced hardliners. Are people just using a heat gun to make the fancy bends vs using adapters for 45 and 90's? Also, what do you use to cut the hardline tubing? I tested using a standard pipe cutter (don't laugh) and that was no bueno. Lastly, is there a 'deburring' tool that everyone recommends, to cleanup the tube ends after cutting?

I've searched Corsair's database for guidelines here and have not found much guidance, saving having to reachout to them directly for their recommended cutting/deburring tools.

Thanks for any insight here, as always.
 
Heat gun and silicone insert to make sure it doesn’t collapse or kink.

Hacksaw and fine grit sand paper?
 
I know nothing about the Hydro X lineup but typically you would insert in a silicone cord to keep the pipe from pinching \ deforming when bending and use a heat gun or torch.

Edit: I'm way too slow apparently lol. I also use a hacksaw for my cuts.
 
IMG-1413.jpg
IMG-1412.jpg
Just getting started on the build. Had to breakout the dremel tool to allow my 3-slot RTX 2080 Ti to fit on the side mount, using a Phantex PCIe bridge cable to the mobo. Somehow it's all now going to fit. Bought an extra couple sets of PMMA 14mm tube to have one set to fuck-up, while the second set will be my final cuts/bends/turns. More to come...
 
IMG-1416.jpg
Well, got the return line from the CPU to the radiator installed. Heating and bending the PMMA is actually very easy, just need a little patience (and a pair of gloves to not burn your hands). While the line is not as pretty as I'd like, I think it'll get the job done. The most difficult thing so far (if you consider it that) is making sure your hacksaw cuts are nice and straight and then using a combo of 150 and 320 grit sand paper to smooth out the cut ends. Also, I find myself just eyeing the turns but measuring the lengths and lightly marking with a fine point marker. Will complete the reservoir inlet line and outlet to CPU inlet tomorrow. Oh, also beginning to think my fascination with this fucking case is getting old, as its not very spacious and requiring some tight bends/lines in the only free space available. Might just be easier to spend another $200 on a larger, my capable case?
 
View attachment 193095 View attachment 193096
I was in the same boat as you with my 9900KF, the AIO even being a 280mm it wouldn't keep my CPU above 4.6GHz so I ended up looking into a Loop with hard-tubing w/o all the damn bending which I considered to be a possible waste of tubing if I were to screw up and being that I've never done it, most likely I was going to waste too much time measuring and bending that I decided to buy the 90° angles fittings and PETG, looks so much better than soft-tubing, way better.

Anyhow, there are a few well known brands but since that I heard Corsair was making it into the Loop arena I decided to go with them, it ain't cheap but it was worth it.

Plus it gets confusing but in the end you only need to know that G1/4 is "standard" and "rotary" fittings can be your friend. Then it's just a matter of how you'd route the tubing in the case you currently own or perhaps buy a new one.
Tubing diameter is also impotant, 10, 12, 14 and 16mm, but mostly 12 is the one most go for/with but I opted for the 14mm. 16 would've been too thick. Plus Corsair only has 12 and 14 available.
Also, the instructions are very easy to follow.

I believe some reviewers that got the Corsair Hydro X kits have said that the parts seem to be that of Bitspower, a company that's known for good water cooling stuff. In my case, I waited for the rotary 90 degree angle fittings to be in stock at the Corsair site but couldn't wait any longer so I went to Microcenter and bought them there.
If you're going to stick with chrome, stick with that throughout all the fittings you need, somehow the difference in plating can cause an issue, from what I saw at this guy's youtube channel. He used dark chrome for ONE plug and had the coolant turn milky pink, white? Can't remember what color exactly but it was nasty.

There's my system with PETG tubing (don't get acrylic, it's not flexible and cutting it can be a pain), I think soft-tubing looks crappy. Sure, it cost a hell of a lot more, but it looks way better, way, way better.


BTW, if you get a 50+mm radiator it might be too thick, that's a 30mm RAD with 25mm fans and looks how low it comes down. Thicker it would've blocked the RAM and possibly create some unforeseen issues.

Although this is damn expensive...........your least expensive alternative would be a "be quiet Dark Rock Pro 4" heat-sink/fan, it's very silent and it does a good job, not as good as a Loop but a good for, for about $400 less, in my case.

Nasgul, did you notice that once you get the tubing to 'fit' into the different connectors, it's a noticeable 'slip' feeling as the tubing mates to the connector. But after having had to remove/unremove connections several times during the start of the build, I'm seeing very small slices of the o'rings being severed off from the tubing ends being pushed into mating. Did you notice this at all? Shoud I be applying a little distilled water to the tube end to allow it to slide in easier? Perhaps more importantly, have I ruined the integrity of the o-ring seal with a tiny piece being sheered off?
 
Last edited:
When I worked on my first WC build earlier this year I did that and it helps. Then again that was soft tubing. I am bout to redo my setup with full corsair WC hard line with my new 3900x setup, I will say diy Water cooling now is much easier in the past. As for maintenance I would say use distilled water and some anti-corrosion and just do a flush once a year or if you notice temps rising.

Then again this is one of the best places to get more advice since I am still somewhat new as well.
 
Well, if anyone cares to know...I've had it with this Maingear case. It's perfect for standard ATX or mini-ATX boards and air cooling. Honestly, if I left everything as I had it BEFORE the Corsair hardlines cooling schananagins begun, it would be perfect. But alas, its just too damn small for my OCD issues and wanting to have a clean hardline cooling setup.

So, I ordered this: https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/define/define-s2-tempered-glass/blackout/

I've also ordered a Corsair XR7 360mm cooler for the front to combine with my XR5 280mm for the top. Those 2 radiators will all fit nicely with the Fractal case (it appears) and cool this shit out of my 9900k.

More to come, Cheers.
 
Back
Top