Watercooling the Antec Skeleton

G-Dubs

G-Dubs

G-Dubs

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I'm soon going to be watercooling my Antec Skeleton. I've modded a few so i'm familiar with the case but have to say a bit of a noob when it comes to watercooling. Obviously i'm reading up and studying the forums but it's a vast subject to try to get to grips with, so what i'm after is a bit of advice in the first instance.

I like the look of the cylinder type resevoirs such as the EK250RES2 Multioption RES 250 Rev.2 ( or something of the same ilk), and think I have a good place to locate it on the case. I was originally thinking of one of the drive bay res' but due to the layout of the case it's a bit of no go.

I currently plan to mount the res on the inside of the case, attached to the downcurving part of the arch frame, essentially pretty much where the strut is that i've already cut away for the original build/mod to accomodate the cpu heatsink and fan


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The rad I plan to attach to the hex mesh panel on the outside of the case, with the tubes passing around the back so that it can all be lifted free when I slide the main section of the case out.

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That's pretty much as far as i've got right now, so would very much appreciate your thoughts on kit eg CPU block , radiators, pumps (would ideally like combined pump res if you can get them as per the EK res) and which manufaturers are good and which to stay away from.

I shall open up a thread on the cases forum once I get the build underway.
 
The heatkiller blocks are perhaps the best out atm. Then you are looking at EK supreme (very restrictive) or swiftech GTZ.

Cylinder reservoirs are great because they are easy to bleed/fill up where as bay res's are difficult to get to (but imo look so much better). I'm not sure on the res/pump combo as I always buy separate. The problem you might have with the skeleton is room. Using the standard 7/16 or 1/2 ID tubing you are going to struggle unless you don't mind spending a bit of cash on 45 degree connections which will ease some of the tubing flexing. You might also want to consider using smaller (3/8 tubing) for that kind of build as this will be a little easier to fit with no significant drop in performance.

Fitting a rad is going to be a nightmare truth be told onless you can make some sort of bracket/shroud assembly and have it external. Most of the time you get what you pay for with rads so stick with Thermochill imo. The drawback is that they are thick rads and also large, depending on your preference of 120.1/120.2/120.3.

Stay away from Thermaltake, there WC products are dire. Stick with Swiftech/laing/thermochill/EK/bitspower/Koolance/aquacomputer and you won't go too far wrong.
 
Bubo said:
What are the motives for water cooling? Better overclock, looks or silence?
Click to expand...

I guess all three with the addition that i'm doing because i want to learn how to and because not too many people have done it to the skelly case.

have seen various opinions of best way to config the loop, what do you guys think?

cpu-rad-pump-res? or something else? and if so why?
 
w3bbo said:
The heatkiller blocks are perhaps the best out atm. Then you are looking at EK supreme (very restrictive) or swiftech GTZ.
Click to expand...

the Supreme HF's have the lowest water restriction in a block you can buy, it's one of the reasons the HF is recommended over the slightly better performing apogee xt
 
Muel said:
What happened to the other Skeleton? Have to say I preferred that one. :(
Click to expand...

it's actually sitting doing nothing at present I did try to sell it but no takers. (marmite effect I guess).

the yellow black is the one I use everyday and so will probably be the one I WC.

Think I'm going to need a set of those angled barbs. but not sure yet where the pump will go.

can I be cheeky and ask if you (or anyone else for that matter) would mind speccing me a WC set up. I'm interrested in quality and although i'm not made of money (NHS employee) I have been saving up for this so can probably stretch my budget quite a way.

I'll try to get a few photo's up tonight or tomorrow re where I think would be a good place for stuff to go but please feel free to rip it apart.

edit: forgot to mention I intend to fix the rad to the outside of the case, mounting on the hex panel, with the fans mounted outside of the rad so they're blowing cold air over it (nothing too temp critical in the lower chamber so not worried about heat going in there). measurements wise at its narrowest point (the top of it where the clips are) it measures 300mm accross with a depth of 120mm. I could always make sone standoff if need be
 
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I've mocked up a picture of the side of the case using my vast photomanipulation skills. Also are a few pictures of the area of the case I think is best suited to accomodate the WC gear.

both the res and the pump I think can be attached to the inside of the struts (on mock up it looks like outside), with the rad mounted on the outside of the mesh panel

I'd appreciate comments on how best to link this lot up. and what sort of angled parts am I likely to need.


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Obviosly yhr fenrir will be gone which I hope will create plenty of space for the tubes and res and perhaps pump also.
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Edit: just flexed my photomanipulation skills again, would this be a reasonable way to plumb it up, or have I got it all wrong?

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With this case and its slidng mobo tray, where you can route your tubes is dictated by having enough flexibility to still be able to slide the mobo out. I'm not sure your mock up will allow the mobo tray to move much due to the apparently fixed position of the pump and the short length of tube between pump and cpu.

If it was me I would lose that type of res and go for a Swiftech microres just so it can be mounted somewhere more discreet given that you may need to be more flexible with your tube runs. One possibility would be to run "cold" leg fromt he rad where it is now, into the swiftech which you coulf put on the side or in the bottom compartment, then into the pump which would probably have to go into to bottom compartment positioned as far back towards the rear of the case as it will go, then run the tube towards the fron of the case, up and over to the cpu block, from there back to the front of the case and down under and back to the rad. With the pump at the back of the case this should allow you the necessary slack inthe tube to be able to slide the mobo out.
 
Cheers Bubo

Have I got everything in the correct order, or is there a better order to go in?

You're spot on with your comment re the mobo section sliding out to the rear.
The "tubes" I added were not really to scale although I do hope to keep it as compact as I can.

As the side mesh panels that I will be mounting the rads on are removeable via to sliders at the top I was planning on detatching them (with the rads attached to them) whenever I need to slide the mobo section out. I would guess there's a bit of flex in the tubing that would allow this???

the method you describe re the micro res sounds good. cheers.

Just had a thought, if I went for a smaller rad I could perhaps mount it all on the mesh panel. I'm not really bothered about looks, in fact the lore industrial the better.
 
So long as the res is before the pump thats all that matters, beyond that it makes practically no difference what order your loop is in :)

You could also look into using some quick disconnects.
 
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Thanks for all the advice and pointers guyss, i've been doing a lot of reading up and studying other builds etc also.

I think i'm going to mount the rad vertically as this will leave a bit more room for the other components.

Will most likely go for a pump res combo which I can mount along side.

or perhaps have the pump one side of the rad and the res the other. Could perhaps use 90 degree barbs on pump and res and pass the tubing behind the rad.

am I best with having the tubes enter/leave the rad at the top or the bottom?

Photo0615-Copy2.jpg
 
Ok had another idea, this time with separate pump res.

I've also included a blank image so if anyone wants to have a go at showing me how they would position/link it would be much appreciated.

the outlet from the res is meant to be passing behind the rad on it's way to the pump.

do rads have bleed nipples? if so, where are they located and would it be a problem to mount the rad this way up.

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Photo0615.jpg
 
Have you thought of placing the rads underneath the case, sort of making a stand out of two 120.3 rads?
 
I hadn't actually, but quite like the idea. Only thing is I quite like the idea of all the kit being on show as this is very much the theme with this case as a whole, and in keeping with the "industrial" look.
 
Have now ordered a pump res combo

Just that on a lot of pumps there's a temp limit of about 60 degrees, so wondered if it was best going cpu>rad>pump/res

That way the pump gets cool water not hotter water.

But if it really makes no dof then no worries.
 
At full load after 30 minutes running 8 threads small ftt prime my water equalised to 33 degrees and that was in the middle of a fairly warm day with a 28.5 degrees ambient (air in). If your water ever got that high i think you'd notice:p
 
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