Building a custom loop incrementally...need pump & reservoir recommendations.

[GuruMeditationError]

I'm building a custom loop incrementally, basically because I can't afford to drop a huge chunk of chain all at once on a completely new setup.

I've got an EK water block on its way to me for my graphics card and I have 2 Hardwarelabs.com Nemesis 280GTS XFlow radiators...

...but I currently only have an ATX case that can only fit one 280mm radiator, or at a push, one 280mm radiator & 2x 140mm radiators.

I'm going to start by sticking an air-cooler on my CPU and using the fan apertures in the top of the case to water cool just the graphics card using one of the 280GTS XFlows (I'll upgrade my case further on).

Ultimately I want to cool two graphics cards and the CPU, so I want to buy components that'll support that in the long run.

What pump/s and reservoir/s should I be looking at? What's recommended? 

[tikker]

D5 for the pump. I've been rocking a PWM controlled one for years now and it's great. Quiet at low speeds as well. The reservoir and pump housing would all depend on the case honestly. There's aesthetics to considere, placement in the case, placement of other components etc. I would first decide on the case you are going to build in before ordering too many parts for the loop. Otherwise it's similar to buying furniture before knowing what kind of house it'll go in.

[GuruMeditationError]

3 minutes ago, tikker said:

D5 for the pump. I've been rocking a PWM controlled one for years now and it's great. Quiet at low speeds as well. The reservoir and pump housing would all depend on the case honestly. There's aesthetics to considere, placement in the case, placement of other components etc. I would first decide on the case you are going to build in before ordering too many parts for the loop. Otherwise it's similar to buying furniture before knowing what kind of house it'll go in.

To be honest I'm more interested in performance over aesthetics? But I see what you mean...

...I prefer mid-tower cases, and would need one with the best airflow I can find.

I'm guessing more radiators can mean quieter performance? 

[HM-2]

I'd probably look at a D5 pump and reservoir combination. Especially if you're going to be moving cases.

[GuruMeditationError]

1 minute ago, HM-2 said:

I'd probably look at a D5 pump and reservoir combination. Especially if you're going to be moving cases.

Yeah, almost certainly moving cases: my corsair c70 just doesn't have the space for the radiators I'd need to cool the three processers...given the rule of thumb: one radiator for each component cooled plus one radiator?

I really like my c70 and don't want to have to move but it's got a drive enclosure stuck in the front of it that really just gets in the way. I'll have to look at whether or not I might be able to drill out the rivets and remove it...I'm not very handy, so stuff like that is a major headache for me.

I guess I could lean the second radiator at an angle and get some kind of vent 3d printed, but it might be easier just to get a new case.

At any rate, you think the D5 would definitely be sufficient for two 280mm radiators (for two GPUs and a CPU)?

[GuruMeditationError]

So, I like the look of this: 

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-dual-d5-pwm-serial-incl-2x-pump

Is it overkill or is there a definite benefit to running two pumps...?...will my equipment not just throttle if one fails? Will it really be damaged if my pump fails?

 

[HM-2]

Oh you're running a C70 Vengeance? If you don't mind drilling new mounting holes and removing the 5.25" drive bays with a drill you can actually get a 360 up top. I've also seen people mod the front panel to accept either a 240 or 360. 

 

I looked at the feasibility of a 2x240mm loop in a C70, it's a bit of a squeeze but doable (I had a C70 before moving into my O11D). It would probably be a little on the lean side for two GPUs and a CPU though.

 

I run a D5 with 2x360mm radiators, it's more than enough pump. Dual pumps are a bit pointless really.

[GuruMeditationError]

1 minute ago, HM-2 said:

Oh you're running a C70 Vengeance? If you don't mind drilling new mounting holes and removing the 5.25" drive bays with a drill you can actually get a 360 up top. I've also seen people mod the front panel to accept either a 240 or 360. 

 

I looked at the feasibility of a 2x240mm loop in a C70, it's a bit of a squeeze but doable (I had a C70 before moving into my O11D) 

Yeah, I really love it...I love the accessibility and the handles make it easy for me to drag it in and out of where it sits, basically on a shelf behind my monitor.

I'd love to get rid of the drive bays, I'll have to look into how to do that because it would really solve a lot of problems. I think I'll probably buy a drill rather than a new case and then just try and figure out how to drill the rivets out. I'd like to widen the apertures in the front of the case too. I guess I need to get working on figuring out how to do it.

What do you think of the EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM Serial? Is it just marketing or can having two pumps really protect my components from damage?

[HM-2]

Pump failure rates are very low. It's a lot of money for something that won't provide much benefit under most circumstances. A flow monitor or decent temperature sensing is a far cheaper way of ensuring your components remain safe in the event of a D5 death.

[tikker]

53 minutes ago, GuruMeditationError said:

I'm guessing more radiators can mean quieter performance? 

Yeah more radiators means the fans can run at lower RPM and hence overall it'll be quieter.

53 minutes ago, GuruMeditationError said:

To be honest I'm more interested in performance over aesthetics? But I see what you mean...

The choice of case is still important from a space perspective. A single pump won't be problematic, but buying a certain size reservoirs or mounting solutions may not fit certain cases with certain loop ideas, for example. Less important if aesthetics aren't important though. Then it's just a make sure everything fits deal.

16 minutes ago, GuruMeditationError said:

What do you think of the EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM Serial? Is it just marketing or can having two pumps really protect my components from damage?

Redundancy and more pressure, but a single pump should suffice.

[GuruMeditationError]

10 minutes ago, HM-2 said:

Pump failure rates are very low. It's a lot of money for something that won't provide much benefit under most circumstances. A flow monitor or decent temperature sensing is a far cheaper way of ensuring your components remain safe in the event of a D5 death.

 

1 minute ago, tikker said:

Yeah more radiators means the fans can run at lower RPM and hence overall it'll be quieter.

The choice of case is still important from a space perspective. A single pump won't be problematic, but buying a certain size reservoirs or mounting solutions may not fit certain cases with certain loop ideas, for example. Less important if aesthetics aren't important though. Then it's just a make sure everything fits deal.

Redundancy and more pressure, but a single pump should suffice.

Awesome, thanks...

...so does the D5 come with a top...?...the product page seems to suggest that. If so, is it worth buying a custom top for the extra performance...?...or is it just not really necessary?

[HM-2]

The pump is just a pump, in order to plumb it into the system it needs a top. You can mix and match but the easiest way would be to get a pump res combo as that will have a built in top.

[GuruMeditationError]

4 minutes ago, HM-2 said:

The pump is just a pump, in order to plumb it into the system it needs a top. You can mix and match but the easiest way would be to get a pump res combo as that will have a built in top.

Cool, thanks...I'll get browsing :0)

[thrasher_565]

the d5 is alsome and should last a long time but there are lemons thow.

 

you dont really need a res you can do just a t line to save money. pump tops are also mostly for looks thow some can be made bad the hert the flow rate.

 

[fonzz1e]

normally for cpu + gpu, a single d5 is sufficient

 

going for dual pump is for high flow rate & redundancy (if 1 pump dies u still have 1 running, ultimately still have to drain to replace dead pump)

 

for res/pump combo, u can have a look at

• EK TBE 200 D5 PWM (need 120/140mm bracket mount), FLT ones have less flow rate from what I've read
• ULTITUBE D5 PWM (also need 120/140mm bracket mount), borosilicate glass
• Corsair XD5 (comes with 120/140mm bracket mount & coolant temp sensor), get the gen2 if u want the ARGB adapter

i believe this is what @HM-2 is refering to, he managed dual 360 in the C70 (lots of vid on his build there)

https://www.overclock.net/threads/build-log-corsair-c70-with-twin-xspc-ax360s.1422597/

[HM-2]

7 minutes ago, fonzz1e said:

i believe this is what @HM-2 is refering to, he managed dual 360 in the C70 (lots of vid on his build there)

https://www.overclock.net/threads/build-log-corsair-c70-with-twin-xspc-ax360s.1422597/

Yep that's the one, plus this one that ran a 360 up top:

 

[GuruMeditationError]

4 minutes ago, HM-2 said:

Yep that's the one, plus this one that ran a 360 up top:

 

I actually ordered a Fractal Meshify 2 to do more or less a completely new build for the water cooling.

We're you doing RAM overclocking...?...that looks like a pretty beefy RAM cooler.

[fonzz1e]

6 minutes ago, GuruMeditationError said:

I actually ordered a Fractal Meshify 2 to do more or less a completely new build for the water cooling.

good case

the included fans is not PWM afaik, and static pressure is pretty low... use them for now until u have budget for additional fans

 

for decent 140mm static pressure fans, get the Arctic p14 pwm pst

or LianLi SL140 if u want RGB

[GuruMeditationError]

35 minutes ago, fonzz1e said:

good case

the included fans is not PWM afaik, and static pressure is pretty low... use them for now until u have budget for additional fans

 

for decent 140mm static pressure fans, get the Arctic p14 pwm pst

or LianLi SL140 if u want RGB

Thanks, I've got some aftermarket fans I'm planning to use with the rads...the two radiators I've ordered perform well with fans at low RPM, and I'm going to try and fit a push-pull configuration on both to try and optimise performance at a lower noise level.