Out of my depth with cooling loop issues - help

[Tsuchinoko]

Hi, I was directed here after posting on Reddit, not sure if this is the best category to post in so please let me know if it isn't.

Long story short, a little over a year ago I bought a small form factor PC with some sort of custom loop installed second-hand. Recently that custom loop developed some problems (leaking from a loose fitting, full of air bubbles, and definitely not keeping the CPU temperature down anymore) and I don't have the knowledge or experience to know where to start - I've barely even changed a stick of RAM before, let alone messed with a complicated liquid cooling system.

So far I haven't been able to find anybody in my area who works on custom watercooling, but I'm hesitant to try and fix it on my own; I don't think anything's been permanently damaged yet but I wouldn't trust myself to keep it that way. Please could anyone offer advice on how to approach this, e.g. any specialists in the south east I could visit or anything I could try to do in the meantime? Many thanks.

Images

 

[Fuzz]

Switch off, empty coolant, remove heat sinks, open heat sinks, clean them. Refit and refill.
Use youtube for how to videos of your specific parts.. teenagers can do this so you can too.

 

[SirConfused]

You absolutely should not be running the pc with the loop in the state is is in those pictures. It's desperately low on fluid.

As above, some maintenance is required (as with any w/c), you'll definitely want some fresh tubing and enough fluid to fill the loop from scratch as well as cleaning all the blocks.
It might be worth trying to get hold of some new o-rings for the blocks depending on how old the system is too.

 

[ph123uk]

I'd be switching out the leaky fitting (presumably the silver one top left?) Given how cramped it all is in there, I'd 100% be tempted to rip the lot out carefully, taking photos in between and washing / cleaning everything. You would be fighting a losing battle looking for problems one at a time in that, would be best to have it all out and start from scratch - this will also enable you to get familiar with how it all goes together!

 

[SirConfused]

The OP hasn't been seen since the first response. I guess it's either resolved or toast by now

 

[kute]

Curious to buy a watercooled system with absolutely no hardware experience. I build all my own systems and use an aio but I don't know much about running an actual loop, and I'd be terrified to buy a used custom loop system

 

[SirConfused]

Curious to buy a watercooled system with absolutely no hardware experience. I build all my own systems and use an aio but I don't know much about running an actual loop, and I'd be terrified to buy a used custom loop system

It's really not bad at all as long as you do your research and have patience the first time round to make sure everything is done right. Then check it all at least 3 times .

When you say buy, do you mean pre-built? I would personally say that if you want to get into custom loop cooling then do it yourself as they need routine/occasional maintenance and you don't want the first time you open things up to be a fully set up fancy custom hardline loop or something like that.