1st Time Water-Cooling User

[ACE76]

As the title says, I'm about to build my first water-cooling set-up. I was hoping people here could help me do a parts list that I could use as a reference when ordering everything.

I was going to order the Swiftech Apex Ultra kit to get me started since I'm a noob at this but feel free to give me suggestions. The only thing I was going to order separately was the new Swiftech GTZ CPU block to use instead of the one that comes with the kit. Is this kit a 1/2 ID kit or 3/8? From the descriptions, I can't tell. I'm also going to use Fesser One coolant since I don't want to go with the stock green the kit comes with.

I plan on putting all this into a new Coolermaster Cosmos 1100 case which is already good for a triple rad on top...I will obviously only using a 240mm rad for now but it's good to know this case has the space to upgrade already built in. Please give me any suggestions or warnings before I embark on this new cooling that I've never done before. I'm also considering the Silverstone TJ-10 which would require a bracket to fit a 240mm rad up top. Below are the PC parts I'm using:

Mobo - Asus Rampage Extreme
CPU - Q9650 & QX9770
Video - 4870X2 (Crossfire down the road)
Memory - OCZ DDR3-2000 Flex II 2gb kit
HD - 2 Velociraptors for RAID-0 lovin!

[sirheck]

I do believe you can choose which size barbs you want.
The kit you ordered should come with both 3/8 and 1/2 inch barbs.
They will probably be black plastic but will work fine.

Now cooling a quad cpu and the 4870 x2 maybe too much for
a single 240mm radiator.

[ACE76]

I do believe you can choose which size barbs you want.
The kit you ordered should come with both 3/8 and 1/2 inch barbs.
They will probably be black plastic but will work fine.

Now cooling a quad cpu and the 4870 x2 maybe too much for
a single 240mm radiator.

I haven't ordered the stuff yet...should I ditch the kit and order everything separately instead? would it be difficult to do as a first timer? The case looks like it can support a 320 radiator so i could order one instead...would one triple rad support a quad and two 4870x2 video cards? I think a single 120mm rad can also be put down at the bottom of this case as well.

[sirheck]

I haven't ordered the stuff yet...should I ditch the kit and order everything separately instead? would it be difficult to do as a first timer? The case looks like it can support a 320 radiator so i could order one instead...would one triple rad support a quad and two 4870x2 video cards? I think a single 120mm rad can also be put down at the bottom of this case as well.


Man thats up to you, the kit you ordered/or are thinking of ordering is a good kit.
And the 220 rad will handle either the cpu or gpu just fine.
But probably not both, they wont melt or anything.
But i hear the 4870 x2 is a heat monster.

A triple rad or 320 will handle your cpu and one 4870x2 fine
but adding another for CF later maybe too much for even
a triple rad.

Radiators like the MCR320 and TC or Feaser 320 are Realclose
overall for temps.

But the dualcore/row TC or Feaser rads may be better with
heavy heat loads.

[fasttruck860]

If you can build your own computer you can setup a watercooling system yourself. You just have to be patient and double check you connections and test for leaks. Not hard at all really. Your going to want a 120.3 rad and probably another 120.2 at least to cool all your parts. Don't buy a kit it won't be able to handle what your throwing at it. You might be able to get away with a quad rad, but it will be a tough fit for a case. I would say 2 rads 2 d5 pumps, dtek cpu and the x2 blocks plus misc. parts.

[IanY]

Do you already have the OCZ Flex II ram? Can you return it? Can you exchange it?

You see, OCZ's water channels are entirely aluminum. You will learn in due course that it is tragically bad news when mixed with copper.

I have the same memory. It was given to me. I use it in my wife's machine (lol) without water cooling attached.
Its very bad news.

So, if you can, return it, exchange it, trash it, whatever. Do not put that OCZ Flex II in with your water cooling loop! You will cry yourself a big river if you do so.

[T_Flight]

The water cooling stickies are your freind! :up: I'm new to water cooling too, and they have helped me alot. I've done alot of reading here. Actually about 3 months worth before I finally registered and got my account activated.

Those stickies at the top of the forum have alot of info. I read the entire threads and some of them were very long, but there was lots of info and tips in there and some info changed as time went on so I was glad I read all of the threads. There is a gold mine of info in those stickies.

I've picked some of my stuff, and have some of it here already, but the rest I have to wait for, because I'm building a Core i7 System and the boards, RAM, and CPU is not available yet. I'm not certain on the blocks yet either.

If you pick your own system out I bet you'll be more pleased with it. I know I already am, and I don't even have everything yet.

[ACE76]

I've read the stickies...this is moreover to give me suggestions on actual parts...if anyone has a list of their favorite blocks, etc, list them!

[sirheck]

Good blocks for cpu would be the
Swiftech gtz,e-k supreme, and d-tek.

I hear the EK doesnt come with a backplate for the mobo. though.

What i would do is order you any of the afore mentioned cpu blocks.
A triple mcr320 swiftech radiator.
An mcp355 water pump.
Some tubing about 4 feet of 3/8 of your choice.

Run just your cpu in the loop to get a feel for watercooling.

Then go from there.

[axis]

If you're gonna buy replacement parts for the kit, there's really no use in buying the kit. Buy the parts seperately and get what you want. The Cosmos 1100 is a great case but it's also a bit pricey. If you're just wanting something that has great airflow and can fit a 220 or 320 in the top, check out the CM HAF 932. It's about $65 cheaper, after shipping, than the 1100. Great aircooling options and already has the screw holes to fit a 120, 220, or 320 in the top, in addition to hose holes in the top for a rad to be hung off the back.

Axis

[ACE76]

Do you already have the OCZ Flex II ram? Can you return it? Can you exchange it?

You see, OCZ's water channels are entirely aluminum. You will learn in due course that it is tragically bad news when mixed with copper.

I have the same memory. It was given to me. I use it in my wife's machine (lol) without water cooling attached.
Its very bad news.

So, if you can, return it, exchange it, trash it, whatever. Do not put that OCZ Flex II in with your water cooling loop! You will cry yourself a big river if you do so.

I'm not planning on watercooling the memory :)

[ACE76]

that will be a good kickass kit to get for your maiden voyage into water cooling, what are your plans on gamer system or multimedia/data

well with quad the GTZ is a compliment if going crossfire 4870 x2 get the mrc320 rad

I think I will get the parts seperately nwo and will get a triple rad and the GTZ....the reason I was going to get the kit was because I know nothing about the proper tubing or clamps, etc etc....this way, I would have them and wouldn't mess up. Can you give me some links to the proper fittings and accessories I will need? I think I will just cool the CPu for now and once I have that up and running properly, I will add motherboard and GPU cooling.

I was browsing Performance-PC's website and saw that crazy 9 120mm radiatior they sell...they sell it attached to the Lian-Li cube case...does anyone know how well that radiator works? It even has two seperate openings for 2 loops from what I saw and read.

[IanY]

It is my opinion that you have the wrong case for what you are trying to watercool: A QX9, quad X-fire, NB, SB, etc Any dual radiator, whether PA120.2 or Feser or Black Ice GTX, is grossly inadequate for what you are trying to cool. If I were forced to use that case, I would stick to air cooling.

[Lloyd]

Myself, i wouldn't go with that kit, i'd get this....

RAD - TFC 120.3 (360)
CPU Block - D-Tek Fuzion V2
GFX Block - EK Full cover
Pump - Laing DDC 3.2 18watt
Res - XSPC res top
Barbs - TFC 3/8" compression
Tube - Tygon 3/8"ID 1/2" OD

And there is no way u can cool everything with that rad (120.2). get a 120.3 and cool the cpu and gfx

[ACE76]

It is my opinion that you have the wrong case for what you are trying to watercool: A QX9, quad X-fire, NB, SB, etc Any dual radiator, whether PA120.2 or Feser or Black Ice GTX, is grossly inadequate for what you are trying to cool. If I were forced to use that case, I would stick to air cooling.

What case would you suggest? i'm looking into the lian-Li cube server case, but I don't know if I want something that big. I'm not into cutting cases, which is why I am leaning toward the Cosmos case and it's triple rad support at the top.

[Lloyd]

I would suggest a Silverstone TJ07 - u can fit a 120.4 rad along the bottom - my next update to rig 1 (the feser (TFC) 120.4 looks awesome) And a 120.2 in the roof - with modding.
But the Cosmos u suggest i'm sure u can fit a 120.3 in the roof and 120.2 somewhere else, with a bit of modding though.

[T_Flight]

Take a look at my sig for *suggestions*.

Now a bit of reasoning...
Every setup is slightly different. There are reasons why i chose some of these things. I'm going more for the performance end, and also some of these items were suggested by Petra's. I am going with a higher CFM setup which means that it will be louder up and slightly louder when the fans are turned down.

Ultra Kaze's cranked up to full speed are fairly loud. Not the loudest mind you, but pretty doggonone loud. It's definitely not something I would want to hear all the time. When they are cut down they are reasonable and I can deal with it, but some like very quiet fans. I have a fan controller. I have tested this setup on and off the radiator, but that's as far as I have gone.

I cannot make suggestions on blocks yet, because I have not tried any yet. What I have learned, I have learned here at XS and from the guys at Petra's that helped me get an idea which way I should go for my setup.

There is high flow, and then slightly lower flow blocks and they have to be matched to the setup. I've learned that with a single pump I don't wanna put too many restrictive blocks in the loop. What block choices I be going with I just don't know yet.

Alot of the decisions you'll make will be based on how quiet, and what is quiet to YOU. Some people can handle a 220 CFM Tri blade and just laugh at it...others would call it an air raid siren. My choice of fans was based on benchmarking. I want to do some benching and it takes a setup that moves alot of air, and a rad that exchanges alot of heat into the air to cool the water. I had to control them though. During normal use like right now where I'm folding and typing here there would be no need in all that noise, and that is my opinion. Sound is a personal thing.

That's where I'm at right now. Maybe some of it will help you. I figured since I was new it would help some since I'm going through the same things.

[ACE76]

Ok, based on everyone's suggestions, i'm wondering how this will work out:

Case - Lian-Li V2110B w/Window
Radiators - 2 Triple 120mm (one put at the top and one at the bottom (will remove the HD cages)
Resevoir - Long Cylinder type put along the mobo tray's edge and one in a 5.25 bay
Pump - 2 Swiftech MCP-655s at the bottom perhaps?
CPU Block - Swiftech GTZ
GPU Blocks - One of the 4870 EK blocks
Chipset Blocks - Don't know what to use here yet for sure
Fans - Probably 65-70cfm led fans.

This is not going to be easy..especially for a first time person...but I'll give it a shot...I'll have someone who knows hwo to cut cases well help me do the case modding. If someone could give me links directly to the kind of fittings I should use for this set-up, that would be great...I was thinking 1/2 inch would be good for this...but maybe 3/8 would also fit the bill.

I just realized, I'm gonna need a good fan controller as well...maybe even two since there will be 6 fans on the rads.

[fasttruck860]

A couple of suggestions: If you really want to cool all that hardware then you should probably go with the TJ-07 case. You can get a Lian-li, but you will have to mod it to some degree. With the amount of cooling equipment you will need you might have to mod any case you buy. You can take a look a performance pcs website for premodded parts and cases for Silverstone and Lian-li. The Lian-li cube or a MM case would be you only choice other wise, but they are huge and $$. I would leave out the chipset block for now because you already have so many parts involved for a first timer. For fans I would check Martains tests or at least go with peoples recommendations here. I only use 38mm thick high cfm fans undervolted most of the time, but thats me. I just switched to san ace fans and they are the best bar none. You will definitely want a quality fan controller or two. Sunbeam rheobus controllers have 6 channels. I like to use worm drive clamps to secure tubing, but if you want latest and greatest you can go with compression fittings, but you have to buy a specific size tubing to fit it. The number of options for parts and accessories is just huge and I'm a little buzzed, so I'm going to stop here but you should definitely get everything sorted out before you start to buy.

[ACE76]

Thank You all for your suggestions...I will do some more reading here as there so may threads with valuable info and then probably change some parts before placing the order. I think with the help from a friend who knows how to mod cases well, I should be able to get this done nicely.

P.S. - I just took a thorough look through Performance-PC's water-cooling section and it's mind-bending!! With those many options out there, I'm surprised anyone can make a completely informed decision when buying...wow!