- Joined
- May 30, 2018
- Messages
- 1,890 (0.88/day)
- Location
- Cusp Of Mania, FL
| Processor | Ryzen 9 3900X |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | Asus ROG Strix X370-F |
| Cooling | Dark Rock 4, 3x Corsair ML140 front intake, 1x rear exhaust |
| Memory | 2x8GB TridentZ RGB [3600Mhz CL16] |
| Video Card(s) | EVGA 3060ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming |
| Storage | 970 EVO 500GB nvme, 860 EVO 250GB SATA, Seagate Barracuda 1TB + 4TB HDDs |
| Display(s) | 27" MSI G27C4 FHD 165hz |
| Case | NZXT H710 |
| Audio Device(s) | Modi Multibit, Vali 2, Shortest Way 51+ - LSR 305's, Focal Clear, HD6xx, HE5xx, LCD-2 Classic |
| Power Supply | Corsair RM650x v2 |
| Mouse | iunno whatever cheap crap logitech *clutches Xbox 360 controller security blanket* |
| Keyboard | HyperX Alloy Pro |
| Software | Windows 10 Pro |
| Benchmark Scores | ask your mother |
So, since the idea's been bouncing around in my head for several months with no sign of leaving, I've decided I want to install my first full custom loop in my system. Specs are as listed in my profile.
Very much in the early phases, but I figured I'd start a thread where all of my questions and ideas can be contained. I'm sure I'll have at least a few ideas that are terrible and/or stupid and I want this to go down right. Just a repository where I can continually dump bumbles, rants, dumb questions... so on. One part log, one part support group, heh.
As far as budget goes... I don't really have one. I expect that this will be costly. I don't have an infinite amount of cash to toss at this, but if I need to spend more, I kinda just see that as nothing more than a little bit more time. I can wait if it means I'm getting better stuff. I will cut zero corners to get what I need to have a really good finished product. I will buy whatever is needed for quality and if I can't afford it I will just have to wait. So I'm not looking to cheap out on parts, nor am I looking to take the easy route building it. I want the best possible result with the least possible limitations (within reason.) And I want it to look as good as possible. I'm strongly leaning towards glass tubing, too. Also worth mentioning, the 2060 probably will not be my last GPU - a higher-tier upgrade will happen at some point. So it may one day need to accommodate for a little more heat than now. While this is largely a looks thing, I do also want the best performance I can get... enough that playing with all-core overclocks on my 3900X is worth it. I want to cross that line with it where it fully surpasses what can be done on air, with something that looks cool.
Basically, I don't care much about the expense or difficulty curve... I will spend and learn what I need to in order to pull it off. I feel like I understand enough about the physics involved - and nothing in the process is new to me as far as skillset goes. I won't be so easily talked into going the easier/cheaper way.
I do kind of have ideas about what the loop will need to have. I'm sure there are some limitations with an H710 (size/airflow,) but I keep coming back to the look of it and access is pretty good - it's a great builder's case. I can easily reach front panel from all sides, top panel is removable, two decent reservoir spots. Both top and front panels can accommodate 360mm or 280mm radiators. I wouldn't bet on anything much thicker than 45mm fitting w/ fans, which to me is acceptable. The cable management bar is movable/removable... same as the HDD cage under the shroud. The shroud has holes that might help with pump/res mounting, as well as two of those slits for reservoir clips on the cable bar and next to the expansion slot bay. It won't take any giant reservoirs, but maybe it would do two small ones! Here's the layout.
I have some idea of what I want to do, but right now I'm just looking at what my options are. What are some good vendors in the USA? I've been looking for one-stoppers but it seems they're mostly brand-segmented. If that's just how it is I will order from different vendors, but because of that, I'd need to know what parts are good from who. What products/brands should I be looking out for when it comes to performance? I have no idea where to even start shopping.
What would an experienced liquid cooling builder be considering doing if they were me? I only know a few things for sure.
I want to go dual-rad - probably 30-40mm (I probably can't go much thicker than 45mm.) I was thinking a 360 up top and a 280 in the front. I could put another 360 in the front, but I'm considering using that lower space for a pump and/or res and/or drain. What really is the rule on thickness? I don't think I'd want to use a slim rad, but thinner might be better in my case, simply because of the slightly restrictive airflow to the rads. I don't want to have to compensate with louder, higher-pressure fans. Not sure... but ideally I want the thinnest possible while still having enough radiator-real-estate to more than cover all of the heat from my components - a good bit of headroom might be needed for a higher-powered GPU, or pushing a 3900X-manual-OC (which amounts to a ton of heat.) Really like some input on that... maybe some suggestions on what to look at buying. I say all of this stuff, but if I have to get thicker radiators and shell out for the higher-end fans to keep it quiet while moving enough heat through them and the case openings, I'll still do that.
Also, how does fan direction work in a loop with top and front rads? I'd assume I'd want the top to be exhaust and the front to be intake... right?
Single pump/res (a smallish combo unit would probably work best - though I could mount a discreet pump down below the front gap in the PSU shroud.) I'm not sure there's anything small enough to fit in that rear spot but one way or another I'm sure there's something that'll fit up front. I could even be special and clamp one sideways to the shroud, with the pump again down in that front gap in the shroud. Since it's responsible for two blocks and rads, it obviously needs to be a good pump. I'd be curious about which pumps are best for this type of loop. Combo unit would be nice, but if I have to run a discreet pump to have one that's decently powerful but not ridiculously loud/unreliable, so be it. My concern is that pump on one of those really small combo units might not be good enough. If I have to keep them separate with a large pump and small discreet res, that's fine. I'm also assuming one really good pump is enough. I'd rather not have two discreet loops for the sake of not overcrowding the build. As far as a res goes, I don't expect to use anything very big... mostly just gonna be a fill spot. It'd be cool to be able to find one that fits in that little rear spot. A bigger one might not fit in the cable bar spot anyway, as my GPU is triple-slot and starts to just in front of it. Again, any suggestions of what to look at would be appreciated.
Blocks, I can kinda work out myself. I need an AM4 block and a full-cover GPU block compatible with my specific card. Are EKWB blocks any good? I saw a couple I liked. But I haven't looked much into blocks, yet. The EKWB ones seem a little overpriced, though they look really great. I'm sure there are other people making good blocks out there.
Also, any information on glass tubing and good fittings for glass would be much appreciated. I know how to cut glass tubing and I understand how sizing works with all of that stuff. I just don't know where to get what I need or what to look for.
Any advice or tips are much appreciated, too. Even general stuff... things relating to the whole process, features and design aspects to add to your loop for easy care, potential problems with certain things, good practices and all of that. But what would really be a huge help right now would be just having some places to look at stuff... just browse for parts so I can start to work up a big picture and start plotting out the build.
Very much in the early phases, but I figured I'd start a thread where all of my questions and ideas can be contained. I'm sure I'll have at least a few ideas that are terrible and/or stupid and I want this to go down right. Just a repository where I can continually dump bumbles, rants, dumb questions... so on. One part log, one part support group, heh.
As far as budget goes... I don't really have one. I expect that this will be costly. I don't have an infinite amount of cash to toss at this, but if I need to spend more, I kinda just see that as nothing more than a little bit more time. I can wait if it means I'm getting better stuff. I will cut zero corners to get what I need to have a really good finished product. I will buy whatever is needed for quality and if I can't afford it I will just have to wait. So I'm not looking to cheap out on parts, nor am I looking to take the easy route building it. I want the best possible result with the least possible limitations (within reason.) And I want it to look as good as possible. I'm strongly leaning towards glass tubing, too. Also worth mentioning, the 2060 probably will not be my last GPU - a higher-tier upgrade will happen at some point. So it may one day need to accommodate for a little more heat than now. While this is largely a looks thing, I do also want the best performance I can get... enough that playing with all-core overclocks on my 3900X is worth it. I want to cross that line with it where it fully surpasses what can be done on air, with something that looks cool.
Basically, I don't care much about the expense or difficulty curve... I will spend and learn what I need to in order to pull it off. I feel like I understand enough about the physics involved - and nothing in the process is new to me as far as skillset goes. I won't be so easily talked into going the easier/cheaper way.
I do kind of have ideas about what the loop will need to have. I'm sure there are some limitations with an H710 (size/airflow,) but I keep coming back to the look of it and access is pretty good - it's a great builder's case. I can easily reach front panel from all sides, top panel is removable, two decent reservoir spots. Both top and front panels can accommodate 360mm or 280mm radiators. I wouldn't bet on anything much thicker than 45mm fitting w/ fans, which to me is acceptable. The cable management bar is movable/removable... same as the HDD cage under the shroud. The shroud has holes that might help with pump/res mounting, as well as two of those slits for reservoir clips on the cable bar and next to the expansion slot bay. It won't take any giant reservoirs, but maybe it would do two small ones! Here's the layout.
I have some idea of what I want to do, but right now I'm just looking at what my options are. What are some good vendors in the USA? I've been looking for one-stoppers but it seems they're mostly brand-segmented. If that's just how it is I will order from different vendors, but because of that, I'd need to know what parts are good from who. What products/brands should I be looking out for when it comes to performance? I have no idea where to even start shopping.
What would an experienced liquid cooling builder be considering doing if they were me? I only know a few things for sure.
I want to go dual-rad - probably 30-40mm (I probably can't go much thicker than 45mm.) I was thinking a 360 up top and a 280 in the front. I could put another 360 in the front, but I'm considering using that lower space for a pump and/or res and/or drain. What really is the rule on thickness? I don't think I'd want to use a slim rad, but thinner might be better in my case, simply because of the slightly restrictive airflow to the rads. I don't want to have to compensate with louder, higher-pressure fans. Not sure... but ideally I want the thinnest possible while still having enough radiator-real-estate to more than cover all of the heat from my components - a good bit of headroom might be needed for a higher-powered GPU, or pushing a 3900X-manual-OC (which amounts to a ton of heat.) Really like some input on that... maybe some suggestions on what to look at buying. I say all of this stuff, but if I have to get thicker radiators and shell out for the higher-end fans to keep it quiet while moving enough heat through them and the case openings, I'll still do that.
Also, how does fan direction work in a loop with top and front rads? I'd assume I'd want the top to be exhaust and the front to be intake... right?
Single pump/res (a smallish combo unit would probably work best - though I could mount a discreet pump down below the front gap in the PSU shroud.) I'm not sure there's anything small enough to fit in that rear spot but one way or another I'm sure there's something that'll fit up front. I could even be special and clamp one sideways to the shroud, with the pump again down in that front gap in the shroud. Since it's responsible for two blocks and rads, it obviously needs to be a good pump. I'd be curious about which pumps are best for this type of loop. Combo unit would be nice, but if I have to run a discreet pump to have one that's decently powerful but not ridiculously loud/unreliable, so be it. My concern is that pump on one of those really small combo units might not be good enough. If I have to keep them separate with a large pump and small discreet res, that's fine. I'm also assuming one really good pump is enough. I'd rather not have two discreet loops for the sake of not overcrowding the build. As far as a res goes, I don't expect to use anything very big... mostly just gonna be a fill spot. It'd be cool to be able to find one that fits in that little rear spot. A bigger one might not fit in the cable bar spot anyway, as my GPU is triple-slot and starts to just in front of it. Again, any suggestions of what to look at would be appreciated.
Blocks, I can kinda work out myself. I need an AM4 block and a full-cover GPU block compatible with my specific card. Are EKWB blocks any good? I saw a couple I liked. But I haven't looked much into blocks, yet. The EKWB ones seem a little overpriced, though they look really great. I'm sure there are other people making good blocks out there.
Also, any information on glass tubing and good fittings for glass would be much appreciated. I know how to cut glass tubing and I understand how sizing works with all of that stuff. I just don't know where to get what I need or what to look for.
Any advice or tips are much appreciated, too. Even general stuff... things relating to the whole process, features and design aspects to add to your loop for easy care, potential problems with certain things, good practices and all of that. But what would really be a huge help right now would be just having some places to look at stuff... just browse for parts so I can start to work up a big picture and start plotting out the build.
