First tre at watercooling.

[Solisan]

So after realizing that my cpu fan is geting ready to retire ive decided to try watercooling. A custom build for my i7 cpu and gtx970 sli in a define r4 case (removed all the hdd trays so there is plenty of room) and was just curious as to what price range i shorts expect ? I don't care all that much if its very loud or not since ive gotten used to my PC being loud already. [emoji14]

I know Linus is always mentioning a specific pump but cant find it and was wondering if someone know which one that is?

And when testing for lekas i saw some guide urin some tool to see if there where any leaks(by checking The pressure) but cant find that guide now so Does anyone know what Im talking about here?

Also general advice on what to think about is appreciated.

(gonna try and get a build tomorrow that ill post here as well so you guys can help me optimize it.)

[W-L]

So after realizing that my cpu fan is geting ready to retire ive decided to try watercooling. A custom build for my i7 cpu and gtx970 sli in a define r4 case (removed all the hdd trays so there is plenty of room) and was just curious as to what price range i shorts expect ? I don't care all that much if its very loud or not since ive gotten used to my PC being loud already. [emoji14]

I know Linus is always mentioning a specific pump but cant find it and was wondering if someone know which one that is?

And when testing for lekas i saw some guide urin some tool to see if there where any leaks(by checking The pressure) but cant find that guide now so Does anyone know what Im talking about here?

Also general advice on what to think about is appreciated.

(gonna try and get a build tomorrow that ill post here as well so you guys can help me optimize it.)

 

The D5 Pump from laing is the best pump out there, there are a lot of variants of this pump out there. for a dual GPU setup expect somewhere around atleast $600 for a fully custom loop with SLI.

 

And here is the proper way to leak test post:

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/285060-the-correct-method-to-leaktest-and-commision-a-loop-before-use/

[Oshino Shinobu]

As for price range, it will depend on if you're just going for functionality or for looks. Mine cost over £600 ($920) when going for looks and not cutting corners. That's for two GPUs and a CPU. 

 

In general, the best pump to go for is a Laing D5 Vario. There are variants of it by EK, Alphacool and other companies that change the look and fittings (G1/4 mainly). 

 

For leaks, a load of tissue paper under fittings and tubing is enough. Run a leak and bleed test for at least 24hrs to make sure it's stable before turning on the PC. 

[Wander Away]

easiest way to leak test: Lots of paper towels. short the 24 pin atx power so that none of the components turn on but you can operate the pump. stuff LOTS of paper towel wherever there are fittings, waterblocks, etc. where there could be leaks. Keep it running for a couple hours at least just to be safe. 

You might want to mount your pump with some velcro or some sort of dampening material, to avoid some of the noise associated with that. 

As for the pump, Swiftech MCP655-B is a good choice, it is a bit pricy, but it is definitely reliable. Use as little swivel fittings as you can, as they are the most prone to failure. 

 

My first watercooling loop was a success, much to my surprise, it isnt that hard, and it looks absolutely BA.

[ForsakenLive]

You can achieve a decent build around $500 for a CPU+1xGPU loop, add $100-200 for another GPU (SLI), but you can end up spending quite more, easily. Try establishing a budget from the beginning or you will probably end up spending more than you initially intended.

The usual to-go pump is the D5 (variable speed).

I'm not sure what you meant on the sentence about leaks. Usually for leak testing you build the system as you are supposed to, and run the loop without having any other components powered on besides the pump (best way to do it is with a 12v external power supply, or by getting another PSU and jump-starting it). Using lots of paper towels on the delicate areas and paying close attention to the first minutes of the loop is the standard way to go about it, then leave the loop running for hours, checking from time to time to see if there is any sign of misplaced fluid.

[Solisan]

Aah perfect. It was actually that guide i had read before but for some reason i was convinced it werent on Linus techtips forums. Tanks alot !

600 bucks is a lot for a part time worker like myself so might have to do it in steps(waiting with gpu for example or somewhere that i can save money with out skipping quality.)

But seems youre all on the same page when it comes to the price at least which is good. [emoji14]

One other question, the water do i have to replace it from time to time since it will become "polluted" with time?

The D5 Pump from laing is the best pump out there, there are a lot of variants of this pump out there. for a dual GPU setup expect somewhere around atleast $600 for a fully custom loop with SLI.

And here is the proper way to leak test post:

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/285060-the-correct-method-to-leaktest-and-commision-a-loop-before-use/

[Solisan]

You can achieve a decent build around $500 for a CPU+1xGPU loop, add $100-200 for another GPU (SLI), but you can end up spending quite more, easily. Try establishing a budget from the beginning or you will probably end up spending more than you initially intended.

The usual to-go pump is the D5 (variable speed).

I'm not sure what you meant on the sentence about leaks. Usually for leak testing you build the system as you are supposed to, and run the loop without having any other components powered on besides the pump (best way to do it is with a 12v external power supply, or by getting another PSU and jump-starting it). Using lots of paper towels on the delicate areas and paying close attention to the first minutes of the loop is the standard way to go about it, then leave the loop running for hours, checking from time to time to see if there is any sign of misplaced fluid.

Meant the tool in the link WL posted. planned on doing both that pressure test and The way you mentioned to cover all The bases ^^

[W-L]

Aah perfect. It was actually that guide i had read before but for some reason i was convinced it werent on Linus techtips forums. Tanks alot !

600 bucks is a lot for a part time worker like myself so might have to do it in steps(waiting with gpu for example or somewhere that i can save money with out skipping quality.)

But seems youre all on the same page when it comes to the price at least which is good. [emoji14]

One other question, the water do i have to replace it from time to time since it will become "polluted" with time?

 

Loop maintenance is usually recommended every 6-12months, where if the soft tubing if degraded will need to be replaced and a complete cleaning of the loop may be necessary since the degradation of the soft tube can cause gunk to build up in the blocks. There isn't really a value solution other than watercooling kits from EKWB or XSPC and later adding in waterblocks for the GPU's.

 

For leak testing in general using the paper towel method and an external power source is good practice.

[Solisan]

Loop maintenance is usually recommended every 6-12months, where if the soft tubing if degraded will need to be replaced and a complete cleaning of the loop may be necessary since the degradation of the soft tube can cause gunk to build up in the blocks. There isn't really a value solution other than watercooling kits from EKWB or XSPC and later adding in waterblocks for the GPU's.

For leak testing in general using the paper towel method and an external power source is good practice.

Cheers. Decibel to buy an air cooler for now and get the full watercooling after summer when the summer bonus has arrived so i can afford the full system with sli and ram cooling(cause it just looks awesome )