First time building a custom loop.

[Slim Tech]

Hello,

I'm sure this topic has to be one of the most frequent, but I'd really like to ask you guys for advice before I purchase the loop, you know measure twice cut once.

My system consists of; Rampage Extreme V, 5960X, x2 GTX 980Ti DC3OC. But the Tt Frio OC doesn't cut it for the i7, the CPU cooler could handle the AMD Phenom II x4 950BK and the HD4870x2 was more than OK for the case. But when I got the new hardware everything was to clamped. The case I'm looking to get is the CaseLabs Magnum STH10 (upgrading from Tt Level 10GT) and I'm thinking of geting all the water cooling parts from EKWB. The case won't have the see-through side panel, I'm optting for the solid one and as for the tubing I'll also opt for ZMT.

Since the case is huge I'm thinking of getting two 480 radiators and installing , one at the bottom (side ways) and one at the top of the case (drop in).

The loop would be serial; Pump/reservoir next to the MB --> then CPU --> then top radiator --> then two GPUs --> then bottom radiator --> then back to pump.

The two GPUs would be parallel.


Okay, here are some questions I have.

• 
  Could the flow be restricted by the CPU block and reduce the effectiveness of cooling for the GPUs? Should I make two seperate loops?

• 
  Is it possible for the loop to be large enough, with the two large radiators to cause reduced flow?

• 
  As I understand the serial setup for the GPUs will push liquid in the first GPU and then in the second. The parallel one will allow for both GPUs to get cool liquid and exhaust the warmer both at the same. At the EKWB site, the configurator suggests serial, I've also Googled it but as for cooling performace the second GPU won't suffer in serial, as for parallel the only advantage it the increased flow. Is there any differece between serial and parallel for heat desipation aside for the increased flow?

• 
  (This might be a potato question)EKWB doesn't specify if the radiators have input/output for the water flow. Do radiotors have in/out dirrection or do I specify the in/out?

• 
  Will the possition of the radiators and the pump's cause any problems, will it work? Will the pump be able to draw liquid from the bottom radiator and push it at the top radiator?

Thanks in advance, guys!

 

[vapor matt]

Water cooling is the way to go, the flow rate is always restricted by the most restrictive thing in your loop.

Rads are not restrictive compared to blocks and tight elbows. hard tubeing looks good but to many elbows restricts flow. flexi tubeing isn't so restrictive as you can have sweeping bends.

you can run twin D5 pumps if you wish or just use the D5 strong pump with 24v which can offer increased flow and PSi in the loop. 1/2 inch tube offers better flow but as always the most restrictive thing in your loop dominates the flow. single D5 vario can be just as effective, there are also many other brands of pump. the res size can also help, larger res offers more cooling liquid to heat up. like a big pan on the stove with 3 ltrs of water in will take full heat for much longer and might not even get to boil, if you put a 1ltr pan on full heat it will boil quickly.

you can also run 2 separate loops one for GPU and another for CPU the choice is endless for water cooling.

Rads offer different cooling rates as well, low fin count rads offer better cooling for slow fans as high fin count rads offer better cooling for high speed high pressure fans. again personal choice. I prefer near silent fans with high pressure low fin count as I don't want to hear screaming fans and want a quiet water cooled loop.

pretty looking dosnt always mean best flow or best cooling. there are lots of review sites that reveal the flow rates of most of the top blocks and rads and all things in a water cooled loop. some go for all out performance and some for ascetics and looks.

don't think that screaming fans and high fin count rads getting you an over all 4c cooler is going to improve your overclock by 200 to 300 MHz because it doesn't.

rule of thumb, the most restrictive thing in your loop dominates the flow rate, increased PSI improves flow rate. low fin count rads need low speed fans as high fin count rads need high pressure higher speed fans.


Google is your best friend to read flow rates of the better performing blocks and pumps and everything you install in your loop.