About to do my first custom loop water cooled build

[Dalkamyr]

Hi I've been building PC's for a while but never tried custom water cooled loops.

I'm used to aio kits but this time I want to build a PC for the pleasure of the aesthetics and to learn about water cooling. I've watched a few videos, but I'd like to make sure I'm "read up" a bit before I start buying components and stuff.

My intention is to build a rig with the thermaltake core p5 case with an i5 6600k or 7600k along with a single GTX 1070 or 1080 graphics card. I want to do a really nice looking build, so proper themed components and dyes, sleeved cable and whatnot.

I'm probably gonna shoot for a flashy type of colour. Kind of like a black lit blue colour or green.

Feel free to give me pointers and or forum posts or videos I should absolutely watch before starting ☺

 

[peche]

have you ever seen the Pacific RL series, custom loop by thermaltake, pretty easy to use and with all you need in one kit...

Thermaltake Pacific RL240 Water Cooling Kit

also the hardtube blender and hard tubing kit are intesting, im looking forward to make my own !

Regards,

 

[jboydgolfer]

also the hardtube blender and hard tubing kit are intesting

Hard tube is very nice I have to agree, unfortunately that's a risky place for a first timer to start since it's not nearly as forgiving as flexible tubing

Not that you recommended it, just throwing it out there is on.

 

[peche]

Hard tube is very nice I have to agree, unfortunately that's a risky place for a first timer to start since it's not nearly as forgiving as flexible tubing

pretty true, but again, with patience and determination you could achieve a custom loop with hard tubing, you might waste little moar money, but its part of a great process!

Regards,

 

[manofthem]

Feel free to give me pointers

I think one of the main things that new watercooles tend to overlook is taking advantage of angled fittings. Most pictures I've seen posted and shared use mostly regular fittings with harsh bends and/or plenty of excess tubing that looks fairly silly.

I'll suggest planning out your loop and seeing which pieces you'll need to make nice smooth bends from one fitting to another.

Congrats on your upcoming build, sounds exciting.

 

[Sasqui]

Welcome to the DIY watercooling induction thread! It's definitely a fun time, planning, executing and swearing a lot

Do your homework! One of the critical parts of any WC build is a case that is WC friendly. My first WC rig was a turn-key Koolance case, the PC-2. I outgrew that and went with a HAF 932 (see my specs). Chose that because of the sheer size, quality and ability to have a 3x radiator inside the case on top.

First piece of advice... make sure your pump is at the lowest point in the system. Virtually all pumps will be ruined if run dry, keeping it low minimizes the chance of that happening.

 

[erixx]

I am also in a water project, first time custom... Everywhere I read that tube and liquid need to be replaced after a year. So to make use of the kit (in my case an EK kit with all parts) I will install the tubes and liquid as it comes. Next year when mantainence is due I will consider hard tubes... Ah, Dalkamyr, I chose the new Paean case, it is 2 chambers and a bit lower, in case you want to consider it.

 

[FireFox]

Everywhere I read that tube and liquid need to be replaced after a year.

BS.

I don't agree with that at all.

Note: it depends on Tubes and Coolant quality.

 

[Dalkamyr]

I am also in a water project, first time custom... Everywhere I read that tube and liquid need to be replaced after a year. So to make use of the kit (in my case an EK kit with all parts) I will install the tubes and liquid as it comes. Next year when mantainence is due I will consider hard tubes... Ah, Dalkamyr, I chose the new Paean case, it is 2 chambers and a bit lower, in case you want to consider it.

Thanks for the quick replies guys.
I'll look up the case you mentionned.

What's the advantage/disadvantage of hard tubing Vs soft?

What kind of maintenance is needed every year?

I've noticed in some videos some sort of joint for water loops and I'm not sure what it is. It's a circle thing, you can through it, seems to be some sort of an inter connect. Looks like a mini reservoir in the tube chain.

Also there are different types of liquids that can be put inside the tunes. What do you recommend?

How do builders make their tube liquid look like it's "fluorescent"?

 

[peche]

What's the advantage/disadvantage of hard tubing Vs soft?

Hard tubes are more fragile, need moar job to bend and patience, looks terrific compared to soft tubing,
Soft tubes is the standard config, moar used and moar flexible, compared to hard tubes,

What kind of maintenance is needed every year?

if possible a bleed... also checking the flow... contrary, none...

Also there are different types of liquids that can be put inside the tunes. What do you recommend?

all depends what you are trying to do, personally i dont like transparent tubing nor colors on my loop, so i higly recommend Phobya coolant, EKWB coolant and the most cheap and reliable one, distilled water, a little antibacterial drops and a silver coil.... with black rubber tubes

How do builders make their tube liquid look like it's "fluorescent"?

specific UV coolant....many brands...

 

[Dalkamyr]

Hard tubes are more fragile, need moar job to bend and patience, looks terrific compared to soft tubing,
Soft tubes is the standard config, moar used and moar flexible, compared to hard tubes,

if possible a bleed... also checking the flow... contrary, none...

all depends what you are trying to do, personally i dont like transparent tubing nor colors on my loop, so i higly recommend Phobya coolant, EKWB coolant and the most cheap and reliable one, distilled water, a little antibacterial drops and a silver coil.... with black rubber tubes


specific UV coolant....many brands...

About the Color, let me rephrase my question:

My question is: How do you achieve color? Do you buy "colored tubing" and simply fill it with say distilled water? or do you use a DYE? what about coolants that are "pre-colored" but in a way that is less risky than dyes?

 

[FireFox]

Do you buy "colored tubing" and simply fill it with say distilled water? or do you use a DYE?

You can buy colored tubing or you can buy DYE, up to you.

PrimoChill PrimoFlex™ Advanced LRT™ Brilliant UV Blue

 

[phanbuey]

tubing > dye in my experience. distilled water and maybe some biocide and then use tubing and lighting to make it pop.

The only time I would go dye is for UV lights.

 

[Dalkamyr]

tubing > dye in my experience. distilled water and maybe some biocide and then use tubing and lighting to make it pop.

The only time I would go dye is for UV lights.

That is exactly my intent (fluorescent color) Let me show you guys an image of a build I'd like to inspire myself from and tell me if you think he used DYE or colored Tubing

Here'S the link:

http://imgur.com/a/naLOa

you'll see there an orange and a green build.

 

[FireFox]

That is exactly my intent (fluorescent color) Let me show you guys an image of a build I'd like to inspire myself from and tell me if you think he used DYE or colored Tubing

Here'S the link:

http://imgur.com/a/naLOa

you'll see there an orange and a green build.

Colorant and transparent tubing.

 

[Dalkamyr]

I read that colorants can create "gonking" where residue forms and complicates things. I've also read that there are "nano" liquids where the colorant is not as risky. What do you think about that?

 

[FireFox]

I have never used colorants before so i can't give you any advice about it, i just use UV tubing.

 

[erixx]

I got myself 1 meter of anti kink coil, to make tubes look and stay better. It is Primochill "Red UV". Does this "UV" need a special light or just looks good?

 

[FireFox]

Primochill "Red UV". Does this "UV" need a special light or just looks good?

I use Primochill Brilliant UV Blue + blue fans.

 

[erixx]

Nice, I will post pics so you can give a verdict .

Another "issue": my radiator will be looking to the front, with fans on top. I want then to show their nice face (fans) but "suck" rear-to-front. Rewording: I want to reverse their direction. Can I do this just exchanging the + and - cables or will this interfere with the 4-pin PWM design?

 

[sneekypeet]

Nice, I will post pics so you can give a verdict .

Another "issue": my radiator will be looking to the front, with fans on top. I want then to show their nice face (fans) but "suck" rear-to-front. Rewording: I want to reverse their direction. Can I do this just exchanging the + and - cables or will this interfere with the 4-pin PWM design?

The blades are not designed to move air if their spin is reversed.

 

[erixx]

oh my! that was mental on my side! It was because I wanted to add an air filter behind the radiator....

 

[Dalkamyr]

I noticed that some water cooled kits have a tube inside of the reservoirn

What is this for?

 

[sneekypeet]

I noticed that some water cooled kits have a tube inside of the reservoirn

What is this for?

Can you link an example?

 

[Dalkamyr]

Tubes in reservoir? https://imgur.com/gallery/wqWNy

Otherwise check out the white and orange build I linked earlier he's got that tube in the reservoir as well