Watercooling Build Check - Opinions and thoughts wanted!!

This will be my first build and after much research I have come up with the following which will go into my 600T case (modding required!) with an oc'd 4770k:

YOUR BASKET
1 x OcUK Tech Lab - XSPC D5 Vario Pump & EK-D5 X-TOP CSQ Value Combo £81.98
1 x Hardware Labs Black ICE Radiator SR1 240 £55.98
1 x XSPC RayStorm CPU WaterBlock (Intel) £51.98
1 x XSPC EX360 120mm Radiator - Black £49.99
1 x EK-RES X3 150 Reservoir £39.98
2 x Three Fan Bundle - Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition Fan 4 pin £31.99 (£63.98)
1 x ModMyMachine Shoggy Sandwich V2 for your Watercooling Pump £6.98
1 x XSPC HighFlex Hose 7/16" ID, 5/8" OD, 15.9/11.1mm, 2m, Red/UV Orange £5.98
1 x Mayhems Ultra Pure H20 Watercooling Fluid 1L £4.99
1 x Mayhems Fine Silver Kill Coil £4.5
1 x XSPC G1/4" T Fitting (Black Chrome) £3.95
3 x XSPC G1/4" 90° Rotary Fitting (Black Chrome) £3.49 (£10.47)
2 x XSPC G1/4" 45° Rotary Fitting (Black Chrome) £3.49 (£6.98)
10 x XSPC G1/4" to 7/16" ID, 5/8" OD Compression Fitting (Black Chrome) £2.99 (£29.90)
1 x XSPC G1/4" Plug (Black Chrome) £1.55
Total : £431.20 (includes shipping : £10.00).




I will be adding a suitable GPU to the loop when AMD's next gen show up, hence the lack of a GPU block and large number of rads just for a cpu!! Also I haven't included components for a potential fill port at the top.

My current layout concept is as follows:



Can anyone suggest any improvements???

A few questions:

1) I've also looked at bitspower fittings but they work out at an extra £50. Are they worth it?

2) I've chosen orange tubing at the moment over an orange dye. Any comments?

3) I've chosen a separate pump so I can easily isolate vibrations. Is this necessary or would a tube & pump or bay res & pump combo be fine?


As I said, this will be me first watercooled build so any advice and suggestions are really welcome!

I prefer separate pump as it is easier to isolate. Good move getting the Shoggy they are great.

Get 2 litres of coolant just to be safe.

You will need more than a metre of tubing. I would get 3 to be safe. But that is just me

Bits ower are great and you can feel the quality ooze about them. I use the EK compressions.

In short are they worth it no. Probably not at your stage, maybe factor them in at a later stage to spread the cost.

you got the right idea seems fine, just remember to watch the distance between the res and the mobo

What about the xspc photon 170 res, it's got some really nice touches and the price is good

Cheers Chaps.

The tubing comes in 2m lengths so surely one would do? And I will get 2ltrs!!

regarding the clearance, looking around the ex series from xspc seems about the best you can fit with only simple modding to accommodate the 360 rad.

The photon 170 does look good. I like the lighting idea, especially as I'm reluctant to use dye so an orange led would be ideal...

Oh and Codec, just seen your project log. My word. Love it. Sub'd, cant wait to see the finished product!

lukext said:

Cheers Chaps.

The tubing comes in 2m lengths so surely one would do? And I will get 2ltrs!!

regarding the clearance, looking around the ex series from xspc seems about the best you can fit with only simple modding to accommodate the 360 rad.

The photon 170 does look good. I like the lighting idea, especially as I'm reluctant to use dye so an orange led would be ideal...

Oh and Codec, just seen your project log. My word. Love it. Sub'd, cant wait to see the finished product!

Click to expand...

Get a 2 pack of tubes then!
As opposed to using dyes what about using the pre mixes from Mayhems such as the pastel range? It is more expensive but doesn't require biocides or kill coils. Might be another consideration

Haha , ok .

I've seen the pastel range but worried (probably unnessecarily!!) it will gunk up the loop eventually. Hence the clear fluid and orange tubing! If anyone can provide good reports on the Mayhems Pastal range then I'm all ears!! The only thing I have heard is to be careful on what tubing you use with the Mayhems.

lukext said:

Haha , ok .

I've seen the pastel range but worried (probably unnessecarily!!) it will gunk up the loop eventually. Hence the clear fluid and orange tubing! If anyone can provide good reports on the Mayhems Pastal range then I'm all ears!! The only thing I have heard is to be careful on what tubing you use with the Mayhems.

Click to expand...

I used the raspberry purple pastel (yuck!) before and had no issues after a couple of months. I have just switched today from Mayhems X1 blue to Pastel white.

To be honest it is worth taking blocks apart once every so often ( I do mine once a year), but then again I tinker with my system all the time so rarely keep the same fluid for more than 3 months anyways

Fair play. I'll see when I come to buy it all. I do like the pastel white.

Cheers for your help. Good to have a sanity check and other opinions!!