Best clear coolant for updated loop

[Ninja_Commander]

With my plan this year to make an update to my water cooling loop, I wanted to get a new coolant for my system, even though I don't need to color the coolant.  My case has no window and wanting to try a new coolant.  Or maybe even keep what I am using already, Alphacool CKC Kelvin catcher.  Does it matter what brand of coolant I go with?

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

Why not just use distilled water with a silver kill coil or some pt nuke.

[Ninja_Commander]

It would be simple, but I feel the maintenance with that would be a bit more often then I would want.  Getting premade coolant just makes it alot easier for me

[0ld_Chicken]

yeah, use Mayhem's x1 or EK's evo clear (Alphacools is probably fine).  Killcoils are a thing of the past and are NOT to be used if there is ANY nickel in your loop and coolant's additives help avoid corrosion as well as avoid bacterial growth

[Ninja_Commander]

Thats what I was thinking too. Plus I know Mayhem's is one of the best in terms of coolants, I just wanted to know if I should just buy the 1 liter bottles or go for the concentrates. 

[0ld_Chicken]

7 minutes ago, Ninja_Commander said:

Thats what I was thinking too. Plus I know Mayhem's is one of the best in terms of coolants, I just wanted to know if I should just buy the 1 liter bottles or go for the concentrates. 

I prefer the premixed as long as it won't cost more (sometimes shipping is the difference) just because I don't really trust my grocery stores distilled water.  I've never had any issues with concentrates though and I used them on my last loop fill since it was my only option for the coolant I wanted.

 

(also make sure to quote or tag people if you want them to see your response, users aren't automatically subscribed to threads) 

[Ninja_Commander]

2 minutes ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

I prefer the premixed as long as it won't cost more (sometimes shipping is the difference) just because I don't really trust my grocery stores distilled water.  I've never had any issues with concentrates though and I used them on my last loop fill since it was my only option for the coolant I wanted.

 

(also make sure to quote or tag people if you want them to see your response, users aren't automatically subscribed to threads) 

Thanks for the tip.  I was right then.  Well I might get about 3 liters just to be on the safe side.  I plan on getting a 360 and 280 rad, both from hardware labs, A new tube res from Alphacool, and the newest Alphacool cpu block.  The new block I saw had some damn good cooling for CPUs.  Would that be ok?

[0ld_Chicken]

3 minutes ago, Ninja_Commander said:

Thanks for the tip.  I was right then.  Well I might get about 3 liters just to be on the safe side.  I plan on getting a 360 and 280 rad, both from hardware labs, A new tube res from Alphacool, and the newest Alphacool cpu block.  The new block I saw had some damn good cooling for CPUs.  Would that be ok?

sure would, 2L would probably be fine but it's always nice to have a sealed extra in case you need it.  You might actually be closer to 1L but I'd get 2 minimum.  I think i used about 1.5L with 3-240mm and 1-280mm, 2gpu and 1 cpu block with a 250mm tube res (2 of those 240's are 60mm thick too).  I haven't looked at the new Acool block much but it should work just fine with hwlabs rads (great rads, especially the sr-2).

 

What type of tubing are you going to be using?  There are some tubing types/brands that are not recommended to be used with Ethylene Glycol based coolants 

[Ninja_Commander]

25 minutes ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

sure would, 2L would probably be fine but it's always nice to have a sealed extra in case you need it.  You might actually be closer to 1L but I'd get 2 minimum.  I think i used about 1.5L with 3-240mm and 1-280mm, 2gpu and 1 cpu block with a 250mm tube res (2 of those 240's are 60mm thick too).  I haven't looked at the new Acool block much but it should work just fine with hwlabs rads (great rads, especially the sr-2).

 

What type of tubing are you going to be using?  There are some tubing types/brands that are not recommended to be used with Ethylene Glycol based coolants 

The tubing I plan on using it from Primochill, and its gonna be soft. I like water cooling, but I'm not that good with it to go with hardline.  The Advance LTR tubing I have already is great.  Also the new Acool block I read from Extreme rigs had a very interesting result in terms of cooling hat it beat out alot of others, though it does have a higher flow than most.

 

Heres the link if you wanna check.   http://www.xtremerigs.net/2017/02/09/alphacool-eisblock-cpu-cooler-review/all/1/

[Eddie Current]

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-ekoolant-evo-clear-premix-1l

[0ld_Chicken]

4 minutes ago, Ninja_Commander said:

The tubing I plan on using it from Primochill, and its gonna be soft. I like water cooling, but I'm not that good with it to go with hardline.  The Advance LTR tubing I have already is great.  Also the new Acool block I read from Extreme rigs had a very interesting result in terms of cooling hat it beat out alot of others, though it does have a higher flow than most.

 

Heres the link if you wanna check.   http://www.xtremerigs.net/2017/02/09/alphacool-eisblock-cpu-cooler-review/all/1/

yeah the restriction is a bit higher (lower flow actually) but the difference is small and shouldn't hurt performance at all as along as you are using a good pump.  The plexi version looks good imo, not a big fan of the regular but thats just me.  I would stick with Mayhems X1 since primochill's LRT is not to be used with EG based coolants and EK's evo is EG based.  

 

If the tubing is old then you may want to think about replacing it.  Soft tube can deteriorate and leech plasticizer into your loop and it's fairly cheap.  Mayhems Ultraclear tubing is good and dirt cheap.  Tough to tell that it has a blue tint to it once there is coolant in there too.

 

http://www.xtremerigs.net/2016/12/06/extreme-rigs-soft-tube-test-take-2/

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/EK-PSS/EK-PSS-3830046999511.pdf

http://mayhems.net/sds/x1/1ltr/x1_clear_1_ltr_sds.pdf

[Ninja_Commander]

6 hours ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

yeah the restriction is a bit higher (lower flow actually) but the difference is small and shouldn't hurt performance at all as along as you are using a good pump.  The plexi version looks good imo, not a big fan of the regular but thats just me.  I would stick with Mayhems X1 since primochill's LRT is not to be used with EG based coolants and EK's evo is EG based.  

 

If the tubing is old then you may want to think about replacing it.  Soft tube can deteriorate and leech plasticizer into your loop and it's fairly cheap.  Mayhems Ultraclear tubing is good and dirt cheap.  Tough to tell that it has a blue tint to it once there is coolant in there too.

 

http://www.xtremerigs.net/2016/12/06/extreme-rigs-soft-tube-test-take-2/

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/EK-PSS/EK-PSS-3830046999511.pdf

http://mayhems.net/sds/x1/1ltr/x1_clear_1_ltr_sds.pdf

I have it and I don't see a blue tint at all. And I was thinking of going with clear or black, since I wanted to make a Ninja build.

[0ld_Chicken]

2 hours ago, Ninja_Commander said:

I have it and I don't see a blue tint at all. And I was thinking of going with clear or black, since I wanted to make a Ninja build.

its definitely visible when just comparing the tubing side by side (Mayhems on the left, Primochill LRT on the right) but I don't mind it, its so much cheaper and easier to work with imo than LRT.  My favorite black tubing is EK's ZMT.  I believe Mayhems makes white and clear

[Ninja_Commander]

1 hour ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

its definitely visible when just comparing the tubing side by side (Mayhems on the left, Primochill LRT on the right) but I don't mind it, its so much cheaper and easier to work with imo than LRT.  My favorite black tubing is EK's ZMT.  I believe Mayhems makes white and clear

I ,too, have looked at EK's ZMT tubing, but my problem is my fittings are 10/13.  Thats kinda the reason I went with LTR.

[Ninja_Commander]

@0ld_Chicken Does it really matter nowadays which fittings I get?  All of my fittings are Acool.

[0ld_Chicken]

not really, I would be a little weary of cheap rotary fittings but even most of those are fine most of the time. Acools should be fine

[Ninja_Commander]

42 minutes ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

not really, I would be a little weary of cheap rotary fittings but even most of those are fine most of the time. Acools should be fine

That's what I thought. I know bitspower is the best, but damn, $10 for one fitting.  I still need to recount how many I have when I make my updated loop.  I'll stick with Acool cause I have had trust with them for the last few years.

[Sazexa]

I've had good luck with EK's EVO-Clear. I usually put in a liter or so, and then fill the rest with distilled water. Or, buy a bunch of EVO-Clear at a time and roll with that.