Watercooling Build

[thayl0]

Attempting my first build. Just wanted to post my parts for the experts to review to make sure everything is good.

Cooler Master Storm Stryker (modding and getting rid of hard drives in front will mount 360mm rad in front with 3 cosair fans.

EK-Supremacy EVO Elite Edition
D5 Photon 270 Reservoir/Pump Combo V2
EX360 Triple Fan Radiator
PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing 3/8"ID x 1/2" 
EK-ACF Fitting 10/13mm

 

 

Also if you have any suggestions feel free.

[Zyndo]

7 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

Snip

get tubing and fitting that is EXACTLY the same size (preferably from the same manufacturers). 13mm is not the same as 1/2" (12.5mm). You might be fine due to how the O-rings seal everything, but there is a pretty big risk that since they are not the same, that you would be very much at risk of a leak. other than that I don't see anything glaringly wrong with your idea, provided you have the physical space to do what you wish to do here.

[Leonard]

You are looking good there IMO. You have not mentioned how you plan to hook up the fans, i suggest getting a PWM fan splitter and run all 3 fans from one MOBO PWM header. You left out the coolant, if you are going to use a premixed one then that is cool, if you plan to use just distilled water use a few silver kill coils or a monsoon silver bullet.

 

1. make sure to flush your radiator without it being attached to the water block to avoid any loose flux from getting into the block's water channels
2. leak teat outside you build
3. buy extra tube to cover mistakes

[thayl0]

7 hours ago, Leonard said:

You are looking good there IMO. You have not mentioned how you plan to hook up the fans, i suggest getting a PWM fan splitter and run all 3 fans from one MOBO PWM header. You left out the coolant, if you are going to use a premixed one then that is cool, if you plan to use just distilled water use a few silver kill coils or a monsoon silver bullet.

 

1. make sure to flush your radiator without it being attached to the water block to avoid any loose flux from getting into the block's water channels
2. leak teat outside you build
3. buy extra tube to cover mistakes

I planned on buying some coolant.. also my case as a fan controller bulit in I planned on using that or do you think I should do the route you stated.

7 hours ago, Zyndo said:

get tubing and fitting that is EXACTLY the same size (preferably from the same manufacturers). 13mm is not the same as 1/2" (12.5mm). You might be fine due to how the O-rings seal everything, but there is a pretty big risk that since they are not the same, that you would be very much at risk of a leak. other than that I don't see anything glaringly wrong with your idea, provided you have the physical space to do what you wish to do here.

On ek website the description said it supprts 1/2?

[Zyndo]

1 minute ago, thayl0 said:

On ek website the description said it supprts 1/2?

if the manufacturer says its supported, then you should be fine (like I mentioned before, with how O-ring sealing works, its possible that 0.5mm size difference won't make a big enough gap that an O-ring flattening out can't fill). SO if EK says you're good, then you should be good.

[thayl0]

9 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

if the manufacturer says its supported, then you should be fine (like I mentioned before, with how O-ring sealing works, its possible that 0.5mm size difference won't make a big enough gap that an O-ring flattening out can't fill). SO if EK says you're good, then you should be good.

Won't I get need 4 fittings for a cpu block 2 on block and 2 on rad?

[Zyndo]

2 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

Won't I get need 4 fittings for a cpu block 2 on block and 2 on rad?

You will also need at least 2 additional fittings for your pump/res unit for a total of no fewer than 6 fittings in order for your loop to be operational.

[thayl0]

1 minute ago, Zyndo said:

You will also need at least 2 additional fittings for your pump/res unit for a total of no fewer than 6 fittings in order for your loop to be operational.

Thank you for help. I forgot all about that. 

[Zyndo]

1 minute ago, thayl0 said:

Thank you for help. I forgot all about that. 

no problem. if you have additional questions or concerns feel free to ask

[thayl0]

1 minute ago, Zyndo said:

no problem. if you have additional questions or concerns feel free to ask

as for the water block. acetal or nickle or niether?

[Zyndo]

1 hour ago, thayl0 said:

as for the water block. acetal or nickle or niether?

you are not comparing the same things. Nickel would refer to the cooling plate on the bottom of the block. this would be the area of the CPU block directly contacting your CPU. These can come in different variations, but will typically be offered in Copper or Nickel (which is actually usually copper with Nickel plating on it). Additionally some manufacturers may offer other kinds of metals for this purpose, such as Gold (again, usually copper with a gold plating) or Aluminum. You should stay away from Aluminum in water cooling loops wherever possible as it will be prone to reacting with non aluminum metals and cause corrosion which can, at best, raise temperatures over time and clog your loop or, at worst, irreparably damage your loop causing leaks and malfunctions.

So, Copper or Nickel plated copper is what you should typically be using. these tend to have the best heat transfer properties and no risk of corrosion when used together. Copper, however, will corrode if mixed with some other metals, such as Aluminum (usually found most often in radiators). If you're unsure if you are going to have Aluminum in your loop, or other problematic metals, it is best to get Nickel components as it is far less susceptible to corrosion than bare copper (and will not affect cooling performance in any measurable way so far as I'm aware)

As far as acetal is concerned, that is a type of high quality plastic material that the rest of the surface of the block is made out of (not including the cooling plate or internal block operational parts). It is an aesthetic decision and will not affect cooling or performance in any way. when it comes to this area, your common choices with EK are Acetal (usually will look opaque black or white) , Acrylic (usually clear or slightly fogged), or Machined Brass (Usually nickel-plated Machined Brass. As found on their full nickel blocks, and blocks such as their elite series)

Here is an example of each material:
Acetal: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-acetal-nickel

Acrylic: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

Machined Brass (Nickel Plated finish): https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-full-nickel

Those 3 blocks are all identical with nickel cooling plates and interior workings, the only difference between them are the external aesthetics.


Here is an example of different plate materials (I've gone with acrylic models so you'll better bet able to see the changes)
Copper: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo

Nickel (Actually Copper with a Nickel coating): https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

Gold (it does not say, but my suspicion is that this is again Copper, but with a Gold coating): https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-gold

Those 3 blocks are identical with acrylic housing and identical interior workings, the only difference between them are the cooling plates on the bottom. EK swears that plating the copper with nickel does not adversely affect performance, but some people believe it will, which is why copper is often the go to choice for the most die-hard water cooling enthusiasts. I've not heard of anyone using gold plated copper.... gold is supposed to have better heat transfer properties than copper, but at a higher cost. whether or not this makes any actual performance difference, I do not know.




Sort of a wordy answer... does this clear things up?

[thayl0]

33 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

you are not comparing the same things. Nickel would refer to the cooling plate on the bottom of the block. this would be the area of the CPU block directly contacting your CPU. These can come in different variations, but will typically be offered in Copper or Nickel (which is actually usually copper with Nickel plating on it). Additionally some manufacturers may offer other kinds of metals for this purpose, such as Gold (again, usually copper with a gold plating) or Aluminum. You should stay away from Aluminum in water cooling loops wherever possible as it will be prone to reacting with non aluminum metals and cause corrosion which can, at best, raise temperatures over time and clog your loop or, at worst, irreparably damage your loop causing leaks and malfunctions.

So, Copper or Nickel plated copper is what you should typically be using. these tend to have the best heat transfer properties and no risk of corrosion when used together. Copper, however, will corrode if mixed with some other metals, such as Aluminum (usually found most often in radiators). If you're unsure if you are going to have Aluminum in your loop, or other problematic metals, it is best to get Nickel components as it is far less susceptible to corrosion than bare copper (and will not affect cooling performance in any measurable way so far as I'm aware)

As far as acetal is concerned, that is a type of high quality plastic material that the rest of the surface of the block is made out of (not including the cooling plate or internal block operational parts). It is an aesthetic decision and will not affect cooling or performance in any way. when it comes to this area, your common choices with EK are Acetal (usually will look opaque black or white) , Acrylic (usually clear or slightly fogged), or Machined Brass (Usually nickel-plated Machined Brass. As found on their full nickel blocks, and blocks such as their elite series)

Here is an example of each material:
Acetal: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-acetal-nickel

Acrylic: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

Machined Brass (Nickel Plated finish): https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-full-nickel

Those 3 blocks are all identical with nickel cooling plates and interior workings, the only difference between them are the external aesthetics.


Here is an example of different plate materials (I've gone with acrylic models so you'll better bet able to see the changes)
Copper: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo

Nickel (Actually Copper with a Nickel coating): https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

Gold (it does not say, but my suspicion is that this is again Copper, but with a Gold coating): https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-gold

Those 3 blocks are identical with acrylic housing and identical interior workings, the only difference between them are the cooling plates on the bottom. EK swears that plating the copper with nickel does not adversely affect performance, but some people believe it will, which is why copper is often the go to choice for the most die-hard water cooling enthusiasts. I've not heard of anyone using gold plated copper.... gold is supposed to have better heat transfer properties than copper, but at a higher cost. whether or not this makes any actual performance difference, I do not know.




Sort of a wordy answer... does this clear things up?

Yes, so nickle is better ?

[Zyndo]

4 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

Yes, so nickle is better ?

Copper is better if cooling and performance are all you care about and if you are certain that there are no other metals other than nickle or copper in your loop. Nickel, however, is much safer since it will not corrode if mixed with other metals, and will offer similar performance to copper.

So yes, Nickel cooling plates are a good safe bet to make. When I eventually make my custom loop, this is the CPU block I will get: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

You may choose to get something else if an acrylic block is not the aesthetic look you are going for.

[Leonard]

6 hours ago, thayl0 said:

I planned on buying some coolant.. also my case as a fan controller bulit in I planned on using that or do you think I should do the route you stated.

You can use the fan hub on the case but it is better(personal experience and preference) to separate and control the fans on the radiator from the other case fans.

[thayl0]

14 hours ago, Zyndo said:

Copper is better if cooling and performance are all you care about and if you are certain that there are no other metals other than nickle or copper in your loop. Nickel, however, is much safer since it will not corrode if mixed with other metals, and will offer similar performance to copper.

So yes, Nickel cooling plates are a good safe bet to make. When I eventually make my custom loop, this is the CPU block I will get: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

You may choose to get something else if an acrylic block is not the aesthetic look you are going for.

is it dangerous to use coolants with dyes in them?  as i have a white and black theme going.. also what coolant is good

[Zyndo]

26 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

is it dangerous to use coolants with dyes in them?  as i have a white and black theme going.. also what coolant is good

When it comes to coolants, you should make sure that your coolant has "anti-microbial" and "anti-corrosives" in it. Anti-Microbial means that small micro-organisms will have a significantly harder time growing inside a given fluid. Anti-Corrosion means that your metals in your loop will be less susceptible to, well, corrosion. Both of these things can lead to detrimental loop performance over time if not dealt with, which is why most per-bought coolants (such as the ones from EK) will come with them included.

So, "What coolant is good"?
Good coolant will have 3 base ingredients. It will include a sanitized fluid base (almost always distilled water), some measure for anti-corrosion, and some measure for anti-bacterial. Yes you can add Dyes to your system and you can use dyed coolant in a system. Solutions are the safest kind of dyed fluid to use in your system, such as what is found in EK's new "Cryofuel" line of coolants. Solutions will have the longest lifespan of any coolant and the least amount of maintenance when compared to other kinds of coolants. However, solutions will be translucent, and this may not be a desired aesthetic look for everyone. Opaque coolants offer a wider variety of colour options, and allow you a much greater artistic flexibility with your systems aesthetics due to this. However, opaque coolants are opaque because they have non dissolved particles in them. These non dissolved particles can sometimes lead to clogging of your system over time if left in a loop for too long (especially in the case of lower quality coolants) and they also are significantly more likely to change colour over time (this is due to the constant heating and cooling of the fluid over time). Opaque coolants are also more likely than solutions to permanently discolour your tubing, although this is usually only a problem with lower quality flexible tubing. Due to all of these factors, Opaque coolants will typically require a lot more system maintenance than solutions will in order to keep the aesthetics where you want them and the performance where it needs to be. The industry itself is still trying to figure out how to permanently combat the drawbacks of opaque coolant. Some people can buy an opaque coolant (such as Mayhems Pastel coolants) and NEVER have a problem with it and it works wonders for them. the next person could order the EXACT same coolant and have to change it on a monthly basis because it just keeps changing colours, and the next person may need to change it because its clogging their system, even though the colour isn't changing at all.



For you, seeing as you want a white/black system and are using flexible tubing, I would recommend getting coloured tubing (probably black or white), and a solution coolant. But if that isn't the look that you're going for, then do your own research on specific opaque coolants and determine which you think is best for your needs. I haven't done a TON of research into what is all available out there for specific coolants from specific manufacturers, so I wouldn't be the guy to make a product recommendation in this area. If you just want a coolant that will be reliable and you won't have to worry about, select a premix from this list and you will be fine. they come in 900ml bottles so just buy however much you think you'll need to fill your loop: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/accessories/cooling-liquids-coolants/cryofuel-premixes

[thayl0]

5 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

When it comes to coolants, you should make sure that your coolant has "anti-microbial" and "anti-corrosives" in it. Anti-Microbial means that small micro-organisms will have a significantly harder time growing inside a given fluid. Anti-Corrosion means that your metals in your loop will be less susceptible to, well, corrosion. Both of these things can lead to detrimental loop performance over time if not dealt with, which is why most per-bought coolants (such as the ones from EK) will come with them included.

So, "What coolant is good"?
Good coolant will have 3 base ingredients. It will include a sanitized fluid base (almost always distilled water), some measure for anti-corrosion, and some measure for anti-bacterial. Yes you can add Dyes to your system and you can use dyed coolant in a system. Solutions are the safest kind of dyed fluid to use in your system, such as what is found in EK's new "Cryofuel" line of coolants. Solutions will have the longest lifespan of any coolant and the least amount of maintenance when compared to other kinds of coolants. However, solutions will be translucent, and this may not be a desired aesthetic look for everyone. Opaque coolants offer a wider variety of colour options, and allow you a much greater artistic flexibility with your systems aesthetics due to this. However, opaque coolants are opaque because they have non dissolved particles in them. These non dissolved particles can sometimes lead to clogging of your system over time if left in a loop for too long (especially in the case of lower quality coolants) and they also are significantly more likely to change colour over time (this is due to the constant heating and cooling of the fluid over time). Opaque coolants are also more likely than solutions to permanently discolour your tubing, although this is usually only a problem with lower quality flexible tubing. Due to all of these factors, Opaque coolants will typically require a lot more system maintenance than solutions will in order to keep the aesthetics where you want them and the performance where it needs to be. The industry itself is still trying to figure out how to permanently combat the drawbacks of opaque coolant. Some people can buy an opaque coolant (such as Mayhems Pastel coolants) and NEVER have a problem with it and it works wonders for them. the next person could order the EXACT same coolant and have to change it on a monthly basis because it just keeps changing colours, and the next person may need to change it because its clogging their system, even though the colour isn't changing at all.



For you, seeing as you want a white/black system and are using flexible tubing, I would recommend getting coloured tubing (probably black or white), and a solution coolant. But if that isn't the look that you're going for, then do your own research on specific opaque coolants and determine which you think is best for your needs. I haven't done a TON of research into what is all available out there for specific coolants from specific manufacturers, so I wouldn't be the guy to make a product recommendation in this area. If you just want a coolant that will be reliable and you won't have to worry about, select a premix from this list and you will be fine. they come in 900ml bottles so just buy however much you think you'll need to fill your loop: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/accessories/cooling-liquids-coolants/cryofuel-premixes

The look I'm going for is similar to this video 

 

However I don't know if there using white tubing or not because the coolant looks white in the res.

[Zyndo]

6 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

Snip

Definitely a white opaque coolant of some kind with clear acrylic tubing. he lists ALL of his components in great detail except the coolant he used... so unfortunately I can't point you to that exact one, but opaque white coolant shouldn't be too hard to find.

[thayl0]

1 minute ago, Zyndo said:

Definitely an opaque coolant of some kind with clear acrylic tubing. he lists ALL of his components in great detail except the coolant he used... so unfortunately I can't point you to that exact one, but opaque white coolant shouldn't be too hard to find.

thank you again for the help. last question how do you find out the thread size you need for fittings.

[Zyndo]

3 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

thank you again for the help. last question how do you find out the thread size you need for fittings.

G1/4 is a near universal fitting standard in water cooling these days. almost everyone uses it (i'm not aware of anyone who doesn't except in the case of AIO units). just make sure you check for G1/4 when you purchase your various components and you'll be fine. If you know you're purchasing everything on that list in your first post I can tell you all of those components are G1/4 so you will be fine if you buy those components. you will need to do your homework on individual parts on your own. but feel free to run a final parts list by me when you're ready to order and I can check it out if you're still feeling nervous about it.

[thayl0]

9 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

G1/4 is a near universal fitting standard in water cooling these days. almost everyone uses it (i'm not aware of anyone who doesn't except in the case of AIO units). just make sure you check for G1/4 when you purchase your various components and you'll be fine. If you know you're purchasing everything on that list in your first post I can tell you all of those components are G1/4 so you will be fine if you buy those components. you will need to do your homework on individual parts on your own. but feel free to run a final parts list by me when you're ready to order and I can check it out if you're still feeling nervous about it.

was about to start buying parts. got to the water block one says it supports 1151 the other doesn't but appear to be the same?

 

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

http://www.performance-pcs.com/ek-supremacy-evo-cpu-water-block-nickel-plexi.html#Features

[Zyndo]

1 hour ago, thayl0 said:

was about to start buying parts. got to the water block one says it supports 1151 the other doesn't but appear to be the same?

 

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel

http://www.performance-pcs.com/ek-supremacy-evo-cpu-water-block-nickel-plexi.html#Features

Yes it supports 1151. all 115x sockets are the same... so if it supports any of them it supports all of them

[thayl0]

6 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

Yes it supports 1151. all 115x sockets are the same... so if it supports any of them it supports all of them

I think I got everything. I belive the 24pin on off switch connector is for testing leaks when filling pump. I attached my cart. Minus the fans as im getting off amazon.

mycart.csv

[thayl0]

[Zyndo]

10 minutes ago, thayl0 said:

I think I got everything. I belive the 24pin on off switch connector is for testing leaks when filling pump. I attached my cart. Minus the fans as im getting off amazon.

mycart.csv

not for leak testing.... but will allow you to fill your system and power only your pump so that if there IS a leak (since upon filling is where it is most common to happen), you aren't going to kill everything. Most people usually get a little 24pin jumper and then use the button on the back of the power supply, but an in-line solution seems more convenient for sure.

as far as your cart goes it looks like you will be fine on everything with the exception of your fittings. the fittings you selected are designed to work with hard tubing, such as Acrylic, PETG, Glass, Metal, etc. Since you're using flexible tubing you should get flex tube fittings, often called "barb fittings"... Hard tube fittings, often called "compression fittings" (to confuse matters, they're both technically compression fittings so sometimes they're both called just that). It may work fine for you, but will be seriously prone to leaking due to the way they're designed. I would very highly suggest finding the correct fittings.

And good choice of coolant I think, at the very least it should look great in your system. Keep in mind that this is a concentrate, and that you will have to add your own distilled water to the mix in order to get your final cooling fluid (it recommends 1 gallon, or approximately 3.8L)