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Watercooling setup advice required

K

kerblammo

n00b
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
26
Hello everyone.

I'm just about to take my first steps into the world of water cooling and I thought I would ask you good ppl for some advice before I start buying the parts needed.

I have put together a list of the parts im buying.

Swiftech watercooling kit
http://coolpc.com/Swiftech-H20220-A...src=GB&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=GB&id=uk

ATI HD 4850 watercooling block X2
http://www.thecoolingshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=3282

Northbridge Water block
http://www.thecoolingshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/2415

all the items listed above will be fitting an i7 intel DFI motherboard (I dont have the link saved to this computer but will edit this post and include the motherboard model). It will also be placed into a Cosmos S PC case
http://www.chilledpc.com.au/images/Projects/cosmos s.jpg

What im worried about the most is ordering the parts and getting the incorrect fittings. I know that the Swiftech kit comes with size of 8ft 7/16" flexible PVC tubing. But will the tubing be correct for the rest of the kit, and will I need more then 8ft?

any help and advice would be greatly appriciated
 
you definitely want a 3x120 radiator.

I would also just update all the barbs to metal fittings, I don't like or trust the plastic ones. This way you could also just buy X amount of the same barbs and put them on everything.

8ft might be cutting it specially if you mess up. I would get more, like 16ft. I know my full tower huge case, I bought 12 or 14ft and used most of it as I did mis measure one length during testing.

I would also skip the coolant and just use distilled water.

I forget what barbs people use with 7/16 tubing.. 1/2 for a very snug fit???

Since you are running crossfire I would also get the parallel adapters so you can just go from one video card cooler to the next one easily.
 
Ok im going to review a new list. and scrapping the Swiftech kit idea

I will be getting a 3x120 Radiator
at least 16ft of tubing
using metal barb fittings only
will be skipping the coolent and will go for distilled only
currently reviewing parrallel adapter connectors to fit between the two.

I seen a few examples of metal barb fittings between two GPU water cooling blocks. working in a zigzag fassion. Again im worried I will order the incorrect fitting size. any suggestions on which ones I go for?
 
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the switftech stuff is great, you can just get the same block and reservoir separately. They also sell a 3x120 rad as well.

Just make sure the Inner Diameters (ID) match.

I think the most popular are 3/8 & 1/2 ID
 
7/16" tubing on 1/2" barbs for this combo.
It is a very tight fit and will be a pain to get them on, but its a very good seal, throw clamps on just in case though. Or you can go 1/2 for both tubing/barbs and you definitely will want clamps on that combo.


Not familiar enough with the gpu waterblocks/connections to give a good answer there though.
 
I heard that some ppl use boiling water on the end of the tubing to make it easier when fitting. is this dvised or will it make the tubing weaker?
 
You should really get two rads or a quad. you can use a waterbased lube to get the 7/16 over the 1/2. You can boil 3/8 over 1/2, but it's still a pain.
 
Ok heres the new list I put together

Reservoir
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=984

Pump
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=40_101&products_id=194

Radiator
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=41_110&products_id=557

CPU Block
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=880

Northbridge block
http://www.thecoolingshop.com/produc...oducts_id/2415

GPU Block x2
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-039-XS&tool=3

Tubing
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=44_116_148&products_id=815

Metal fittings between two GPU blocks (not sure if these would fit)
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/sliandcr1vid.html

I know I left out the fittings. I'm going to get round to that. But I'm not 100% sure which and how many fittings I will need.

Let me know what you guys think
 
kerblammo said:
I heard that some ppl use boiling water on the end of the tubing to make it easier when fitting. is this dvised or will it make the tubing weaker?
Click to expand...

Usually for barbed fittings. No it will not hurt anything if done right. use a scrap piece of tubing on a spare fitting (and be prepared to have to cut it off of the barb for the next try) to get a feel for how long to and how much of the end of the tubing to put in the water. You do not want to turn the tubing end into mush. You leave it in the water just long enough to soften it just barely enough to go over the fitting with minor effort. Its a "feel" and practice thing but just a few test trys will give you an excellent idea.

This usually works fantastic and gives a very tight seal but I still put a good clamp on the barb. Just good and smartly snug, overtightening a clamp can cause a leak. The first rule of water-cooling is to make triple damn sure there are no leaks and there will be no leaks. The second rule is to leak test the system before powering up the board and reread rule 1.

Even then you will worry when leaving the system unattended - for a while.
 
kerblammo said:
Ok heres the new list I put together

Reservoir
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=984

Pump
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=40_101&products_id=194

Radiator
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=41_110&products_id=557

CPU Block
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=880

Northbridge block
http://www.thecoolingshop.com/produc...oducts_id/2415

GPU Block x2
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-039-XS&tool=3

Tubing
http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=44_116_148&products_id=815

Metal fittings between two GPU blocks (not sure if these would fit)
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/sliandcr1vid.html

I know I left out the fittings. I'm going to get round to that. But I'm not 100% sure which and how many fittings I will need.

Let me know what you guys think
Click to expand...

I think what you have there will do just fine. Get some decent 120mm fans to go with it. Don't get some cheapies fan. I don't know any good brand names off the top of my head except Yate Loon.

My thought for testing is get another motherboard or something outside the case to run the pump from and then just let it run over night or so and see if it leaks. Just make sure if there are any leaks that you let everything dry 100% just in case. I ran testing first by suspending all the parts in my case (not on the hardware) and just letting it go. Then I installed everything and just plugged the pump into an old motherboard/PSU that was out side the case and let it run.
 
I have a 750W PSU on route for the new water cooling setup. will it be efficient enough? or will I need more power?
 
Ok I've been doing a bit more researching but alot of these mesurment fittings are confusing.

From what I understand I will be using a water tubing that is slightly smaller then the connecting fitting size of the rads, pumps, ect.. and I need to buy some metal barbs that will connect the tubing to the devices.

So I will need barbs that connects from a 1/2" fitting to connect to 7/16" tubing. Am I correct so far? And if so I think there are two type of mesurments which are confusing the complete crap out of me. Can someone please shed some light on this and tell me if I'm on the correct track so far?

Edited

Ok I understand a bit more about the mesurments and what each one details. I wanted to go over this one more time to see if I got this right

G1/4" means thredding size. This is the thredding that is cut into each watercooling device like the Radiator or the pump.
1/2" ID is the barb size and this screws into the G1/4" thredding
7/16" is slightly smaller then the 1/2" barb, but when fitted it has a tighter seal. Plus for extra protection I will use a clamp on the barb once its connected to the tubing, but be cautious not to over tighten incase I damage the tubing.

Correct so far?
 
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Kerblammo

You're on track. 7/16" tubing for 1/2 inch barbs is perfect. What are the other two measurements that have you confused.

Opinions on 3/8" vs 1/2" are all about personal taste and style. I'd stick with 1/2 inch because It is probably the most often used. There is no other reason for that preference.

I think the 750w will be fine. I have 1kw just because I go overboard with power and cooling. 750 should be plenty.
 
thats a huge relief. for a moment I thought I had it all wrong.

And yes, the 3/8" that came up was a little confusing but relised that was a differnt mesurment. not a differnt mesurment format. (I am terrible with mesurments incase you didnt know :p)

Its also a relief to know the PSU should be enough for what I want to run. as it just arrived today.

I got the barbs on order (EK make) and their all metal so I avoided the plastic ones.

Now I will be looking into getting those clamps.

thanks for the reply!
 
I will take pictures and post the finished project on that sticky thread. Hopefully everything will go to plan.

many thanks for everyones help!
 
I use small plastic zip ties instead of clamps. They work wonders and are easy to clip off with a small set of snips when done. You can get a bag of 100 at any auto shop around:).
 
Ok I'm back again >__>

the motherboard that I wanted to get water cooled is this one

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/DFI-...E-20-(x16)-Triple-DDR3-1600(OC)-SATA-RAID-ATX

The northbridge heat sink is connected up by a heat exchange pipe to the heat fins near the CPU socket. I was hoping that I would be able to connect up a water block to the northbridge chip (as I heard the i7 northbridge chips run hot).

Do I remove the whole heat sink? Or would I have to remove part of the heat sink (not keen on the latter as I would likely void the warrenty).
 
I would get a MOSFET water cooler as well and chain that into the loop.

You just need to figure out which one will fit that board. I don't see one that works with the x58 DFI boards though, at least for EK water blocks.

Northbridge runs really hot.
 
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Blimey the list continues

I was hoping to try and keep it as simple as possible but I guess I wont have much of a choise if I go with that motherboard.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a differnt motherboard that does not have a northbridge connected up to the southbridge or the MOSFET's but my options will be limited.

This one looks promising, but I'm a little concerned by the ammount of ppl that had to return the motherboard becuase it was DOA

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188046
 
*Edited*

Ok im still staying with the original plan. Found some excellent information regarding the motherboard here...

http://gilgameshreviews.com/index.p...64:gilgamesh&catid=36:latestreviews&Itemid=56

I can remove the top of the heatsink from the northbridge and not worry about removing the heat pipe that is connected to the MOFETS. From what the review said, it seems that DFI has applied TOO much thermal compound. Plus the cooling compound was cheap.

Also on another note, I just received my Apoggee GTZ water block for the CPU. Out of curiosity I removed the packaging to get a closer look at the block. I noticed that the brass plating that will be sitting on the CPU had scratches all over it! As well and a few bits of unsightly grit and muck. I left a message with overclockers (who I purchased the block from) and asked for a replacement that isent 2nd hand.

Maybe im just over reacting. But would anyone else of done the same?
 
Maybe im just over reacting. But would anyone else of done the same?
Click to expand...

Not really... I'd just go ahead and lap the block instead. Unless the scratches are any deeper than surface scratches (hairline scratches) it won't make any difference... But to each their own - and I don't know how bad the base really was either.
 
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