New to internal watercooling

ViRuS2k

ViRuS2k

ViRuS2k

Soldato
Joined
26 Jan 2004
Posts
6,293
Location
Scotland
I have 4770k and R9 295x2
and i would like to cool them with water,
i just bought off MM a watercooling case + internal watercooling loop :

Information :

Xigmatec eylisum this is a mamoth case. Current configuration is 2x 360 rads thick ones with room to still fit a htpx motherboard.
This case supports everything you can throw at it.
SSI form factor motherboards dual psu's 140 mm fans etc.

Case bundle pricing including installed WC kit
Kit comprises of:
1 Case as above
2x 360mm rads - not matched one white one black, pre-installed and connected
6x WC fans as per pictures in above link
1x fan controller
1x EK supreme nickel block EN version with universal and 2011 mounting kits.
1x EK DCP v4.0 pump res as per picture
fittings + tubing pictures + additional which are currently not installed (around 15pc additional assorted types and angles)

OCZ ZX 1250w PSU

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http://s271.photobucket.com/user/kerrgreg2111/slideshow/Watercooling - xigmatek?sort=3

pictures

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I have no idea where to start with the build
like knowing how to fill it and leak test it before i fit it.

i plan on cooling my cpu at first then my graphics card
the preloop thats installed goes from cpu to top 360mm rad with fans blowing out then from that rad to the 2nd 360mm ran that seems to be sucking air in not sure if it should be sucking in or blowing out that rad is on the front of the case
then from that rad to the pump/res then from the res to gpu then gpu to the cpu

but im not that great with watercooling but i really want to give it a shot i think i have all the tools and stuff i need i have some mayhems blue die and red die so all that i would need is the distilled water right

any tips help would be great
i also plan on upgrading to a 2nd 295x2 or 1 r290x is 2x 360mm rads cool enough to cool all that with great performance ? or would it be to much for the rads also like i said im new so any help or anything i need please jump in as im dieing to get all this stuff setup at the weekend :D
i
 
Azza666 said:
If you were to add a 2nd GPU especially a 295x2 you would start to struggle with two 360 rads imho.
Click to expand...

I guess i would need to add a 3rd external 480mm rad to solve that :)
but thats in the future i need at present to know if 2x 360rads are good for 1 cpu and 1 gpu R295x2 ;)

also what coolant should i go for would prefer also to have a choice between red and blue or white but before i add those die`s do i just get any ordinary distilled water ?

can you point me to anything or what i should get from OCUK as i plan on doing build on saturday. so i need to order the stuff today so i get it tomorrow.
 
Azza666 said:
If you were to add a 2nd GPU especially a 295x2 you would start to struggle with two 360 rads imho.
Click to expand...
That is false, you are seriously under estimating the power of watercooling, the stock model runs quite cool for a single 120mm AIO. To hit the point home even harder the 290x with a cheap 120mm AIO will stay at 44c with a ambient temperature of 21c http://www.legitreviews.com/nzxt-kr...oler-review-on-an-amd-radeon-r9-290x_130344/4 Your current setup is more than enough. :)

You will need to upgrade your power supply if you go for a second card, the power consumption is crazy http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphi...d-Hawaii-GPU-Powerhouse/Power-Sound-and-Closi
 
Last edited:
ok can you point me in the direction of what the best thermal paste is currently to use with watercooling ? also what water do i use ?

i was looking at this stuff :Mayhems X1 Red Coolant 5ltr £21
 
never mind the stuff is ordered now lol
i hope i got the correct water for my loop and i like red :D

as for thermal paste i found some IC diamond stuff that should be good enough for the cpu :D
 
Jay85 said:
List your full conplete watercooling kit you've ordered mate.
Click to expand...

hi mate look at the link in at the top of the thread there is pictures of the insides
of the case also the stuff i got with it is listed in my opening thread.....
 
Did you go for the 4.0 pump then? Would have opted for something abit better like a DDC or a D5 with what you're cooling. Otherwise everything looks good :)
 
Azza666 said:
If you were to add a 2nd GPU especially a 295x2 you would start to struggle with two 360 rads imho.
Click to expand...

Two 360 radiators cope well with my 4770k and two 7990 cards.

GPU temps go no higher than 40-45 degrees while mining.
 
Jay85 said:
Did you go for the 4.0 pump then? Would have opted for something abit better like a DDC or a D5 with what you're cooling. Otherwise everything looks good :)
Click to expand...

can always get a better pump in the future :D
the guy that sold me the pump said it works great with the setup currently in it.. should work great with 2x 360 rads the thick ones
and 1 cpu and 1 gpu when i upgrade to 2x gpus i will upgrade the pump :D still waiting on R9 295x2 blocks coming into stock on ocuk so currently on saturday the setup will be just cooling the cpu for now, just hope its easy to empty when the time comes to add the gpu block.

also can you tell me how that pump works LOL
there is 3 holes on it
currently the guy that sold me the case incl a empty loop tube + valve on the end of it, but i would rather set the system up without that as it looks messy or is it ment to be there all the time ? i figure though if i remove it its going to be really hard to empty the loop

how does the pump work do you fill it with the pump turned on or do i fill the res first then turn pump on as i know its bad for pumps being turned on without any water in them
do i pore the liquid in the top of the pump ? then turn it on then keep poring untill its all the way around the loop lol

total noob hahaha
how do people test for leaks before putting the cpu block on :/ dam going to have to do more reading up :/ though i have to get everything before saturday as the build will be getting done on that day as i have no time to do it until the following saturday so hope to get it all finished that same day.
 
Right lets do this one step at a time starting with the airflow through your case.

Your case is quite huge, infact its probably one of the biggest available aside the 900D. You want good strong fans at the front to pull fresh air through radiator into the case and at the same time have your top fans sucking air out of the case through the top rads. Your rear fan should also be pulling air out of the case. This setup is probably the most ideal and common. Push/pull configs make minimal difference tbh and only really add to the fan noise. Push or pull configs are the best imo.

Now for your pump and filling it. Your pump is the 4.0 pump is quite good for what it is but by my experience, they aren't that reliable (others will tell you otherwise). Its a pump/res combo so they are both joined without tubing inbetween like in a conventional manner. You always always go from res to pump and not the other way round.

Ideally you're looking at:

Res --- pump --- gpu --- cpu --- rad 1 --- rad 2 and back to res.


When going from rad 2 back to the res you want your lowest port/hole to be your drain port and your top port to be your return. On your pump there is only 1 port which pushes fluid out into your components.

Fill the loop using a funnel and lots of paper towels incase of spillage. Unscrew the top of te res to fill your loop, this is your only fill point.

To fill, pour fluid into the res and turn on the pump only to start the fluid going round. When the res begins to empty turn off the pump and pour in more fluid. Never let the pump run dry as it will damage it and kill it! Keep fluid going through the pump until your res stops emptying. There will be air in your system which will need to be dislodged. Signs of trapped include a gurgling sound inside the pump and a rattling sound in the rads. To dislodge air bubbles, seal your res first and tip your case side to side, back and forth to move the airbubbles. Turn your pump on and off to help move the airbubbles as well. Once the pump is quiet and the fluid in the res stops going down you'll know you have successfully bled your loop of air. Process can take minutes or hours, just be patient with it.

Your bleed valve should be sealed as well before you fill your loop, its an easy mistake to make.

Any questions feel free to ask.
 
If you want to test for leaks, build your loop outside your case first and run it through the waterblocks and fittings. You'll save yourself a distaster this way. If you do everything correctly there wont be a leak.
 
OK i think im getting the hang of it

on the pump there is 3 holes one at the top near the res and 2 at the bottom
the bottom most hole has the leak tube/valve ect above that goes back to the gpu or cpu then there is another tube that goes into the top of the res
i guess i start filling the loop from the valve on the drain tube and when the res is full i close the hole

also how do i power the pump and fans
i have a gigabyte oc board z87 and they have a power button if i press that it powers the board only and fans and psu but has no power to the cpu or gpu or powers on ect so is that safe to use to power the pump outside the case first with no heatsink on my cpu will the cpu fry ?

cheers
and any other tips you can give let me know

the current config is correct what you said in from the front and out from the rear.
 
ViRuS2k said:
OK i think im getting the hang of it

on the pump there is 3 holes one at the top near the res and 2 at the bottom
the bottom most hole has the leak tube/valve ect above that goes back to the gpu or cpu then there is another tube that goes into the top of the res
i guess i start filling the loop from the valve on the drain tube and when the res is full i close the hole

also how do i power the pump and fans
i have a gigabyte oc board z87 and they have a power button if i press that it powers the board only and fans and psu but has no power to the cpu or gpu or powers on ect so is that safe to use to power the pump outside the case first with no heatsink on my cpu will the cpu fry ?

cheers
and any other tips you can give let me know

the current config is correct what you said in from the front and out from the rear.
Click to expand...

You can fill it from there if you want but personally I would just unscrew the top cap on the res and fill through there as it'll be much much easier.

Do the paperclip trick on a spare psu you have if got one. You wanna pin a live pin and a grounded pin together (usually the green and black wire on your motherboard 24pin cable). Then plug your pump into that and you'll be able to power your pump and fill your loop without having to turn your system on and off.

I'd advise you not to power on your computer trying to fill the loop. Use the paperclip trick on a spare psu I just mentioned :)
 
Other tips:


Don't use screws that are too long to mount your radiators or fans to your radiators as the longer screws can puncture your radiator and cause a nasty leak! Always measure and re-measure to make sure it's the correct length.

Make sure your tubing is securely inserted into the fittings before screwing down the compression rings over them. If it's not secure, the tube can still come off.

When draining a loop, your water loop will have pressure build up inside. If you pull 1 end of a tubing off from a component i.e. radiator and then pull off another end from another component i.e. the cpu block, it will cause a change in pressure and fluid will move and in some cases drip or shoot out from one of the 2 ends you just removed. Be wary of this...
 
thanks for the tips ;)
and about the psu / motherboard i have i can power it up from the motherboard with out starting the system up as the GIGABYTE OC Z87 boards have a little button on the io that when pressed and you start the system all that starts up is the fans on the motherboard and psu starts up... :)

so technically i can power the pump without even having my loop attached to my cpu as the cpu is not initialized :D
 
I'd say not to do that... By switching your mobo on and off constantly to fill your loop, you run the risk of corrupting bios's and god knows what else. I would stick with the psu paperclick trick and run the pump directly off that with it not beinh connected to any other components.
 
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