What pump for Custom Loop?

[Mustachio Furioso]

So I am planning on upgrading to a custom loop from my AIO. I need some advice for what Pump I need. As far as I know DDC is good for Head pressure, while D5 is good with flow rate. Im not sure what my build would require though. As far as tubing I would like to use PETG. Do I need to worry about what size tubing I pick 12/16mm or 10/12mm in regards to flow rate and what not.  I have been sticking with EKWB products for the simplicity for now.

 

My loop in the works,

 

Rad: 2x EK Coolstream CE 420mm

         1x EK Coolstream CE 560mm

Blocks: EK Supremeacy EVO - Nickel,

            2x EK- FC1080 GTX Ti - Nickel

Res: EK-Res X3 400

 

Thanks in advance.

[TheSlicingEdge]

5 minutes ago, Mustachio Furioso said:

So I am planning on upgrading to a custom loop from my AIO. I need some advice for what Pump I need. As far as I know DDC is good for Head pressure, while D5 is good with flow rate. Im not sure what my build would require though. As far as tubing I would like to use PETG. Do I need to worry about what size tubing I pick 12/16mm or 10/12mm in regards to flow rate and what not.  I have been sticking with EKWB products for the simplicity for now.

 

My loop in the works,

 

Rad: 2x EK Coolstream CE 420mm

         1x EK Coolstream CE 560mm

Blocks: EK Supremeacy EVO - Nickel,

            2x EK- FC1080 GTX Ti - Nickel

Res: EK-Res X3 400

 

Thanks in advance.

Id go for this given your blocks. EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM

[Mustachio Furioso]

Ok so its like 2 D5 pumps in one unit then?

[Lurick]

I used a single D5 pump without issue with a CPU block, 2 GPU blocks, a 360mm and 280mm rad. Rads aren't really restrictive to flows so a single D5 pump will be plenty. I personally like the 12/16mm tubing since it's got a 'fuller' look to it compared to 10/12mm tubing.

[Mustachio Furioso]

26 minutes ago, Lurick said:

I used a single D5 pump without issue with a CPU block, 2 GPU blocks, a 360mm and 280mm rad. Rads aren't really restrictive to flows so a single D5 pump will be plenty. I personally like the 12/16mm tubing since it's got a 'fuller' look to it compared to 10/12mm tubing.

ok thnx

[Mustachio Furioso]

57 minutes ago, Lurick said:

I used a single D5 pump without issue with a CPU block, 2 GPU blocks, a 360mm and 280mm rad. Rads aren't really restrictive to flows so a single D5 pump will be plenty. I personally like the 12/16mm tubing since it's got a 'fuller' look to it compared to 10/12mm tubing.

Will it be enough head pressure though I was plaining on using primarily 90 degree fittings for the loop?

[For Science!]

1 hour ago, Mustachio Furioso said:

Will it be enough head pressure though I was plaining on using primarily 90 degree fittings for the loop?

I've used 1 D5 pump (EK top), with 2 GPU blocks in parallel (bitspower), and 1 CPU monoblock (EK) with one 280 and one 360 mm Rad (Hardware labs) and at 100 % pump speed, scrape 3.8 L/min (1 gpm). I have my GPUs in a parallel configuration.

 

So if you want more flow, you will either need to split your loop, or go for a more flow optimized setup, or just not worry about the flow rate so much.

[Mustachio Furioso]

4 minutes ago, For Science! said:

I've used 1 D5 pump (EK top), with 2 GPU blocks in parallel (bitspower), and 1 CPU monoblock (EK) with one 280 and one 360 mm Rad (Hardware labs) and at 100 % pump speed, scrape 3.8 L/min (1 gpm). I have my GPUs in a parallel configuration.

 

So if you want more flow, you will either need to split your loop, or go for a more flow optimized setup, or just not worry about the flow rate so much.

Ok i was just worried it would not be enough pressure to complete the loop. Would the EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM  be enough? Or to Much? Also you mentioned parallel, Im not sure I understand the difference, between that and serial. Thnx for you replies.

[For Science!]

55 minutes ago, Mustachio Furioso said:

Ok i was just worried it would not be enough pressure to complete the loop. Would the EK-XTOP Revo Dual D5 PWM  be enough? Or to Much? Also you mentioned parallel, Im not sure I understand the difference, between that and serial. Thnx for you replies.

As the others have mentioned, the radiators contribute very little to the overall restrictiveness of the system, so given that you will be running 1 CPU block and 2 GPU block, your flow achieveable with a D5 pump should be similar to mine. Having a dual D5 will also give you a fail-safe, where if one pump fails another one will keep the loop going as well as giving more pressure, if you want to lower the speed of the pumps. However I think most would argue the dual-pump is more for redundancy than performance, so I wouldn't bother with it unless if having only 1 gives you problems.

 

Please find below an image explaining the difference between serial and parallel dual GPU configurations (source: http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/awoo2510/media/cGF0aDovUGFyYV92c19TZXJpYWxfenBzMTE2NTdkOTYucG5n/?ref=) . Parallel (right) is where the water splits equally across the GPUs, and then rejoins on their way out, whereas serial is when the water enters one gpu, exits, and the enters the next GPU, and then continues to the rest of the loop. Parallel setups are less restrictive and recommended if you think head pressure will be an issue, whereas in serial you get more flow rate (At the cost of more resistance). Generally in most systems it doesn't matter and you should choose based on looks (unless you do things like 4-way SLI).

 

[Mustachio Furioso]

Ok thnx for all that info, I guess a single D5 Pump will be fine then. Although I do like the idea of the fail safe with the extra pump. Maybe I will see how much room I got in my case once it gets here. Then I will decide what pump. I'm thinking of going with one of these https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-d5-pwm-incl-sleeved-pump https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-dual-d5-pwm-serial-incl-pump

[For Science!]

5 minutes ago, Mustachio Furioso said:

Ok thnx for all that info, I guess a single D5 Pump will be fine then. Although I do like the idea of the fail safe with the extra pump. Maybe I will see how much room I got in my case once it gets here. Then I will decide what pump. I'm thinking of going with one of these https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-d5-pwm-incl-sleeved-pump https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-dual-d5-pwm-serial-incl-pump

I made an interesting observation just now that it is actually a little bit cheaper to buy the Dual D5 pumps and 2 acetal tops (to get 2 functional single D5s) than to buy two single acetal topped D5s with 1 dual pump top

 

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-dual-d5-pwm-serial-incl-pump

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-d5-acetal

 

218 + 40 + 40 = 298

 

vs

 

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-d5-pwm-incl-pump

https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-dual-d5-pwm-serial

111+111+88 = 308 euro

 

So you can have a beer or two with the money saved =P

[Mustachio Furioso]

Drat, I am confused again. The Dual pump does not come with pump top? So I need to get a pump top as well?

[For Science!]

Sorry for confusing, the above is if you want 2 pumps, and also have the possibility to run them as single independent pumps. If you buy the dual pump, you will have two D5 pumps working in serial that cannot be put into a loop indepently unless you buy a D5 single top (or two, if you want 2 functioning pumps). On the other hand if you buy 1 single D5 pump with the pump top, and you decide you actually want two D5 pumps working together using 1 top, you will need to buy a second D5 as well as the dual pump top (alternatively, you can tube them together too).

 

Hope that explains it.

[For Science!]

If you just want one D5 pump, then go for the one you posted  https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-xtop-revo-d5-pwm-incl-sleeved-pump

and all will be fine.

 

I Was just laying out some options if you then wanted to turn that single D5 into the EK-style dual D5 configuration

[Mustachio Furioso]

Oh ok, I get it now. So If I want the dual pump to work independently from each other I would need to buy the tops for them.

 

I think my last question regarding water cooling, is I have been looking at pictures of some builds. I see some people that run there loop from the GPU directly to the CPU, and others that run it from GPU to a top RAD and then to the CPU. Since im going to all the trouble to set this build up I definitely want good performance, but I also dont want spaghetti tubes. I am not sure if it makes a big difference on the performance you can achieve. I believe I have read somewhere that over time the water temp will like equalize? I'm not sure.

[For Science!]

3 minutes ago, Mustachio Furioso said:

Oh ok, I get it now. So If I want the dual pump to work independently from each other I would need to buy the tops for them.

 

I think my last question regarding water cooling, is I have been looking at pictures of some builds. I see some people that run there loop from the GPU directly to the CPU, and others that run it from GPU to a top RAD and then to the CPU. Since im going to all the trouble to set this build up I definitely want good performance, but I also dont want spaghetti tubes. I am not sure if it makes a big difference on the performance you can achieve. I believe I have read somewhere that over time the water temp will like equalize? I'm not sure.

Conventional wisdom would be: go for whichever path you find easier to do in your case - loop order does not matter. The only thing to make sure is that the reservoir is directly before the pump.

 

A PC does not have huge temperature deltas like in a car, so it is not necessary to have a radiator between a heat generating component. Sure theoretically, and also maybe to a degree or two difference may be present if you have a rad inbetween the components, the pump will move the water so fast that the water temperature will equilibriate within you system.

 

[Mustachio Furioso]

Ok, that clears it up for me. I think I will do whatever looks best then. Thanks for all your advice, the help is much appreciated. =)