Watercooling Virgin

Imran_T · May 11, 2010, 11:32 AM

I'm totally new to watercooling and having checked alot of guides I've noticed they arn't in depth enough to answer all these questions I have.

Here's a list of the components I'm thinking of getting.

Phobya DC12-160
EK Res for Phobya pump
Zalman ZM-WB5 cpu waterblock
Swiftech 240mm Rad
Heatkiller Full cover 4870 VGA block

I'm overclocking my AMD Phenom 2 X3 720 from 2.8Ghz to 3.2Ghz atm (I may push it to 3.6 or 3.4 with WC)

and my HD 4870 from stock 750/900 to about 790/1100.

First question, Will the dual rad be able to cool both the card and the cpu withuot me having to keep my fans on full blast? I'm using this to cool it atm and it runs at 35'-45' at idle and under load and the Graphics card is around 53' idle and sometimes hits 68 under load.

Mixing Metals..I've read that mixing metals in watercooling system ends up with a build up of some sort that can break pump. Does this expand to bard and connectors?

What are the best connectors to use?

I'm also considering using 3/8" tubing. Will it be sufficient enough to cool the system and not put too much stress on the pump?

Also can someone point me to a good guide for 'bleeding'? I don't even know what a T-line is :S

procupine14 · May 28, 2010, 05:54 PM

First off hello!

Looks like you have a fairly nice set of components. I think that the dual 120mm rad will work just fine. I have been running water cooling for a very long time and I have never had any problems with my dual 120 not being enough. Yes, mixing metals is a no, no. If you are unsure about what the metals are I would reccomend that you ask some one. You can generally get away with it if you are using fluids that prevent the problem but they, generally, don't dissapate heat quite as well as distilled water IMO. The mixing metals thing does mean that you should be careful of the barbs that you use. Sometimes companies supply connectors with their products and you shouldn't have to worry about those because they are liable for making sure that the connectors won't harm anything. for all of the joints/elbow bends in my setup I just use the appropriate ID barbs from a plumbing supply store (you can usually find some white PVC ones that work really well) if you need to make any sharp turns inside your case. 3/8" tubing should be fine. I find it to be the best size for routing it around things, for me, 1/2" is just too big and bulky. As far as bleeding goes I would reccomend getting everything assembled as much as you can outside the case (but still making it easy to slip the entire assembly inside without making any disconnections in your loop) then running the system for about 24 hours. Since you have a reservoir in the setup, bleeding isn't that much of an issue. Just fill it up, (make sure that your reservoir is the highest point in your loop for this process) wait awhile for air bubbles to escape and as the water level in the reservoir drops, add more to it. I always give the water blocks and the radiators a couple light taps now and again to make sure that all of the trapped air gets out of the system.

procupine14 · May 28, 2010, 06:01 PM

one more thing.....Here is a link to a little water cooling article Planning & Installation : A Beginner's Guide For WaterCooling Your PC

mostly I'm just linking it to show you the diagram. Thats a basic flow diagram for how things should be setup. Since, GFX cards and chipsets generally have a higher tollerance for heat, they are put after the CPU in the lineup. you could also use a splitter and have half of the water routing through the GPU and half through the CPU at the same time which, IMO, would give you the best result. After the heated water exits your components I would reccomend that it makes its next stop at the radiator then the reservoir and then the pump. This allwos the pump to draw straight from the reservoir and, for me, seems to extend the life of the pump significantly.

Cheers!

Lowfat · May 28, 2010, 06:19 PM

I would suggest a different CPU block if at all possible. Either a Swiftech GTZ/GTX, or any of the EK Supreme's.

Since you are getting the EK Res for the pump bleeding will be nearly non existent. You don't need a T line.

Loop order makes no difference.

As long as you don't throw any aluminum in the loop you will be fine. So you wouldn't need to worry about mixing metals.

3/8" ID tubing is fine. I highly suggest 3/8ID 5/8OD though. 1/2OD tubing has horrid bend radius'.

procupine14 · Jun 9, 2010, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lowfat

3/8" ID tubing is fine. I highly suggest 3/8ID 5/8OD though. 1/2OD tubing has horrid bend radius'.

I have to say that I agree with you on that one

May 11, 2010, 11:32 AM	#1
Imran_T HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Watercooling Virgin I'm totally new to watercooling and having checked alot of guides I've noticed they arn't in depth enough to answer all these questions I have. Here's a list of the components I'm thinking of getting. Phobya DC12-160 EK Res for Phobya pump Zalman ZM-WB5 cpu waterblock Swiftech 240mm Rad Heatkiller Full cover 4870 VGA block I'm overclocking my AMD Phenom 2 X3 720 from 2.8Ghz to 3.2Ghz atm (I may push it to 3.6 or 3.4 with WC) and my HD 4870 from stock 750/900 to about 790/1100. First question, Will the dual rad be able to cool both the card and the cpu withuot me having to keep my fans on full blast? I'm using this to cool it atm and it runs at 35'-45' at idle and under load and the Graphics card is around 53' idle and sometimes hits 68 under load. Mixing Metals..I've read that mixing metals in watercooling system ends up with a build up of some sort that can break pump. Does this expand to bard and connectors? What are the best connectors to use? I'm also considering using 3/8" tubing. Will it be sufficient enough to cool the system and not put too much stress on the pump? Also can someone point me to a good guide for 'bleeding'? I don't even know what a T-line is :S

May 28, 2010, 05:54 PM	#2
procupine14 Why is it Beeping!?!?! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA, Missouri Posts: 1,400 Rep Power: 58 System Specs	Re: Watercooling Virgin First off hello! Looks like you have a fairly nice set of components. I think that the dual 120mm rad will work just fine. I have been running water cooling for a very long time and I have never had any problems with my dual 120 not being enough. Yes, mixing metals is a no, no. If you are unsure about what the metals are I would reccomend that you ask some one. You can generally get away with it if you are using fluids that prevent the problem but they, generally, don't dissapate heat quite as well as distilled water IMO. The mixing metals thing does mean that you should be careful of the barbs that you use. Sometimes companies supply connectors with their products and you shouldn't have to worry about those because they are liable for making sure that the connectors won't harm anything. for all of the joints/elbow bends in my setup I just use the appropriate ID barbs from a plumbing supply store (you can usually find some white PVC ones that work really well) if you need to make any sharp turns inside your case. 3/8" tubing should be fine. I find it to be the best size for routing it around things, for me, 1/2" is just too big and bulky. As far as bleeding goes I would reccomend getting everything assembled as much as you can outside the case (but still making it easy to slip the entire assembly inside without making any disconnections in your loop) then running the system for about 24 hours. Since you have a reservoir in the setup, bleeding isn't that much of an issue. Just fill it up, (make sure that your reservoir is the highest point in your loop for this process) wait awhile for air bubbles to escape and as the water level in the reservoir drops, add more to it. I always give the water blocks and the radiators a couple light taps now and again to make sure that all of the trapped air gets out of the system. __________________ HTPC/file server: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom x4 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 800 (2x2GB) - 1TB WD Black - 4 x 1TB Hitachi DeskStar in RAID 5 - ATi TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner - HIS Raedon 4850 512MB - ASRock N68C-S UCC mobo - OCZ ModExtreme Pro 500W PSU GF's Gaming PC: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 1066 - 500GB Western Digital GP - HIS Raedon 5770 1GB - ASUS M3A78-EM - Zalman 650W PSU Media Streamer: Win 7 Pro 64-bit - AMD Athlon x2 3200+ - 4GB SuperTalent DDR2 800 - 250GB SeaGate Barracuda - MSI K9N6PGM2-V2 - ASUS Raedon 5450 SILENT - FSP group 250W PSU

May 28, 2010, 06:01 PM	#3
procupine14 Why is it Beeping!?!?! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA, Missouri Posts: 1,400 Rep Power: 58 System Specs	Re: Watercooling Virgin one more thing.....Here is a link to a little water cooling article Planning & Installation : A Beginner's Guide For WaterCooling Your PC mostly I'm just linking it to show you the diagram. Thats a basic flow diagram for how things should be setup. Since, GFX cards and chipsets generally have a higher tollerance for heat, they are put after the CPU in the lineup. you could also use a splitter and have half of the water routing through the GPU and half through the CPU at the same time which, IMO, would give you the best result. After the heated water exits your components I would reccomend that it makes its next stop at the radiator then the reservoir and then the pump. This allwos the pump to draw straight from the reservoir and, for me, seems to extend the life of the pump significantly. Cheers! __________________ HTPC/file server: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom x4 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 800 (2x2GB) - 1TB WD Black - 4 x 1TB Hitachi DeskStar in RAID 5 - ATi TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner - HIS Raedon 4850 512MB - ASRock N68C-S UCC mobo - OCZ ModExtreme Pro 500W PSU GF's Gaming PC: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit - AMD Phenom 9850 - 4GB OCZ DDR2 1066 - 500GB Western Digital GP - HIS Raedon 5770 1GB - ASUS M3A78-EM - Zalman 650W PSU Media Streamer: Win 7 Pro 64-bit - AMD Athlon x2 3200+ - 4GB SuperTalent DDR2 800 - 250GB SeaGate Barracuda - MSI K9N6PGM2-V2 - ASUS Raedon 5450 SILENT - FSP group 250W PSU

May 28, 2010, 06:19 PM	#4
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	Re: Watercooling Virgin I would suggest a different CPU block if at all possible. Either a Swiftech GTZ/GTX, or any of the EK Supreme's. Since you are getting the EK Res for the pump bleeding will be nearly non existent. You don't need a T line. Loop order makes no difference. As long as you don't throw any aluminum in the loop you will be fine. So you wouldn't need to worry about mixing metals. 3/8" ID tubing is fine. I highly suggest 3/8ID 5/8OD though. 1/2OD tubing has horrid bend radius'. __________________