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A FEW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A GUIDE ON WATER COOLING LATELY SO I HAVE PUT THIS TOGETHER TO HELP ANYONE WHO IS WANTING TO LEARN GET STARTED.
THIS FIRST PART OF THIS GUIDE WAS NOT WRITTEN BY ME AND ALL CREDIT FOR IT GOES TO VileLasagna OVER AT THE SPECIALTECH FORUMS.
THE GUIDE CAN ALSO BE VIEWED OVER AT SPECIALTECH
http://www.specialte...ooling-Glossary
Watercooling
Watercooling is the practice of using water to help cool your components. In essence watercooling works similarly to heatpipe technology in that the role of water is taking heat out of your blocks and dumping it into the ambient.Watercooling, when compared to air cooling is much more modular in it's execution. Analogically, compared to an air cooler it would be asif you got to buy the heat pipes, the fin assembly, the contact plate and the fans all separately and then made your own cooler.
Watercooling is usually chosen, when the chosen by reasonably informed people, for three reasons. Firstly is looks, since you can choose the finish on your blocks and fittings, colour of tubing and coolant etc. Second would be silence.Using watercooling one can cool their computer much quieter than most air solutions. Some air coolers nowadays are very quiet, such as the well know Noctua NH-D14, however with watercooling you can extendthat to other components such as your Graphics Cards and motherboard components etc.. Alternatively, given a high noise tolerance,watercooling can net you MUCH greater performance. And given the modular nature of watercooling users can choose whereabouts in that spectrum they sit.
That said watercooling offers its own set of disadvantages. The first of which is certainly the initial price one pays for their system. This can be somewhat offset by the fact that most components can be reused several times throughout various builds. And another important one is space. Watercooling radiators in particular take large amounts of space and it might be complicated (or expensive) finding a case that can fit internally radiators needed for high-end cooling systems. For this reason many watercoolers opt to move radiators outside their cases and/or hacking away at otherwise perfectly fine cases in order to accommodate their cooling solutions.
Loop
A Watercooling Loop is an individual and isolated watercooling system. So when a person says he's going for a dual loop, the person actually has two separate and independent watercooling systems in his case. Dual (or multi) looping can be chosen to either isolate different components or for aesthetic purposes (having one loop in green and the other in blue for instance). When done for performance purposes it might be chosen to diminish or divide loop restrictions or perhaps to lighten the load on a radiator.
An example I like to give is the one of a Phenom processor and the good old Radeon 2900. Phenoms are known to run quite cool but they're also quite intolerant to high temperatures (my 965 for instance, will lose overclocking stability at around 58-59C) and my (very) old 2900 has always been a very scary card temp-wise because it is not at all afraid to go in to temperatures of 80-90 degrees. This means that this card will dump a LOT of heat in your loop, but also that it doesn't mind running hotter. So dual looping might actually decrease the load on your radiator, since you don't need to have everything running at the same delta. If your goal is silence (and the 2900 is a VERY noisy card with its blower fan running fast) and having that card running at 60-70C is no problem (as long as the water itself is not too hot for pumps and tubing, more on that later) you can work that loop at a much higher delta than the one for your CPU and, thus, diminish the amount of radiator area you're going to need.
A loop is composed of tubing, coolant and 4 basic components
Pump
Pumps are the heart of your loop(ohlol) and their purpose is to move water around (no shit sherlock).Pumps have two main performance numbers tied to them: Flow Rate and Head Pressure. Flow rate is not as important as head pressure,generally speaking. Sort of like Static Pressure means how well can afan push air through a rad, head pressure will give you a general indication of how well can a pump push water through restrictive blocks without losing too much flow rate. According to experimentation by Skinnee, flow rate DOES net you better temperatures but after around 1.5 - 1.6 GPM (360lph) the returns from increasing pumping power in your loop starts to diminish very fast so as long as you have "adequate" pumping power you should be fine.
From a real case scenario, I had aloop that went through my RAM, an XSPC Delta block (very low restriction for a CPU block) and a pair of rads. Hooked up to thatloop I had my trusty old Laing DDC 1 Pro (440lph) and an XSPC dualbay res+pump (750lph). I did a few runs in OCCT with both pumps onand then with only each of them on and saw no notable difference inmy temps.
Waterblock (block)
A waterblock is a thermal interface between a component and your loop. It is the part that will sit on your CPU. GPU, northbridge or whatever and allow water to carry away the heat from it. Blocks are usually the most restrictive components on your loop, particularly CPU and GPU blocks (but not full-covergraphics card blocks) due to the way they're built. Waterblocks are attached to components much like normal coolers, using their own mounts and, of course, Thermal paste or pads. Basically you can add anything to a loop as long as you can find a block for it, be that your hard drive, your motherboard, your fan controller or even your console.
Reservoir (res)
Reservoirs are an auxiliary component in a loop. They don't REALLY serve a vital function in that a loop would be fine without one. However they help you with filling and/or draining as well as getting the air out. When hooking your res up make sure to have the outlet of the reservoir as the lowest port.When you fill your loop there will be air everywhere and though most of it will be pushed out right away there will be bubbles here and there that will take some persuasion, tapping and patience. These bubbles will migrate to your res and form an air pocket. This pocket is perfectly fine as long as it's not making it to your inlet as thatwill get your pump to suck air and throw it in your loop again, most undesirable.
That is the reason circular reservoirs usually have some sort of "anti-cyclone" installed, to prevent the forming of water twisters which would get air dangerously near your inlet. If your res doesn't have one, don't worry too much,as it also depends on how the water reaches the res and so and so on.If you're not getting that, it's fine.
Radiator (rad)
Rads are the other end of your cooling system. Your blocks take the heat out of your components and dump it into the water, then your rad gets the heat out of your water anddump it into the air.
Radiators have a few minor characteristics to be concerned about and a couple major ones. First on the minor ones are thread size and fan spacing. These are minor because they are only really a worry due to the Termochill PA which is no longer in production. Termochill's new line, the TA conforms to normal standards so you are unlikely to need to concern yourself with these. The normal thread standard for watercooling equipment is the G1/4" thread, if it uses this you can expect it to be compatible with all your fittings etc, if not, you may need some adapters or something like that. And when it comes to fan spacing pretty much all radiators nowadays use 15mm fan spacing (which is like one fan right next to the other. The space is measured between the screw holes) and the PA used to have 25mm spacing. Again, Thermochill is also following the standards on this, and standards mean everyone has an easier time planning their loops.
The important ones are radiator size and restriction. Now when I mention restriction here I mean restriction for the fans, not for your pump. Rads are typically one of the least restrictive things in your loop and you are very unlikely to have to worry about it unless you're using some very curious radiator (like the new Thermalfins are looking to be if they eventually get released).
I'm talking about the fin density of the radiator. Usually radiators will range from about 7-8 FPI all the way to 30. This is a factor to consider when choosing a rad as it is part of your own noise/performance planning. Generally speaking,radiators with higher fin density will give you better performance however that comes at a cost. Since they are very restrictive you'll need better fans to "kick them off". If your plan is to use very quiet fans, of the 600-800RPM kind, these radiators are likely to prove not very adequate and you should get much better performance using less restrictive radiators.
So when planning your loop thinking of this trade-off is one of the things you want to do.
As if the fin density didn't already tie your choice of rad and fan, the next big issue pushes them even further, radiator size. There are 3 sizes to consider with a radiator, and that's BEFORE you get your measuring tape out to make sure it will fit in a limited space. Radiators are broadly divided into fat and slim radiators. Slim radiators, such as the XSPC RS are roughly the thickness of a fan whilst phat rads like the RX are about twice as thick. Again, generally speaking, thicker rads will usually give better performance than a similar thinner radiator but don't hesitate to do some individual research on the rad you're thinking of buying, as there are surprising fellows out there.
Even more important is the fan size.Excluding passive solutions such as the Cape-Cora radiators, rads are designed to have fans attached to them. These are usually 120mm or140mm fans, though others do exist (Phobya does a 200mm rad, and there are some 80mm rads out there). Mounting points for rads are because of this, essentially fan mounting points, so the internals of your case might influence your choice of radiator. On a personal not like 120mm rads because the fan choice is much broader (and case choice slightly so), but make no mistake, the increased surface area in a radiator designed for 140mm fans does translate into more cooling power.
And after knowing whether your rad is slim or phat and what size fans does it take, the other thing to know is how many of those fans will it take on one side. When we say a double or a triple, we mean a radiator that will take, respectively, two or three fans on one side. Most rads will take fans on both sides if you want to, so a triple RS or RX will actually take up to 6 fans.When people don't specify what kind of fans, the safe assumption is 120mm. As well as saying "quad 120" people might also use the old Termochill notation, in which this would be a "120.4"rad (or 120X4). Alternatively people might add the fans. A 240mm rad is NOT a radiator for a 240mm fan and it DOES NOT have 240mm in length in case you're measuring space for it in your case. It's a dual 120mm rad, so it will take two 120mm fans on each side and is likely to be some 28-30cm long because of the cap at the top, the tanks and so on.
A final consideration when dealing with radiators is screw sizes. Check not only which thread you need(M3, M4 or 6-32) as this is still a bit non-standardized but also length. Using screws that are too long may lead you to piercing the radiator tubes and killing it, so just double check everything beforehand.
Integrating your components we have tubing and fittings.
Tubing
The hoses that carry water around a watercooling loop. There are many colours and sizes available. Tubing and fittings are chosen together and one ties the other one. When choosing tubing keep in mind the Inner Diameter(ID) and the Outer Diameter (OD). ID is the diameter measured between the inner walls of the tubing (orly?) and OD is the diameter measured from the outside(bet you'd never guess). There is always a question of whether tubing sizes influence in the performance of a loop and it has been proven that the answer is "not really". Thinner tubing do increase your restriction slightly, but the difference is negligible assuming your pump is not completely horrible (and pumps are generally quite good nowadays) so the only real difference is aesthetics. I personally like thinner tubing as I find it looks better and also is less annoying to route, but again, personal, if you want to go epic sausage tubing feel free, just keep in mind that I WILL laugh at you if you struggle with it. Very thick tubing might also give you problems with fittings, more under Compressions
Fittings
Fittings is the name given to "things that you screw onto your watercooling components to attach tubing to them". Instead of having tubing go directly into things this is better since this extra layer means your pump doesn't have to be compatible with your block or anything of the sort. So generally speaking fittings have G1/4 threads on one end and some means of attaching tubing on the other. There are three main types of fittings, Compression Fittings, Barbs and the less popular Push-In fittings.
Barbs
Barbs are a common type of fitting, you just "slide the tubing over it and you're done". In reality things aren't QUITE like that. It is generally recommended that barbs be used with some form of hose clip, spring clamp, jubilee clampetc... To increase safety of barbs people have a custom of using over sized barbs. When choosing barbs only the ID of your tubing matters. So barbs for 10mm tubing will work for either 10/13mm tubing or 10/16mm tubing. But, given that oversizing habit, people are likely to buy 11 or 13mm barbs for that tubing. Then after lot of struggle possibly with the aid of hot water and magic spells they get the tubing in there. This helps to ensure the safety of the barb and keep it watertight. As a side effect it also ensures that tubing is never again coming out so be prepared to dish out your Stanley knife when you need to do so.
Quote from Mayhem
I'll try not to rant too much because I think this should at least pretend to be somewhat fair and I'm very much against barbs. So now you know what it is and can kill it with fire.
Compression Fittings
Compressions are the main alternative to barbs. They're a two part system, the tubing goes over the"barb-like" part and then you screw the compression cap (or nut) on top of it in order to get a watertight seal. In line with my opposition to barbs is my favor towards compressions as I find them sexier, safer and more practical. Unlike barbs, once you unscrew the cap it's usually easy to just pull the tubing off (except in case your tubing actually has a smaller ID than advertised. Happened to me once). This makes it easier to take your loop apart in case you need to change something or drain it, etc...
Note that unlike with barbs, when buying compressions it's important that you take into consideration BOTH the inner and outer diameters of your tubing. Compressions for 8/11mm tubing will NOT fit 8/10mm tubing, for instance. But at times you may be able to buy the compressions caps separately in case the ID stays the same, so it's always worth giving it a check.
Push Fittings
Push fittings are a less common type of fitting but are used at times anyway. They are certainly the most practical kind of fitting available but at times it might be hard to check the consistency of your fitting the tubing in them and so the market has kinda drifted away from them in favour of barbs and compressions.
Flow Rate
Measure of how quickly water goes through a system. Usually measured either in gallons per minute (GPM) or liters per hour (lph). For more information, see Pump
Head Pressure
Property of pumps analogous to static pressure on fans.
Restriction
Usually refers to how a particular component (usually a block or a rad) impairs the flow of water in your system. Typically, CPU blocks are the most restrictive component in a loop. GPU only blocks have a similar construction and usually are also very restrictive. Other blocks, such as full cover VGA blocks and motherboard blocks tend to be much less restrictive and the restriction of most radiators is usually pretty much negligible when compared to your blocks. Restriction might also refer to the AIR restriction in a rad, though this is less common.
Coolant or Fluid
The liquid that goes through a watercooling loop. As the name suggests this is typically water with additives. Water used in watercooling is usually either deionised or distilled. As for additives, they fall into three main categories.Dyes, biocides and corrosion-inhibitors.
Bleeding
Bleeding is the name given to the process of taking air out of your loop once it's filled. Reservoirs tend to make bleeding easier as often air bubbles that migrate there(be it naturally or through the use of encouragement, tilting and tapping) usually get trapped in it. Air in your reservoir that's not getting sucked back into the pump is harmless
Biocide
Water and light, either sunlight or UV lights inside a computer case might make your loop a suitable environment for the growth of vegetation. Algae may grow inside loops and though the idea of combining a high-tech machine and a vase might appeal to some, this is undesirable, for one because algae are likely to get trapped in your block and impair (or even impede) your flow.The following pic is some algae that decided to make itself cosy inside the Supreme HF of our forum member msimon
To combat this coolants usually have some sort of biocidal agent added to them, either a separate liquid or a silver "kill coil". Silver ions make the water toxicand that helps prevent the growth of things in your loop, where biocidal agents are good old sterilizing poison . Some brands, such as Tygon, also sell tubing made with silver dust, aiming to eliminate the need for a dedicated biocide. Mind you that with silver coils it might take a while until the silver concentration in your loop is high enough that the water becomes toxic and you may get some growth before that happens (in which case you'll need to go through a lot of cleaning and refill your loop etc...)
Anti-Corrosion or CorrosionInhibitor
If you mix metals in your loop,particularly if you have aluminium around copper, you might get a reaction and one of the metals attacks the other (I think it's ally that eats copper, but personally am never sure about this one). That may lead to one of your blocks suffering a horrible death followed by a lot of water suddenly coming out from above your CPU... a most undesirable outcome. Because of this many watercoolers shun aluminiumin their loops but it's actually fine to use it as long as you have acorrosion-inhibitor in your fluid. And that is just what it sounds, achemical substance that when present in your fluid prevents the metals from reacting with one another. Pretty much all pre-mixed coolants already come with some form of anti-corrosion in them, but in case you have aluminium in your loop be sure to double check. And if you want reassurance because component X is aluminium and you'd really like to use it, I myself ran mixed metals in my loop for about a year without problems. I was using Feser One at the time, which has anti-corrosion in it.
Drain/Fillport
Connections used generally to createT-Lines. These ports usually attach themselves to the case (with abit of drilling, of course) to make clean ports for getting coolant in or out of your system.
Pre-mix
A coolant that is sold off-shelf ready to use, with dies and biocides etc... as opposed to buying distilled water, additives and mixing your own.
Silver Coil
See Biocide
T-Line
T-Line is what you'd expect, a section of tubing that comes from a T junction in your loop. T-Lines are often used to either help fill and/or drain your system, essentially performing some of the functions a reservoir does. Usually T-Linesend in a drain or a fill port, but "sealing plugs" are available, in case your t-line, for instance, is still internal to your case. Whether to use or not one or more T-lines is entirely up to you. Personally I find a res more convenient for filling and bleeding.
Serial and Parallel
This refers to running components,usually graphics cards, either serially (one after the other) or parallel (with the use of splitters before and after the components).Going in parallel may help you reduce restriction in your components and also "shift your cooling power". Rads and blocks respond to flow. More flow, you get better cooling. So if you are running a pair of GPUs, a CPU and a quad in a loop, they'll get a certain flow, of, shall we say, X lph with everything in series. Now if you split your GPUs and run only those in parallel, we can say that, from a "restriction perspective" they're a single block that has less restriction than before. But because you're splitting your loop there they also get less flow. However because you've lowered the restriction in your loop your CPU and your Rad get higher flow, so they perform a but better. So in the end, you gets lightly higher temps in your GPUs and slightly lower temps on your CPU. Depending on how your loop overall is, reducing the restriction might help you reach that "performance breakpoint" of about 350 lph for those components.
Do note that if you have different blocks on your GPUs they'll have different restriction so the water flow between them will be uneven which may leave the most restrictive one in trouble. For that reason I personally wouldn't recommend going parallel on different components.
There's also the talk of serial and parallel when talking about multiple pumps in a loop. As tested by martin, putting pumps in parallel is not a good idea at all. Having pumps in series gives you better flow as both pumps pretty much stack up, and also redundancy. If one pump fails, the other continues pumping on and even when stopped pumps are very low restriction components in your loop. So while putting a second pump in a single loop is a costly option, it might be a good one if you have several restrictive components in your loop or if you want some added security. A few manufacturers such as EK, XSPC and Koolance domutli-pump tops for 2 or even 3 laing pumps. Do note that by running multiple pumps you are putting a bit of strain on them if they're running full power, since with the added flow they'll be working a bit harder than usual.
Push and Pull
Push and pull refer to the orientation of fans on a radiator. If a fan is blowing fan onto the radiator,it's on push and if it's taking air out of the rad, it's on pull.
Using fans on both sides of the rad is called a Push and Pull configuration, often noted as push/pull(though personally the ambiguity of that slash makes me cringe).Push+pull will always give you better performance. How much depends largely on your radiator. Generally speaking high FPI rads like the GTX and Koolances 1020V (30fpi) struggle a bit at lower flow but pull away from the pack with higher air flow due to the increased dissipation area. Rads like these are more likely to give you more sensible performance differences with push+pull (and also with shrouds). Push+pull can also help you push up the performance of another wise mediocre radiator, by giving it otherwise "outrageous"amounts of air flow and also might be an option for silence as having 6 GTs in a triple might give you better noise than just strapping a 4K rpm denki to it. It does add to the power draw of any controller they're attached to so keep that in mind when considering this option, as well as, obviously, space.
ALL CREDIT FOR THE ABOVE GUIDE GOES TO VileLasagna OVER AT SPECIALTECH
Once you have read and understood the above watch the two beginners guide to watercooling by TTL.
I also suggest watching all of TTL's videos that involve water cooling as well as reading any project logs and looking at the pictures of the setups. The more you see and the more you read, the more you will learn and the more you will familiarize yourself with the different parts used, where they go and which parts are best for different setups.
Part 1
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=W6qpkigby5w
Part 2
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=GzBBjkIw7wU
Now that you are aware of all the parts needed, what is involved and how to go about doing it all you need to do is decide on what is best for your system and after reading and watching what is posted and suggested above you should know more than enough to do this.
For any further questions you may have,and if you can't find the answers by googling ask here on the OC3D forums or the forums at Specialtech.co.uk.
Recommended Parts/Kits and/or Help Finding/Choosing Them
CPU Water Blocks:
There are quite a few CPU blocks to choose from but the two most recommended are the EK Supreme HF and the XSPC RASA.
EDIT 10/11 : AS OF OCTOBER 2011 THE XSPC RAYSTORM IS NOW AVAILABLE AND IS CURRENTLY THE TOP PERFORMING CPU WATER BLOCK
Intel XSPC Raystorm
http://www.specialte...productid=14598
AMD XSPC Raystorm
http://www.specialte...productid=14630
This thread rounds up 22 of the most well know CPU blocks which should help you in your decision.
http://www.overclock...ed-roundup.html
GPU Water Blocks:
Full Cover Waterblocks
There are many different waterblocks for GPUs unfortunately there are only ones made for reference model GPUs meaning only GPUs with the original PCB design made by Nvidia or AMD are able to have waterblocks fitted to them.
There are a few non reference models that water blocks have been made for but there isn't many.
For help finding waterblocks for your GPU or if your card is capable of fitting a waterblock it's recommended that you use the coolingconfigurator
http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/
If you can not find a waterblock for your GPU on the coolingconfigurator it either means that EK doesn't make one for your card, there isn't one for your card or that there isn't one in the database. If you can not find one on the coolingconfigurator then a Google search or asking on forums such as Specialtech is your next best step.
Universal GPU Block
Besides full cover waterblocks there are universal GPU blocks that are designed to fit almost any GPU but even though they are designed to fit almost any card there are some cards that have won't. The coolingconfiguratorwill also tell you if and what universal block will work with your card but as with the full cover blocks If you can not find a waterblock for your GPU on the coolingconfigurator it either means that EK doesn't make one for your card, there isn't one for your card or that there isn't one in the database.
NOTE: I do not know much about GPU full cover/universal blocks if anyone knows highly recommended ones please let me know and I will add it here.
Radiators
If you read the first part of this guide you will already be aware of the different sizes and thickness of radiators available and you will also be aware of the differences between them and how that affects the cooling capabilities.
There are a few things that come into play when choosing a radiator and you need to take in consideration what size radiators will fit in your case and leave you with enough clearance between the parts in your computer and the radiator with fans fitted to it.
Buying a radiator and then finding out it covers your RAM slots on your motherboard and you can't fit your RAM or wont fit in the case because it hits the mosfets on the motherboard is not a good thing so make sure you check what RADs will fit.
You also need to take into consideration what you are cooling and how many radiators you will need. For just a CPU one radiator will do but if you plan on doing CPU and GPU you will want a larger or more than one rad.
Recommended Radiators
XSPC RX/RS Series
Thermochill TA Series
Hardware Labs Black Ice SR1
Phobya G-Changer
These are just a few recommendations there are others and research will help you find the right radiator for you.
Also credit goes to shyguy094 for this link on Radiator comparisons which also has comparisons on waterblocks and information on pumps.
http://skinneelabs.com/radiators/
Tubing
This information comes from Mayhem's thread on his Aurora range and his testing results using the different types of tubing so all credit to Mayhem for this information.
ClearFlex - Goes misty over time - no leaching
Primochill - Has been spot on - no misting - no leaching
Tygon - Goes misty and leaches like mad (good bend radius though)
XSPC - Under test atm (will update if/when I find out what it's like)
Masterkleer - Leeches really badly and can block a system - stays clear - Good bend radius
Thermochill - Never used (will update if/when I find out what it'slike )
Phobya - Leaches (not badly but it still does), okay bend radius,stays clear
Fesser - havnt got a clue never used it. (will update if/when I findout what it's like )
I have read in many places that the Primochill Primo Flex Pro LRT is the best tubing there is so thats all i'm going to say on tubing.
As for colored tubing I have no idea so i'll leave that for someone else to answer.
Also for anyone else wondering what leeching is
(Also taken from Mayhems thread)
Plasticizers for plastics soften the final product increasing it's flexibility. These comes out of the plastic PVC and leaches into the water cooling loop causing it to block the ports on a water cooling injection block.
http://en.wikipedia....iki/Plasticizer
Reservoirs
There are two different types of reservoirs, cylinder reservoirs and drive bay reservoirs.
I am not aware of any difference between them performance wise so it comes down to looks and which one you can fit in your case.
Pumps
So after reading the first section of this guide you will be aware of what role the pump plays in a watercooling loop and the what flow rate and head pressure is.
There are two main pump types, DDC andD5 pumps.
DDC Pumps
There are two versions of the DDC pump, the MCP 350 and the MCP 355. The MCP 350 is a 9 watt pump and the MCP 355 is a 18 watt pump.
The 9w 350 is less powerful than the 18w 355 and is meant for use with small loops,something like a basic CPU only loop with a 120mm radiator and a150mm reservoir for example. For anything more you will want to be using the MCP 355, but with more power comes more noise.
As standard the DDC pumps come with a top that has 3/8" barbs, this means if you were to use the top it comes with you are only able to use 3/8”tubing. You can however buy different tops which allow you to fit fittings with a G14” or other sized threads allowing you to use the tubing size you want use. There are also tops available that also have reservoirs on them which are useful if you don't have much room in your case.
D5 Pumps
Laing D5 /Swiftech MCP655/Vario is a larger more powerful pump than the DDC and comes in two different versions, the standard version and the vario.Unlike the standard version the vario has an adjustable switch that can be used to increases or decrease the performance of the pump.
Unlike the the DDC pumps the D5 pumps come with 1/2” barbs which are for use with 1/2”tubing but just like the DDC different tops are available offering the use of different fitting so you can use whatever size tubing you want.
Pump Tops
The pump top is the top part of the pump which channels the water out of the pump and into the tubing via the bars that are part of the top.
Different pump tops can be bought to replace the original top that comes with both DDC and D5 pumps. Using different tops will enable you to be able to attach fittings with G14 or other sized threads to the pump giving you the option to use different size tubing and fittings rather than just having the 3/8” or 1/2” barbs that are on the standard tops the DDC and D5 come with.
Different tops will also offer you better performance than the standard tops by being less restrictive and giving the pump a better flow rate as in GPM/LPH (gallons per minute or litters per hour)
The links below show the difference of 11 tops tested there are many more tops out there and if the one you are interested in is not shown below a Google search should help.
Laing DDC MCP 350 Pump Top Test Comparison - 11 Tops Tested!
http://martinsliquid...TopTesting.html
Laing DDC 3.2 MCP355 Pump Top Test Comparison - 11 Tops Tested!
http://martinsliquid...TopTesting.html
Note: I could not find a comparison for D5 pumps but there shouldn't be much difference in terms of what top offers the best performance. If anyone can find a comparison for D5 pumps please let me know and I will put it here.
Noise Reduction/Dampening
Because these pumps vibrate, when you put them on a hard surface like the floor of your case this will cause them to make a buzzing noise which will also be amplified by your case which will also start to vibrate and might cause certain parts in your case to rattle.
There several things you can use to dampen the noise and to absorb the vibration. Placing things like bubble wrap, foam, basically anything soft between the pump and the surface where you intend to place the pump.
When reading about this my self I came across one person saying the best thing he has found is clear silicon sealer.
Another popular method is a Shoggy Sandwich (not to be confused with a soggy sandwich
)
This video best explains what a Shoggy Sandwich is and how to use it.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=3msg7Brr_PM
Fittings
Most of what you need to know about fittings has already been explained in the first section of this guide and the only other thing you need to know is about the different angled fittings.
Normal strait fitting
45* fitting
90* fitting
All you need to do is think about which way your tubing will go to the different parts of your loop around you case and which fitting will be the best to use to make your loop tidier.
Cases
Not all cases are watercooling compatible and some that say they watercooling friendly aren't not that friendly at all.
So before you buy a case make sure you do plenty of research on what radiators you will need, how many and if they will fit. If you are good with a dremel and are able to mod then you can make almost any case into a watercooling case it all depends on the lengths you are willing to go and how good you are.
Some recommended cases ready for watercooling are.
The Coolermaster HAF cases
Coolermaster 690 II Advanced
Coolermaster Cosmos S
Fractal Arc Midi
Silverstone TJ07
Watercooling Kits
Watercooling kits are basically what they say they are and they include everything you need to set up a watercooling loop baring the coolant. These kits are aimed mainly at beginners and people who are not confident in selecting individual parts.
There are quite a few different watercooling kits that come with different sized length and thickness radiators. TTL has review quite a few of these kits so if you take a look on the youtube channel you will find video reviews for a few of them. If the kit you are interested in has not been reviewed by TTL then your best bet is searching on Google or Youtube for a review.
The most recommendable kits though are the XSPC RS/RX 240/360 kits. The RS kits come with 30mm thick radiators and the RX kits come with 60mm thick radiators both in either 240mm or 360mm length.
Here is an example of the RS 360 kit available at Specialtech.co.uk with a list of all parts included.
http://www.specialte...-pid-12931.html
Just remember these kits do not come with coolant so be sure to order some.
Fitting Parts and Putting Together Your Loop
Fitting Radiators
Screws
Most radiators come with the screws you need to attach the radiator to the roof, floor or where ever you can place them in your case.
These screws will be either be:
M4 screws
6-32 screws
What you have to remember with these screws is they need to be long enough to go through your fans, most fans being 25mm thick, and then into your radiator. So if you are buying the screws separate make sure you get ones that are at least 30mm in length which should be the perfect length to go through the holes in your case, through fan and there still be enough thread on the screws to screw them in securely to the radiator holding it in place.
Be sure not to screw them in to much though because the screws will push into the fins of the radiator and damage it. So before you fit it to your case have a go at just screwing the fans in place and checking how far you can screw them in without the screws touching the fins.
The above info on screws is aimed mainly for people who will be putting their fans on the top of the radiator for pull. Most of the info on screw length and types of screws remains the same but if you intend to have the fans on the bottom of the radiator you will need to get some screws to screw the radiator to the roof because the screws it came with will only been ough to attach the fans to the bottom of the radiator.
The screws you will need for this are 5mm M4 screws or M4X5. These screws look the same as the M4 ones posted above just shorter.
If you plan on doing push pull and having fans on the bottom and the top of the radiator you will want to get more M4X30 or 6-32 screws instead of the M4X5 ones so they are long enough to go through the holes in your case, through your fans and into the radiator.
If you watch this vid by TTL on the Shadow H20 build he explains what I have said above plus it will give you a visual reference. The vid also talks about fitting different parts but I will also write about those also in this guide.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=UT92S-hjjIU
The only other thing left do do then is screw the radiators to your case which is pretty self explanatory so i'll leave that part to you.
Waterblocks
Fitting CPU Waterblock
Fitting a CPU waterblock is the same as fitting a normal heatsink like the standard crapola Intel ones or the mighty NH-D14 so there is not to much to say about fitting them that you don't already know.
You can however watch this vid by TTL though that shows him fitting an XSPC RASA CPU waterblock to an Asus Rampage 3 Black Edition.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=5RxQjPhII2c
Fitting a GPU Full Cover Waterblock
With full cover waterbocks you will need to both apply thermal paste to the GPU and thermal pads to the Vram.
For this I recommend you watch this vid by TTL that shows you how to fit an XSPC waterblock to a GTX590 as well as all the tools and equipment you will need. The way this GPU waterblock is fitted applies to all GPU full cover waterblocks.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=7ggPXo_y9y4
Fitting Universal GPU Waterblocks
Universal GPU waterblocks are fitted the same way as CPU waterblocks but extra heatsinks may be needed for the Vram.
Reservoirs
Fitting Reservoirs
Fitting Drivebay Reservoirs
If you have a drivebay res then you would install it the same way as you would aDVD or BD drive in the optical bays of your case. Simply slide it in from the front and attach the bezel to the front of the res.
Fitting Cylinder Reservoirs
There are several different mounting brackets you can buy to mount the res to your case but all involve screwing the brackets to the inside of your case.Some cases have holes for this on ones that don't you will either have to drill them or improvise and use the cable management holes using cable management holes.
Pump Top Reservoirs
Pump top reservoirs are part of the pump top and sit on top or to the side of the pump. Mounting these are as easy as mounting the pump you simply place the pump on the floor of your case or wherever you plan on mounting it, just make sure you have enough clearance to fit it.
Barbs and Compression Fittings
Fitting Compression Fittings or Barbs
Fitting your barbs or compression fittings to the radiator, pump, blocks etc is probably the most easiest part of putting your water cooling parts together simply screw them in and give them a slight tighten with a pair of plyers.
If you are tightening barbs in to any acrylic parts be careful not to over tighten them as it can crack the acrylic.
Pumps
Fitting Pumps
Fitting your pump in your case is pretty strait forward you can simply just place the pump on the floor of your case, inside the drive bays or you can buy mounting brackets to mount it wherever you like.
Pumps also have parts at the bottom which you can be used to screw the pump securely to the floor of your case.
Tubing
Fitting tubing
Once you have fitted your CPU block, rad, res and pump you are ready to start attaching your tubing to and from them and cutting it to length.
For this you will need a pair of hose cutters or a sharp Stanley knife to cut your tubing to the required length.
Make sure when you are cutting your tubing to length that you always cut it so you have it is slightly longer than you need. This is so that you don't end up cutting it to short and so you can trim little bits off at a time until you have the required length.
Fitting Tubing to Barbs
The barbs themselves will be a bit hard to push into the tubing, to make this easier you can warm the ends of the tubing you are pushing over the barbs by rubbing it between your hands or you could also use a bit or warm water. Once you have warmed the tubing up slightly simply push the tubing over the barbs as far as it will go and you are done. If you want you can use some hose clips to clamp the tubing in place but it's up to you whether you do or not.
Fitting Tubing to Compression Fittings
Much easier than barbs, all you do is unscrew the top part of the compression fitting push the tubing over the inside of the fitting then screw the top part back on and jobs a gooden.
I recommend if you haven't already (even though I said to in the first part of the guide) to watch TTL's beginners guide to watercooling vid part 1.
Beginners Guide to Watercooling: Part 1
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=W6qpkigby5w
In the part 1 vid (the only one you need to watch for the tubing part) TTL talks about fitting tubing to barbs and shows you how to cut your tubing.
Watching this vid is just to give you a visual reference, if you are confident in what you are doing then there is no need to watch.
Filling Your Loop
I don't feel as though I can explain this properly in words so I recommend you watch TTL's Beginners Guide to Wartercooling: part 2 for this and also the Shadow H20 vid which both show TTL filling the loops and explaining abot how to do it.
Beginners Guide to Watercooling: Part 2
http://www.youtube.c...&feature=relmfu
Shadow H20 Build
http://www.youtube.c.../33/6Ee0BqNOWvc
About this guide
The purpose of this guide is to help people get started on watercooling and to try and answer any questions they may have or to give them an idea of what watercooling is and what is involved.
I am not a watercooling expert and nor do I pretend to be, I have been researching watercooling for quite some time now and the above information comes from that research.
Not all of it may be perfect information but it is to the best of my knowledge and I hope that you can learn from it or can use it as a reference to start your own research.
Thanks for looking anyway
THIS FIRST PART OF THIS GUIDE WAS NOT WRITTEN BY ME AND ALL CREDIT FOR IT GOES TO VileLasagna OVER AT THE SPECIALTECH FORUMS.
THE GUIDE CAN ALSO BE VIEWED OVER AT SPECIALTECH
http://www.specialte...ooling-Glossary
Watercooling
Watercooling is the practice of using water to help cool your components. In essence watercooling works similarly to heatpipe technology in that the role of water is taking heat out of your blocks and dumping it into the ambient.Watercooling, when compared to air cooling is much more modular in it's execution. Analogically, compared to an air cooler it would be asif you got to buy the heat pipes, the fin assembly, the contact plate and the fans all separately and then made your own cooler.
Watercooling is usually chosen, when the chosen by reasonably informed people, for three reasons. Firstly is looks, since you can choose the finish on your blocks and fittings, colour of tubing and coolant etc. Second would be silence.Using watercooling one can cool their computer much quieter than most air solutions. Some air coolers nowadays are very quiet, such as the well know Noctua NH-D14, however with watercooling you can extendthat to other components such as your Graphics Cards and motherboard components etc.. Alternatively, given a high noise tolerance,watercooling can net you MUCH greater performance. And given the modular nature of watercooling users can choose whereabouts in that spectrum they sit.
That said watercooling offers its own set of disadvantages. The first of which is certainly the initial price one pays for their system. This can be somewhat offset by the fact that most components can be reused several times throughout various builds. And another important one is space. Watercooling radiators in particular take large amounts of space and it might be complicated (or expensive) finding a case that can fit internally radiators needed for high-end cooling systems. For this reason many watercoolers opt to move radiators outside their cases and/or hacking away at otherwise perfectly fine cases in order to accommodate their cooling solutions.
Loop
A Watercooling Loop is an individual and isolated watercooling system. So when a person says he's going for a dual loop, the person actually has two separate and independent watercooling systems in his case. Dual (or multi) looping can be chosen to either isolate different components or for aesthetic purposes (having one loop in green and the other in blue for instance). When done for performance purposes it might be chosen to diminish or divide loop restrictions or perhaps to lighten the load on a radiator.
An example I like to give is the one of a Phenom processor and the good old Radeon 2900. Phenoms are known to run quite cool but they're also quite intolerant to high temperatures (my 965 for instance, will lose overclocking stability at around 58-59C) and my (very) old 2900 has always been a very scary card temp-wise because it is not at all afraid to go in to temperatures of 80-90 degrees. This means that this card will dump a LOT of heat in your loop, but also that it doesn't mind running hotter. So dual looping might actually decrease the load on your radiator, since you don't need to have everything running at the same delta. If your goal is silence (and the 2900 is a VERY noisy card with its blower fan running fast) and having that card running at 60-70C is no problem (as long as the water itself is not too hot for pumps and tubing, more on that later) you can work that loop at a much higher delta than the one for your CPU and, thus, diminish the amount of radiator area you're going to need.
A loop is composed of tubing, coolant and 4 basic components
Pump
Pumps are the heart of your loop(ohlol) and their purpose is to move water around (no shit sherlock).Pumps have two main performance numbers tied to them: Flow Rate and Head Pressure. Flow rate is not as important as head pressure,generally speaking. Sort of like Static Pressure means how well can afan push air through a rad, head pressure will give you a general indication of how well can a pump push water through restrictive blocks without losing too much flow rate. According to experimentation by Skinnee, flow rate DOES net you better temperatures but after around 1.5 - 1.6 GPM (360lph) the returns from increasing pumping power in your loop starts to diminish very fast so as long as you have "adequate" pumping power you should be fine.
From a real case scenario, I had aloop that went through my RAM, an XSPC Delta block (very low restriction for a CPU block) and a pair of rads. Hooked up to thatloop I had my trusty old Laing DDC 1 Pro (440lph) and an XSPC dualbay res+pump (750lph). I did a few runs in OCCT with both pumps onand then with only each of them on and saw no notable difference inmy temps.
Waterblock (block)
A waterblock is a thermal interface between a component and your loop. It is the part that will sit on your CPU. GPU, northbridge or whatever and allow water to carry away the heat from it. Blocks are usually the most restrictive components on your loop, particularly CPU and GPU blocks (but not full-covergraphics card blocks) due to the way they're built. Waterblocks are attached to components much like normal coolers, using their own mounts and, of course, Thermal paste or pads. Basically you can add anything to a loop as long as you can find a block for it, be that your hard drive, your motherboard, your fan controller or even your console.
Reservoir (res)
Reservoirs are an auxiliary component in a loop. They don't REALLY serve a vital function in that a loop would be fine without one. However they help you with filling and/or draining as well as getting the air out. When hooking your res up make sure to have the outlet of the reservoir as the lowest port.When you fill your loop there will be air everywhere and though most of it will be pushed out right away there will be bubbles here and there that will take some persuasion, tapping and patience. These bubbles will migrate to your res and form an air pocket. This pocket is perfectly fine as long as it's not making it to your inlet as thatwill get your pump to suck air and throw it in your loop again, most undesirable.
That is the reason circular reservoirs usually have some sort of "anti-cyclone" installed, to prevent the forming of water twisters which would get air dangerously near your inlet. If your res doesn't have one, don't worry too much,as it also depends on how the water reaches the res and so and so on.If you're not getting that, it's fine.
Radiator (rad)
Rads are the other end of your cooling system. Your blocks take the heat out of your components and dump it into the water, then your rad gets the heat out of your water anddump it into the air.
Radiators have a few minor characteristics to be concerned about and a couple major ones. First on the minor ones are thread size and fan spacing. These are minor because they are only really a worry due to the Termochill PA which is no longer in production. Termochill's new line, the TA conforms to normal standards so you are unlikely to need to concern yourself with these. The normal thread standard for watercooling equipment is the G1/4" thread, if it uses this you can expect it to be compatible with all your fittings etc, if not, you may need some adapters or something like that. And when it comes to fan spacing pretty much all radiators nowadays use 15mm fan spacing (which is like one fan right next to the other. The space is measured between the screw holes) and the PA used to have 25mm spacing. Again, Thermochill is also following the standards on this, and standards mean everyone has an easier time planning their loops.
The important ones are radiator size and restriction. Now when I mention restriction here I mean restriction for the fans, not for your pump. Rads are typically one of the least restrictive things in your loop and you are very unlikely to have to worry about it unless you're using some very curious radiator (like the new Thermalfins are looking to be if they eventually get released).
I'm talking about the fin density of the radiator. Usually radiators will range from about 7-8 FPI all the way to 30. This is a factor to consider when choosing a rad as it is part of your own noise/performance planning. Generally speaking,radiators with higher fin density will give you better performance however that comes at a cost. Since they are very restrictive you'll need better fans to "kick them off". If your plan is to use very quiet fans, of the 600-800RPM kind, these radiators are likely to prove not very adequate and you should get much better performance using less restrictive radiators.
So when planning your loop thinking of this trade-off is one of the things you want to do.
As if the fin density didn't already tie your choice of rad and fan, the next big issue pushes them even further, radiator size. There are 3 sizes to consider with a radiator, and that's BEFORE you get your measuring tape out to make sure it will fit in a limited space. Radiators are broadly divided into fat and slim radiators. Slim radiators, such as the XSPC RS are roughly the thickness of a fan whilst phat rads like the RX are about twice as thick. Again, generally speaking, thicker rads will usually give better performance than a similar thinner radiator but don't hesitate to do some individual research on the rad you're thinking of buying, as there are surprising fellows out there.
Even more important is the fan size.Excluding passive solutions such as the Cape-Cora radiators, rads are designed to have fans attached to them. These are usually 120mm or140mm fans, though others do exist (Phobya does a 200mm rad, and there are some 80mm rads out there). Mounting points for rads are because of this, essentially fan mounting points, so the internals of your case might influence your choice of radiator. On a personal not like 120mm rads because the fan choice is much broader (and case choice slightly so), but make no mistake, the increased surface area in a radiator designed for 140mm fans does translate into more cooling power.
And after knowing whether your rad is slim or phat and what size fans does it take, the other thing to know is how many of those fans will it take on one side. When we say a double or a triple, we mean a radiator that will take, respectively, two or three fans on one side. Most rads will take fans on both sides if you want to, so a triple RS or RX will actually take up to 6 fans.When people don't specify what kind of fans, the safe assumption is 120mm. As well as saying "quad 120" people might also use the old Termochill notation, in which this would be a "120.4"rad (or 120X4). Alternatively people might add the fans. A 240mm rad is NOT a radiator for a 240mm fan and it DOES NOT have 240mm in length in case you're measuring space for it in your case. It's a dual 120mm rad, so it will take two 120mm fans on each side and is likely to be some 28-30cm long because of the cap at the top, the tanks and so on.
A final consideration when dealing with radiators is screw sizes. Check not only which thread you need(M3, M4 or 6-32) as this is still a bit non-standardized but also length. Using screws that are too long may lead you to piercing the radiator tubes and killing it, so just double check everything beforehand.
Integrating your components we have tubing and fittings.
Tubing
The hoses that carry water around a watercooling loop. There are many colours and sizes available. Tubing and fittings are chosen together and one ties the other one. When choosing tubing keep in mind the Inner Diameter(ID) and the Outer Diameter (OD). ID is the diameter measured between the inner walls of the tubing (orly?) and OD is the diameter measured from the outside(bet you'd never guess). There is always a question of whether tubing sizes influence in the performance of a loop and it has been proven that the answer is "not really". Thinner tubing do increase your restriction slightly, but the difference is negligible assuming your pump is not completely horrible (and pumps are generally quite good nowadays) so the only real difference is aesthetics. I personally like thinner tubing as I find it looks better and also is less annoying to route, but again, personal, if you want to go epic sausage tubing feel free, just keep in mind that I WILL laugh at you if you struggle with it. Very thick tubing might also give you problems with fittings, more under Compressions
Fittings
Fittings is the name given to "things that you screw onto your watercooling components to attach tubing to them". Instead of having tubing go directly into things this is better since this extra layer means your pump doesn't have to be compatible with your block or anything of the sort. So generally speaking fittings have G1/4 threads on one end and some means of attaching tubing on the other. There are three main types of fittings, Compression Fittings, Barbs and the less popular Push-In fittings.
Barbs
Barbs are a common type of fitting, you just "slide the tubing over it and you're done". In reality things aren't QUITE like that. It is generally recommended that barbs be used with some form of hose clip, spring clamp, jubilee clampetc... To increase safety of barbs people have a custom of using over sized barbs. When choosing barbs only the ID of your tubing matters. So barbs for 10mm tubing will work for either 10/13mm tubing or 10/16mm tubing. But, given that oversizing habit, people are likely to buy 11 or 13mm barbs for that tubing. Then after lot of struggle possibly with the aid of hot water and magic spells they get the tubing in there. This helps to ensure the safety of the barb and keep it watertight. As a side effect it also ensures that tubing is never again coming out so be prepared to dish out your Stanley knife when you need to do so.
Quote from Mayhem
I'll try not to rant too much because I think this should at least pretend to be somewhat fair and I'm very much against barbs. So now you know what it is and can kill it with fire.
Compression Fittings
Compressions are the main alternative to barbs. They're a two part system, the tubing goes over the"barb-like" part and then you screw the compression cap (or nut) on top of it in order to get a watertight seal. In line with my opposition to barbs is my favor towards compressions as I find them sexier, safer and more practical. Unlike barbs, once you unscrew the cap it's usually easy to just pull the tubing off (except in case your tubing actually has a smaller ID than advertised. Happened to me once). This makes it easier to take your loop apart in case you need to change something or drain it, etc...
Note that unlike with barbs, when buying compressions it's important that you take into consideration BOTH the inner and outer diameters of your tubing. Compressions for 8/11mm tubing will NOT fit 8/10mm tubing, for instance. But at times you may be able to buy the compressions caps separately in case the ID stays the same, so it's always worth giving it a check.
Push Fittings
Push fittings are a less common type of fitting but are used at times anyway. They are certainly the most practical kind of fitting available but at times it might be hard to check the consistency of your fitting the tubing in them and so the market has kinda drifted away from them in favour of barbs and compressions.
Flow Rate
Measure of how quickly water goes through a system. Usually measured either in gallons per minute (GPM) or liters per hour (lph). For more information, see Pump
Head Pressure
Property of pumps analogous to static pressure on fans.
Restriction
Usually refers to how a particular component (usually a block or a rad) impairs the flow of water in your system. Typically, CPU blocks are the most restrictive component in a loop. GPU only blocks have a similar construction and usually are also very restrictive. Other blocks, such as full cover VGA blocks and motherboard blocks tend to be much less restrictive and the restriction of most radiators is usually pretty much negligible when compared to your blocks. Restriction might also refer to the AIR restriction in a rad, though this is less common.
Coolant or Fluid
The liquid that goes through a watercooling loop. As the name suggests this is typically water with additives. Water used in watercooling is usually either deionised or distilled. As for additives, they fall into three main categories.Dyes, biocides and corrosion-inhibitors.
Bleeding
Bleeding is the name given to the process of taking air out of your loop once it's filled. Reservoirs tend to make bleeding easier as often air bubbles that migrate there(be it naturally or through the use of encouragement, tilting and tapping) usually get trapped in it. Air in your reservoir that's not getting sucked back into the pump is harmless
Biocide
Water and light, either sunlight or UV lights inside a computer case might make your loop a suitable environment for the growth of vegetation. Algae may grow inside loops and though the idea of combining a high-tech machine and a vase might appeal to some, this is undesirable, for one because algae are likely to get trapped in your block and impair (or even impede) your flow.The following pic is some algae that decided to make itself cosy inside the Supreme HF of our forum member msimon
To combat this coolants usually have some sort of biocidal agent added to them, either a separate liquid or a silver "kill coil". Silver ions make the water toxicand that helps prevent the growth of things in your loop, where biocidal agents are good old sterilizing poison . Some brands, such as Tygon, also sell tubing made with silver dust, aiming to eliminate the need for a dedicated biocide. Mind you that with silver coils it might take a while until the silver concentration in your loop is high enough that the water becomes toxic and you may get some growth before that happens (in which case you'll need to go through a lot of cleaning and refill your loop etc...)
Anti-Corrosion or CorrosionInhibitor
If you mix metals in your loop,particularly if you have aluminium around copper, you might get a reaction and one of the metals attacks the other (I think it's ally that eats copper, but personally am never sure about this one). That may lead to one of your blocks suffering a horrible death followed by a lot of water suddenly coming out from above your CPU... a most undesirable outcome. Because of this many watercoolers shun aluminiumin their loops but it's actually fine to use it as long as you have acorrosion-inhibitor in your fluid. And that is just what it sounds, achemical substance that when present in your fluid prevents the metals from reacting with one another. Pretty much all pre-mixed coolants already come with some form of anti-corrosion in them, but in case you have aluminium in your loop be sure to double check. And if you want reassurance because component X is aluminium and you'd really like to use it, I myself ran mixed metals in my loop for about a year without problems. I was using Feser One at the time, which has anti-corrosion in it.
Drain/Fillport
Connections used generally to createT-Lines. These ports usually attach themselves to the case (with abit of drilling, of course) to make clean ports for getting coolant in or out of your system.
Pre-mix
A coolant that is sold off-shelf ready to use, with dies and biocides etc... as opposed to buying distilled water, additives and mixing your own.
Silver Coil
See Biocide
T-Line
T-Line is what you'd expect, a section of tubing that comes from a T junction in your loop. T-Lines are often used to either help fill and/or drain your system, essentially performing some of the functions a reservoir does. Usually T-Linesend in a drain or a fill port, but "sealing plugs" are available, in case your t-line, for instance, is still internal to your case. Whether to use or not one or more T-lines is entirely up to you. Personally I find a res more convenient for filling and bleeding.
Serial and Parallel
This refers to running components,usually graphics cards, either serially (one after the other) or parallel (with the use of splitters before and after the components).Going in parallel may help you reduce restriction in your components and also "shift your cooling power". Rads and blocks respond to flow. More flow, you get better cooling. So if you are running a pair of GPUs, a CPU and a quad in a loop, they'll get a certain flow, of, shall we say, X lph with everything in series. Now if you split your GPUs and run only those in parallel, we can say that, from a "restriction perspective" they're a single block that has less restriction than before. But because you're splitting your loop there they also get less flow. However because you've lowered the restriction in your loop your CPU and your Rad get higher flow, so they perform a but better. So in the end, you gets lightly higher temps in your GPUs and slightly lower temps on your CPU. Depending on how your loop overall is, reducing the restriction might help you reach that "performance breakpoint" of about 350 lph for those components.
Do note that if you have different blocks on your GPUs they'll have different restriction so the water flow between them will be uneven which may leave the most restrictive one in trouble. For that reason I personally wouldn't recommend going parallel on different components.
There's also the talk of serial and parallel when talking about multiple pumps in a loop. As tested by martin, putting pumps in parallel is not a good idea at all. Having pumps in series gives you better flow as both pumps pretty much stack up, and also redundancy. If one pump fails, the other continues pumping on and even when stopped pumps are very low restriction components in your loop. So while putting a second pump in a single loop is a costly option, it might be a good one if you have several restrictive components in your loop or if you want some added security. A few manufacturers such as EK, XSPC and Koolance domutli-pump tops for 2 or even 3 laing pumps. Do note that by running multiple pumps you are putting a bit of strain on them if they're running full power, since with the added flow they'll be working a bit harder than usual.
Push and Pull
Push and pull refer to the orientation of fans on a radiator. If a fan is blowing fan onto the radiator,it's on push and if it's taking air out of the rad, it's on pull.
Using fans on both sides of the rad is called a Push and Pull configuration, often noted as push/pull(though personally the ambiguity of that slash makes me cringe).Push+pull will always give you better performance. How much depends largely on your radiator. Generally speaking high FPI rads like the GTX and Koolances 1020V (30fpi) struggle a bit at lower flow but pull away from the pack with higher air flow due to the increased dissipation area. Rads like these are more likely to give you more sensible performance differences with push+pull (and also with shrouds). Push+pull can also help you push up the performance of another wise mediocre radiator, by giving it otherwise "outrageous"amounts of air flow and also might be an option for silence as having 6 GTs in a triple might give you better noise than just strapping a 4K rpm denki to it. It does add to the power draw of any controller they're attached to so keep that in mind when considering this option, as well as, obviously, space.
ALL CREDIT FOR THE ABOVE GUIDE GOES TO VileLasagna OVER AT SPECIALTECH
Once you have read and understood the above watch the two beginners guide to watercooling by TTL.
I also suggest watching all of TTL's videos that involve water cooling as well as reading any project logs and looking at the pictures of the setups. The more you see and the more you read, the more you will learn and the more you will familiarize yourself with the different parts used, where they go and which parts are best for different setups.
Part 1
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=W6qpkigby5w
Part 2
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=GzBBjkIw7wU
Now that you are aware of all the parts needed, what is involved and how to go about doing it all you need to do is decide on what is best for your system and after reading and watching what is posted and suggested above you should know more than enough to do this.
For any further questions you may have,and if you can't find the answers by googling ask here on the OC3D forums or the forums at Specialtech.co.uk.
Recommended Parts/Kits and/or Help Finding/Choosing Them
CPU Water Blocks:
There are quite a few CPU blocks to choose from but the two most recommended are the EK Supreme HF and the XSPC RASA.
EDIT 10/11 : AS OF OCTOBER 2011 THE XSPC RAYSTORM IS NOW AVAILABLE AND IS CURRENTLY THE TOP PERFORMING CPU WATER BLOCK
Intel XSPC Raystorm
http://www.specialte...productid=14598
AMD XSPC Raystorm
http://www.specialte...productid=14630
This thread rounds up 22 of the most well know CPU blocks which should help you in your decision.
http://www.overclock...ed-roundup.html
GPU Water Blocks:
Full Cover Waterblocks
There are many different waterblocks for GPUs unfortunately there are only ones made for reference model GPUs meaning only GPUs with the original PCB design made by Nvidia or AMD are able to have waterblocks fitted to them.
There are a few non reference models that water blocks have been made for but there isn't many.
For help finding waterblocks for your GPU or if your card is capable of fitting a waterblock it's recommended that you use the coolingconfigurator
http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/
If you can not find a waterblock for your GPU on the coolingconfigurator it either means that EK doesn't make one for your card, there isn't one for your card or that there isn't one in the database. If you can not find one on the coolingconfigurator then a Google search or asking on forums such as Specialtech is your next best step.
Universal GPU Block
Besides full cover waterblocks there are universal GPU blocks that are designed to fit almost any GPU but even though they are designed to fit almost any card there are some cards that have won't. The coolingconfiguratorwill also tell you if and what universal block will work with your card but as with the full cover blocks If you can not find a waterblock for your GPU on the coolingconfigurator it either means that EK doesn't make one for your card, there isn't one for your card or that there isn't one in the database.
NOTE: I do not know much about GPU full cover/universal blocks if anyone knows highly recommended ones please let me know and I will add it here.
Radiators
If you read the first part of this guide you will already be aware of the different sizes and thickness of radiators available and you will also be aware of the differences between them and how that affects the cooling capabilities.
There are a few things that come into play when choosing a radiator and you need to take in consideration what size radiators will fit in your case and leave you with enough clearance between the parts in your computer and the radiator with fans fitted to it.
Buying a radiator and then finding out it covers your RAM slots on your motherboard and you can't fit your RAM or wont fit in the case because it hits the mosfets on the motherboard is not a good thing so make sure you check what RADs will fit.
You also need to take into consideration what you are cooling and how many radiators you will need. For just a CPU one radiator will do but if you plan on doing CPU and GPU you will want a larger or more than one rad.
Recommended Radiators
XSPC RX/RS Series
Thermochill TA Series
Hardware Labs Black Ice SR1
Phobya G-Changer
These are just a few recommendations there are others and research will help you find the right radiator for you.
Also credit goes to shyguy094 for this link on Radiator comparisons which also has comparisons on waterblocks and information on pumps.
http://skinneelabs.com/radiators/
Tubing
This information comes from Mayhem's thread on his Aurora range and his testing results using the different types of tubing so all credit to Mayhem for this information.
ClearFlex - Goes misty over time - no leaching
Primochill - Has been spot on - no misting - no leaching
Tygon - Goes misty and leaches like mad (good bend radius though)
XSPC - Under test atm (will update if/when I find out what it's like)
Masterkleer - Leeches really badly and can block a system - stays clear - Good bend radius
Thermochill - Never used (will update if/when I find out what it'slike )
Phobya - Leaches (not badly but it still does), okay bend radius,stays clear
Fesser - havnt got a clue never used it. (will update if/when I findout what it's like )
I have read in many places that the Primochill Primo Flex Pro LRT is the best tubing there is so thats all i'm going to say on tubing.
As for colored tubing I have no idea so i'll leave that for someone else to answer.
Also for anyone else wondering what leeching is
(Also taken from Mayhems thread)
Plasticizers for plastics soften the final product increasing it's flexibility. These comes out of the plastic PVC and leaches into the water cooling loop causing it to block the ports on a water cooling injection block.
http://en.wikipedia....iki/Plasticizer
Reservoirs
There are two different types of reservoirs, cylinder reservoirs and drive bay reservoirs.
I am not aware of any difference between them performance wise so it comes down to looks and which one you can fit in your case.
Pumps
So after reading the first section of this guide you will be aware of what role the pump plays in a watercooling loop and the what flow rate and head pressure is.
There are two main pump types, DDC andD5 pumps.
DDC Pumps
There are two versions of the DDC pump, the MCP 350 and the MCP 355. The MCP 350 is a 9 watt pump and the MCP 355 is a 18 watt pump.
The 9w 350 is less powerful than the 18w 355 and is meant for use with small loops,something like a basic CPU only loop with a 120mm radiator and a150mm reservoir for example. For anything more you will want to be using the MCP 355, but with more power comes more noise.
As standard the DDC pumps come with a top that has 3/8" barbs, this means if you were to use the top it comes with you are only able to use 3/8”tubing. You can however buy different tops which allow you to fit fittings with a G14” or other sized threads allowing you to use the tubing size you want use. There are also tops available that also have reservoirs on them which are useful if you don't have much room in your case.
D5 Pumps
Laing D5 /Swiftech MCP655/Vario is a larger more powerful pump than the DDC and comes in two different versions, the standard version and the vario.Unlike the standard version the vario has an adjustable switch that can be used to increases or decrease the performance of the pump.
Unlike the the DDC pumps the D5 pumps come with 1/2” barbs which are for use with 1/2”tubing but just like the DDC different tops are available offering the use of different fitting so you can use whatever size tubing you want.
Pump Tops
The pump top is the top part of the pump which channels the water out of the pump and into the tubing via the bars that are part of the top.
Different pump tops can be bought to replace the original top that comes with both DDC and D5 pumps. Using different tops will enable you to be able to attach fittings with G14 or other sized threads to the pump giving you the option to use different size tubing and fittings rather than just having the 3/8” or 1/2” barbs that are on the standard tops the DDC and D5 come with.
Different tops will also offer you better performance than the standard tops by being less restrictive and giving the pump a better flow rate as in GPM/LPH (gallons per minute or litters per hour)
The links below show the difference of 11 tops tested there are many more tops out there and if the one you are interested in is not shown below a Google search should help.
Laing DDC MCP 350 Pump Top Test Comparison - 11 Tops Tested!
http://martinsliquid...TopTesting.html
Laing DDC 3.2 MCP355 Pump Top Test Comparison - 11 Tops Tested!
http://martinsliquid...TopTesting.html
Note: I could not find a comparison for D5 pumps but there shouldn't be much difference in terms of what top offers the best performance. If anyone can find a comparison for D5 pumps please let me know and I will put it here.
Noise Reduction/Dampening
Because these pumps vibrate, when you put them on a hard surface like the floor of your case this will cause them to make a buzzing noise which will also be amplified by your case which will also start to vibrate and might cause certain parts in your case to rattle.
There several things you can use to dampen the noise and to absorb the vibration. Placing things like bubble wrap, foam, basically anything soft between the pump and the surface where you intend to place the pump.
When reading about this my self I came across one person saying the best thing he has found is clear silicon sealer.
Another popular method is a Shoggy Sandwich (not to be confused with a soggy sandwich
This video best explains what a Shoggy Sandwich is and how to use it.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=3msg7Brr_PM
Fittings
Most of what you need to know about fittings has already been explained in the first section of this guide and the only other thing you need to know is about the different angled fittings.
Normal strait fitting
45* fitting
90* fitting
All you need to do is think about which way your tubing will go to the different parts of your loop around you case and which fitting will be the best to use to make your loop tidier.
Cases
Not all cases are watercooling compatible and some that say they watercooling friendly aren't not that friendly at all.
So before you buy a case make sure you do plenty of research on what radiators you will need, how many and if they will fit. If you are good with a dremel and are able to mod then you can make almost any case into a watercooling case it all depends on the lengths you are willing to go and how good you are.
Some recommended cases ready for watercooling are.
The Coolermaster HAF cases
Coolermaster 690 II Advanced
Coolermaster Cosmos S
Fractal Arc Midi
Silverstone TJ07
Watercooling Kits
Watercooling kits are basically what they say they are and they include everything you need to set up a watercooling loop baring the coolant. These kits are aimed mainly at beginners and people who are not confident in selecting individual parts.
There are quite a few different watercooling kits that come with different sized length and thickness radiators. TTL has review quite a few of these kits so if you take a look on the youtube channel you will find video reviews for a few of them. If the kit you are interested in has not been reviewed by TTL then your best bet is searching on Google or Youtube for a review.
The most recommendable kits though are the XSPC RS/RX 240/360 kits. The RS kits come with 30mm thick radiators and the RX kits come with 60mm thick radiators both in either 240mm or 360mm length.
Here is an example of the RS 360 kit available at Specialtech.co.uk with a list of all parts included.
http://www.specialte...-pid-12931.html
Just remember these kits do not come with coolant so be sure to order some.
Fitting Parts and Putting Together Your Loop
Fitting Radiators
Screws
Most radiators come with the screws you need to attach the radiator to the roof, floor or where ever you can place them in your case.
These screws will be either be:
M4 screws
6-32 screws
What you have to remember with these screws is they need to be long enough to go through your fans, most fans being 25mm thick, and then into your radiator. So if you are buying the screws separate make sure you get ones that are at least 30mm in length which should be the perfect length to go through the holes in your case, through fan and there still be enough thread on the screws to screw them in securely to the radiator holding it in place.
Be sure not to screw them in to much though because the screws will push into the fins of the radiator and damage it. So before you fit it to your case have a go at just screwing the fans in place and checking how far you can screw them in without the screws touching the fins.
The above info on screws is aimed mainly for people who will be putting their fans on the top of the radiator for pull. Most of the info on screw length and types of screws remains the same but if you intend to have the fans on the bottom of the radiator you will need to get some screws to screw the radiator to the roof because the screws it came with will only been ough to attach the fans to the bottom of the radiator.
The screws you will need for this are 5mm M4 screws or M4X5. These screws look the same as the M4 ones posted above just shorter.
If you plan on doing push pull and having fans on the bottom and the top of the radiator you will want to get more M4X30 or 6-32 screws instead of the M4X5 ones so they are long enough to go through the holes in your case, through your fans and into the radiator.
If you watch this vid by TTL on the Shadow H20 build he explains what I have said above plus it will give you a visual reference. The vid also talks about fitting different parts but I will also write about those also in this guide.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=UT92S-hjjIU
The only other thing left do do then is screw the radiators to your case which is pretty self explanatory so i'll leave that part to you.
Waterblocks
Fitting CPU Waterblock
Fitting a CPU waterblock is the same as fitting a normal heatsink like the standard crapola Intel ones or the mighty NH-D14 so there is not to much to say about fitting them that you don't already know.
You can however watch this vid by TTL though that shows him fitting an XSPC RASA CPU waterblock to an Asus Rampage 3 Black Edition.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=5RxQjPhII2c
Fitting a GPU Full Cover Waterblock
With full cover waterbocks you will need to both apply thermal paste to the GPU and thermal pads to the Vram.
For this I recommend you watch this vid by TTL that shows you how to fit an XSPC waterblock to a GTX590 as well as all the tools and equipment you will need. The way this GPU waterblock is fitted applies to all GPU full cover waterblocks.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=7ggPXo_y9y4
Fitting Universal GPU Waterblocks
Universal GPU waterblocks are fitted the same way as CPU waterblocks but extra heatsinks may be needed for the Vram.
Reservoirs
Fitting Reservoirs
Fitting Drivebay Reservoirs
If you have a drivebay res then you would install it the same way as you would aDVD or BD drive in the optical bays of your case. Simply slide it in from the front and attach the bezel to the front of the res.
Fitting Cylinder Reservoirs
There are several different mounting brackets you can buy to mount the res to your case but all involve screwing the brackets to the inside of your case.Some cases have holes for this on ones that don't you will either have to drill them or improvise and use the cable management holes using cable management holes.
Pump Top Reservoirs
Pump top reservoirs are part of the pump top and sit on top or to the side of the pump. Mounting these are as easy as mounting the pump you simply place the pump on the floor of your case or wherever you plan on mounting it, just make sure you have enough clearance to fit it.
Barbs and Compression Fittings
Fitting Compression Fittings or Barbs
Fitting your barbs or compression fittings to the radiator, pump, blocks etc is probably the most easiest part of putting your water cooling parts together simply screw them in and give them a slight tighten with a pair of plyers.
If you are tightening barbs in to any acrylic parts be careful not to over tighten them as it can crack the acrylic.
Pumps
Fitting Pumps
Fitting your pump in your case is pretty strait forward you can simply just place the pump on the floor of your case, inside the drive bays or you can buy mounting brackets to mount it wherever you like.
Pumps also have parts at the bottom which you can be used to screw the pump securely to the floor of your case.
Tubing
Fitting tubing
Once you have fitted your CPU block, rad, res and pump you are ready to start attaching your tubing to and from them and cutting it to length.
For this you will need a pair of hose cutters or a sharp Stanley knife to cut your tubing to the required length.
Make sure when you are cutting your tubing to length that you always cut it so you have it is slightly longer than you need. This is so that you don't end up cutting it to short and so you can trim little bits off at a time until you have the required length.
Fitting Tubing to Barbs
The barbs themselves will be a bit hard to push into the tubing, to make this easier you can warm the ends of the tubing you are pushing over the barbs by rubbing it between your hands or you could also use a bit or warm water. Once you have warmed the tubing up slightly simply push the tubing over the barbs as far as it will go and you are done. If you want you can use some hose clips to clamp the tubing in place but it's up to you whether you do or not.
Fitting Tubing to Compression Fittings
Much easier than barbs, all you do is unscrew the top part of the compression fitting push the tubing over the inside of the fitting then screw the top part back on and jobs a gooden.
I recommend if you haven't already (even though I said to in the first part of the guide) to watch TTL's beginners guide to watercooling vid part 1.
Beginners Guide to Watercooling: Part 1
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=W6qpkigby5w
In the part 1 vid (the only one you need to watch for the tubing part) TTL talks about fitting tubing to barbs and shows you how to cut your tubing.
Watching this vid is just to give you a visual reference, if you are confident in what you are doing then there is no need to watch.
Filling Your Loop
I don't feel as though I can explain this properly in words so I recommend you watch TTL's Beginners Guide to Wartercooling: part 2 for this and also the Shadow H20 vid which both show TTL filling the loops and explaining abot how to do it.
Beginners Guide to Watercooling: Part 2
http://www.youtube.c...&feature=relmfu
Shadow H20 Build
http://www.youtube.c.../33/6Ee0BqNOWvc
About this guide
The purpose of this guide is to help people get started on watercooling and to try and answer any questions they may have or to give them an idea of what watercooling is and what is involved.
I am not a watercooling expert and nor do I pretend to be, I have been researching watercooling for quite some time now and the above information comes from that research.
Not all of it may be perfect information but it is to the best of my knowledge and I hope that you can learn from it or can use it as a reference to start your own research.
Thanks for looking anyway
