Updating my Watercooling setup - need tips

A

aces155

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
208
Ok, so currently I have a pair of 7800GTXs Watercooled on a 120.3 Rad with a D5 Pump on 1/2" ID tubing. The 7800s have a pair of Viperjohn custom blocks.

I am in the process of planning my upgrade to a pair of 8800GTXs, but I have a few questions. First - how much difference in temps would I see between getting another pair of custom Viperjohn blocks and say some Danger Den SLI blocks for both? Also, pump currently fits 1/2ID" tubing, and I was hoping to downgrade to 1/4" or something more middle ground. Is there a place I can buy barbs for smaller tubing, or do I need to get a new pump? Also, will simply downgrading to smaller tubing cause too much pressure with my current pump?

Thanks!
 
The DD blocks are pretty good... I doubt you'd see much of a difference.

Why would you downgrade to 1/4" tubing? Get the 7/16" masterkleer tubing if you want the look of something a bit smaller.
 
I guess I had not thought about 7/16". Could I still use the same pump ?
 
aces155 said:
I guess I had not thought about 7/16". Could I still use the same pump ?
Click to expand...

My temps are 50/45 idle with two DD blocks on 8800s and 55/47-50 load. Ambient temps are 21.5-22. I have a monster rad, but my guess is that your 120.3 will cool the same or better.
 
sweet, thanks guys.

On more question, however. Right now my rad has the barbs at the bottom of case, because I could not fit the tubes on when the tips were at the top of the case. Is this ok? i am considering replacing my micro rez with two t-lines, but I think to get it to work right I need the barbs of the rad at the highest point so the T can be in a place where things will fill correctly.

Basically my question is this: what parts of the loop need to be at the top of the loop to get gravity do the work, and which can be near the bottom.


Right everything is pretty much on an even plane, and I have a lot of trouble with air in the loop when I fill.
 
DanSan said:
yes, ur just gonna have to boil the ends of the tubes to slip them on. but once their one. they arent moving.
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How much time would you say you have to boil the ends until they are soft enough to get on the barbs? How long do you think you have once you take the ends out of the boiling water to get them on the barbs? How easy do they go on once they've been in boiling water? I'm saying this to see if i have to bring my stuff closer to the stove and the pot of boiling water or not?
 
Dutt1113 said:
How much time would you say you have to boil the ends until they are soft enough to get on the barbs? How long do you think you have once you take the ends out of the boiling water to get them on the barbs? How easy do they go on once they've been in boiling water? I'm saying this to see if i have to bring my stuff closer to the stove and the pot of boiling water or not?
Click to expand...

After a little stretching (ID) of the end, as well as boiling, its not too hard at all. The only time I had a little trouble was fitting it onto the pump (which even then, wasnt hard at all). I would say you have a good 4-5 minutes after boiling the end? I dunno mate, after taking out the boiled end i walked from my kitched to my room, messed with it for a few minutes, and put it on. I wouldnt worry about it.. worst case scenario would be to re-boil the end. No big deal there. Good luck.
 
Dutt1113 said:
How much time would you say you have to boil the ends until they are soft enough to get on the barbs? How long do you think you have once you take the ends out of the boiling water to get them on the barbs? How easy do they go on once they've been in boiling water? I'm saying this to see if i have to bring my stuff closer to the stove and the pot of boiling water or not?
Click to expand...

Unless you're an 85 pound weakling you wont need to boil the ends, lube them, spit on them, or whatever. Just take your time and work them on, it's not hard at all.

BTW, no offense intended to any 85 pound weaklings. ;)
 
AuroraProject said:
BTW, no offense intended to any 85 pound weaklings. ;)
Click to expand...
:eek: :(

lol just kidding, personally i found it much easier to just boil the ends, but hey, to each his own. Most barbs I didnt have a problem with except with the pump. Couldnt even get the whole tube over the barb because it had a little lip at the end.
 
yea the d5 has that rounded edge thats about an 1/8" thick to hold on the tubing, it prevents leaks very well but its a pain to get hose on, especialy smaller then usual hose.
 
i'm just worried about pushing on the water block while it is mounted on the motherboard when i try to push the tubing on the barbs. Should I put the tubing on the cpu block before I mount it to the motherboard?
 
Dutt1113 said:
i'm just worried about pushing on the water block while it is mounted on the motherboard when i try to push the tubing on the barbs. Should I put the tubing on the cpu block before I mount it to the motherboard?
Click to expand...

That's what I do, dry mount and measure your tubing out and cut it, then I remove the blocks and attach the tubing, fill, and leak test. Then I'll do the final mount.
 
AuroraProject said:
That's what I do, dry mount and measure your tubing out and cut it, then I remove the blocks and attach the tubing, fill, and leak test. Then I'll do the final mount.
Click to expand...

So you measure everything, cut the tubing and hook everything up outside the case for your leak test. Then you put everthing back in case as one piece. I think if i leak test like that i'm gooing to have to leave my bay reservoir inside the case, otherwise I won't be able to get everything back into the case in one piece.
 
I don't leak test out of the case, I do it with everything in the case, here's a pic of my build during leak testing.

73644182.jpg


Lately though, when I add or change something I just pull the motherboard during the leak test. I put folded up paper towels under the possible leak points.
 
another question. What happens when you add a block to the loop or you have to take the loop apart for some reason? How do you drain the liquid? Do you just pop the tubing off a barb somewhere and just have a lot of towels around and hope that none of it gets on your computer hardware?
 
Actually I'm getting ready to change cpu blocks now. I added a north bridge block a few weeks ago and here's how it went. I first removed the block from the motherboard and pulled the motherboard from the case, then I placed the case next to a sink and placed a bowl in the sink to catch the coolant. Then I pulled the tubes out over the sink, removed the clamps from the cpu block, slowly pulled one of the tubes off the barb and aimed the tube into the bowl. It was actually quite easy, I was really dreading it at first, but it's no problem. Alternatively you could install a drain somewhere in the bottom of your case, I've seen a few people do it.

Edit: perhaps you should start a new thread, we seem to have threadjacked this one!
 
Yea I can see that. But perhaps, back to my question about optimum loop setup?
 
aces155 said:
Yea I can see that. But perhaps, back to my question about optimum loop setup?
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter one bit.

As long as the pump is fairly low in the loop, and the res/top of the Tline goes higher than anything else, you'll be fine.

another question. What happens when you add a block to the loop or you have to take the loop apart for some reason? How do you drain the liquid? Do you just pop the tubing off a barb somewhere and just have a lot of towels around and hope that none of it gets on your computer hardware?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's called the "Pop and Pray" method.
 
aces155 said:
Ok, so currently I have a pair of 7800GTXs Watercooled on a 120.3 Rad with a D5 Pump on 1/2" ID tubing. The 7800s have a pair of Viperjohn custom blocks.

First - how much difference in temps would I see between getting another pair of custom Viperjohn blocks and say some Danger Den SLI blocks for both?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

ViperFang-III = 7 to 9C lower loaded.

ViperFang-IV = Double Digit lower loaded.

Viper
 
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