water cooling any useful tips

[flowone_uk]

Hi. First time water cooling looking for any helpful advice and tips. I'm only watercooling the cpu and keeping everything internal. The reservoir is using a 5. 14 drive bay the radiator will be attached to the rear 120mm fan. I'm thinking that tge easiest way to leak test would be to install it all without the mobe or anything else in the case and leave it on for 48 hours just to be sure ill leave the psu out of the case but powering the loop. What does everyone think on this approach. This will be my first water cool so a little nervous but I'm sure ill be fine

 

[Geckovich]

Good approach to leak testing, nice and sensible for your first time is good. A tip for the leak testing is to place kitchen roll or something similar under all your joins, it makes it easier to see a slow leak.

General tips:

Go with a "measure twice, cut once" mentality.

Read up and put in the leg work, ask for advice when you've got a rough plan already, that way people on here can give you anymore pointers. Think of it this way: it might be easier to just ask someone one here to spec you a loop but if it all goes wrong (most likely never but still) it's better to have a good understanding of the stuff.

Ask why you want water. For me it was keeping a reasonable overclock but nice and quiet, for some it's bling factor, for others it's extreme overclocking. If it's "just cus" then I'd stay stick to air.

Don't skimp, cheap water is still usually several times the cost of good air cooling but with more risk and no benefit. Expect to pay £100-£150 for a reasonable CPU only loop.

7/16" Tubing on 1/2" Barbs.

Laing DDC pumps.

I hope this helps, I'm sure the pros will dive in shortly to give you some more indepth advice, this is just a short list of things that will usually get mentioned.

If you do decide water is the way forward then have fun with it, if you get the bug it will be an expensive but rewarding addition to building any PC.

 

[Ducky Spud]

Geckovich offers good advice The kitchen roll is a good idea and most people experienced with water cooling will of used that trick when leak testing. I also recommend having a jug there incase theres a serious leak! One of the rubber o-rings had come off one of my barbs so it wasnt water tight and with a high power pump I soon had half a bottle of feser in the bottom of my case/on my carpet lol. Having a jug or somthing to catch it in would have been a bit better! personally I leak test for about 2 hours but I guess the longer you test for the safer you are!

Good luck, and if you need any help with setting it up, what order to put things in or whatever, just ask here we do our best to be a friendly bunch