Preparing for first loop

Hakanese · 10 Aug 2013 at 14:16

Hi guys, after much Umming and Ahhing, I've decided to go for my first Water cooling loop I've already preordered the snazzy Phanteks Enthoo Primo case, and I'm just getting a list of fittings etc. I just wanted to ask people's thoughts on it and is there something glaringly obvious I've messed up on.
YOUR BASKET
1 x XSPC RayStorm CPU WaterBlock (Intel) Copper £104.99
1 x XSPC Razor GTX 770 GPU Waterblock £91.99
1 x Hardware Labs Black ICE Radiator SR1 420 £89.99
2 x XSPC D5 Vario (Body + Screwring) £56.99 (£113.98)
1 x EK-BAY SPIN Reservoir - Plexi CSQ £55.99
1 x EK-RES X3 250 Reservoir £51.98
2 x Monsoon 16/10mm (ID 3/8 OD 5/8) Free Center Compression Fitting Six Pack - Gold £27.95 (£55.90)
1 x Monsoon 16/10mm (ID 3/8 OD 5/8) Free Center Compression Fitting Six Pack - Matte Black £27.95
1 x Bitspower Matte Black Mini Valve With Black Handle £16.98
2 x Koolance QD3 Female Quick Disconnect No-Spill Coupling, Compression for 10mm x 16mm (3/8in x 5/8in) £12.95 (£25.90)
2 x Koolance QD3 Male Quick Disconnect No-Spill Coupling, Compression for 10mm x 16mm (3/8in x 5/8in) £12.95 (£25.90)
2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 45 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter £11.99 (£23.98)
2 x Monsoon 19/13mm (OD 3/4) Rotary 90° - Gold £9.95 (£19.90)
2 x Monsoon 19/13mm (OD 3/4) Rotary 90° - Matte Black £9.95 (£19.90)
2 x Monsoon 19/13mm (OD 3/4) Rotary 45° - Matte Black £9.49 (£18.98)
2 x Monsoon 19/13mm (OD 3/4) Rotary 45° - Gold £9.49 (£18.98)
2 x Mayhems X1 Clear Premixed Watercooling Fluid 1L £7.99 (£15.98)
1 x ModMyMachine Shoggy Sandwich V2 for your Watercooling Pump £6.98
1 x XSPC G1/4" T Fitting (Black Chrome) £3.95
3 x Koolance Radiator Mounting Screw & Nut, 25mm £2.99 (£8.97)
1 x XSPC G1/4" 10mm Male to Male Fitting (Black Chrome) £1.79
1 x XSPC G1/4" Plug (Black Chrome) £1.55
Total : £816.59 (includes shipping : £11.75).

I'll be ordering the EK dual pump top from a competitor site as Ocuk don't stock it, so some help and comments from you water cooling masters would be much appreciated

Uncle Petey · 10 Aug 2013 at 14:50

Why two reservoirs? Do you need two pumps?

Hakanese · 10 Aug 2013 at 14:59

will be adding 2nd and 3rd cards at a later date. fancied the look of having 2 reservoirs, and the potential for 2 loops sytem later, the dual pumps atm for redundancy.

Uncle Petey · 10 Aug 2013 at 15:00

Fair enough then

Ed: Just noticed your quick disconnects are incompatible

whyscotty · 10 Aug 2013 at 15:10

Your QDC's don't match

You need either both VL3 or both QD3

Hakanese · 10 Aug 2013 at 15:13

good catch, I'll edit it. All these fitting really are a pita, any ideas on T fitting for a drain option?

Hakanese · 10 Aug 2013 at 15:16

Edited the op. Thanks guys

Orangey · 11 Aug 2013 at 12:31

All the Monsoon stuff is pre-order with no ETA, I asked in another thread but got no reply as to why.

Hakanese · 11 Aug 2013 at 12:44

Well the new case is not due in till September, so I can wait a while till Ocuk get the stock in, I'd rather buy all the components from Ocuk anyway, it will be an expensive month, as I'm aiming for a new 4830 cpu too

Hakanese · 14 Aug 2013 at 13:09

Anyone used a drain port that is removable using Qdc's, was thinking I could just use a set of Qdc's on a T fitting and just plug it in when I wanted to drain asystem, and then remove it when I'm done.
Are there any drawbacks?

Uncle Petey · 14 Aug 2013 at 13:17

Could just use a tap fitting with an end cap?
Something like this?

YOUR BASKET
1 x Aqua Computer Ball Valve Female Thread G 1/4 without Fittings £5.99
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-PLUG Fitting G1/4 £1.30
Total : £9.56 (includes shipping : £1.90).

Either would work though

Hakanese · 14 Aug 2013 at 13:23

Yeah I originally had that in mind, but I just had this idea to keep the entire loop clean, just add the drain port when I needed to. I don't even have a good reason as to why

Uncle Petey · 14 Aug 2013 at 13:26

You don't need good reasons. Go nuts

Hakanese · 14 Aug 2013 at 13:30

*LOL* That's a big Affirmative Uncle Petey

JonJ678 · 14 Aug 2013 at 15:23

I've done that with drain tubes. It was in a m-atx case which didn't have a whole lot of space available, and I wanted a long tube to drain water away conveniently. It doesn't work so well as a very short T line because bubbles tend to get stuck in the disconnect.

T block -> ball valve -> quick disconnect, then a tube with the matching quick disconnect. The ball valve was because I don't have complete faith in the quick disconnects. I've since given up on the disconnect and have value -> blanking plug, which I unscrew to drain the loop.

The cpu block seems to cost twice as much as I would expect. It's hard to imagine that's thermally justified, so I guess it's the look you're paying for. Frightening cost of fittings too but I'm sure you've noticed that!

It might be worth spending a hundred or so on second hand parts first - old block, sort-of working pump etc. I broke my first pump (a Laing DDC

) within a day of owning it and that made me sad. It might also be worth plumbing it together in a spare computer first, just to work out any kinks in your technique. Especially given that second hand parts tend to work much as well as new ones - nothing much to go wrong with lumps of copper - so you may end up sticking with the low cost loop for ages.

Hakanese · 15 Aug 2013 at 00:39

Thanks for the advice JonJ678, I'll have a root around on the net and see what I can find in regars to preowned pieces. I've never considered that as an option before for a loop just on the off chance that something is broken etc