Does this build look good?

[RickyP602]

As the title says I'm trying to get some experienced guys to look at my parts and make sure I'm not missing anything and that everything is comparable and efficient. I'm on a semi budget since this is my first time and am not sure if this is a hobby I will pursue in the future. I am going to place everything outside of my case first, maybe I'll move it inside at a later date. Anyway here are the parts.

Pump MCP35X 85
Reservoir MCP35X-RES 30
Tubing 1/2 In Tygon 15ft 48.75
Radiator MCR-320 49.95
CPU Block XSPC RayStorm CPU WaterBlock 49.95
GPU Block EK Radeon 7870 GTX VGA Liquid Cooling Block 99.99
Fans Cooler Master R-4 (x3) 24.87
Coolant Fesser One 19.99

TOTAL 408.5

One thing i'm not sure about is valve connectors for my water blocks? Do they usually come with connectors or will i need to buy compression fittings/barbs (also what do you recommend i seem to find mixed reviews on each)

Thanks for you time reading and any help you might have

Ricky

[musicfan]

Ricky, here is a watercooling template: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...late&p=3556546

We can give better advice if we know your system. You can copy & paste suggestions from the template for guidance.

It also helps you to link to parts for more replies and less compatibility errors. Different models can look similar. Good luck.

[RickyP602]

Ricky, here is a watercooling template: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...late&p=3556546

We can give better advice if we know your system. You can copy & paste suggestions from the template for guidance.

It also helps you to link to parts for more replies and less compatibility errors. Different models can look similar. Good luck.

Alrighty, I guess i should have found that on my own, sorry.

User Name: Ricky602


System:
CPU: AMD 965
Motherboard: Asus M4A88t-v
CPU Overclock Speed: none atm
Video Card & Quantity: 7870
Videocard Overclock: None atm


Watercooling:
CPU Block: Raystorm
NorthBridge Block:
SouthBridgeBlock:
Mosfet Block:
Videocard WB/WBs: EK 7870 Waterblock
Radiator & Quantity: MCR-320 1x
Radiator Fans & Quantity: Cooler Master R-4 x3
Radiator Location: Starting outside the case might move in given time
Radiator Fan Direction: I plan on pulling air through? This can obviously change if there is a better way.
Reservoir: MCP35x-RES
Tubing & Size: 1/2 Tygon
Barb/Fitting Size: 1/2
Pump & Quantity: MCP35x
Pumps-Series/Parallel:

As far as tube sizing and barb fitting sizes it makes sense to use the same size? or should i use a size bigger for my barbs? As I said i'm completely new to this so any tips/tricks would be helpfull, I'll prolly be ordering the parts in the next week or so.

Thanks

Ricky

[Conumdrum]

Might be good for a start to have this.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...96&postcount=3

And if I remember right, those fans, if the same ones are rather junk for radiators. Might be the ones that got destroyed by XS users as a complete lie, the specs are bad.

Lots of good info on fans around here.

Or just get Scythe GT AP-15 fans. Good fans.

[bds71]

Coolant Fesser One 19.99

could have saved yourself 20$....
plain old distilled water = less than 1$/gallon at any k-mart or wal-mart.....and works better to boot....win/win....

[RickyP602]

could have saved yourself 20$....
plain old distilled water = less than 1$/gallon at any k-mart or wal-mart.....and works better to boot....win/win....

I was doing some reading that distilled water will corrode ek blocks? Also if im using 1/2 tubing I should get 1/2 barbs right?

[ggdh]

DI water will not harm your block. At least it shouldn't. Use some sort of biocide to prevent algae grwoth.

For 1/2" tubing use 1/2" fittings. Remember to use clamps of any sort. In my case cable-ties worked well, now i'm on spring clamps since 2010 without single leak.

[musicfan]

Alrighty, I guess i should have found that on my own, sorry.

User Name: Ricky602


System:
CPU: AMD 965
Motherboard: Asus M4A88t-v
CPU Overclock Speed: none atm
Video Card & Quantity: 7870
Videocard Overclock: None atm


Watercooling:
CPU Block: Raystorm
NorthBridge Block:
SouthBridgeBlock:
Mosfet Block:
Videocard WB/WBs: EK 7870 Waterblock
Radiator & Quantity: MCR-320 1x
Radiator Fans & Quantity: Cooler Master R-4 x3
Radiator Location: Starting outside the case might move in given time
Radiator Fan Direction: I plan on pulling air through? This can obviously change if there is a better way.
Reservoir: MCP35x-RES
Tubing & Size: 1/2 Tygon
Barb/Fitting Size: 1/2
Pump & Quantity: MCP35x
Pumps-Series/Parallel:

As far as tube sizing and barb fitting sizes it makes sense to use the same size? or should i use a size bigger for my barbs? As I said i'm completely new to this so any tips/tricks would be helpfull, I'll prolly be ordering the parts in the next week or so.

Thanks

Ricky

Thanks for using the template Ricky. Conumdrum gave you a nice reading list - make sure you read his article on delta t to understand cooling. Once you understand why you are watercooling and have some idea of budget and noise tolerance, it is easier to begin.

Thermal Design Power/Point is your stock load. For your CPU it is (140 Watts) and VGA card (175 Watts). Google a part such "AMD 965" is easiest but a PSU calculator works too. Since you are water-cooling only these 2 components this is the total heat load for your water-cooling system. The other heat generating components must still be air-cooled so good air-flow inside the case remains important.

Total heat load may be higher if you overclock but is likely lower since the water-cooling blocks do not capture all heat generated - maybe only half to three-fourths according to Martinm210. Since this is an estimate, 300 Watts is close enough.

Your CPU block is fine.

The VGA full cover is the only one that fits as I recall.

The radiator is a good value and will do the job but other radiators cool better. There are radiator reviews at Skinnee Labs The MCR-320 is here. There are radiator reviews at Martin's Liquid Lab including this summary.

The fans you linked to are very inexpensive and one of the most important features of water-cooling. Read the reviews at Martin's even though I cannot find that model: R4-S2S-124K-GP. In the introductions and testing, it should become clear that manufacturer data on loudness or cfm or static pressure are unreliable. The 1200 RPM on that R4 is most reliable. The R4 fans specs from Coolermaster are here. There are much better fans including the kings of medium speed, the Scythe Gentle Typhoon AP-15 that are popular because they have the best air-flow per amount of noise at 1850 rpm and under-volt well to 1000 rpm. This would improve cooling more than any other change but you would need a means, such a fan-controller, to under-volt them because they would be loud at 1850 rpm. On the other hand, the 1200 rpm R4's are called quiet by several so you may be able to run those at full, particularly outside the case behind a radiator.

Since you mention staying outside the case, you may want to consider a good kit like a 120.3 Edge Kit and add the VGA card. Then you would have it nearly complete.

Fans over 1200 rpm likely work better in push according to Martinm210 but at 1200 it may not matter. You may even want push/pull for extra performance, which would make those 1200 rpm fans work any radiator better with minimal increase of noise.

As far as tubing brand, it's hard to know. If you want clear and are using 1/2" barbs, then I would avoid Tygon 3603 simply because it clouded up fast in my hands. But perhaps I got a bad batch. The Primochill Primoflex LRT seems just as good so far. You have already been counseled regarding clamps. They all work if you use them correctly. I used auto-type worm-drive clamps from an auto-supply store.

The pump choice is great.

The coolant choice is a challenge because you want to maintain warranty. I use distilled water as my coolant and silver as my biocide. You will have to make your choice after more reading or perhaps others will comment. Water-cooling is one of my hobbies. I enjoy it too much to leave rig alone for 2 years. I was adding new gear every few weeks in the beginning and still every few months so coolant is prohibitively expensive to me even if it had no dyes or glycol, which I also avoid by personal choice.

Keep reading, post-pone ordering for a bit until you get all your questions answered is my advice. The above is only my opinion. Take your time and soak up all the good advice on XS. Good luck.

[RickyP602]

Thanks so much for the replies (especially MusicFan) they were very helpful. On a diff note does anyone have any experience putting a single loop in a coolermaster haf-x case?

[musicfan]

Thanks so much for the replies (especially MusicFan) they were very helpful. On a diff note does anyone have any experience putting a single loop in a coolermaster haf-x case?

sort of...I have a Coolermaster haf 932. The haf-x is newer and has far less room between the motherboard and roof of the case - about 60 to 63 mm one person said (but would love to hear it measured again). The haf 932 has more room but is unpainted in the inside so the haf-x looks nicer. But the haf 932 is designed to allow a PSU up top while the haf-x insn't. You can look at the photos of the rear exhaust and easily see the difference.

Here is a good review of the haf-x with excellent photos. Notice the 120 mm screw holes in the picture where he exposes the top of the case. You need a thin radiator or must put the fans on top. And you will likely lose part of the first drive bay so that you can put a short device in there (some put a fan controller) but not a full-size optical drive.

For some best thin rads see Martin's review. If you get Gentle Typhoon AP-15's x 3 in push on a 120.3 radiator like a Swiftech MCR-XP, XSPC EX, Alphacool ST30, XSPC RS, or even the Swiftech MCR-QP; you should have plenty of cooling.

If you find the fans bump anything on the bottom (depends on the motherboard size and MOSFET heatsinks or RAM heatsinks), you can simply remove your 200 mm on top and put the AP15's on top pushing in cool air, while reversing other fans. So although the haf-x is smaller; it will still work fine for water-cooling.

add: you can google for haf-x build logs - must be a lot of them by now; good luck

[xivlia]

very nice build