Josh Weston
New member
Wish I could help you, but I have no watercooling experience whatsoever.
There'll be someone that can point you in the right direction on here
There'll be someone that can point you in the right direction on here
2013 build idea.. suggestions/contribution?
- Thread starter Markyboybatey
- Start date
Master&Puppet
New member
I'd get the XSPC raystorm CPU block. It is excellent all round in performance, price and looks.
I wouldn't go XSPC on the rads though unless you need a particuarly thin rad (in which case the EX is the best on the market). The EX is 35mm as you say but XSPC is quite pricey and for £10 more you could get a 60mm G-changer or Alphacool UT60 which would be even better. Both are available in 360 and 240mm lengths and are top performing radiators having a very low fin per inch count which means they are quiet. You want to be running fans at about 1200RPM or less so that the system is a whisper.
As for barbs and hosing you actually need different sizes to get a tight leak-proof fit. You want slightly bigger barbs than hose. Use 1/2" barbs and 7/16" Internal diameter (aka ID) tubing. It's a bit of a fight to push the tubing on but it makes for a perfect fit. You can dip the end of the tube in warm water to make it more flexible whilst you push it on if that helps but I've never needed to do that. I use the XSPC tubing and it has been fine. Tubing isn't expensive anyway!
You might be able to see how it works from this photo I just took of my GPU blocks. It's just hose and barbs and you can see how the hose stretches to fit over - that's how it stays watertight.
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Markyboybatey
New member
I'd get the XSPC raystorm CPU block. It is excellent all round in performance, price and looks.
I wouldn't go XSPC on the rads though unless you need a particuarly thin rad (in which case the EX is the best on the market). The EX is 35mm as you say but XSPC is quite pricey and for £10 more you could get a 60mm G-changer or Alphacool UT60 which would be even better. Both are available in 360 and 240mm lengths and are top performing radiators having a very low fin per inch count which means they are quiet. You want to be running fans at about 1200RPM or less so that the system is a whisper.
As for barbs and hosing you actually need different sizes to get a tight leak-proof fit. You want slightly bigger barbs than hose. Use 1/2" barbs and 7/16" Internal diameter (aka ID) tubing. It's a bit of a fight to push the tubing on but it makes for a perfect fit. You can dip the end of the tube in warm water to make it more flexible whilst you push it on if that helps but I've never needed to do that. I use the XSPC tubing and it has been fine. Tubing isn't expensive anyway!
You might be able to see how it works from this photo I just took of my GPU blocks. It's just hose and barbs and you can see how the hose stretches to fit over - that's how it stays watertight.
I chose EX on both the RADS because I wanted a thin RAD especially for the top mount because in the 810 there isn't a lot of room as I've heard. It occured to me today and you've just clarified that different barbs are needed, I shall re-evaluate and re-price my fittings around 1/2 - 7/16.
I'll also have a look at that CPU block you suggested.
Btw I love your rig
Master&Puppet
New member
Thanks, yea it's a decent rig but I did notice that it is getting a little dusty...need to sort out some filters I think!
To avoid confusion my CPU block is the XSPC RASA which is the predecessor to the Raystorm (which looks much better and is less restrictive than my block).
To avoid confusion my CPU block is the XSPC RASA which is the predecessor to the Raystorm (which looks much better and is less restrictive than my block).
Markyboybatey
New member
I should of been more clear in my watercooling description, I've just copied and pasted all my notes from excel into here I'll be a little more clear to help you understand what I'm looking at lol.
CPU Bracket: XSPC Rasa 1/4" Thread
Res with pump: XSPC X20 750 Dual Bay Res 1/4" Thread
340 & 240 Rad: XSPC EX series 1/4" Thread
Barbs: I was going to get 10 of these; http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop...8-ID-10mm-Tubing--Black-Nickel-pid-15718.html but now I believe I'm going to need 45 degree and 90 degree angle barbs, so I'm going to think where about I'll need these the most. Barbs have a ID of 3/8". So I'm not entirely sure if these match up with the tube, but I know for sure that they fit everything else.
Tubing: XSPC 3/8" ID, clear
Master&Puppet
New member
Need those cables sleeving?
New psu more like! I have a couple of non-modulars powering it at the mo. Next investments are an ax and some alchemy cables most likely.
The Rasa is good but Raystorm is better and the cost is only a few pounds.
The 750 is fine for a single block, cpu only loop but it is a little on the basic side. I had one for about 6 months and it was fine. Getting a ddc or d5 would be better. If you don't get a variable pump then get a molex to 7v cable to stop it running flat out (lph isn't actually very important). If you are short on space then you will probably want a optical bay res rather than a standalone pump top. The bay res is a little bit louder though.
Yea, you are going to need to increase the barb size to 1/2 for that tubing. It's standard that the barbs and blocks/rads/pump all fit with 1/4" fittings. It's just the barb to tube sizes that vary.
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Markyboybatey
New member
Right.. I will need a conversion fitting that is 1/4" thread with a 1/2" ID? I've not done much research on barbs that's the reason for my nooby questions ^_^
I.E. http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...2-ID-13mm-Tubing--Black-Nickel-pid-15771.html
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Master&Puppet
New member
That's cool, I'm not explaining it very well. You need something like this:
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...2-ID-13mm-Tubing--Black-Nickel-pid-15771.html
It has a 1/2" barb which the 7/16" tubing will just squeeze over to get the water-tight fit. At the other end you have a 1/4" thread - this is the bit which screws into the radiator/res.
If you want bends at the barb then you will need to look into compression fittings. Compression fittings work by screwing down onto the end of the tubing. You therefore need to match the tubing to the fitting. So you need something like this:
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...g-Matt-Black--BP-MB45R2CPF-CC6-pid-12815.html
It has the same 1/4" for going into the radiators/pump res but matches the 7/16ID of the tubing - you also need to match the outside diameter (OD) of the compression fitting to the tube as well.
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...2-ID-13mm-Tubing--Black-Nickel-pid-15771.html
It has a 1/2" barb which the 7/16" tubing will just squeeze over to get the water-tight fit. At the other end you have a 1/4" thread - this is the bit which screws into the radiator/res.
If you want bends at the barb then you will need to look into compression fittings. Compression fittings work by screwing down onto the end of the tubing. You therefore need to match the tubing to the fitting. So you need something like this:
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...g-Matt-Black--BP-MB45R2CPF-CC6-pid-12815.html
It has the same 1/4" for going into the radiators/pump res but matches the 7/16ID of the tubing - you also need to match the outside diameter (OD) of the compression fitting to the tube as well.
Markyboybatey
New member
I'm starting to understand now; 1/4" for Rad/res etc 1/2"ID; the hose should be 7/16" for a 1/2" ID and a 7/16" hose has a 5/8" which would be good for the rotary fitting but then the hose would be too big for the ID if I got a 7/16"ID hose... right?
Master&Puppet
New member
Yup. 1/4" is becoming the standard but you do sometimes get slight differences.
Yup.
Yea you'd have to get a compression fitting which had identical sizes to that tubing. So 7/16"ID and 5/8"OD. Like this:
http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...g-Matt-Black--BP-MB45R2CPF-CC6-pid-12815.html
You can see the tubing it matches under specifications.
Markyboybatey
New member
Yep gotcha!, so this tubing? http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cus...1-16mm-High-Flex-Tubing--Clear-pid-13031.html
Master&Puppet
New member
Yea that will do you - that happens to be the same stuff as I've been using for the past year. Works fine!
Markyboybatey
New member
Brilliant!
I've done a quick sketch of where everything is going to go and what fittings I will need
My last question/correction is how the loop circulates, is it something like this?; Res > top rad > CPU > GPU > front rad > back to the res.
I've done a quick sketch of where everything is going to go and what fittings I will need
My last question/correction is how the loop circulates, is it something like this?; Res > top rad > CPU > GPU > front rad > back to the res.
PEXON
SleevingMaster
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Master&Puppet
New member
Sorry, I went away for the weekend - that looks absolutely fine. In fact it's what I've got in my rig so I can say it's works very well
You can't really go wrong with the loop order tbh. It's not worth fighting for degrees by trying to put the GPU on a separate loop to the cpu. Some people prefer certain orders but mostly you will be limited to a particular flow by the design of the case and where all the bits of the loop are - the tubing just fills the gaps.
