Please help a noob make the jump!

[Levesque]

First, I'm french, so please be tolerant with my writing and spelling. :) Second, I'm in Canada, and would like to buy from stores up here if I can...

I want to make the jump to watercooling, but I don't have a clue where to start and what to buy. And I don't know the ''jargon'' in watercooling.

What I have right now:

-HAF 932 case
-Asus P6T Deluxe v1
-i7 920 at 4.0 on air
-12 GB of RAM (6X2 Corsair DDR-1600)
-Tri-Crossfire: Asus 5970 + 5870
-Corsair HX1000
-2X Intel X25-M 160Gb
-Velociraptor 300GB
-Seagate 7200.12 1TB

Money is not a problem. I'm not on a budget. So don't be afraid to hurt me. :)

[phelan1777]

Want help?

You sure about this?

don't be afraid to hurt me. :)
Last chance!


<Pushes Lev over the edge>


<Turns to others, "he said he wanted help?!"

:D

[eponymous]

I'd suggest looking at some of the worklogs as a good starting point - see what other people are doign with your case and hardware.

Also, read the guides in the sticky - some of them are a little out of date now but they are worth reading still.

If you have any questions, feel free to post.

[millertime359]

If this is your first time, I recommend you wait a little and read the different posts in the forum. I also highly recommend that you start reading the stickies (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202394).

This one for sure: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=54331. Ignore the vinegar flush and filter part. They are out of date.

Also read over this post: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/253958-29-watercooling-guide. Con did a nice job with that one.

Read over those post and some of the reviews. From there you can give us a list to go over and we can further refine it.

We also need to know what your goals are for this. Is the noise level important? Are you trying to OC higher?

[Levesque]

Ok. After ALOT of reading, here's my first ''list''. Please feel free to over-analyzed... I'm married since 18 years so I'm used to it. :)

I want silence, if I can. I want to keep my i7 920 around 4.0, and will OC the 5970 at least to the 5870 level... or more...

-Apogee XT for i7 920
-Danger Den for 5970 and 5870 (will try only 5970 first...)
-Radiator: Feser X-Changer 360mm (triple 120mm)
-Pump: Swiftech MCP655
-Reservoir: Swiftech MCRES-MICRO Rev2
-Scythe S-FLEX F x6
-Primochill Primoflex Pro LRT 1/2in ID 3/4in OD 2X10 feet
-I have access to loads of free distilled sterile water (I already buy some for my labs)

I'm not sure if I need a ''safety'' kit and/or flow indicator.

Also, I don't have a clue which type of barb fittings (1/2in) to buy... Compression fittings or fittings with clamps? What type is the most used? And how many do I need?

Thank you. :)

[millertime359]

List looks pretty good. As far as barbs go, the biggest difference between barbs and hose clamps and comp fittings are comp fittings cost alot more and look better. The security of the fitting is the same for each though.

You will probably want to look into adding a 240 mm rad to all that especially if you are wanting to get an overclock on the 5970 and 5870.

I7 920s put off some heat when overclocked to around 4.0.

[nkresho]

Ok. After ALOT of reading, here's my first ''list''. Please feel free to over-analyzed... I'm married since 18 years so I'm used to it. :)

I want silence, if I can. I want to keep my i7 920 around 4.0, and will OC the 5970 at least to the 5870 level... or more...

-Apogee XT for i7 920
-Danger Den for 5970 and 5870 (will try only 5970 first...)
-Radiator: Feser X-Changer 360mm (triple 120mm)
-Pump: Swiftech MCP655
-Reservoir: Swiftech MCRES-MICRO Rev2
-Scythe S-FLEX F x6
-Primochill Primoflex Pro LRT 1/2in ID 3/4in OD 2X10 feet
-I have access to loads of free distilled sterile water (I already buy some for my labs)

I'm not sure if I need a ''safety'' kit and/or flow indicator.

Also, I don't have a clue which type of barb fittings (1/2in) to buy... Compression fittings or fittings with clamps? What type is the most used? And how many do I need?

Thank you. :)

No flow indicator needed. I would just take a look at the reservoir and you will see the water moving.

I personally use the 1/2" bitspower barbs. They seem to have the largest internal diameter, and therefore flow a bit higher than others. With 7/16" 5/8" tubing, I don't use any clamps. I have never had a leak, but I also replace the tubing after I take the loop apart. I think they don't seal as well after they've been pulled apart. I do like the look of compression fittings though. I just never felt the need to spend the money to replace what I have as it's been working fine for years.

That radiator looks great. It's been very highly talked of and reviewed. I might, as has been suggested above, make room for another radiator for your video card(s). Maybe even a separate loop for them. I run 2 loops on mine because I plan on adding another gtx285 when I get my hands on one. My w3520 is on it's own loop with a hk3.0 and a mcr320. In that case, if you decide on 2 loops, you'll want to look at the xspc dual bay reservoir. That also leans you to the mcp355 pump (pair of them) rather than the 655. That xspc reservoir holds two mcp355 pumps and doubles as a pump top for both, allowing you to use 1/2" fittings.

You'll want to get a fan controller to keep those s-flex fans from being too loud too. Make sure it's not the fc5 if you keep the s-flex's inj there. It (fc5) makes the s-flex fans squeal annoyingly. It does run other fans very well though. I run the scythe gentle typhoon ap15 fans on my radaitors and I love them. They work perfectly with the fc5. I've had all types of fans on my rads from yate loons (high, med, and low) to panaflo (high and med) to s-flex G series, to my current gentle typhoons. Hands down, the GT's are ther quietest and while not the best flowing, they do just fine on my swiftech 3x120mm and 2x120mm rads. Hard to find though. I'm still looking for another 5 ap15's to make mine a push-pull setup.

HTH

[Jamesrt2004]

Ok. After ALOT of reading, here's my first ''list''. Please feel free to over-analyzed... I'm married since 18 years so I'm used to it. :)

I want silence, if I can. I want to keep my i7 920 around 4.0, and will OC the 5970 at least to the 5870 level... or more...

-Apogee XT for i7 920
-Danger Den for 5970 and 5870 (will try only 5970 first...)
-Radiator: Feser X-Changer 360mm (triple 120mm)
-Pump: Swiftech MCP655
-Reservoir: Swiftech MCRES-MICRO Rev2
-Scythe S-FLEX F x6
-Primochill Primoflex Pro LRT 1/2in ID 3/4in OD 2X10 feet
-I have access to loads of free distilled sterile water (I already buy some for my labs)

I'm not sure if I need a ''safety'' kit and/or flow indicator.

Also, I don't have a clue which type of barb fittings (1/2in) to buy... Compression fittings or fittings with clamps? What type is the most used? And how many do I need?

Thank you. :)

apogee or ek supreme highflow for cpu personally

pump/res I would personally go for swifty 355 (ddc 18w) with XSPC res top

rad wise, XSPC RX360, (perf is the same and its cheaper then the feser)

good fans, always those, yates or gentle typhoons :P

good tubing,

imo as its your first time, get 1/2"ID 3/4"OD compression fittings, they cost a bit more but are a lot easier to get on with :up:

[Nemon]

First, I'm french, so please be tolerant with my writing and spelling. :) Second, I'm in Canada, and would like to buy from stores up here if I can...

I want to make the jump to watercooling, but I don't have a clue where to start and what to buy. And I don't know the ''jargon'' in watercooling.

What I have right now:

-HAF 932 case
-Asus P6T Deluxe v1
-i7 920 at 4.0 on air
-12 GB of RAM (6X2 Corsair DDR-1600)
-Tri-Crossfire: Asus 5970 + 5870
-Corsair HX1000
-2X Intel X25-M 160Gb
-Velociraptor 300GB
-Seagate 7200.12 1TB

Money is not a problem. I'm not on a budget. So don't be afraid to hurt me. :)


IF you ant silence with that setup then 4 GHZ will be tough to get with low noise.

I have had the HAF 932 with water cooling and its tight. HAF 932 water setup (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=3582168&postcount=20)
May want to get a different case to accommodate both loops

As for Compression fittings, don't waste money, use zip ties, Cheap and they work great.
Being a beginner, you will be taking your first loops apart many times before your finished and zip ties are easier to remove and reinstall.

Two rad is a must with a 920 and two vid cards.

My current setup has two rads:

920 DO @ 4015 cpu= TFC 480
2 x GTX260 stock= TFC 360

My setup has 12 fans at 1000 rpms, its not loud but its also not silence.

[Levesque]

Tthank you everyone. Everything is ordered, now I have to wait... the worst part...

Like I always say in my profession: ''go low go slow''. So I will start with only 1 loop on the CPU and see how it's going and learn. Then I will try with only 1 graphic card. I already ordered a new EK waterblock for my 5970. I will wait before adding the 5870 in the mix.

I ordered the Faser 360 and a Swiftech MSC220. If the last one is not enough, I will buy a second and stack them. I will probably go with 2 independant loops, one for the graphic card, and one for the CPU, since I have alot of space around the computer.

I will test my loop a full 24 hours before jumping in.

Wish me luck! :D

[Dude_Person]

Good Luck! :up:

Where did you order from? I'd be interested to see what alternatives there are to NCIX.com (Where I get everything). Not that NCIX is bad in any way (I love em).

[Levesque]

Not alot of alternatives in Canada...

I went with a ''mixture'' of Dazmode.com and DirectCanada.com. With both, I was able to order everything, except the Apogee XT that will come from Performance-pcs.com. Shipping was much lower there (9$, USPS, so no surprise) compared to all the other stores in USA that were all over 30-40$ shipping (for a 79$ block) and by UPS (a nightmare for us canadians with ''surprise'' fees at the door, sometimes 2 times the price of the item!)...

But the Dazmode guy is great! He answers all my e-mails in less then 30 minutes, and he's very friendly. Lots of videos and detailed instructions there for noobs like me! :) Prices are great, near Ncix prices... but Ncix is b.o. on almost everything I needed. So Dazmode got my order! I highly recommend him.

Honestly, I don't really like Ncix. It always take 3-4 days before they ship anything to me, then 6-7 days to reach me no matters which courier I choose. Shipping always cost alot there. I ordered everything late last night from Dazmode and everything was shipped today ExpressPost with free shipping!

DirectCanada also have great prices with free shipping, but they have a tendancy to ship my orderrs in alot of different boxes, and every items on different days. So it can be annoying waiting for all the items...

[Levesque]

Man, I can't believe it. Dreaming of my watercooling system... I'm only 39! I should still be dreaming about woman! :)

So I woke up this morning with a few noobs questions.

How do I start my pump (Swiftech MCP655) to do my 24 hours leak testing without starting my computer and fry everything? I have 4 computers at home, and a spare PSU. The spare PSU is Enermax Galaxy 1000, and I think there is a minimal load necessary for it to start. So probably that 1 small pump is not enough... i could use another computer, but i don,t really want to move those arounds if I can. Big old and heavy full tower cases. I also see people on videos using small gizmos in which they plug the pumps directly... What are those? Others are talking about putting a paper clip in the motherboard connector. Huh? I really need some detailed explanations here. :)

Second. I was reading the instructions on how to install the EK waterblock on the 5970. They talk about cutting ''thermal pads'' to put on the chips. Huh? Do I really want to use those? Or am I better using a thermal grease like Arctic Silver MX-2 or any others? I have alot of OC Freeze and MX-2 at home.

Third. For the 5970 card. They say to "use small amount of thermal grease on standoffs and glue them so they are concentric to mounting holes"... Huh? There is no other way to do this? Will the standoffs not always move while trying to put the waterblock on, since a grease will try to keep the standoffs in place?

Thank you.

[gmat]

How do I start my pump (Swiftech MCP655) to do my 24 hours leak testing without starting my computer and fry everything?
Jump start your PSU (without hooking the motherboard or any electronics) - that's what the paperclip is for. Connect the green wire and any black wire. If you need minimal load, add up some fans, and lighting to it for example.




Second. I was reading the instructions on how to install the EK waterblock on the 5970. They talk about cutting ''thermal pads'' to put on the chips. Huh? Do I really want to use those? Or am I better using a thermal grease like Arctic Silver MX-2 or any others? I have alot of OC Freeze and MX-2 at home.
Yes you must install the pads. It's for clearance / height reasons. Follow EK intructions closely and you'll be fine.



Third. For the 5970 card. They say to "use small amount of thermal grease on standoffs and glue them so they are concentric to mounting holes"... Huh? There is no other way to do this? Will the standoffs not always move while trying to put the waterblock on, since a grease will try to keep the standoffs in place?
I use a secret technique called "spaghetti bits" to keep the standoffs in place. Most greases are very sticky though already and will work if you dont wiggle the card when putting it over the block.

[Levesque]

I just found a good site with details on how to perform the ''paperclick'' trick. So I'm all set now. I sometimes forget that ''Google is my friend''. :)


I use a secret technique called "spaghetti bits" to keep the standoffs in place. Most greases are very sticky though already and will work if you dont wiggle the card when putting it over the block.

I was just not sure about the grease in there on the PCB. Is it not conductive?

I'm such a noob. :D

[millertime359]

I just found a good site with details on how to perform the ''paperclick'' trick. So I'm all set now. I sometimes forget that ''Google is my friend''. :)



I was just not sure about the grease in there on the PCB. Is it not conductive?

I'm such a noob. :D

That is why you use very little and you use it on the waterblock side. It does work though. I just did it with MX-2 on my EKGTX295-FC. Just take your time doing it and it will go together with no issues. :)

IIRC though, MX-2 is not conductive.

edit: I just use this. I like it as i am too lazy to hunt down the green wire. :) I like using a spare PSU as you can leave everything in your comp hooked up while leak testing and bleeding. Just remember to leave the computer off. ;)

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-65556269779593_2079_72523983

[Dude_Person]

Yes, MX-2 is non-conductive.


Not alot of alternatives in Canada...
Honestly, I don't really like Ncix. It always take 3-4 days before they ship anything to me, then 6-7 days to reach me no matters which courier I choose.


Really? By express shipping I have had items in less than 24 hours from the moment I press order till it is at more door (this has happened multiple times). My experience with RMAs and returns has also been very good. (And I have a Premier Partner account so I get discounts and free RMA :up:) I'll have to check out this dazmode guy.

[Levesque]

Thank you for the help.

And I will do the ''paperclip trick'' with a small lenght of cable like that. I prefer that one. :D

[Levesque]

Really? By express shipping I have had items in less than 24 hours from the moment I press order till it is at more door (this has happened multiple times).

Men you're lucky. Where I live, sometimes it's like mail services and couriers are still going by horse wagon, or something like that. :)

Can you believe that a Neweeg employe once told me that I was stuck on the RMA page because I was living in one of the very few towns in North America where UPS doesn't do pick-ups!

The more I think about it... in a way, we are lucky... since UPS doesn't come here. :ROTF:

[Dude_Person]

The more I think about it... in a way, we are lucky... since UPS doesn't come here. :ROTF:

:rofl:

Ya, I hate UPS. Purolater always gets my stuff from NCIX here fast. I live in saskatchewan so NCIX isn't too far away.

Keep us posted on how that trifire works out.

[Levesque]

Yes. I will try coming in here sometimes to post pictures. But december is a crazy month for me. Biggest selling month of the year. It's getting franctic with everyone running around my stores like headless chickens. :)

It's crazy how much reading I've done on watercooling since 3 days. Wow. It's endless! Sometimes, I'm not even listening to my patients and just read and read and read while nodding like I am really listening... :) LOL! And since I have 30 employes, all women, I'm used to nodding without listening. :)

Everything is now in the mail, so I have to wait.

Thank you all for your help.

[Levesque]

Last minute question. If I have only 1 5970 (mild OC) on a dedicated loop, what would work the best.

Swiftech MCR220 + 4 S-FLex E or MCR320 + 3 S-Flex E?

I have ordered everything for my first loop for the i7 920, but still not sure what to do for the GPU later. My 5870 will have to go in another computer for a while, so I will probably have only the 5970 in my main.

[nkresho]

For only one card, a 2x120 will be sufficient to keep temps quite low.

I am basing this on my own overclocked gtx285 that's got it's own mcr220. It creeps up on 41-43c during furmark (heaviest gpu load I have seen), but not above.

I'm planning on sli'ing w/ another on that rad too, as soon as the bank account recovers from christmas shopping.

[Dude_Person]

The MCR220 with only 2 fans would likely be sufficient. To more directly answer your question, I'm pretty sure that an MCR320 with 3 fans will outperform an MCR220 with 4 fans. That is assuming you haven't undervolted the fans to the point they can't get air through your rad. The S-Flex Es should be fine though.