Building my first loop

Choaski

Choaski

Choaski

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17 Jan 2012
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So, for the longest time I've wanted to watercool my PC but never had the balls to just get stuck in and do it. The blocks that i have always liked went cheap and now i feel like i should commit to the cause!

Water Blocks: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-165-AQ&groupid=962&catid=1520&subcat=2767 (Acrylic Version)

This is where i get stuck as i know literally nothing about watercooling except i can make it pretty and blue with the right liquid and coolant :D.

Can people just drop some ideas on comparable hardware to go with the blocks along with the pros and con's, that would be amazing. Whilst i want the good cooling benefits im mostly after the ascetics, if i can get both, even better.

Spec;

Case: In Win GRone E-ATX Full Tower

Power Supply: NZXT Hale Power 90+ 1000W

Motherboard: Gigabyte 990FXA-UD5 AMD 990FX

CPU: AMD FX8350 Black Edition

Memory: Avexir Blue Series 8GB DDR3 2666

Hard Drive: Samsung 250GB SSD 840 EVO

Video Card: Gainward GeForce GTX 770 Phantom x 2



Thanks in advanced for the info!
 
Michaeljcox24 said:
For my first build I went with a OcUK tech labs kit. There was zero difference in cost buying them seperately. It was one less thing to worry about.
Click to expand...

I want that "I did it myself from the box" kinda feel tho. Sense of satisfaction of it works because i did it myself over buying everything in 1 box which will be flawlessly planned together!

Cost isn't really an issue for me, it's just knowing what fits what unless barbs are universal and its just barb > tubing you need to watch out for. Also, as i lack massive to all knowledge about watercooling, i don't know what parts perform better than others / whats quieter ect
 
An example set of parts:
YOUR BASKET
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-D5 Vario X-RES 100 (incl. pump) £105.95
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-Supremacy EVO - Nickel £52.99
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream PE 360 (Triple) £49.99
1 x Monsoon 16/11mm (ID 7/16 OD 5/8) Free Center Compression Fitting Six Pack - Blue £24.95
1 x Mayhems Pastel - Blue Berry Coolant 1L £14.99
2 x Primochill Primoflex Advanced Tubing 16/11 - Clear £5.99 (£11.98)
2 x Monsoon 16/11mm (ID 7/16 OD 5/8) Free Center Compression Fitting - Blue £4.99 (£9.98)
Total : £280.43 (includes shipping : £8.00).



This would keep with your blue theme. I've not included fans, as I'm not sure on a blue one with a decent static pressure, though Corsair SP120s would be an option with their blue accent rings.

You could change the CPU block to the blue one, but I listed the clear one so you could see the blue fluid.
 
hi all

ive just done the same thing.

ive had two aio coolers in my case for a while.

what i went for in the end was,

2 x 480 rads
1x xspc cpu block
1x xspc gpu block and back plate
1x ek x3 140 res
1x ek d5 vario pump with plexi top
ek fittings
13/19 tubing

a bit overkill but plan to put 2nd 295x2 when funds see fit

what i will says is

1. the first time i started pouring coolant into the res i was bricking it!

2. i found that ek and xspc parts dont seem to like to go together(fittings and cpu block-when putting fittings in seemed like they where cross threading every time, ok tho no leaks gpu block was same.)

3. temps have come down very nice though cpu 65 to 52 and gpu 65 to 42 ish.

worth it? yes.

just take your time and double check fittings and all should be ok

good luck

p.s i dindt think pastel coolant was a full time thing, just for photo shoots and looking pretty.

i may be wrong i read it somewhere that's why i changed my choice
 
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XSPC Twin D5 Dual Bay Reservoir/Pump Combo
Would this not be a better option than the X-Res, 1: I feel like i would have to hide it in the HDD bay as my 7790GTX's would obstruct it(Off the top of my head, currently at work), the bay drive is not only still on show next to the fan speed controller but also in dead space. I know you can't see my setup but i think it fit better.

2: Really like the EK-Supremacy EVO

3: Unsure if i would be able to mount this inside my tower, i believe i can, would just have to have fans in a push and check they clear everything inside.

4: Loving the fittings, they are so nice ;) Not seen them browsing through, would 1 pack and 2 extras be enough? 4 on the GFX / 2 on CPU / 2 into RAD / would i not need a couple more for the res ?

5: Rad's perfect as long as it fits and i can mount the fans :D

6: Is there anything against UV liquids? Whilst it wouldn't bother me too much, i personally think it would look better if i was able to get a neon light hidden ( White neon I'd look for )

7: No idea on tubing, i guess you need the same sizing to match fittings? Seems kinda self explanatory. What about hard tubing? I guess that would be annoying for sizing ect as it has to be exact.
 
WARRIORLOW said:
2 x 480 rads
Click to expand...

Are these not huge? Haha, from a quick google picture, they would be too big for me as i can't mount ontop of my case

WARRIORLOW said:
1x xspc cpu block
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Shiny blue light, dam this magpie effect! XSPC RayStorm CPU/APU WaterBlock (AMD) could be cool but i think it might be too many lights for my liking, might have to get both and experiment a bit to see what i like more.

WARRIORLOW said:
1x xspc gpu block and back plate
Click to expand...
I feel like i should get back plates but i don't know if i need specific ones? Do they aid anything or just make it look that little bit safer. The blocks i have feel heavy as it is, i'd be worried about the weight on my cards! (Only because I've never done this before)

WARRIORLOW said:
1x ek x3 140 res
Click to expand...
Again, it is nice but i'm not sure i have the space for one unless i hide it, currently, leaning closer to a bay drive res

WARRIORLOW said:
1x ek d5 vario pump with plexi top
Click to expand...
I don't even know what this is haha.

WARRIORLOW said:
ek fittings
13/19 tubing
Click to expand...

Assume these are just personal preference to what you want aesthetically

This might be overkill for me, no idea :D / I do intend to overclock and push the limits of my machine to see what it can do but currently, can run everything to a high enough standard for me as most of the time i play FPS on low settings for them FPS's

WARRIORLOW said:
what i will says is

1. the first time i started pouring coolant into the res i was bricking it!

2. i found that ek and xspc parts dont seem to like to go together(fittings and cpu block-when putting fittings in seemed like they where cross threading every time, ok tho no leaks gpu block was same.)

3. temps have come down very nice though cpu 65 to 52 and gpu 65 to 42 ish.

worth it? yes.

just take your time and double check fittings and all should be ok

good luck

p.s i dindt think pastel coolant was a full time thing, just for photo shoots and looking pretty.

i may be wrong i read it somewhere that's why i changed my choice
Click to expand...

I will be sh*&&ing myself when i do it but I'll run a test for 24/48 hours outside of the machine just to see how pretty it is. Thanks for the info!
 
AndoriAvalonia said:
Mayhems themselves can tell you better, but I believe it's something to do with the particles in it that give it the swirly effect settling and sticking in places.
Click to expand...

Had a quick look at a video of them and though that might be the case. I'll take it, it's a shame because its so pretty! Was looking at UV dyes, anyone had experience with them at all ?
 
Choaski said:
XSPC Twin D5 Dual Bay Reservoir/Pump Combo
Would this not be a better option than the X-Res, 1: I feel like i would have to hide it in the HDD bay as my 7790GTX's would obstruct it(Off the top of my head, currently at work), the bay drive is not only still on show next to the fan speed controller but also in dead space. I know you can't see my setup but i think it fit better.
Click to expand...

The usual advice from what I've read on here is to avoid bay reservoirs as they can transmit vibrations/pump noise into the case making it louder.

I like the look of a tube res myself if it is on show through the side window.


Choaski said:
4: Loving the fittings, they are so nice ;) Not seen them browsing through, would 1 pack and 2 extras be enough? 4 on the GFX / 2 on CPU / 2 into RAD / would i not need a couple more for the res ?

5: Rad's perfect as long as it fits and i can mount the fans :D
Click to expand...

I missed the 2x GPUs first time. As a result you'll need a 2nd radiator in the bottom (that case can take a 240mm one from the description on here if you take out the bottom HDD cage). The rough and ready rule of thumb that is used is 120mm worth of rad per item plus 120mm, so for a CPU and 2x GPU you need 480mm worth of space. You'd also need 2 more fittings, so 2 packs may be better.

I didn't list the bits for a drain point either, there are a few threads discussing it, but typically you'd need a T-piece, male to male connector, ball valve and a plug. You could use a 4-way if you then wanted to add a temp sensor. The thread I started for the build I'm proposing is here that has the various bits. In that I've intended to connect the 4-way direct to the pump, but you could put it elsewhere, so the 2 extra fittings would be used.

Choaski said:
6: Is there anything against UV liquids? Whilst it wouldn't bother me too much, i personally think it would look better if i was able to get a neon light hidden ( White neon I'd look for )
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with the UV liquids, I just went with the pastel

Choaski said:
7: No idea on tubing, i guess you need the same sizing to match fittings? Seems kinda self explanatory. What about hard tubing? I guess that would be annoying for sizing ect as it has to be exact.
Click to expand...

The advice on here that I've read is generally to not use hard tubing for your first attempt.
 
I guess it would be best not to try the stuff that's very precise, give myself some leeway :)

Could i use XSPC ECX Ultra Concentrate Coolant UV Blue with Mayhems Ice Dragon Nano Fluid 1L(white) to get a solid blue glow does anyone know ?

I think everything you suggested is what i will go for to be honest... I can grab a load of rubber screw mounts to reduce vibrations as I'm just using normal screws but then my PC is a mess ATM.

I'll browse around for fans at a later date as i want to get another speed adjuster as well, i MIGHT be able to get a duel rad on the back end with the triple at the top, other than that, off the top of my head would be to have a single on the bottom with the triple rad on top. If i had a single then i could have the Res if not direct, almost directly feeding into pump + rad which makes me think it would be easier to to bleed/fill.




SOOOOOOOO totally forgot i was replying to this as i was busy working and come back, ordered some stuff and then closed the window to see this :) / Date and time of order: 16 Apr, 15, 4:34 pm

Didn't get any rads or the CPU block as it's out of stock. Gives me some times to decide what im gonna do untill payday is in :D!
 
I'm not sure about mixing fluids from different manufacturers as to they may have some weird reaction.

You're brave trusting my advice :D I'm still planning my new PC build, which is my first attempt at water cooling :D

I'm looking at EK Vardar fans, but they come in black/gray.

If you go with a separate pump and res, the one thing you need is for the res to be the item immediately before the pump.
 
AndoriAvalonia said:
I'm not sure about mixing fluids from different manufacturers as to they may have some weird reaction.

You're brave trusting my advice :D I'm still planning my new PC build, which is my first attempt at water cooling :D

I'm looking at EK Vardar fans, but they come in black/gray.

If you go with a separate pump and res, the one thing you need is for the res to be the item immediately before the pump.
Click to expand...

Don't tell me that, already ordered it xD / I'm just not keen on the solid blue of pastel fluids, i think it looks a bit tacky, what's the worse that can happen right :3.

I might just find decent fans and spray them myself, black fans (to match hardware) with a blue/white housing. I'v got some old ones i can use as tests!

As for your first water setup, we can fail together its fine!
 
Choaski said:
Don't tell me that, already ordered it xD / I'm just not keen on the solid blue of pastel fluids, i think it looks a bit tacky, what's the worse that can happen right :3.

I might just find decent fans and spray them myself, black fans (to match hardware) with a blue/white housing. I'v got some old ones i can use as tests!

As for your first water setup, we can fail together its fine!
Click to expand...

I guess the absolute worst is that it causes some solids to form. Or it could go a funny colour that you're not expecting. Realistically, I don't think it will be a problem.

I'm planning on the pastel orange myself as I'm looking at a Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion and the orange fluid is listed as "Gigabyte Orange", so hoping it is a good match.

I'd also thought about trying to spray the fan blades, but will have to look into it.

If you want a white radiator the XSPC AX range come in white, and I think you can also dismantle them to an extent to spray just the outside if you want it a different colour.
 
Michaeljcox24 said:
The first ever fill is the worst. Watching (and hearing) liquid trickle round your rig for the first. True test of nerve!
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I'd like to test the loop outside of the machine first then just attatch it in without disconnecting it all if im honest but i know thats not reallyt viable lol.

I will definatly disconnect everything and jump the PSU to get the liquid all around the PC first before even risking anything purely because i will be scared as s$%t!
 
AndoriAvalonia said:
I guess the absolute worst is that it causes some solids to form. Or it could go a funny colour that you're not expecting. Realistically, I don't think it will be a problem.

I'm planning on the pastel orange myself as I'm looking at a Gigabyte X99 SOC Champion and the orange fluid is listed as "Gigabyte Orange", so hoping it is a good match.

I'd also thought about trying to spray the fan blades, but will have to look into it.

If you want a white radiator the XSPC AX range come in white, and I think you can also dismantle them to an extent to spray just the outside if you want it a different colour.
Click to expand...

WHITE RAD! SO COOL! Didn't even think about looking at white RAD's. This also promt me to see what RAD's will fit in my PC Case, nice to know i should be able to fit a triple on top and a double on the bottom. Would it be worth leaving an exhaust fan on the back of the PC or will this interupt airflow? Was thinking having front / back in and top/bottom as outs. feel the bottom being an out might mess things up a bit (PC is ~ 5CM off of the floor)
 
As far as fans go, the basic rule is to try to have more airflow blowing into the case than exhausting so that you maintain a positive pressure enclosure. This will make dust ingress to be less likely.
 
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