Going into water (help needed - first time ever)

[SirKeldon]

Well, hi all, this morning i lost the head for moments and after buying the OCZ ModXStream 780W i purchased the required materials for going into liquid cooling system, here's the list i've purchased:

Generic pump, not the best one, the only part i'd gone cheap.
Radiator is a Black ICE Gt Stealth 120
Waterblock is Enzotech Sapphire SCW-1 (real mirror finish, i'm impressed)
Tank is a ThermalTake Aquabay M3
Fan SilentX iXtrema Pro Series 120mm

Don't know if are the best parts but i'm sure they're not bad at all, they were recommended by the owners of the shop i use to go ... so i'm giving a chance to them. The main doubt is i don't know how to build the circuit at all ... or how to start building without blurring anything, i'm confusing in the part of inlet, outlet disposition, cpu goes to rad ... then pump and then reservoir? any guides of where should i start?

One last question, enzotech waterblock includes some Arctic Silver Ceramique compound, i have Arctic Cooling MX-2 which is supposed to be better, but since this is not air .. i'm confused, which compound should i use?

Thank you all in advance

 

[Mussels]

One last question, enzotech waterblock includes some Arctic Silver Ceramique compound, i have Arctic Cooling MX-2 which is supposed to be better, but since this is not air .. i'm confused, which compound should i use?

Thank you all in advance

MX2. Ceramiques are better for negative temps (high end water w/ TEC) which both of those are. Between the two, MX-2 is the better grease.

 

[SirKeldon]

Thank you mussels, any guides of howto install your own liquid cooling system? i'm lost at the circuit building ... how to connect well that 4 parts, radiator, waterblock, reservoir, and pump, 4 with both sides of connecting, in and out ...

 

[DaMulta]

Find a place to put your pump first.

Then when you find that out install your radiator, and res somewhere. The next step is running the tubes, go pump, CPU, radiator, res.

Get some paper towels and place them around your blocks, and then begin to pump the fulid into your system.


Do you know how to turn on your PSU without starting your PC? You can cross jump it, but a 10 dollar PSU tester(the best way can find at any mom and pop PC store), and at last you can you an old AT PSU to prime your pump.

When it's prime check your paper towels for leaks then put them back for a day or so. If you have a leak all of it will go there, and I have ran a system for a long time with a good leak this way.

 

[SirKeldon]

Actually DaMulta i haven't tried how to turn on my PSU without starting the PC, the pump is directly connected to an AC plug, not to the PSU so i suppose i can load the circuit switching on the pump without turning on the PSU.

I have a place for the pump and i already placed the waterblock on the mobo, now following your instructions slower what i have to do is, pump-out to cpu-in, cpu-out to rad-in, rad-out to res-in, and res-out to pump-in, is that way? I haven't thought about the paper towels, that should help anyway, very appreciated help, ty!

 

[DaMulta]

Oh you have an A/C pump, your good to go.

pump-out to cpu-in, cpu-out to rad-in, rad-out to res-in, and res-out to pump-in.

Yep Yep


You'll be unplugging, and plugging in your pump a few times till it's flowing.

 

[SirKeldon]

Thank you again, the last question, should i place the rad in or out the tower? In the shop they told me is better to place it outside and pass the tubes over PCI free bays, due to heat stays outside the tower ... but the most easy for me will be to place it inside and fan outside, what's the best setup for cooling, rad outside, fan inside blowing air to the rad ... or rad-inside and fan outside making the airflow to go outside also the heat?

 

[DaMulta]

You'll have more flow inside, and less flow outside.

The both will be blowing out the case IMO, and it's not like it's a dual 120 rad. I would run it in the case, but you may want to try both.

You have a fun in the front blowing in fresh air right?

 

[SirKeldon]

There are two fans, at the bottom there is a SilenX iXtrema Pro series and it's a no-barrier hole since i moved the hd-bays to the 5,25" ones, at that place, top of the front i placed the one coming with the Armor Jr, so yes, i have a good fresh air coming inside so i supposed to place the outside and then the other SilenX pulling air outta the case, to the radiator ... to make the good airflow ... but i don't know if that will be what rad needs.

edit: this is an offtopic question, i see my new PSU brings two 12V usual cables, each with 4-pin making a total of 8, i noticed i had a bad plastic on the mobo in that holes, and i took it off, now there are 8 pins, should i connect them all as it seems it's meant to be?

 

[SirKeldon]

At last, i've done it, don't know if well or bad but it's running ... all is installed and without leaks, i detected two at the reservoir, both for not tight well the screws ... now is all done and running smoothly, papers are on their way yet Btw, i left the rad outside and a couple of fans making push-rad-pull, i think it will be the best "setup" for a dual radiator.

There are some issues i've detected, idle temps are still the same, i suppose this is normal, had a good (86.5CFM-100CFM) airflow and high-end lapped HSF ... now i have less airflow, but of course the load temps were blasting, i was at 3480@1.45V and temps were 8-10ºC lower than 3420 at 1.41V and the heat increasing curve more effectively done ... but i noticed the heat decreasing is the opposite, first 10ºC are downgraded so fast, the other 5 or 6 takes up to 3-8 minutes, since my radiator is not the best one and water takes more time to decrease than to win temp i think it's normal ... but correct me if i'm wrong please.

Now i need advice on a flow question ... the pump is an aquarium one, the cheaper ones, but comes with flow control built-in, it was the first time to me "playing" with a pump and the flow and pressure ... and at that game trying to see what was better to my temps, i caused a leak cause i turned the tube so much while it was plugged to the reservoir too and "fluuuusssh", paper towels saved my life and my mobo ... after that, i plugged it all well again and just lucky i thought i made the good one ... small bubbles were not all around anymore, now there are just two small places where are always done but the flow seems constant and high (the pump gives 700 liters per hour), should i touch something related to the flow to win more degrees or more performance to the waterblock? Here are the specs, it's the Enzotech SCW-1 and its performance data with PSI detailed, tell me what should i see since i can't see the level of the flow ... just feel it (apart from the little bubbles, it also sounds like a small aquarium )

Thanks to both of you, Mussels and DaMulta, i appreciated your help very much, i was pretty nervous about this task till i read some replys, now's on the way, home-build liquid cooling system

 

[DaMulta]

So your temps are?


See paper towels are the way!!!!

 

[SirKeldon]

Now idle ... at 3480@1.440V 36-34ºC/30-29ºC (global: 33-34ºC), at full after some videora ipod encoding tests (15 minutes or that), 51ºC/43ºC (max temps on cores, global was at 47ºC maximum) the motherboard sensor says ... 26ºC (but it will be 2ºC more since it has the inner fan really near)

Tomorrow i will game something and i'll post temps too, now i'm too tired, it's 6:10am here and i'm really tired but proud of myself, maybe when the test is done and i finally decide what fans should stay i will post some photos too

 

[DaMulta]

Try my settings

 

[SirKeldon]

Ok, i'll do a test, at what ram timings? 5-5-5-18 ?

 

[DaMulta]

Yes, at first.

These are my 24/7 settings

 

[SirKeldon]

Woh, at 1,350V ? and it resists? let's try it my friend (maybe i will uprise till 1,360 cause my mobo will do 1,340 or ,60). Btw, which is the CPU VDDC ? is the voltage CPU-Northbridge ? cause i have one feature on my mobo after processor voltage that's called Processor-NB voltage and should fit on that range ... it will be that? (Changing the voltages on AMD Overdrive doesn't works for me)

 

[SirKeldon]

After 5 mins idle (though mobo is still hot and water too from being on 1.440V) it's 31-33ºC,27-29ºC (global is 31-32ºC).

Let's do it the videora 10-15min test (hope it resists!!!) and i'll edit the post to tell you the load temps

As i expected, didn't resisted but well, pc didn't freeze just ffmpeg error after 11 minutes encoding (just one remaining, lol) ... max temps: 45ºC/39ºC (42ºC) ... most of the time was 42-43ºC/36-38ºC ... voltage was 1,36V but was changing to 1,38V in most moments (1,3625 at the mobo didn't boot windows, 1,3725 seemed to help) ... take it in consideration also

 

[DaMulta]

My CPU is at 1.56v

EDIT I was wrong....

Yea I know it's giant LOL

 

[SirKeldon]

Well, i tried 1,56 but automatically BIOS raised up till 1,662 (overvoltage error) ... i changed and i put 1,55, as before my mobo will do 1,542 and 1,55V when needed, max temps after 13 minutes videora encoding ... real 100% (not as intense as prime but almost ) ... 57ºC/49ºC, most of the time were a little bit better, idle temp just computer turned up: 37-39ºC/33-36ºC

That full temps were my load temps on 1,41-1,42V at less speed, water cooling is incredible, even the most cheaper as mine rocks!! Though that ... i'll need some flow improving with that temps? (now it's relaxing again: 40-41ºC/34-35ºC)

ps: i'm not affraid of high voltages anymore and now i'm gonna sleep, 7:29am here and still without going bed, damn overclocking and cooling cya tomorrow DaMulta !!!