Water Cooling Custom Loop

[Jojobaplant]

Hey Guys,

 

Since I am nowadays made out of questions, I have a few queries concerning my endeavor to build a custom water loop in my yet to be finished revamping of an old HAF 932:

 

1. what would be an advisable size of the reservoir (is bigger better or goes quality over quantity in this case)?

2. petg or acrylic piping?

3. since I already found out that water cooling is not the cheapest of hobbies and since I plan to buy all the parts left and right all over the internet - which parts are relatively safe to save a buck on?

4. I am planning to cool multiple components with this future water loop - what would be better: two separate loops or a distribution block; and does a distribution block decrease performance (as extra step within the loop)?

 

If these questions come across as too much noob, then I am happily ready to admit that I am a noob in the field of custom water cooling. Your answers, besides from greatly appreciated, will help me on my way to water cooling nirvana. Just need a little help getting started. Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer them

 

Gr,

 

J.

[Firewrath9]

If its a single cpu+single gpu+2 big rads, just one big loop. If its getting to 2gpu, 3 or 4 rads, the either one big loop with 2 pumps or 2 sep.

The best option for pump rn is the ekwb clasic, at 90$ for pump-res, its great value. Dont skimp on cpu block, gpu block, fittings, fluid, tubing, res, pump or bending gear. You can cheap out a bit on fans, like phanteks 120mm fans vs noctua, and if you just get a cheap all-copper rad from a reputable company (xspc, hardwarelabs, alphacool, ekwb, barrow, thermaltake, etc) also a relativley cheap heat gun should be fine.

[Cereal5]

15 minutes ago, Firewrath9 said:

If its a single cpu+single gpu+2 big rads, just one big loop. If its getting to 2gpu, 3 or 4 rads, the either one big loop with 2 pumps or 2 sep.

The best option for pump rn is the ekwb clasic, at 90$ for pump-res, its great value. Dont skimp on cpu block, gpu block, fittings, fluid, tubing, res, pump or bending gear. You can cheap out a bit on fans, like phanteks 120mm fans vs noctua, and if you just get a cheap all-copper rad from a reputable company (xspc, hardwarelabs, alphacool, ekwb, barrow, thermaltake, etc) also a relativley cheap heat gun should be fine.

I'd have to disagree with the blocks part. Well not the GPU block, fitment on those can be an issue, so get a good GPU block. But I did plenty of research on which CPU blocks were the best, and even the super cheap blocks on aliexpress came with in a pretty close margin of a good block like an EK supremacy-evo (which is what I have). If you cheap out on anything, that's your option. Things to 100% not cheap out on would be the fittings and pump. Go with a D5 pump. Pretty much anything else won't be as reliable. Fans are totally up to you though, no need to blow $15+ per fan. I went with EK's bulk fans, which are basically display models that they sell for a reduced price.

 

Fluid is another thing you shouldn't cheap on, as mentioned above. Pastel fluids and other fancy stuff like Primochill Vue can discolor and gunk up your blocks. Go with a clear fluid like EK's cryofuel.

 

1. Bigger isn't necessarily better, but it is easier to fill the loop with a bigger res
2. Either. There are differences which I don't know off the top of my head. I'm sure jayztwocents has a video about it
3. mentioned above
4. Define multiple components. Distribution blocks are not necessary, but they can look cool if implemented right. If you're cooling one CPU and one or two GPUs, a single loop is fine. You can run a single loop on as much hardware as you want, but separating CPU and GPU if you have 4 GPUs would probably be a good idea, so you can dedicate more cooling to the GPUs

[KarathKasun]

Distilled water for coolant, perhaps with a bit of colloidal silver and anti-corrosion formula added.

 

Distilled water is the best coolant, everything else reduces thermal transfer.  Just make sure all of your blocks/rads are the same material if you skip the corrosion inhibitor..

[Firewrath9]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:34 PM, KarathKasun said:

Distilled water for coolant, perhaps with a bit of colloidal silver and anti-corrosion formula added.

 

Distilled water is the best coolant, everything else reduces thermal transfer.  Just make sure all of your blocks/rads are the same material if you skip the corrosion inhibitor..

Corrosion still occurs even if all your rads are copper/nickle plated. :/.

always get a corrosion inhibitor

[KarathKasun]

3 minutes ago, Firewrath9 said:

Corrosion still occurs even if all your rads are copper/nickle plated. :/.

always get a corrosion inhibitor

With proper lab quality distilled water, copper blocks + copper rads yields pretty much zero corrosion.

[Firewrath9]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:31 PM, Cereal5 said:

I'd have to disagree with the blocks part. Well not the GPU block, fitment on those can be an issue, so get a good GPU block. But I did plenty of research on which CPU blocks were the best, and even the super cheap blocks on aliexpress came with in a pretty close margin of a good block like an EK supremacy-evo (which is what I have). If you cheap out on anything, that's your option. Things to 100% not cheap out on would be the fittings and pump. Go with a D5 pump. Pretty much anything else won't be as reliable. Fans are totally up to you though, no need to blow $15+ per fan. I went with EK's bulk fans, which are basically display models that they sell for a reduced price.

 

Fluid is another thing you shouldn't cheap on, as mentioned above. Pastel fluids and other fancy stuff like Primochill Vue can discolor and gunk up your blocks. Go with a clear fluid like EK's cryofuel.

 

1. Bigger isn't necessarily better, but it is easier to fill the loop with a bigger res
2. Either. There are differences which I don't know off the top of my head. I'm sure jayztwocents has a video about it
3. mentioned above
4. Define multiple components. Distribution blocks are not necessary, but they can look cool if implemented right. If you're cooling one CPU and one or two GPUs, a single loop is fine. You can run a single loop on as much hardware as you want, but separating CPU and GPU if you have 4 GPUs would probably be a good idea, so you can dedicate more cooling to the GPUs

I never said get a ekwb 150$ cpu bock, there are plenty of good blocks for around 75$ or below.

btw, what is a “display fan” from ekwb? Also can you like to the bulk fans, becuase 15$ for a vardar is pretty sweet. I still have like 5 scythe gentle typhoons, still in box xD. Those were the best fans.

[Cereal5]

9 minutes ago, Firewrath9 said:

I never said get a ekwb 150$ cpu bock, there are plenty of good blocks for around 75$ or below.

btw, what is a “display fan” from ekwb? Also can you like to the bulk fans, becuase 15$ for a vardar is pretty sweet. I still have like 5 scythe gentle typhoons, still in box xD. Those were the best fans.

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/radiators-fans/fans/120mm

 

$11 for a Vardar. I got 5 . And about the CPU block, yeah, I got my Supremacy evo on sale for like $60. Aliexpress has usable blocks for like $13 though lol (not a recommendation, just an observation).

[Jojobaplant]

Thank you very much for your answers, guys! This has given me quite a few good handles to start my water cooling journey  Much appreciated! I think I will start with the cpu first, later on to be expanded to include the gpu and perhaps the mosfets.

NB: I currently have Thermaltake Riing, 5 of them, which are originally intended to be radiator fans anyway. At the moment I use them as just case fans, so I presume I can use them for this purpose as well.

 

Gr,

 

J.

[andrewmp6]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:38 PM, Firewrath9 said:

Corrosion still occurs even if all your rads are copper/nickle plated. :/.

always get a corrosion inhibitor

Nickel plating and silver don't play well together.