Would this setup work? Also have a few general questions before I place my order :)

Hi,

I'm building a new PC and wanted to get some watercooling in there (less for the actual effect, it's mainly for the fun of doing/learning). Never done it before so should be interesting.

It's going to be a i5 750 on a GA-P55A-UD4 + HD5850. Case will be a HAF932.


What I've come up with is this setup.

http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/86/gammods.jpg

EK-Supreme HF - Nickel <-- Will this fit my 1156 MOBO?
RX360 Radiator-Triple, Black, G1/4"
Laing-D5 Vario 12v PumpLaing
EC6 Non-Conductive Coolant - 1L, UV Blue
Tygon B-44-3 Beverage Tubing (Clear 3/8 5/8 1/8) per metre
+ EK-Multioption Reservoir 150 Rev2 from PCCG since GAMMODS doesn't have it in stock.

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My Questions are:
1) Will these parts work together? (and well? any advice would be great.) And if so, any objections towards my choice of hardware (Both for WC and the PC parts)?
2) Will that CPUBlock fit my 1156 mobo/Any alternative suggestions? I was going to get the LT version but I think it's only for 775/1366 ones?
3) As I understand, there's no real difference between Nickel, Acetal or Both right?
4) How much tubing do I need, and is that a good choice? Is 1 Meter enough or should I got for more?
5) I know I need barbs/compression/clamps fittings etc, but I can't seem to figure out which ones exactly, and how many of each? And I'm reading alot about some sort of T fitting? (will do more research on this tomorrow !)

6) I want to add NB/Mobo cooling to the loop, but I'm not sure what parts I need for that, am still quite clueless in this regard. Looked through GAMMODS and saw chipset/mosfet blocks, are these what I'm looking for? (was going to do the GPU instead, but I don't want to void the warranty by messing with the fans/heatsink - and if I xfire it, the blocks are going to cost a whole bunch. Though I may add that later.)
7) I believe that Rad will fit in my case without any modifications? I've read as much but if anyone could confirm, that would be great.
8) Is that rad enough?
9) Would just any 3 120mm fans do? And they just screw on to the rad right?

10) I'm getting the variable pump, how exactly is the pump speed controlled? Is there a little knob on the pump or a switch somewhere etc? Basically do I have to open up my case everytime I want to turn it up/down?
11) That coolant fine? Do I need any other additives? The EC6 seems to get good reviews, but I'd prefer a red colour if I could do that somehow without risk of stain/clogging?
12) What tools would I need? Apart from a pair of scissors for cutting tubing I assume everything should be straightforward?
13) I know copper + aluminum = bad. Do I have those metals in any of my components?
14) Are these ALL the parts I need? ie: I'm a little clueless now so if I didn't list it, I probably won't get it. Don't want to end up missing a screw or something when I start the build

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I know it's a big bunch of questions, and you can assume I have no idea what I'm doing so any help would be greatly appreciated !

I'm looking to order the parts ASAP once I get everything confirmed and start a worklog here then

Thanks alot !

 

1. Yes, they should work fine. Ditch the coolant however, and just use distilled water + some silver or PT Nuke.

One issue however. The D5 pump has fixed (not removable) barbs, which are 1/2" size. You will need an after market pump top to fit 3/8 barbs.

2. The mounting plate that comes with the EK-Supreme HF fits socket 775/1156/1366, so yes, will fit. Don't get the LT, it performs worse than the HF:
http://skinneelabs.com/ek-supreme-hf.html?page=4

3. I don't believe there will be much performance difference between the different tops. Looks mainly.

4. Get too much. Would suck to run out half way through! I got 3 meters for my first loop, and it was way too much... but better to have spare imo.

5. You will need, at a minimum, 2 barbs for the res, the rad, the pump top and the CPU block. Some of the items may come with cheap plastic barbs already. A T piece allows you to have a drain line, which can be very handy. You will need a plug or valve of some kind if you decide to have one.

6. Yes, exactly. According to http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/ EK do not have a full cover block for that motherboard, but you there are probably individual chipset (ie MCW30) blocks that will fit. I am not sure I'd bother for my first loop however.

7. Yes I believe so.

8. The question is never 'is it enough' but more accurately, given certain speed fans, what air/water delta temperature will I get. And we can figure that out. So, using a power supply calculator we can get some idea of the power consumed (and hence the heat output):
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
We can expect the CPU to put out about 200 watts (maybe slightly less), the GPU has a max TDP of 151 watts, and the pump 18 watts (I think?), so total heat dump is about 370 watts.
Next we need to look at the radiator (from skinneelabs):

So, according to that, with 1000 rpm Yate Loon fans (green line), and a 370 watt load, we would end up with roughly a 10 degree air/water delta (ie the water will be 10c warmer than the ambient air). Which is okay. Not great, but okay (in general 5 = good, 10 = okay, 15 = poor).

Better fans will improve those temps. Note, this is not including a motherboard block.

9. Technically yes, any "will do". But if you want a rig that doesn't sound terrible, I'd suggest getting some decent fans. Gentle Typhoon's are very good. They just screw in, but be careful of screw lengths, you don't want to puncture your rad!

10. The pump has a dial thingy on the back, goes from 1 to 5. I find anything over 3 a little noisy. YMMV.

11. Personally I'd avoid any kind of dyes. There is a chance the dye will gather i blocks etc and may cause issues. Stick with pure (distilled) water and either some silver or a biocide. If you really want colour, go for coloured tubing.

12. No special tools needed. Scissors wont cut tube brilliantly straightly, but will work. You can pick up a tube cutting tool if you really want (I found one for a couple of bucks).

13. No.

14. You may find you need screws. According to the description on gammods they come with "M4 Case and Fan Screws"... my XSPC rads didn't come with screws (I didn't get them from gammods however).

Phew! Hope this helps.

 

Hmm.. ok, where would I find some PT Nuke? Can't seem to find any :s

Oh... Would it be simpler just going with 1/2 tubing then? Tygon 3603 Tubing 1/2 ID (1/2" ID tubing with a 1/8" thick wall).

Alright, great !

These good? They all seem the same so I just went for price/looks. (Assuming I switch to 1/2" tubing due to the pump.)

Hmm, ok. I'll look around see if other manufacturers have it then.

That explanation/graph is incredibly helpful ! I'll look into fans then.

Alright, guess I won't know till I get it.

Thanks alot, that was great ! You're getting me that much closer. Know it must have taken a while to go through all 14

 

G1/4 is the standard thread size for w/c components (not G3/8)
1/2 inch tube on 1/2 inch barbs will require hose clamps,

you could just go with 7/16 tube on 1/2 inch barbs, heat tube in hot water then slide on,works a treat except you can only do it to the tube once,if you try a second time it will have a very good chance of leaking.

Anyone tried 7/16 tube on the barbs of the D5 pump, I'm guessing it will fit.

KCH, update your details with atleast a postcode please.

 

Ah thats what else you should get. Regardless of tubing size, you should have clamps. You can pick em up cheap from your local hardware store, or gam probably has em.

I am running 1/2" tube currently... and if I redo my loop I am not sure I'll use this size again. Its very big, which can make it harder to run nicely. That said... I have enough trouble getting 1/2" tube over 1/2" fittings, 7/16" over 1/2" must be hard!

Anyway, yes, go with either 1/2" or 7/16" over 1/2" fittings. Getting an after market top will be pricey. You could always use the DDC pump, although I like the flexibility of the variable speed D5 pump.

boscar: I am almost certain I have seen 7/16 tubing over the D5 pump barbs, although I haven't tried it myself.

PT Nuke is available from Petra's Tech Shop, not sure if its available locally. However, you can just grab some of the 'True Silver' barbs (I think you need about 4 minimum), and, as they are silver, they will act as a biocide.

Regarding your fitting choice... try and plan out, either on paper or in your head where each component is going to go in your case. Will angled barbs be easier? They may be, especially if your case is cramped (although a HAF932 shouldn't be). Also, if you have the stock pump top, you need 2 for res, 2 for rad and 2 for CPU block, so 6 only.... maybe more if you go with motherboard cooling.

The T piece and plug should be fine, I'd probably choose a nicer (ie metal) T-piece... but thats me! I have a little ball valve, which makes life super easy, but the plug will work too. One thing tho, from what I have read (I don't have one), the P55 chipset doesn't generate much heat at all... all the hot stuff is on the CPU. And motherboard blocks tend to be very restrictive. Anyway, your choice, just not sure its worth it.

 

That, basically. Also, though expensive, compression fittings are so much simpler.

I wouldn't try 7/16" on the D5, I had enough trouble getting 1/2" onto it even with hot water

 

How about 1/2 tube with 1/2 compression fittings as below? Is it much different from the 1/4 standard? (and what's the g in "g1/4"?) My pump comes with a 1/2" barb is why I'm hoping to keep it simple with the same tube.

Done, I live in Sydney

Yep, I'll plan it out. Think I'll just stick to the CPU for now... was initially thinking mb or GPU as well but I believe pulling the stock cooler off my GPU will void the warranty? + may as well save some $$ first.

Seems so... anyway here's what I've come up with now:



A few new questions !
1) Pulling the stock cooler off my GPU and putting the waterblock on it voids warranty, yes? If I can skim the $$ from somewhere, I may consider doing it... then again for $150 on top of the accessories/block, I could just as well get another and xfire it. Hmm..

2) That tubing/fitting combo works? (The ID/OD/width etc confused me for a while there.)

3) Those fans should be sufficient? (I'm not going for subzero temperatures here, more just something that works "well" overall. I'm doing it mainly for the experience of doing it )

4) Fan controller -> I have one, but other fans in the case as well.. can I "join" all 3 rad fans to 1 master controller knob?

5) Swiftech Apogee XT($99) vs EK-Supreme HF - Full Nickel ($115) vs EK-Supreme HF - Nickel($101) - Any significant difference? Reviews tell me the EK's win... but only by a tiny margin.
---i) Is the only difference between the Nickel EKs aesthetics?
---ii)The Apogee XT comes with barbs which makes it a $20-35 cheaper option to the EKs? I could go for that if if it does perform similarly.

6) I find myself overbudget.. by a good amount Where can I trim on the purchases/what's advisable? (Again, a couple degrees won't make a difference to me if it costs substantially less.)
---i) I'm thinking fittings (though they will make it alot easier to just screw in), reservoir (honestly, I like the look of it).
---ii) Which leaves rad/pump/tubing/block -> Though again, they seem to be the minimum spec required?

7) A more general question now - shelf life. I'm assuming apart from the waterblock (and maybe tubing), I should be able to easily move the whole setup to another pc somewhere down the line right?

8) Now there's everything I'm going to order... + 2 clamps for the pump barbs. Is that the complete set this time?

Hopefully I can get everything sorted and order it tomorrow night/tues.

Thanks again for all the help !

 

All I have to say is that you should get a different reservoir. I just put together my water-cooling setup a few days ago with the same reservoir. The top of the reservoir leaks if its filled right up or if turned to a side.

 

Instead of PT Nuke you could get PrimoChill Liquid Utopia from Gammods. I'm just adding this stuff to demineralised water.

I would also consider a bigger reservoir with that pump, you might find it hard to bleed all the air out.

Get a D5 pump top, an EK v2 would be nice.

You need fittings too.

If anyone suggests Scythe GT's and you like quiet, don't get them (unless they're the 1150's), they're really loud! Biggest and most costly mistake I've made so far. The cables on these fans are also really short, so it's impossible to route them anywhere.

Good luck

 

1. Yep, for most brands it will void the warranty. However, if you care at all about quiet, WCing your GPU is one of the best changes you can make! If you don't want to spend so much on a block for your GPU, check out the universal blocks like Swiftech's MCW60 and some enzotech ram sinks.

2. Should work, although I have no experience with compression fittings. I prefer barbs n clamps (but its purely personally preference, go with either).

3. Those fans are fine. I use the same ones (actually I use the low speed ones).

4. Depends on the fan controller. Those fans don't draw a huge amount of power, so most controllers will handle it, but not all. Check your controller spec's.

5. I like the swiftech mounting system, its pretty much fool proof. Given the cost difference, and the small performance difference, the XT is better value in my mind. If cost is a big issue, barbs are much cheaper than compressions!

6. Barbs are much cheaper than compressions. Drop the res completely, its not needed (does make bleeding/filling easier tho). Do you already have some fans? They are probably bad, but might tide you through until you can save up for some better ones.

Consider buying elsewhere (although I suspect this will be an unpopular suggestion around here). Importing from the US is usually a lot cheaper (check out sidewinders.com for eg, MCP655 vario pump is $105 USD or $115 AUD including shipping). Of course returns are more difficult.

7. You should be able to keep everything, except the tubing. The water block will probably become out dated, but usually new mounting kits are made available. If you get a GPU full cover block or full cover motherboard kit, they are obviously specific to that card/board, but universal GPU or chipset blocks can be re used. Pumps should last 5 years, maybe more.

 

This is a tough choice. Wonder what's the rate of 5850's failing.

Yeap, I'm going for that.

I'd imagine it's not a popular suggestion.. Quickly put in what I wanted to get and it was a good deal cheaper. Of course returns and the pump being DOA is a concern too.



Now this opens a door to more issues !
1) MCW30 & MCW60 - I could save by getting bits shipped in, and thinking about getting these two. I know it says universal but anyone have a MCW30 working with a GA-P55A-UD4? Reviews look good... Anyone have experience using either?

2) IF I do add the GPU/chipset into the loop, will the rest of my setup keep up to cooling everything? - and the possibility of another 5850 someday in the future.

3) Again, IF I do that, should I switch to different tubing? 1/2 inch seems big. Will it become very messy/cluttered in a HAF932? Or should I just stop overthinking it and stick to what I have ?

4) Still going to be way overbudget, but if this'll work, I might as well do all 3 and enjoy myself

 

GPUs probably live longer when you are not frying them at 90+ degrees!

Anyway:

1) Have a look here:
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcw30.asp

And then measure the holes on your motherboard. FWIW I still don't think this is worth the hassle. Have you monitored the southbridge temps? Of course, your rig, cool what you like Hopefully someone has tried this combination and can report.

I use a MCW60 on my gtx 260. I'd recommend having some airflow over the ram sinks, but the card runs soooo much cooler than stock cooling (not to mention quieter!).

2) Using the graph in my first post, and adding another GPU's worth of heat (520 watts), you'd be adding about 5c to the air/water delta. This is really on the upper bound of what you want, and the temps wont be great, although they probably will still be acceptable.

With the HAF932 I think you can add a thin 120x2 size rad in front of the HDDs. Its not ideal rad placement, but should help temps a bit. Anyway, you can worry about that later when/if you decide to add the second GPU.

Cooling CPU, GPU (x1) + chipset should be okay, as per first post.

3) Up to you. Thinner tubing is easier to work with... fat tubing does look cool. Thinner tubing will need rethinking the pump, either an after market top or different pump. It is possible with 1/2" tubing.



Lastly, if you are seriously considering ordering from overseas, you might also consider using:
http://www.priceusa.com.au/
I haven't used them, but good reports on whirlpool. Would make it a bit cheaper again and they have some returns insurance. I find the cost of things very frustrating in Australia... the distributors take a stupidly large cut -- and as much as I want to support Australian businesses, I hate being ripped off! Some items cost twice here what they do in other parts of the world (not so much computer stuff, but other things). Anyway, this rant is OT....

 

Cooling the motherboard chips is not necessary unless your going for a hardcore overclock, it really is a bit of a waste.
If you go for the MCW60 for the card you will also need ramsinks for the memory
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_48&products_id=3075
and leave the side case fan installed for air flow.


ascl-you must be a faster typer than me,but I'm posting it anyway

 

I'll stick to 1/2" tubing for everything. Quiet is good for me. My PC's about 2 meters from my bed

Thinking about it... From what I've seen, I can get 50-100$ off the total getting it overseas, even + express shipping costs (with a larger range of hardware). Though I do like my shops to be closer by.

Yep I'll need those. Seems like some kits come with it, but the ones sold in Australia don't

I know it's not necessary.. but I like doing things "right" or as complete as possible within reason. And for $45, it's very tempting.



Then again, I don't really need ANY of this, I could go buy 2x 5870's and fancool everything perfectly for the same (or less) price and far superior performance Been thinking quuuite a bit about this in the past 2 weeks. -still a tiny chance I may, but this seems immensely more fun !-

I'm doing this purely for the fun/enjoyment of putting everything together - logically, it doesn't make any sense spending this much $$ for the performance boost I'll get from WC anyway.

Always wanted to know how it was done and what better way than to do it myself. When it comes down to it, temps/performance which is the ultimate goal to WC doesn't matter to me as much as knowing that I can, and have done it The only thing is fitting it within my budget !


Thanks for the quick replies

 

Stick to your budget,
just do the CPU for a start,
use 7/16 tube on 1/2 inch barbs,
get the pumptop for the 655,
lose the res, go for a t-line up to the fill port hole in the top of the HAF

You can always add to it later as finance becomes available.

 

Your shopping cart


AVAILABILITY PRICE QTY TOTAL
EK-Supreme HF Acetal $95.00
XSPC RX360 Radiator $115.00
Swiftech Tubing 7/16" x 5/8" x 10ft $26.00
Swiftech MCP655 12V Speed Variable Pump $135.00
EK-D5 X-TOP - Acetal G1/4 Rev.2 $46.00
Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black 1/2 Fitting X 9 $31.50
Bitspower G1/4 Silver Shining Q-Block $12.00
Bitspower G1/4 Silver Shining Stop Fitting $3.90 Total $464.40

Plus fans and a Fill Port

 

Confirmation is always good anyway

 

Guessing those are pccg/gam pricing? Thanks for putting it together, gives me a clearer look at the system you're suggesting !

I'll have a better look later when I get home and do some site comparisons

Back to that though, I'm not exactly working on a hard budget, I have a more bang/buck/fun model. Hence if I can get chipset/gpu cooled for another 100 orso (MCW30+MCW60 = $105), that's a good call for me !


Edit: Your sig says you have a HAF932 case, any pictures around? Would be cool to see how you placed everything and what it looks like.

 

pics for you,
My first attempt,bit ugly


Internal shot, it's changed a bit since this photo


External shot

 

What's the green stuff you have flowing inside?

lol, looks like it'll topple over if you add another rad !

Hmm, and how do you get picture to thumbnail in posts ie above?