First Ever Water Cooling Setup help !

[philipthomp]

Hey guys im looking to water cool my cpu and gpu through a dual 120mm rad and a single 140mm rad. I was looking to do this with a pump/res mix in where my cd drive should be. 

 

Any hints on whats a good make to have sufficient flow rate and also is there any sort of loop rules, like CPU first for GPU first or rad then CPU or CPU then rad, this is my first time looking in to this and i really want to know what im doing before i 'SPLASH' the cash. 

[Enderman]

sounds like you need to do a bit more research and learning before you try to build a custom loop

 

unless you have the $400+ for the parts and experience to build it, you should probably just buy an AIO

 

if you really do have all that money to spend on aesthetics, then start learning here:

[philipthomp]

sounds like you need to do a bit more research and learning before you try to build a custom loop

 

unless you have the $400+ for the parts and experience to build it, you should probably just buy an AIO

 

if you really do have all that money to spend on aesthetics, then start learning here:

 

Thanks man, i know what you mean but i do want to put time to this and i feel its the next hurdle for me in my pc building life. 

I really appreciate the links  

[Enderman]

Thanks man, i know what you mean but i do want to put time to this and i feel its the next hurdle for me in my pc building life. 

I really appreciate the links

singularity computers is one of the best custom loop builders

whats his videos and you will learn everything you need to know from his

 

also dazmode on youtube has a lot of short information videos on like what radiators to choose, pumps to choose, and stuff like that

he knows a lot too

[Belgarathian]

I use EK, it's good kit but can be expensive. Most kits would be fine, I've heard of issues with Thermaltake but they may be rumor. Try to keep your entire loop to a single brand, it will help with reducing corrosion through mixing metals. 

 

As for what goes first, it doesn't matter. The water is moving so quickly that there will only be 2-3 degrees difference in temperatures at any given point. For my system, I'm cooling the CPU/GPUs. 

 

For your tubing, I'd recommend going to flexible tubing on your first build, acrylic or hard tubing takes ages and requires a lot of measuring, time and expertise. Primo chill has some really good tubing that doesn't kink and is affordable, for sizes I went with 3/8" 5/8" as it is more flexible than 1/2" 3/4".

 

Note 1: Bleed the bubbles out of your system first and never install your pump with the pump unit on top (as air can get into the pump motor/bearings and cause it to burn out. The pump should always be on its side or facing the bottom of the case). 

Note 2: Test run your system on full speed before installing all your parts. If there is a leak, you won't incur much if any damage if your parts are not powered on as coolant should not be conductive. 

[stealth80]

can't really say people need experience prior to their first loop, how are they supposed to get experience without building loops?

 

XSPC make reservoirs for bays which include a pump:

 

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/xspc-d5-dual-bay-reservoir-pump-combo-v2-wc-140-xs.html

 

The next factors to consider are your blocks for your cpu and gpu, what tubing you want to use and radiators.

 

​Radiators you seem to h​ave weighed up. I'd maybe consider trying to fit in a 240 or even 360mm rad rather than 3 small rads, this will cut down on tubing and fittings cause believe it or not, the costs of fittings really add up.

 

As for tubing .... flexible or rigid. Flexible is more appropriate for beginners whilst youre still learning routing and fitting techniques.

When selecting tubing you need to consider diameters. The general thread used is g1/4 for all w/c components so you don't really need to worry about these just check all fittings and components are G1/4. The next is inner/outer dimensions. Popular flexible is 13/10mm or 1/2" / 3/8".

 

Fans - l​ook for high static pressure for fans. That's generally it, again check some reviews and look across varying FPI (fins per inch) of different rads to see how they perform.

 

Fittings - Compression​ fittings are best/easiest for flex tubing, make sure the fittings are compatible with your tubing and vice versa.

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TLDR

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Bay/pump combo res

Cpu block G1/4

GPU block G1/4

Radiator bigger is generally better but check reviews (G1/4)

Tubing - Flex or Rigi​d? make sure its the same size of your fittings choice

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