The WC Thread: You got questions, we got answers!

Can someone please add links to simple WC kits that are like (I think) the Coolmaster one?
 
Top Nurse said:
As conductive as it gets...

Which case are you putting this in? Some PSU's sit on the bottom and some sit on the top of the case. Need more info...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, I guess Il either get some of DD's MCT stuff, or just not worry about it :p

Im putting my stuff into a kingwin KT-424 case. Its a mid tower on the small side. The rad will be mounted outside the case using a swifttech radbox. PSU is at the top of the case, and would exaust air right onto the rad, which is bad...

Mounting it downwards is an option, I just dont know how you guys manage to get monitor cables to the top PCI slot, which is where my video card is.

-Cameron
 
Lamont said:
::LINKY::
Click to expand...
That is a watercooling solution for people who want to say they are watercooling to impress their friends. Are you trying to impress your friends or actually do something with it?
 
TrueChaos said:
Thanks for the info, I guess Il either get some of DD's MCT stuff, or just not worry about it :p

Im putting my stuff into a kingwin KT-424 case. Its a mid tower on the small side. The rad will be mounted outside the case using a swifttech radbox. PSU is at the top of the case, and would exaust air right onto the rad, which is bad...

Mounting it downwards is an option, I just dont know how you guys manage to get monitor cables to the top PCI slot, which is where my video card is.

-Cameron
Click to expand...

My suggestion is to do a 2-3 day leak test and forget about using that kind of stuff. If you look at the RAD box a bit closer I think you will see that there is room for your cables, but since I don't have one I can't tell you for sure.
 
xxxchris03xxx said:
i got another WC kit question. has anyone ever used this kit? http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=202&products_id=1797
would you suggest anyother kits to buy, its my first WC set-up and i've been reading around alot and looking at buying this kit to cool my cpu and video card.
Click to expand...

From the people who use that there are fairly decent reports. However, you can get a pretty decent DIY setup for that kind of money that will really do something for you.
 
Top Nurse said:
That is a watercooling solution for people who want to say they are watercooling to impress their friends. Are you trying to impress your friends or actually do something with it?
Click to expand...
Isn't life about impressing friends? ;)

Nah, I just need to kill the noise. I don't have time to diddle with comp parts right now. When I make a new one, it will be custom WC.
 
Top Nurse said:
My suggestion is to do a 2-3 day leak test and forget about using that kind of stuff. If you look at the RAD box a bit closer I think you will see that there is room for your cables, but since I don't have one I can't tell you for sure.
Click to expand...

Thx for the info :)

Whats better for fan configuration, pushing air through the radiator or pulling it through? I can always extend the radbox using a 120mm fan shell, ive got a few kicking around...

Also, I will be using a BIP II, which is good for low noise / low CFM fans. I have a single papst 45dba 97cfm fan sitting here, and when I run it aat 7v it is fairly silent, and thats with it sitting beside me. Could I expect the same type of noise reduction from a panflow 41.5dba 103.8cfm fan? I just want to keep the option of cranking the fan up open is all.

-Cameron
 
hey guys, first off.. ive been reading these forums for awhile now and i must say, these systems in here are kick ass! but now ive decided to get my feet wet and jump in to the world of water cooling.. a few questions:

i plan on getting a lian-li pc-65b case and was wondering wheres a good place to mount a black ice pro 2 without having to cut holes, should i just mount it on the back of the case?

also, i wanted to cool the cpu and video card, how should the loop run?

last thing, are there any guides out there on the "internets" that tells you how to bleed your system, or run leak tests?

sorry if i sound like a noob :p i can't wait to get started
 
Kits usually come with instructions. Many reviews cover it also.

FILL PROCEDURE
1. Check all cooling system connections on the reservoir, pump and radiator. Confirm that the clamps
are in place and have been tightened. Check the tubing to confirm that there are no kinks of pinching
of the tube.
2. Check the electrical connections and confirm that the pump and fan have been connected to the
computer’s power supply.
3. Empty the entire bottle of the supplied
concentrated coolant into the reservoir.
4. Fill the reservoir with distilled, or de-mineralized,
water until the liquid level in the reservoir is to the
bottom threads in the fill cap. At this point in time,
some coolant should be running down the tubing
from the reservoir to the pump.
TIP: Filling the cooling the coolant bottle with
distilled water and then using the coolant bottle to
fill the reservoir may simplify the fill procedure.
5. Confirm that coolant has filled the tube on the
pump inlet (note that the entire tube does not need
to be filled).
CRITICAL: DO NOT SKIP THE FOLLOWING STEP
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. The DDC pump is not
self-priming, and the pump impeller housing must
be filled with fluid before power is applied.
6. Tilt the pump such that the inlet/outlet
connections face upwards to dislodge any air that
may be trapped around the pump impeller. You
may see bubbles come out of the inlet and outlet
ports of the pump during this process.
7. Check the fluid level in the reservoir, and if it is
below the bottom of the threads of the fill cap,
add more distilled water to fill it to the bottom of
the threads on the fill cap.
8. The system should now be ready to power up.
Before doing so, check all connections to confirm
that the clamps are tight and that there are no
kinks/pinching in the tubing. Confirm that the
protective plastic film has been removed from the
CPU block, and that it has been properly
clamped down.
 
I've been running my first ever WC setup for over a year. Things were great the first year, but in the last few months, my system has developed a slow leak. I need to add about a cup of water to the system every week. Visually, I cannot see where the leak is occuring. Any hints on how I can locate the leak?

Basic setup: I have a home made external cooler that uses an inline (non-submerged) pump pulling from my reservoir --> 1/2 ID tubing --> danger den RBX water block cooling an AMD mobile 2500 @ 2.4 Ghz --> heater core --> reservoir. FWIW, the reservoir, and the pump are both inside a big air-tight tupperware bin. I made cut out in the bin for the air flow through the heater core, and two 120mm fans, so that the bin acts as a shroud for the airflow, and is a convenient carry case. My guess is that leak is inside the bin, and the airflow inside the bin is evaporating it fast enough that I am not finding any puddles that help me locate the slow leak.
 
so, I have a storm block and got myself a nice case with holes for a rear-mounted radiator. I was now wondering whether I should get an Apex Ultra kit and sell off the Apogee or just buy parts?
 
Ok, after reading 100s of threads, I think I'm finally ready to make the switch....been wanting to for some time, but wanted to wait until I upgraded to an A64 platform first :D

So, here's the list of current hardware:
Lian-Li PC-71B, added a side window w/120mm fan (intakes right onto the VDD chips woot)
AMD X2 3800
DFI NF4 Ultra-D
ATI X1900XT
2Gb OCZ PC4000 Gold
OCZ 520w Powerstream SLI.

I'm wanting to go watercooled mostly for quietness, and secondarly for O/C'ing (want to pay off the hardware first LOL).

Shopping list is:
BIP2, top mounted in a pull config.
DD-D5 pump
DD TDX block (possibly the Apogee)
DD Maze4 GPU + Swiftech MC14 ramsinks
DD Round Res. Linky
Coolermaster S12 fans (blue led).

Cost is ~$250+shipping, which is bearable.

Loop setup would be Pump->CPU->GPU->Res->Rad->Pump. Res. is also being top mounted (top front, rad is top mid and back), so filling/bleeding should be easy enough (i hope).

Fan setup is going to be 1x120mm front lower intake (over HD's, towards vid ramsinks), 1x120mm side intake (onto mobo, NB, and some ram), and the PSU + rad. fans doing exhaust work at the top. Possibly another 120mm at the rear as either an intake or outtake, depending on what seems best. I'm hoping that 4-5 120mms @ 23ish dBA is quiter than the 6-8 80mms currently in the sucker :D

Now, any comments/criticisms to the above before i order it? I'd really like to stay in that price range, or else I'd have a PA series rad and a storm block lol. If I've read it all correctly, those all use 1/2" OD tubing, although I like the look more of 3/8" or smaller better.

I've built many PCs myself, and am good friends with my Dremel and other power tools, so modding is not a problem ;)
 
Bull Head, I think if you like the look of 3/8 tubing, you should get a danger den DDC instead of the D5. The rest of the stuff should convert to 3/8 with different fittings. I have had nothing but trouble with my 1/2 loop, so it is getting converted to 6mm(1/4) in the coming months.
 
Didnt wanna start a thread for just one Q...

Which would be better ? a TT Big Water SE or the Coolermaster Aquagate ?

TIA.
 
Rishy said:
Didnt wanna start a thread for just one Q...

Which would be better ? a TT Big Water SE or the Coolermaster Aquagate ?

TIA.
Click to expand...

How about this one?

http://www.frozencpu.com/ex-wat-87.html

Seems like it might be a decent kit. seems more high quality than either of the two you mentioned.. hmmmmm.. anyways.. check it out. :)

EDIT: doh! out of stock..
 
lol out of stock :) thanks for the suggestion tho..

any thoughts on the gigabyte one ?

gigabyte_3D_galaxy24.jpg
 
First let me say this is a great and informative thread, I will be getting into watercooling on my next PC project which will be in a few months. At this time I am just trying to get as much info as possible, while I window shop. I have a few questions at this time.

1) Which water block is better, the Storm or the TDX(I know the TDX has been updated to address the issue of the sticky nyoprene gasket getting loose, and that Storm Rev.2 is now out, if this can be kept in mind as well I would appreciate it) and why?

2) I've seen the DD videos where they setup and disconnect, They use plastic clips and I've read that metal clips are better? Sine the video they just cut the tube with the plastic clip to dissasemble, is that because the plastic clips are permanent and can't be unclipped?

3) This leads me to question 3, changing out the water. I've read here and elsewhere that you want to change out the water every 6 months. Do you absolutely have to do this? What about using other fluids like the non conductive Fluid XP+ or MCT stuff, is there any kind of fluid that is recommended and doesn't have to be changed, I hear koolance and other self contained type systems claim their coolant does not have to be changed for years. Is there a cooling benefit to distilled water with addatives over alternative coolants? And lastly what alternative fluid or addative is the most recommended(zerex,water wetter,etc?)

4) What case do you recommend between $50-$100 that would suppport a BiproII rad and an additional BIpro without modification. If there isn't, what do you think of the Thermaltake Armor case?

5) In the DD video, they say to always have the outlet of the pump go straight to the TDX waterblock. Any reasons to dispute that? in this case I was thinking of going with this setup BiProII->Pump->TDX->BiPro->DD Nv7800 block->( NB, undecided about it)->Res->back to BiProII. Do you think this is a good setup? If not what would you change and why?

6) NB watercooling seems to be frowned upon as to much effort for to little gain, if anyone has overclocked has WC'ing the NB made a difference for them? or will a sufficiently lapped stock nb cooler with AS 5 suffice?

7) Do you lap your waterblocks or do they come sufficiently lapped? Even the noble SLK-90 heatsink benefited from a good lapping.

Thats about it for now, I don't plan on doing SLI as The system is already overbudget just adding watercooling and they usually come out with a 1 card solution that will trump most SLI's from the previous cycle anyway.

Thanks in advance.
 
1)Storm is better, but not by that much(1-3c temp difference)
2)Dunno, I think he just cut them to save time.
3)Most people reconmend 90% distalled water, 10% Anti freeze. Its your call here. Those premixed fluids will work the same.
4)Id check out the Gigabyte Aourara Case. Can fit BIP 2 on back.
5)The only thing that matters in the layout of the loop, is the res before the pump,nothing else matters to much. The temp of the water is the same through the whole loop.
6)Shouldnt make a difference. One less fan is always a good thing.
7)Nope, my storm looked pretty good.

Hope that answers your q's.
 
What is the benefit of having short runs in your WC setup? I've seen it mentioned a few times. I'd think having more liquid in the case (like having a res) would be a good thing.

I really have no idea though. What do you think?
 
i think its to preserve flow.... the less head pressure hte pump has to push the better... i presume


to me it looks cool.
 
3) If you have a sterile clean system (free of bugs) when you fill the system you will not need to change the coolant. You may need to top off the coolant though as the tubing is semi-permeable to water ions and you lose it over time. Also putting spit on your tubes to get it on creates an unsterile system. If you use anything other than distilled sterile water then all bets are off.
 
Ok TopNurse and a few others, take a crack at what I'm going to do. 2 fill port containers at the top, both containers joined by 2 tee couplers, attached to this 2 valves which is in the closed position. Then attached to that is another tee coupler attached to the watercooling setup.

Also I would like to know how far should the bolts stick up from the bracket on mounting a dangerden vga block.

draining3.jpg

draining4.jpg

Vga Block:
waterblock1.jpg
 
k well iv been using this same old relitivly cheap rig for about three years now, and in those three years i have only upgraded once, a new video card, but im gonna take my first major upgrade pretty soon, with am2, and (finally) a pcie mobo. this is also probibly going to be a Liquid cooling system. not water, and im sorry this isnt in the extreem cooling solutions forum which i spose it might be better suited to but they dont have an FAQ

i was looking at the thermaltake bigwater 735, with two extra radiators, (the new case im going to get is gonna have plenty of holes in it), but I need more VGA power then CPU power. so i need a vga cooler, and the ones at thermaltake cool the core but i really wanna push the memory too. so i was looking for something like the Cool Matic 7900/7800 (btw graphics card is probibly going to be a 7900gtx) water cooling system, and was wondering if the anti-freeze like substance of the thermaltake system would work with it, if not, can i get something similar to the coolmatic system that will support guey, green, glowing probibly more erroding liquids. i consider myself a do-it-yourself-er but im not willing to use ducktape in my computer, and cosmetics are relitivly important as this computer is in a home-office, but used for games.

please post links, dont post a name and make me go google it!

edit: budget = $250, also I'm in canada, so need company that ships to up here.

thoughts much appreciated, thx.
 
Scorpionjwp said:
Ok TopNurse and a few others, take a crack at what I'm going to do. 2 fill port containers at the top, both containers joined by 2 tee couplers, attached to this 2 valves which is in the closed position. Then attached to that is another tee coupler attached to the watercooling setup.
Click to expand...

you BITCH! My brain's been at 100% utilization for the last 10 minutes, and I can only
guess at what you're trying to do. People like you shouldn't be wreaking havoc on forums making abnormally lazy people actually think.

By the way, does that T with one unused opening connect to the pump outlet?

So The T line going to your pump is pulling water from the loop and the fillports (closed) so it can take water from either one, but always pulling water from the loop. But if it's pushing water to the fillports, then I honestly don't know what the hell you're trying to do. There's a second tee going to your rez loop, with one of them going to your two fillports and the other one leading to what appears to be a Thermaltake rez, but there's a valve in between the inlet and the T. the outlet leads to the rest of your loop.

In that case, I don't know what a valve is doing in between the T and the Thermaltake rez, and it looks like an auxilary filling loop...ish...thing. Actually, the fillports are auxilary and the reservoir is part of the loop. Am I correct?
 
Ok, you are getting alittle of what I'm trying to do.

The two fill port containers are for the leftover fluid that will drain into the containers once I try to drain the loop. The part with the 2 tee's and 2 valves are part of what makes up this system. I see the way it should work is when I am ready to drain the loop: I will open the valve that says In and leave the second valve that says out closed. This will fill the 2 top containers, then I close the In valve, then shut off the pc.

To fill the system, the valve near the thermaltake rez will either stay open, but the valve at the top containers that says out will open, then all the liquid will enter the loop and then close off the valve once again.

Here is what should Happen in the pics.
draining3.gif

draining5.gif
 
I ordered all the pieces parts to do my first water cooling project. I appreciate all the help and guidance that everyone gave me. When drilling the top of the case to mount (1) 120mm fan and rad, what size hole saw is used? 4.25" or 4.5"?
Thanks again.

Edit: I found the information after doing some searches, sorry for not doing my legwork!



Here is what I orderd:

1) TDX-775 1/2" brass top water block w/spare o-ring
1) Maze4GPU Acetal 1/2" GPU block
1) D5 1/2" pump
16) Plastic Snap Tubing Clamps
10' x 1/2" ID Tygon tubing
1) DD Fill-port w/tee 1/2"
1) AS5 compound
1) Evercool 120MM Fan
2) Black Ice Pro Rads 1/2" ports
1) Fill Syringe
1) Industrial Strength Velcro
 
Scorpionjwp said:
Ok, you are getting alittle of what I'm trying to do.

The two fill port containers are for the leftover fluid that will drain into the containers once I try to drain the loop. The part with the 2 tee's and 2 valves are part of what makes up this system. I see the way it should work is when I am ready to drain the loop: I will open the valve that says In and leave the second valve that says out closed. This will fill the 2 top containers, then I close the In valve, then shut off the pc.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you have to leave both fillports open to avoid air pressure buildup when filling the two top containers?
 
so uhh can anyone answer my question? its a few posts up...

water cooling parts and crazy anti-freeze like (thermal take) substance.... dont mix?
full story few posts up... just below the post with the liquid cooled gfx card.
 
For your question, MrWizard6600: If the Thermaltake liquid will work with the vga block, yes it will.

In my own setup, I have the coolermaster Aquagate all in one, along with dangerden products and a zalman product. It uses the same liquid that thermaltake uses and all the watercooling parts work fine with it.

And for the reply to: n00btard
If you open the tops of the fill port containers, you will eliminate the air pressure in the containers.
 
noobie here .

1)im looking at the guide. and im at marinedepot.com which section do i check? external or air pumps? how many gallons is pretty decent?


2) so what happens when i turn off my computer? do i need to turn off the pump also? and vise versa.
if so this is kinda tricky becuase if i forget to turn the pump back on then im hurting hte cpu correct?
4) how does the water block mount really? like if i were to buy a used one how would i know what bolts and what nots to buy?

3) whats up with this iono rusting or something i hear about?
thats all i have for now thanks
 
tvdang7 said:
noobie here .

1)im looking at the guide. and im at marinedepot.com which section do i check? external or air pumps? how many gallons is pretty decent?


2) so what happens when i turn off my computer? do i need to turn off the pump also? and vise versa.
if so this is kinda tricky becuase if i forget to turn the pump back on then im hurting hte cpu correct?
4) how does the water block mount really? like if i were to buy a used one how would i know what bolts and what nots to buy?

3) whats up with this iono rusting or something i hear about?
thats all i have for now thanks
Click to expand...

Your looking for a pump, no? If so, you will be better off buying a D5 from www.dangerden.com. This pump is powered by your powersupply in your computer, so it will turn on and off with your computer.

Mounting hardware comes with the waterblock, most of the time, if not all.

If you run Al and Copper in a loop, it will corrode. There is a a good number of fluids that help with this. Most people run a mixture of distalled water and anti-freeze. You can also buy premixed fluids like FluidXP. Most stuff is copper, so you shouldnt have a problem with that.

I suggest you do as much reading and research into watercooling before you start doing anything. Read threads around here(sounds like your doing this), find guides on how to put together a complete water cooling system, and read water cooling parts reviews.
 
hi all, well its been a long time since i always dreamt of a liquid cooled system and finally i'm plunging in.
So i did quite a lot of research but most of you guys here are by far more experienced than i am, and well i trust you more than reviews
So here is the final list of items which i am eventually doubtful on
Please do not hesiatate to critice/sugest anything

GPU Water Block - MSI 6800gt

Aquagrafx 6800
Alphacool NexXxos NVXP-3
Dangerden NV 68

or

Dangerden Acetal Maze4
D-Tek MP-1

(In this case I would rather prefer something which cools my whole card rather than just the gpu and than heatsinks on ram)




CPU Water Block - AMD64 3500 Venice

Dangergen Copper TDX Block
cuplex XT 2-Loch-mounting A64
Swiftech Storm




Pump

Dangerden 12V DD-D5 pump
Dangerden CSP MAG 12V (maybe 2 in a row?)

Hyder Seltz C35
Eheim 1250

I am most interested in the D5 pump, but I have read that it is quite annoyingly audable, and thats the reason why i considered the eheim which although is 120V, i have read it is really silent. Anyone can comment on the D5?
And i have read about ppl which have 2 MAG's in their loop, becasue they're silent, small and efficent and although powerful they need for power in more restictive ambients.




Radiator

Black Ice Xtreme X-Flow Rad
Black Ice Pro X-Fow Rad
Black Ice Xtreme Rad
Black Ice Pro Rad
ThermoChill HE120.1


I have seen that most users go for the pro version rather than the xtreme version, but i still cant find a reason + can anyone explain to me also the difference between the normal rad and the so tagged X Flow rads? i dont imagine a great lot of a differnece since price difference is only a couple of dollars, except of course the Thermochill which well i honestly dont know whats the difference from a radiator so if anyone is so gentle to explain :confused:




Reservior

Swiftech Mices-Micro Hi Flo
DD Round cylindrical Res
Others?

Regarding the swiftech reservior apparently it has a slanting design to prevent air bubbles or something of the like : Link : owners and not owners, do yu suggest this res? or any other?


And here is were i most need your help, the rest of the accesories i need to buy ie : clips, tubes, paste etc, everything :D

And last but not least, since I'm in europe and I have contacted an importer to get these items for me from The US, can you please suggest the best stores where i can find most of these items under one roof? and obviously at the best price possible ;)

Thanks Indeed! I eagerly wait for a reply
 
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