My first Loop/critique and suggestions?

[ZarosTenjin]

Hello together,

 

i know i've just registered but i've just finished my first watercooling loop and would like to ask for some tips or suggestions if i should change things.

 

But first the components:

At first i bought the Alphacool Nexxos Cool Answer 240 LT/ST set:

it consists of:

 

 

1x Alphacool NexXxoS XP³ Light - Acetal Edition - Intel/AMD
1x Alphacool Repack - Dual DC-LT - 5,25 Single Bay Station – without pump
1x Alphacool DC-LT Ceramic - 12V DC - pump - bulk version
1x Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 240mm
3x Alphacool tubing AlphaTube HF 13/10 (3/8"ID) - clear
6x 13/10 (10x1,5mm) compression fitting G1/4” – matte black
2x 120mm fan approx. 1300rpm ( 120x120x25mm )

 

Quote taken from the Alphacool website for convienience.

 

I didnt like the tubing though and a friend offered me 2 UV cathodes he didnt need anymore, so i got myself this tubing:

http://www.alphacool.com/product_info.php/info/p1294_Alphacool-tube-AlphaTube-HF-13-10--3-8-ID----UV-blue-3m--9-8ft--Retailbox.html

As well as a drainage from Koolance since the shop i bought it from only had those there at that point in time:

http://www.aquatuning.us/water-cooling/fittings/ball-valves/9372/koolance-13/10mm-valve-g1/4-id-3/8-od-1/2?c=6496

(link leads to aquatuning but bought at a local vendor)

 

I'm using distilled water with a cilver kill coil for this loop. The Pump is only getting 7 V from me further reducing the moving power even if tis a small pump, but since i'm not overclocking it has been able to keep my cpu at 40°C/105°F idle and 45°C/113 °F under stress. Its no dream numbers but the margin between stress and idle is waaaay lower than with the old boxed cooler i still had on it before.

 

the end result can be seen here (dunno what happened with the last two pictures):

http://imgur.com/a/RP37K

The first tow pictures are pre filling: Second two are completly done post leak test(the first two are probably the most informative the other two are merely for showing the light effects ).

 

 

I generally want to ask what you guys think of the loop Are there any grave errors you can see from the pictures? Any tips for future improvements? I'll write down my current planned improvements below.

 

Current Future Plans:

Next Improvement-Batch:

-Get Liang DDC pump

-Get new bay res

-Get Alphacool silent box for liang ddc pump

2nd Batch:

-Get reference design graphics card with fitting watercooling block

-Get additional 120 Radiator

 

Hope to hear from you guys and thanks for reading and looking!

-Zaros

[Shaqo_Wyn]

*semi-snip*

 

I generally want to ask what you guys think of the loop Are there any grave errors you can see from the pictures? Any tips for future improvements? I'll write down my current planned improvements below.

 

Current Future Plans:

Next Improvement-Batch:

-Get Liang DDC pump

-Get new bay res

-Get Alphacool silent box for liang ddc pump

2nd Batch:

-Get reference design graphics card with fitting watercooling block

-Get additional 120 Radiator

 

Hope to hear from you guys and thanks for reading and looking!

-Zaros

 

The loop looks good, 40 idle/45 load is great! I have some suggestion for the future upgrades.

 

Get a D5 pump, runs quieter and cooler. Although the DDC with the silent box should be great too, not something you see everyday. Maybe with an EK pump top/ tube res combo, bay rezzy suck IMO. Get another dual 120 ST30 in the front if you can fit it. 

 

Also cleaning up your cables and cleaner short tubing runs will greatly improve the aesthetics of your build.

[D3LTA9]

Nice, I like lighting effects on the tubing. I also agree with Shaqo_Wyn. However, I personally find that bay reservoirs can be easier to work with sometimes but I definitely think tube res's look much better so up to you really. 

 

Something to consider if you have a spare port on your reservoir is to fit a quick disconnect fitting with a g 1/4 thread. Then you can remove the drain port and have cleaner tubing. Also when draining all you need to do is have a length of tube with the matching quick disconnect attached to the end. Plug it in and it will drain a large part of your system with no mess. I have done this before using Koolance QD3 fittings. Too expensive and bulky for me to use them on a whole loop but good for this purpose I have found. 

[Cavatoid]

Looks good dude, interesting havent seen much like that before but looks like good work!

[ZarosTenjin]

Thanks for the Feedback everyone!

 

I really am pondering between the DDC and the D5. The DDC i probably would only get int the combination with thr silent box.

I really want to go away from the pump mounted onto the reservoir as (at least with the DC-LT i have) when i give it the 12V it usually wants, it sounds like someone is trying to saw down a tree(not quite that bad but its loud!) with 7 V its just a silent whirr that i can imagine to live with but it really feels liek the vibrations are too much for the pump to stay mounted onto the res in future loops. The thing that for me sets those two apart for now is the price point as well, are the extra costs of the D5 worth it? If i compare alone the DDC and D5 versions of the alphacool starter set i've gotten the D5 would have been a 100€ more in comaprison to the DC-LT witht he DDC setting a middle ground between the two.

 

To the res-type itself:

I can really see why people like it but i find them esthetically displeasing somehow! I dont know it just fits better in the bay area for me, i'm weird like that i probably will want to stay with a bay res for now. I am having a hard time finding bay resses though that are without mounting systems for pumps! Are there any key words i should follow to find those better?

 

The drainage point:

Yes i can definitly see why that would be an elegant solution! sadly i dont have any leftovers on my bay res that would be good for a 1/4 it only has in and out and the two DC-LT slots where on is covered by default because only one pump is delivered. My current solution is to have the drainiage slightly right aligned so it is out of the window view for my case, that is also the reason why i got such a big blob of cables on the right side! I must admit , I've never beena ble to get a good clean cable management in my cases so far but being able to hide some of it behind the MB is already progress for me!

 

One more question about air in the loop:

I know it should be avoidable somehow but i cant seem to get enough of it out! i always have a bubble int he bay res that i cant get out because the fill in at the top looks like this  -----_      _----- that way to the left and right theres always air and if i move the comp even a slight bit like accidentally shoving it a bit with my knee(happens a lot due to the way my desk is set up) i can immediatly hear how a lot of air is pulled fromt he pump and all the bubbles are back in the loop basically having to bleed it again. Is that normal because that is definitly a pro argument for a tube res as oth in and out are at the bottom with the air bubble at the top of the tube not doing any harm at all.

 

-Zaros

[ZarosTenjin]

Sorry to cram out an old thread but i felt making a new one for an update wouldn't be so good.

 

So hey,

 

its been a while and i got the chance to save up some and give the whole thing a little overhaul.

The loop is almost the same though due to me running out of money for now. Because of this i recycled most of the old loop and just 'added' the new pump for now.

 

http://imgur.com/a/RqZJQ

 

Liang DDC with SilentBox and Shoggy = absolute silence! I love it.

 

The cable stuff took definitly the longest this time, but they're tidy now!

 

I've also planned out my next redo of the loop.

 

http://imgur.com/gP2OvBE

 

It involves moving the pump below the bayres and using 90 degree fittings in the res OUT and pump IN to get a clean tube down.

I'm also planning to turn around the radiator and use another 90 degree fitting to easier connect it with the bayres IN.

Otherwise here should be normal tubing from pump OUT to CPU-Block IN and CPU-Block OUT to rad IN.

 

Another thought is that when i get a new graphics card it should be pretty easy to integrate it into the loop. Just add it between pump and CPU-Block.

 

What do you guys think? Any feedback?

 

Cheers,

Zaros