Doing my first Hardline build! What are some common pitfalls?

[theRatty]

since Im doing my first hardline build with a very general knowledge of the basics from years of LTT and Jayztwocents I figure i would make this post. What are commons traps and mistakes a beginner builder can make? This is the case I'm going to be building in with 2 480s and 2 360's and all EK blocks and pumps, corsair black clamp things for the tubes and off brand 90 and 135 degree fittings. Im going to use no bends in the loop only fittings.

[UnknownWalls]

Remember to peel?

[SquintyG33Rs]

only fittings makes for way way more points of failure and doing simple single 90 bends is extremely easy. you should really consider splitting your expected bends/90 fittings half half. i don't recommend doing complex multi bends as a first timer though.

also absolutely put a drain in from the start... the fill port you can do a temp janky thing each time you fill. but draining for maintenance, when you have to hold your heavy full of water PC tilted or upside down to get the fluid out..... don't do it... you will hate/fear doing maintenance so much you won't do it even when you can clearly tell something has been wrong for months.

[jaslion]

1 hour ago, phatrattyy said:

What are commons traps and mistakes a beginner builder can make?

Going overboard on cooling capacity and not using the money to have better hardware. Like a 13900ks + 4090 is easily cooled on a 360 with decent fans.

 

Buying all fancy brand stuff instead of equally good other brand stuff

 

Not getting a proper silicone tube, heatgun and vice if bending

 

In your case specifically: thinking no bends will be needed AND introducing a ton of fittings which are costly and a point of failiure

 

Using a cheap pump instead of a tried and true one

 

Not having a easy way to fill and empty the loop with some soft tubing

 

Not having some spare tubing

 

Measure thrice cut once

 

Have a proper plan before you start

[Blai5e]

Here's a few that come to mind...

• Buy twice the amount of tubing (of the correct ID/OD) you think you're going to need - mistakes will be made.
• Be prepared to be less than completely satisfied with your efforts and redo it a number of times over the next 12 months or so. Trust me, it will happen 
• If you don't like extensive cleaning, avoid coolants with dyes (I use clear EK Cryofuel). Radiators can be difficult to get all remnants of dye if you change your mind (or colour) and it loves staining tubing. If you haven't bought the tubing yet, you can use a "satin white" or "satin transparent" and rely on your RGB to add a bit of reflective/muted colour. I use Corsair Hydro X Series XT HL series "Satin Transparent" tubing.
• Don't forget to debur the tube ends before pushing them into the fittings. Don't want to be damaging those O-rings.
• I like using cross-flow radiators for the horizontally mounted radiators, saves an ugly pipe running over the fans from one end of the case to the other.
• I find it handy to have one or two double-45° fittings around (just-in-case) for those pesky runs that just don't want to match.
• Don't forget to get a liquid temperature sensor (10kΩ thermistor either inline or a stop plug variant) - makes configuring fans curves easier. 

[theRatty]

5 hours ago, Blai5e said:

Here's a few that come to mind...

• Buy twice the amount of tubing (of the correct ID/OD) you think you're going to need - mistakes will be made.
• Be prepared to be less than completely satisfied with your efforts and redo it a number of times over the next 12 months or so. Trust me, it will happen 
• If you don't like extensive cleaning, avoid coolants with dyes (I use clear EK Cryofuel). Radiators can be difficult to get all remnants of dye if you change your mind (or colour) and it loves staining tubing. If you haven't bought the tubing yet, you can use a "satin white" or "satin transparent" and rely on your RGB to add a bit of reflective/muted colour. I use Corsair Hydro X Series XT HL series "Satin Transparent" tubing.
• Don't forget to debur the tube ends before pushing them into the fittings. Don't want to be damaging those O-rings.
• I like using cross-flow radiators for the horizontally mounted radiators, saves an ugly pipe running over the fans from one end of the case to the other.
• I find it handy to have one or two double-45° fittings around (just-in-case) for those pesky runs that just don't want to match.
• Don't forget to get a liquid temperature sensor (10kΩ thermistor either inline or a stop plug variant) - makes configuring fans curves easier. 

how do you debur tubing? can i just use sandpaper??

[Sir Beregond]

Few things.

 

LTT and JayzTwoCents often do a good job showing builds, but very rarely talk about actual loop preparation/part cleaning etc. It often looks like they just take rads and blocks out of the box and install it. Don't do that. Be sure you are properly cleaning new radiators, blocks, etc. Radiators especially are quite dirty out of the box and you don't want all that crap in your loop. 

 

Secondly, just because EK sponsors all their videos, doesn't mean they are "the best" like so many think. They perform decent enough, but often are much more expensive than equally or better performing parts from competitors. I would also say they just generally have a lot of quality control issues too in my experience over the past 11 years watercooling myself.

 

Coolant...stick with a clear premix. Opaques are never worth it, especially if this is your first time. Sure they look cool at first, but easily turn into a maintenance nightmare.

 

With that out of the way...

 

Also make sure you properly figure out airflow as well. So many people end up hotboxing their rigs, especially O11-D builders, because they don't properly figure out airflow to optimize performance, often sacrificing quite a bit for "it looks cool".

 

And now a question for you, you asked about hard tubing, but I didn't see you mention what kind. Are you using Acrylic, PMMA, or PETG? Depending on what you go with will determine what the best tools are for you to use. Regardless you will always need a heat gun, and a silicon insert.

 

 

[Blai5e]

4 hours ago, phatrattyy said:

how do you debur tubing? can i just use sandpaper??

Sandpaper is usable but a deburring tool like this PrimoChill PETG/Acrylic Reamer/Deburring Tool or what I use (but make sure you get the correct size for your tubing) PrimoChill RFB Rigid Tubing Finishing Bit - 10mm ID x 12mm OD is easier.

[theRatty]

3 hours ago, Sir Beregond said:

Few things.

 

LTT and JayzTwoCents often do a good job showing builds, but very rarely talk about actual loop preparation/part cleaning etc. It often looks like they just take rads and blocks out of the box and install it. Don't do that. Be sure you are properly cleaning new radiators, blocks, etc. Radiators especially are quite dirty out of the box and you don't want all that crap in your loop. 

 

Secondly, just because EK sponsors all their videos, doesn't mean they are "the best" like so many think. They perform decent enough, but often are much more expensive than equally or better performing parts from competitors. I would also say they just generally have a lot of quality control issues too in my experience over the past 11 years watercooling myself.

 

Coolant...stick with a clear premix. Opaques are never worth it, especially if this is your first time. Sure they look cool at first, but easily turn into a maintenance nightmare.

 

With that out of the way...

 

Also make sure you properly figure out airflow as well. So many people end up hotboxing their rigs, especially O11-D builders, because they don't properly figure out airflow to optimize performance, often sacrificing quite a bit for "it looks cool".

 

And now a question for you, you asked about hard tubing, but I didn't see you mention what kind. Are you using Acrylic, PMMA, or PETG? Depending on what you go with will determine what the best tools are for you to use. Regardless you will always need a heat gun, and a silicon insert.

 

 

Im using PMMA I'm running mostly negative pressure and pushpull on all rads with only two 140 mm corsair fans as intake in the back

[Sir Beregond]

6 minutes ago, phatrattyy said:

Im using PMMA I'm running mostly negative pressure and pushpull on all rads with only two 140 mm corsair fans as intake in the back

OK, PMMA, that's what I am using as well. It takes a lot longer to heat up and bend then say PETG, so just be patient with it. Cutting it, you will need a saw. I had terrible luck getting straight cuts with the tiny hand saws kits such as the Corsair kit came with, so I opted for something more heavier duty from Home Depot and it works flawlessly. Just make sure you have something to hold the tube straight and in place while you cut it.

 

Something like this with some weight to it: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-12-in-High-Tension-Hack-Saw-with-10-in-Mini-Hack-Saw-20-036M/100496136

 

Harbor Freight also has an electric mini-saw but I found that the 14mm PMMa tubing from Corsair was slightly too big for it, so I wouldn't bother.

 

As for deburring, I went with one of the Primochill finishing bits. It works, but just make sure it is on straight. Maybe mine was defective, but sometimes it really did not finish it straight. You can also just use a hand debur tool that has inner and outer debur, and then finish the edge straight on some sandpaper.

[theRatty]

15 minutes ago, Sir Beregond said:

OK, PMMA, that's what I am using as well. It takes a lot longer to heat up and bend then say PETG, so just be patient with it. Cutting it, you will need a saw. I had terrible luck getting straight cuts with the tiny hand saws kits such as the Corsair kit came with, so I opted for something more heavier duty from Home Depot and it works flawlessly. Just make sure you have something to hold the tube straight and in place while you cut it.

 

Something like this with some weight to it: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-12-in-High-Tension-Hack-Saw-with-10-in-Mini-Hack-Saw-20-036M/100496136

 

Harbor Freight also has an electric mini-saw but I found that the 14mm PMMa tubing from Corsair was slightly too big for it, so I wouldn't bother.

 

As for deburring, I went with one of the Primochill finishing bits. It works, but just make sure it is on straight. Maybe mine was defective, but sometimes it really did not finish it straight. You can also just use a hand debur tool that has inner and outer debur, and then finish the edge straight on some sandpaper.

Which bit https://www.amazon.com/PrimoChill-RFB-Rigid-Tubing-Finishing/dp/B01FN3MKKQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=primochill%2Bfinishing%2Bbit&qid=1680559668&sprefix=primo%2Bchill%2Bfinishing%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1&th=1 works with 14mm tubing??

[Sir Beregond]

7 hours ago, phatrattyy said:

Which bit https://www.amazon.com/PrimoChill-RFB-Rigid-Tubing-Finishing/dp/B01FN3MKKQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=primochill%2Bfinishing%2Bbit&qid=1680559668&sprefix=primo%2Bchill%2Bfinishing%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1&th=1 works with 14mm tubing??

None of those. You need the 14mm OD / 10mm ID bit for Corsair 14mm PMMA.

 

https://www.performance-pcs.com/water-cooling/water-tubing-soft-hard/tubing-and-pipe-tools/primochill-rfb-rigid-tubing-finishing-bit-10mm-id-x-14mm-od-rt14m-tool.html

[theRatty]

7 hours ago, Sir Beregond said:

None of those. You need the 14mm OD / 10mm ID bit for Corsair 14mm PMMA.

 

https://www.performance-pcs.com/water-cooling/water-tubing-soft-hard/tubing-and-pipe-tools/primochill-rfb-rigid-tubing-finishing-bit-10mm-id-x-14mm-od-rt14m-tool.html

Thank you so much I think Im ready  ill send a finished build pic in this chat in a few months!!! still gonna go with no bends its not that I dont trust myself its for the VIBE

[theRatty]

little update. this is why I wanted no bends. Look how aesthetic this is. still waiting on my drain ball valve and adding and connecting the other two rads. Couple of the bends off by a degree or two, will recut the tubing at a later date adding two+ mms