Plumbing Advice Needed

[qdemn7]

OK I need advice and criticism on my W/C setup. This will be my first W/C rig, and a learning experience.
It will be on an NF3 ‘board for now then transferred later this year, to an NF4 (non-SLI) board. I don't want to carve up my Gaming Bomb 2 case for a dually radiator.


AOpen AK89 Max
A64 3000+ Newcastle (currently running at 2.35 x 10 @ 54C under full load)
1GB OCZ 3700EB
BFG 6800GT w / NV5 Silencer ( 72C under full load )
1 x 300GB Maxtor SATA
NEC 3520 DVD Burner
Antec Neopower PSU

Gaming Bomb 2 case
Cathar's Storm Waterblock
Danger Den Acetal MAZE4
Danger Den DDC-12V
Danger Den Bay Reservoir
PolarFLO TT VGA Block (for chipset)
Glacial-EXM Dual Pass 120mm Radiator

Anything wrong with this routing? I plan on running:

Radiator
Reservoir
Pump
Storm
Southbridge chipset
NV-68
Radiator

Then I want to know is this:
Since the DDC pump has fixed 3/8" outlets on it, what should I do for the plumbing aspects?

(1) Should I run entire system as a 3/8” system?

(2) Fit the outlet of the reservoir to a 3/8” fitting then to the pump, a 3/8” inlet on the Storm, ½” outlet on the Storm, then the rest of the system ½”? (I’m getting two complete sets of barbs sizes with the Storm.)

(3) Other options

Any advice is welcome. Thanks.

EDIT: to add system

 

[KCompany]

If you can i would go:
Reservoir
Pump
Radiator
Storm
Southbridge chipset
NV-68
Reservoir

That is simular to how im setting mine up but i am going to put in an extra radiator inbetween the cpu and chipset.

 

[jpm804]

You could do it either way:

rad-->res-->pump-->block or res-->pump-->rad-->block

There is a not much of a cooling difference if you put the rad or the block in fron of the pump.

I guess whatever route is cleanest in your case.

Also maybe a larger rad if you can since you will be cooling 3 waterblocks.

 

[Devilpup]

route it whatever way is easiest to run the tubing, it won't really make any difference in the end because your water temp isn't going to increase by a whole lot in the .025 seconds that it's sitting inside the waterblocks in between components. you can pretty much assume that the thing is like a big circuit and no one piece is going to get significantly higher or lower temps than any other piece unless you're using a ginormous radiator or res.


i recommend option 1 because it's the least complicated and won't make much difference anyway.

 

[HeThatKnows]

Run the whole loop 1/2" tubing.

Buy or find a couple inches of 3/8" ID 1/2" OD tubing. Put a short piece of the 3/8" tubing on the DDC's barbs, then slip your regular 1/2" tubing over the 3/8" and clamp them both down.

 

[flak]

you should do whatever gets you the shortest lines. it's good to have the res before the pump tho.

 

[Nobody]

In reading several other threads, there seems to be a consensus that 7/16" with a 3/32" wall makes a great middle ground for 1/2" and 3/8".