first watercool build

jair

jair

jair

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Joined
8 Aug 2008
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10
sorry long post.

ok iv been thinking for a while about attempting watercooling, and been looking around at other peoples topics and builds but after so many i get lost and confused about what would be best for me.

im only going to go for a cpu loop because i just got a 9800gx2 and no way am i brave enough to attempt taking that apart. plus that would be an extra £100.

currently deciding between 2 cpu blocks:
Swiftech Apogee GTZ WC-032-SW (if its in by time i order)
and
EK Supreme Acetal WC-000-EK

Radiator:
XSPC RS240 120mm Radiator WC-021-XS
or
Alphacool NexXxos Xtreme II Rev2 Double Radiator WC-041-AC, but i read in a post this was being replaced with another so possibly that if its in when i order.

pump:
this is where i need a little help. i was considering for a while the
Swiftech Laing D5 WC-004-SW,
like what iv seen about this, but just not sure if i would have the space. i would prefer to mount the radiator inside the case (antec 1200) but only place is at the bottom behind those 2 fans in the front, but then this leaves no place for the pump. so then i thought about getting a pump + res combined, but they seem to be less powerful and not sure if theyd be a good choice so id need advice in this area.

res:
was looking at the XSPC Single Bay Reservoir - Clear WC-008-XS, but would consider anything really, whatever would work best. but no dual bay ones coz i had to bend back runners in my old case to fit a hot swap hard drive rack and it was a nightmare so not again.

Tubing:
everywhere iv looked says Masterkleer 7/16" is best because of the tight fit it has on the 1/2" barbs but every time i look its out of stock so im not holding my breath on getting that. so looks like it will be the XSPC 1/2" stuff.

connections:
TFC Compression Fitting G1/4" Thread 1/2" ID/3/4" OD WC-011-FO like the look of these because they look like they would give a really secure fit, but im no expert so thats why im asking. i see everyone else using
EK 1/2" Hose fitting WC-006-EK and clips, so not sure whats the best option. the first ones are a bit more expensive but i think its worth it if theyr going to be leak free.

fluids:
was originally looking at feser1 because im lazy and didnt want to go through the trouble of finding other options, but i dont really want to be clearing dye gunk from the loop like i saw somewhere. just looking for whats best and doesnt require much maintenance.

i think thats it, id appreciate any help if anyone manages to read that without getting bored.
 
Swiftech GTZ block looks pretty good. For radiators, I cannot recommend Thermochill highly enough :) If you're feeling brave, you could go for a Laing DDC pump and conceal it in an empty drive bay (slight modding may be needed to secure it, nothing major).
 
been measuring sizes of double radiators with what space i have in my case, and where they fit, its a very tight fit IF the holes on the radiator are at the right places. if they are a few mm off they wont fit so im a bit wary.
would a single fan radiator be enough, or even if i bought 2 of them, one for the front of the case, one at the back.

so in theory, it would be
res > pump > rad at front (intake fan) > cpu > rad at back (exhaust fan) > back to res

so the hotter water is going through the rad at the back so the hottest air is being expelled from the case, going into the res then the front intake fan is cooling the water more as it goes into the second radiator, before going back into the cpu block. would this work?
 
not too keen with mounting outside the case, the radbox is always out of stock when i look, and with a nosey dog in the house it just feels like something else to go wrong, whether it be it getting knocked or hair getting caught in the open fan...

if its in stock when i order i will probably get it and try and relocate my pc to a better place, but id like to have an alternative for inside the case just in case its not. i dont want to put off ordering to wait for something coming in stock incase something else goes out, and i dont want to have to order twice coz i hate paying postage lol
 
jair said:
im only going to go for a cpu loop because i just got a 9800gx2 and no way am i brave enough to attempt taking that apart. plus that would be an extra £100.
Click to expand...

Taking a graphics card apart is really easy - i wouldn't stress it.

jair said:
currently deciding between 2 cpu blocks:
Swiftech Apogee GTZ WC-032-SW (if its in by time i order)
and
EK Supreme Acetal WC-000-EK
Click to expand...

EK Supreme Acetal would be my choice.

jair said:
Radiator:
XSPC RS240 120mm Radiator WC-021-XS
or
Alphacool NexXxos Xtreme II Rev2 Double Radiator WC-041-AC
Click to expand...

IMO you really want a double rad as this will allow you in theory to add your graphics card to the loop at a later date.

jair said:
pump:
this is where i need a little help. i was considering for a while the
Swiftech Laing D5 WC-004-SW,
like what iv seen about this, but just not sure if i would have the space. i would prefer to mount the radiator inside the case (antec 1200) but only place is at the bottom behind those 2 fans in the front, but then this leaves no place for the pump. so then i thought about getting a pump + res combined, but they seem to be less powerful and not sure if theyd be a good choice so id need advice in this area.
Click to expand...

I have a DDC 12V and DDC 18W and they are both really good and also low profile. I can point you in the right direction for custom brackets etc .. email in trust.

jair said:
res:
was looking at the XSPC Single Bay Reservoir - Clear WC-008-XS, but would consider anything really, whatever would work best. but no dual bay ones coz i had to bend back runners in my old case to fit a hot swap hard drive rack and it was a nightmare so not again.
Click to expand...

I have two and they are excellent.

jair said:
Tubing:
everywhere iv looked says Masterkleer 7/16" is best because of the tight fit it has on the 1/2" barbs but every time i look its out of stock so im not holding my breath on getting that. so looks like it will be the XSPC 1/2" stuff.
Click to expand...

Yep - the reason why people go for this is the tubing is pretty good in terms of kinks and will also provide a VERY tight fit.

jair said:
connections:
TFC Compression Fitting G1/4" Thread 1/2" ID/3/4" OD WC-011-FO like the look of these because they look like they would give a really secure fit, but im no expert so thats why im asking. i see everyone else using
EK 1/2" Hose fitting WC-006-EK and clips, so not sure whats the best option. the first ones are a bit more expensive but i think its worth it if theyr going to be leak free.
Click to expand...

For my first loop i only bothered with clips for the PA120.3 as the 7/16" does the job. I wouldn't stress leaks too much, just be careful and you will be fine.

jair said:
fluids:
was originally looking at feser1 because im lazy and didnt want to go through the trouble of finding other options, but i dont really want to be clearing dye gunk from the loop like i saw somewhere. just looking for whats best and doesnt require much maintenance.
Click to expand...

I use feser 1 because i'm lazy and it does the job. I also have added PT Nuke and a anti corrosion for good measure :)
 
thanks for the reply, helps a lot.

iv done more measuring inside the case and i just dont think a 2 fan radiator will fit. if i took all the hard drive bays out, and got my hot swap drive bay from the old pc and put it in 2 at the top with my dvd player underneath it would fit but that would leave me without a bay free for the reservoir and nowhere to put the drives on my old pc so im not really keen on doing that. wont fit on the back because i dont think there is enough clearance above the graphics card for the tubing, and none at the top.

if i got 2 single fan rads (one for the back, one for the front), would this not allow me to put the graphics card before 1 rad, then the cpu , then the other rad?

watercooling the graphics card is an option i want to keep open because it does get hot, and if its as easy as u say i would like to attempt it when i have the money for a block.

so far im looking at
-2 x XSPC RS120 120mm Radiator - Black
-EK Supreme Acetal
-tubing, preferably the Masterkleer but if its still not in stock, will be 1/2" stuff
-EK 1/2" hose fittings if i can get the Masterkleer, will decide whether to get the compression barbs or the EK and clips if i have to get 1/2" tubing
-Swiftech Laing D5 just because iv heard so many good things about it.
-not decided on collant yet because all i really know about now is feser. not sure what additives i need to use with the water or anything. i just want something that doesnt need much maintenance, like having to clear it out the rad and pump every few months, and that will last a while and cool well. and not corrode anything in my loop. i dont mind if it doesnt glow pretty colours, i just want cooling. as long as its not brown.


also, what is and where can i get PT Nuke? is it sold on overclockers? i had a look but didnt see anything by that name. iv seen a few people mention it but couldnt see it and not sure exactly what its for, except its added with the coolant.
 
I would avoid the Swiftech block, not because it's no good, but simply because if anything goes wrong with it, Swiftech are decidedly less than sympathetic. They manufactured a batch of the GTX with dodgy plating that basically wrecked almost £300 worth of my kit and their attitude was basically "we don't give a 4-x, our liability extends to giving you another mixed-metal top, sue if you don't like that answer", so I am;)
 
PT nuke is an anti-biocide which just means that it will prevent most bacteria/alge etc growing in your loop, it can be had in other stores in the uk but unfortunatly not here. A quick google for "pt_nuke" will proberbly be enough to find some.
 
jair said:
thanks for the reply, helps a lot.

iv done more measuring inside the case and i just dont think a 2 fan radiator will fit. if i took all the hard drive bays out, and got my hot swap drive bay from the old pc and put it in 2 at the top with my dvd player underneath it would fit but that would leave me without a bay free for the reservoir and nowhere to put the drives on my old pc so im not really keen on doing that. wont fit on the back because i dont think there is enough clearance above the graphics card for the tubing, and none at the top.
Click to expand...

It'd be better to get a single large radiator rather than two smaller ones as there's less restriction that way- I'd try and get the 12.2 in there and get a non-bay res. Not sure about the XSPC ones, but a lot of bay reservoirs are problematic to bleed properly of air. The swiftech micro-reservoirs are tiny and should be able to be fitted in somewhere without too many problems. :)

if i got 2 single fan rads (one for the back, one for the front), would this not allow me to put the graphics card before 1 rad, then the cpu , then the other rad?
Click to expand...

It doesn't really make a difference since the flow rate of the water is so high that temperature differences between two points in the loop will be very small anyway. :)
 
ok then, ill get the EK supreme acetal. swiftech make the pump too, should i consider another pump too or will i be safe with that?

if i didnt get the bay reservoir, would this one be any good? EK Multioption Reservoir 250 WC-008-EK. im thinking i could put that above the motherboard under the big boy fan, and that would give me room to have the 2 fan radiator in the front, with the hard drives on the bottom. do any of the radiators have the bottom flush with the fans so its not sticking over anymore than the fan width, so i know if i can screw it to the inside of the front case fans, and have the connections at the top. if it sticks out any more than the fans do it wont fit.

i only really have about £220 to spend on it, not including delivery, thermal paste and TIM cleaner. so i cant really afford much more on the radiators and the reservoirs than the ones id already looked at, thought it would be cheaper getting one double radiator than two small ones if its the XSPC ones, but its fitting it in thats the problem....
 
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i wouldn't bother with two 120.1 res's - prob more trouble than it's worth. If the 280 is anything like my 4870 @ load, the 120.1 would have no chance.
 


does this look like an ok set up? not sure if iv missed anything, seemed to be a longer list before... the extra 2 tubing clips r for the barbs on the pump. id rather be safe than sorry for and extra £1.16

i chose feser aqua ultra pure water because i found PT Nuke and G11 Coolant Corrosion Inhibitor elsewhere, would these be good enough or would something else be a better choice?
will be another 2 weeks before im able to order -hopefully- as more bills popped up :mad: so i have time to get it right. i hope.

going to get the 2 fan rad, and just see where i can get it in, the review said it fits perfectly on the back of the inside of my case, but i measured and looks like its too close to the graphics card so fingers crossed.

i will take pics when iv got it all jammed in, or when the pc is sitting in a heap at the bottom of the stairs because it didnt work :rolleyes: but beware i only have a rubbish camera phone.


edit: add EK LGA775 CPU Backing Plate - WC-015-EK to that list, dont think it comes with the EK supreme does it?
 
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Above setup looks good but i would use 7/16". You should be able to fit your rad in the front of your case no?
 
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