water cooling Cheap Custom Water Cooling

[Tepoy]

Cheap CPU Custom Water Cooling Solution

 

If an article of similar content, or better, already exist, please don't be quick to dismiss mine, as you might pick something up that other articles don't have. Now, let's proceed. As I have clearly, and boldly, stated on the title, this is a CHEAP CPU CUSTOM WATER COOLING SOLUTION! There are always better materials, appearance, quality, etc. But mine is personally tested and proven to last at least 2 years of NO maintenance ( water change ) and even have your computer run 24/7 for a number of days and not worry about anything. I know because I almost never turn off my PC. Now, why would you work hard to make a custom loop when AIOs exist? Simple. THEY ARE MUCH MORE COOLER AND BADASS! Aesthetically speaking. Plus, AIOs are just that. you cannot expand to including your GPU or RAMs or add more radiators. So overall, its simply better in every aspect. Plus, its really rewarding to see what you can build with your own two hands, or one. Or none...  They dont show off AIOs in conventions now do they..?

 

But enough mocking AIOs because I currently am using one. Only because I'm still working on my custom loop plan. And also waiting on that sexy beast 1080ti Poseidon, cuz AuraSYNC... 

 

Quote

"A basic CPU loop will cost you about $300"

   -Ghost

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/5435-watercooling-faq-some-basic-qa/?do=findComment&comment=61833

SORRY BUT YOU'RE WRONG!! And I will prove it!

 

Now, here are the links for CHEAP, yet efficient. From my personal point of view, this will be a good practice for those who seek to get into water cooled PCs.

 

• CPU Water Block $19.79
• Reservoir $6.38
• Pump $21.99
• Radiator $26.98
• Soft Tubing $1.15/ft. where I'll be recommending you get at least 3 feet.
• Anti Algae Silver Kill Coil $5.25

 

So, right now we're looking at $83.84. Being an overall computer junkie like me, I would assume you'll have zip ties kept somewhere so you shouldn't have to buy any anymore. If not, SHAME ON YOU! JK. For real tho, go run to Walmart or a dollar store. While you're at it, get some distilled water too. We're almost done. Few things that are missing are the screws for the rad which you can always request from the seller. And also the fan and fan controller. Now with a 240mm radiator, I would recommend getting 4 fans to get a push pull for the radiator setup. That's if you can. You might have a small case which will only allow you two fans. But that's OK because you can always have more on the other parts of your computer which will help the overall airflow inside your PC. Fan controller, now, here's a tricky one. I will give you 3 options:

 

1.  5 Channel 5.25" Bay Fan Controller  $18.79 which you'll sum up to $103.78 + shipping.
2.  4 Channel 3.5" Bay Fan Controller $7.53 which will sum you up to $91.37 + shipping.
3. or this, Stick-On 8 Channel 3 gear Fan Controller $1.89 which will then sum you up to $85.73 + shipping.

 

I would personally go with the 1st option. or the NZXT Sentry Mix 2 ( REFURBISHED ) if you can find a cheaper, used one, even better. Its what I had on my 1st water cooled PC along with the first 5 items I have listed above. For this particular item, a used one should be sufficient. I'm pretty sure I had a used one too. I don't remember exactly. The 1st one, 5 channel should be enough. 1 slot for the pump and up to 4 slots for the radiator fans. The 2nd item is less than half the 1st item's price. But mind the 3.5" Bay that's where the floppy disks used to be ( RIP  ). Unless you have it, DO NOT buy this. As for the last one, I only added it because its dirt cheap. I mean, 2 bucks. You can go to the beach with a metal detector and collect that much coin along the coast. But the difficult thing about it is if you stick it inside, you'll have to open the case when you need to adjust the speed. And if you stick it on the outside surface of your case, its, ugly! Then again, this is CHEAP CPU CUSTOM WATER COOLING SOLUTION, so I had to put it. But because I refuse to make ugly stuff, I beg you to please use the 1st or 2nd option!

 

As for the FANS, I will not be recommending anything because I feel like fans are for fans. What kind of fan/s are you a fan of? Simple? Cheap? Low Noise? Performance? LED? RGB? What about your budget? $5/fan should be enough. Yes you can go with a better quality one, but then again, for how long will it be good? How will the price fluctuate as they make better ones? Maybe today you'll stick to a 1-color LED fan. Next few months you'll have enough for RGB fans and add strips! I had personally went with a cheap blue LED fan setup. After having it for 2 years, only 1 fan had died. CLICK HERE for an example of how cheap you can go with fans. That is a $4.98 USD LED fan. This is what I used tho: CLICK HERE! A little more expensive but because it came from the same vendor as some of the above items, I was able to ask for discount. Also, I bought 2 sets for 2 PCs. which helped with the negotiation.

 

To conclude, I would pick a cheap cheap DIY custom water cooling loop over AIOs. Its fun to build. Bragging rights for knowing and having the experience. Plus, you can little by little add into it. Maybe next month you'll want to add your GPU into the loop. Then your RAMS! Or not because they've gone RGB. And RGB is sooo cool. Oh add a flow meter! Thermometer. Add another radiator. Upgrade to RGB CPU water block. Upgrade to compression fitting because they look much cooler. 

 

Comments, questions, praises, hate, whatever it is you wanna say, please reply below!

 

Thank you for reading!

[EnergyEclipse]

@Tepoy

 

Hello!

My only issue would be compatibility of entities within the loop. The barb/fitting dimensions on that CPU block don't appear the same, and also you would probably be forced to use cable ties as compression 'fittings' with nearly everything.

 

Also you need a reliable fluid which will not thicken or discolour over time  As for the fan controller I use something incredibly similar to this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-25-LCD-Panel-3-Fan-Bay-Front-Speed-Controller-CPU-Temperature-Sensor-Computer-/332222916994?hash=item4d5a076982:g:s3AAAOSwc1FXZ6R7
 

It is cheap and only supports one fan (You could include a super cheap fan splitter for £2 in as well maybe?) but mine works flawlessly and

 temperature readings were about as accurate as what my motherboard was saying.

[cj09beira]

WARNING!!! Do not use aluminum and copper together, you will have galvanic corrosion super fast!!

[Mr.Meerkat]

Or be like me and find some used parts...

 

I mean I got a (all used bar tubing) EK 240mm rad, 5m of 13/10mm tubing, XSPC raystorm, acool 10W DDC pump with XSPC res top for £65 which if we were to also add £12 for the cheapest fittings I could find (6 XSPC-branded fittings at £2 each) comes to a total at £77

 

Is it more expensive? Yes

Is there a much lower chance of it leaking? Yes

Compression fittings? Yep

A 'reliable' and good performing pump? Yep

A good performing block? Yep

 

Soooo...yeah  

If you really want to cheap out on custom watercooling, try going used as frankly even a 2-3 year old pump has a really high chance of outliving that 'generic' pump. 

[Tepoy]

1 hour ago, EnergyEclipse said:

@Tepoy

 

Hello!

My only issue would be compatibility of entities within the loop. The barb/fitting dimensions on that CPU block don't appear the same, and also you would probably be forced to use cable ties as compression 'fittings' with nearly everything.

 

Also you need a reliable fluid which will not thicken or discolour over time  As for the fan controller I use something incredibly similar to this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-25-LCD-Panel-3-Fan-Bay-Front-Speed-Controller-CPU-Temperature-Sensor-Computer-/332222916994?hash=item4d5a076982:g:s3AAAOSwc1FXZ6R7
 

It is cheap and only supports one fan (You could include a super cheap fan splitter for £2 in as well maybe?) but mine works flawlessly and

 temperature readings were about as accurate as what my motherboard was saying.

Yea i forgot to mention you'll be needing zip ties on with this custom loop build. Also, these are all standard G1/4 so they should fit and be secured with zip ties. When you cut them they shouldn't show. Also, 2017, tempered glass, that should hide it.lol

 

That is a pretty nice and cheap fan controller! But my issue with LCDs is that they could break/wear out. But that's just really a personal thing.lol. And combining that with a splitter is indeed a pretty great idea! As long as it wont limit the fans from running their full potential when needed. But then again, not allowing a fan to run to its max will extend its life. So I see a win-win haha!

 

 

 

1 hour ago, cj09beira said:

WARNING!!! Do not use aluminum and copper together, you will have galvanic corrosion super fast!!

  This is a common misconception. Corsair's Hydro Series H100i v2 has copper CPU block and aluminum radiator. And because we're using distilled water which is cleansed of ionic impurities. Which means, no reaction will take place between the copper and aluminum because the fluid that flows in between 2 metals is non-reactive. 

[Tepoy]

56 minutes ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

Or be like me and find some used parts...

 

I mean I got a (all used bar tubing) EK 240mm rad, 5m of 13/10mm tubing, XSPC raystorm, acool 10W DDC pump with XSPC res top for £65 which if we were to also add £12 for the cheapest fittings I could find (6 XSPC-branded fittings at £2 each) comes to a total at £77

 

Is it more expensive? Yes

Is there a much lower chance of it leaking? Yes

Compression fittings? Yep

A 'reliable' and good performing pump? Yep

A good performing block? Yep

 

Soooo...yeah  

If you really want to cheap out on custom watercooling, try going used as frankly even a 2-3 year old pump has a really high chance of outliving that 'generic' pump. 

 

I have to admit, I agree with everything except for the last line. Also, I do know XSPC to be stylish. I like them. If they were a little cheaper, frankly I'd go all out with their stuff. But going used on pumps, cpu block and rads, there's always a chance, slim they may be, that they're faulty. But if its from a trusted vendor then I'd be totally taking it.

 

As for the last line, I have to defend this pump. Mine have had more hours than most. For a little over a year, I had my computer running 24/7 for almost all the time. BUT against XSPC, if from a trustworthy vendor, which is rare, I would really go with XSPC.

[Mr.Meerkat]

2 minutes ago, Tepoy said:

As for the last line, I have to defend this pump. Mine have had more hours than most. For a little over a year, I had my computer running 24/7 for almost all the time. BUT against XSPC, if from a trustworthy vendor, which is rare, I would really go with XSPC.

No doubt some of them will work nice n long however the problem with unbranded stuff is generally they are made up using lower quality components with lower quality control so...frankly its more of a YMMV thing  

[For Science!]

13 hours ago, Tepoy said:

This is a common misconception. Corsair's Hydro Series H100i v2 has copper CPU block and aluminum radiator. And because we're using distilled water which is cleansed of ionic impurities. Which means, no reaction will take place between the copper and aluminum because the fluid that flows in between 2 metals is non-reactive

I must voice my disagreement to a few of these claims and hopefully some would agree with me.

 

Firstly, using distilled water does not mean you will not have reactions. Distilled water will rapidly dissolve ions from the surfaces it is in contact with (silver, copper and aluminium in this case) and this WILL start reactions to occur. In short as soon as you start running a loop, distilled water is no longer distilled water.

 

WRT to AIOs, yes they have mixed metals in them but they are probably also pumped full of anticorrosives to minimize the effects. nonetheless there are plenty of people who have experienced pump failures and clogging probably down to the mixing of metals. I believe that the companies are profit/risk managing and replacing the small number of units that get RMAed, whereas the large majority of units hold  up before the users replace it with another unit all together .

 

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?p=901710&styleid=9

 

 

Therefore in this budget mixed metal loop I think you will need to be aware that you may have to replace the whole loop due to an increased chance of corrosion. Clearly OP has supposedly been okay for 2 years ( to what degree, we don't know) but your mileage will vary. Sure, it's not so pricey so some may be fine with the risks and go with it, however, my personal recommendation would be to not fall for false economy, spend a bit more to save money.

[Tepoy]

True. But I personally dont keep electronics stuff for longer than a couple of years. Then again, that's just me. haha