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Water cooling guide

trickson

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When you decide to go with water cooling your system things you should do and not do .

A good case is a must one that can accommodate all your water cooling parts and accessories .

One thing I would like to point out is that tubing is very important to a good cooling experience , You will see 1/4" and 1/2" tubing ( Mostly But there is also 3/8" ) 1/4" is not going to be very effective in cooling your entire system and is more restrictive , So choose wisely , If you plan to just cool the CPU it will be fine ( But not as good as a top of the line Air cooler ) , I went with 1/2" tubing with 1/2" fittings . This will give you maximum flow rate and less restriction . http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c99/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Tubing.html

For some a single 120mm rad will be fine for normal operation but for me and others you will need more , Dual 120mm and up are the best ( this will provide you with the advantage of adding cooling for other hardware in the future ) . Just remember the more you add to your cooling , video cards , MB , HDD , RAM , The more added heat you will have to remove ( cool ) , So choosing your RAD and the size of it is very important . And you can add RAD's to your setup when needed for even better cooling . http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c95/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-PC_Water_Cooling_Radiators.html

The pump , Well there are many to chose from and you can add a second pump to your setup if you need to , Just chose a pump that best fits your needs and that can provide you with the maximum flow rate for what you are cooling . The more flow you have the more cooling you will get . http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c107/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-PC_Water_Cooling_Pumps.html

Water blocks come in all types shapes and sizes , Choosing a good WB is very important as well , Some will restrict water flow , This will give you less than optimal performance when you need it the most . http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c323/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Water_Blocks_CPU_-_Brand.html

Now on to the reservoir , The use of a reservoir is always a good idea , You not only can keep an eye on how much water is in your setup but you can see it flowing as well . There are all types of water reservoirs to choose from getting one will also make it easier to fill and drain your system . http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c97/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-PC_Water_Cooling_Reservoirs.html

Liquid coolant http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c337/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Coolant_-_Brand.html , What should you use ? Well Distilled water is the best and the rest is just a gimmick . there are additives and coolants that can make it look cool , But that is about it , They do nothing to make your hardware any cooler than good old Distilled water will .

There are the fittings as well choose what best fits your needs and tubing , I use 1/2" fittings with 1/2" tubing this provides a better seal for me . http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g30/c407/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Fittings-Barbs.html
Also When connecting the hose to the barbs or fittings I suggest using hose clamps the screw type . No chance of leaks .

I suggest this for testing . Once you have all your parts and you are ready to install it all . Take every thing out of the case ( MB , PSU ) any thing that might get wet or in the way .
Put your new water cooling setup together just were you want it to go inside your case , Once you have it all setup and ready to fill , Do so . Hook up your PSU to the pump ONLY ! Jumper the PSU ( It should be out side the case and away from the water unit ) to turn it on , Fill and check for leaks , This is the point you will find them ( If you have any ) and be able to fix them with out ANY THING getting wet and / or damaged .
If every thing checks out no leaks system full and functioning well . Put all your hardware back inside the case hook up your new LEAK free water cooling and have a cool time !

Never ever test your water cooling setup with your hardware inside your case , and never check it out side the case then take it apart and put it in your case with your hardware , As you will have to re-hook it up and re-test it ! and you just may get a leak and water all over the hardware !

Now I know this is more than a generic guide and less than perfect But I do hope this helps . There are also sealed units that come pre-built and ready for installation but they are just that . There are lots of things you can add to your liquid cooling setups as well . So I hope this helps people new to water cooling get a better idea of what they need and how to test . Good luck and have fun .

Please feel free to add any thing you have to this .
 
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nice info, i could take it as preference if i wanna use water cooling on the future
some afraid of using water cooling coz they aint have enough information and too scared of getting a leak of mishandling of it, so its a nice start
 

Wrigleyvillain

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Good post. But, especially as it's targeted to those with little or no knowledge and experience, I would also mention quality kits like that Rasa. As I posted in the other thread it's daunting to order all these parts when you don't really know what's up yet and a kit eliminates that unknown factor completely. That kit loop can easily be upgraded and tweaked as needed.

nice info, i could take it as preference if i wanna use water cooling on the future
some afraid of using water cooling coz they aint have enough information and too scared of getting a leak of mishandling of it, so its a nice start

Once you get a loop in your hands, so to speak, and really test and play with it you'll see there's not much to this at all and it's not even particularly dangerous if you don't get sloppy. Another reason I recommend starting with a kit or complete used loop (like I did).
 

trickson

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Good post. But, especially as it's targeted to those with little or no knowledge and experience, I would also mention quality kits like that Rasa. As I posted in the other thread it's daunting to order all these parts when you don't really know what's up yet and a kit eliminates that unknown factor completely. That kit loop can easily be upgraded and tweaked as needed.

Thank you . Yes I agree that getting a " Water cooling kit " Is a great idea as well . As adding to it is easy and fun . I have had my water cooling setup for 2 years now and I have not had one leak in it since then . Once you have it all figured out and leak tested there is little chance of a leak . The best thing is making a good seal with the tubing and barbs , This is achieved with getting the right tubing and barbs with the right kind of clamps . Hose clamps are IMHO the most important thing in reducing the risk of leaks . A good screw type hose clam is the best ( You know the kind you use on your car ) .
 

Wrigleyvillain

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. The best thing is making a good seal with the tubing and barbs , This is achieved with getting the right tubing and barbs with the right kind of clamps.

Yeah before I had personal experience with this I found fittings to be the most confusing aspect, both type and sizing. My loop came with compressions which I find to be super easy and secure though have since had to try a barb in a pinch and no big deal. Again, nothing compares to actually having this stuff in your possession in terms of making sense of it and truly being comfortable.
 

trickson

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The main point to all this is to ease your fears of water cooling . There is no fear when you do a good job and have a simple easy guide to help you along , I know there are many ways to hook up your loop(s) and it all is safe and easy once you have followed the simplicity of testing your new unit . I use barbs for the simple reason there is less chance of leaks as apposed to compression fittings , Compression fittings are easy and fast but they are not as reliable as tube to barb with hose clamp ( IMHO ) .
 
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Yeah before I had personal experience with this I found fittings to be the most confusing aspect, both type and sizing. My loop came with compressions which I find to be super easy and secure though have since had to try a barb in a pinch and no big deal. Again, nothing compares to actually having this stuff in your possession in terms of making sense of it and truly being comfortable.

Another way to get a great seal is to use a slightly smaller tube. What i did was use 7/16 tube on my 1/2 fat boy barbs. It created such a tight seal that i didn't NEED (but still used) clamps. If you want to go clampless for some reason you can get 3/8 tube and put over 1/2 fat boy barbs. Getting it over the barbs is a challenge but it allows you to be clamp-less. Down side to that is you have to cut the tube off of the barbs. This means you will have to replace the tube every time.
 

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What do you all think of a XSPC Rasa 750 RS240 Kit to start with? I have had a H50 for about a year now and works well for me but would like to go more custom and add a gpu block.
 

trickson

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Another way to get a great seal is to use a slightly smaller tube. What i did was use 7/16 tube on my 1/2 fat boy barbs. It created such a tight seal that i didn't NEED (but still used) clamps. If you want to go clampless for some reason you can get 3/8 tube and put over 1/2 fat boy barbs. Getting it over the barbs is a challenge but it allows you to be clamp-less. Down side to that is you have to cut the tube off of the barbs. This means you will have to replace the tube every time.

One thing about this is the flow restriction you will be getting from the smaller diameter hosing , A good clamp will do the job with out all the fuss .

XSPC Rasa 750 RS240 Kit to start with?

I think it is a great start for any one wanting to go with water cooling for the first time . Flexible cheap and you can add to it when you want to .
 

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What do you all think of a XSPC Rasa 750 RS240 Kit to start with? I have had a H50 for about a year now and works well for me but would like to go more custom and add a gpu block.

I think that's your absolute best bet only perhaps short of something like this (scroll down... and Radaja is the guy from whom I bought my first loop BTW).

Interesting point about smaller tubing on fatter fittings. Though I like the fatter 1/2" tubing myself, simply looks so much better IMO. Does improve flow rate some too which is a main key to optimum cooling performance but not really enough to be noticeable or make a real world difference.
 

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I think that's your absolute best bet only perhaps short of something like this (scroll down... and Radaja is the guy from whom I bought my first loop BTW).

Interesting point about smaller tubing on fatter fittings. Though I like the fatter 1/2" tubing myself, simply looks so much better IMO. Does improve flow rate some too which is a main key to optimum cooling performance but not really enough to be noticeable or make a real world difference.

I got a 3c drop. going from 1/2 barbs and 3/8 tube to 1/2 barbs and 7/16 tubes.
I find 7/16 is a good size as it is alittle more flexible and you have less of a chance for leaks because of how tight of a fit. Also it doesn't restrict flow to anything noticeable. I used 1/2,3/8 and 7/16. I noticed slightly higher temps with 3/8 and the 1/2 and 7/16 both gave the same temps. This was on a cpu and gpu loop with 2 rads.
 

trickson

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I was hoping for more input from the water cooling TPU's users .
 

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I think it is a great start for any one wanting to go with water cooling for the first time . Flexible cheap and you can add to it when you want to .

I'm looking at the Rasa 750 RS240 kit for my system, my first water cooling experience. I want to cool my 1090t@4ghz right off the bat, but then be able to one day add in my 2 6950's in the future. Would this kit work for that? Or the RS360 with the bigger radiator be a better choice? I'd appreciate the insight.
 

trickson

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I'm looking at the Rasa 750 RS240 kit for my system, my first water cooling experience. I want to cool my 1090t@4ghz right off the bat, but then be able to one day add in my 2 6950's in the future. Would this kit work for that? Or the RS360 with the bigger radiator be a better choice? I'd appreciate the insight.

As you will be adding heat to your loop (and a lot of it with 2 video cards and the CPU ) go with the one that has the bigger RAD .
 

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I would have to agree RS360 is better, With 2 6950's cards thay put out a lot or heat.
 
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I also have a question, I see some warnings in the just distilled water about not having any any corrosion preventative properties. So does that mean if i buy just pure distilled water, Ill have rust down the line?
 

trickson

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I also have a question, I see some warnings in the just distilled water about not having any any corrosion preventative properties. So does that mean if i buy just pure distilled water, Ill have rust down the line?
happens when you have aluminum and copper in the line. corrosion will occur. if no copper and aluminum combo is in the loop, youd be fine. Corrosion on all same metals still will occur, but youd be dead by the time it will occur. And if youd replace water at least once now and then, your good with just distilled.
 
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