watercooling Flow Direction? Inlet/Outlet? Where do I begin?

[SamtheMan101]

Title as suggested. I’m having a hard time understanding where to begin. I understand that the Pump combo has an inlet on the right side, and an outlet on the left, with the right side face and rear and top also an inlet. Then, the cpu block has inlet right side, outlet left side. GPU, inlet left side/ outlet right side. Now, this is easy, but where I can get confused is the 280mm radiator. How do I connect that to both the Pump combo AND and the rest of the components? 
 

I thought I might save over 700$ for a new GPU and just watercool my existing setup (upgrading soon to AMD CPU 5000 series) 3700x, 5700xt THICC III Ultra. 
 

Online search doesn’t really get me the results I need

[tikker]

2 minutes ago, SamtheMan101 said:

How do I connect that to both the Pump combo AND and the rest of the components?

Pump > GPU > CPU > radiator(s) > pump? or Pump > bottom rad > GPU > CPU > side rad > pump, whatever fits and what you like aesthetically. Just make sure that for the pump/res and blocks inlets and outlets match up, i.e. the outlet of one goes to the inlet of the next. Radiators don't have specific inlets or outlets.

[SamtheMan101]

2 minutes ago, tikker said:

Pump > GPU > CPU > radiator(s) > pump? or Pump > bottom rad > GPU > CPU > side rad > pump, whatever fits and what you like aesthetically. Just make sure that for the pump/res and blocks inlets and outlets match up, i.e. the outlet of one goes to the inlet of the next. Radiators don't have specific inlets or outlets.

I see what you mean. So it doesn’t necessarily need to go Pump > side radiator > other components is that correct? When putting the side radiator into perspective, I’m finding it hard on which direction and which component it goes to 

[tikker]

1 minute ago, SamtheMan101 said:

I see what you mean. So it doesn’t necessarily need to go Pump > side radiator > other components is that correct? When putting the side radiator into perspective, I’m finding it hard on which direction and which component it goes to 

No, loop order doesn't really matter. I don't know if LTT covered this, but I think Jayz2cents has covered this multiple times. The loop will equalise quickly so radiatos before or after components doesn't make much of a difference.

 

I think I'd probably go Pump > bottom rad > GPU > CPU > side rad > reservoir or pump. Seems like the easiest to route. A lot of this comes down to your own preferences and imagination.

[SamtheMan101]

2 minutes ago, tikker said:

No, loop order doesn't really matter. I don't know if LTT covered this, but I think Jayz2cents has covered this multiple times. The loop will equalise quickly so radiatos before or after components doesn't make much of a difference.

 

I think I'd probably go Pump > bottom rad > GPU > CPU > side rad > reservoir or pump. Seems like the easiest to route. A lot of this comes down to your own preferences and imagination.

Thanks Tikkee! Yes, I’ve been watching LTT and Jayz but I wasn’t referring to thermals or loop order I general. I’m thinking of how to get the side radiator into the in on the pump combo, as theres only one out on it. But your right, I might go Pump > GPU > CPU > side rad > reservoir or pump. If i went Pump > gpu > cpu > Side radiator > Pump inlet, how could I incorporate the bottom radiator then? I’m not sure if I will be able to be flexible here, as the position of the 360mm and the radiator are quite on opposites i.e vertical horizontal. Usually, I see this case with a mini itx motherboard.

[SamtheMan101]

Is something like this correct? 
green is outlet > inlet

Red is inlet > outlet

[jaslion]

Honestly barely even matters. Just make sure you have a continuos flow and not a loop in the tubes :p.

[tikker]

1 hour ago, SamtheMan101 said:

Is something like this correct? 
green is outlet > inlet

Red is inlet > outlet

Looks fine. The only reason inlet/outlet matters is that internally the blocks can have machining/routing specifically optimised for a certain direction, so treat ports marked "IN" as inlets and those marked "OUT" as outlets and you'll be fine.