Water Cooling Addition

[TheMovement4]

Well this would be my first post(Hello!) I came by TBCS site about a week ago after viewing the project "Deep Purple." I was googleing, if thats a word, around reviewing the water cooling parts I had picked out. And saw that project that just cought my eye.

Well I too have the Thermaltake Armor case so I started to think.. why not mod my case a bit? So im here today with my modding/project. It isnt going to be a big spectacular project, but I thought If I keep a log I won't forget things, and I can always ask questions when I need help.

I havnt ordered my parts yet, but I want to go ahead and get this out so I can have some feedback on them.

The List:

Danger Den Fillport - 2
Danger Den Stealth GTS 120 Black Ice Radiator
ClearFlex 60 Tubing 3/8" ID 5/8" OD - 5 feet
PrimoChill ICE - red
Danger Den DD12V-D5 Pump
Danger Den Tyee GPU Block
Danger Den TDX A64 Copper Water Block
Danger Den Single 5 1/4" Bay Reservoir
Danger Den G 3/8" Thread Barb - 3
3/8" UV Reactive Leakproof Elbow
3/8" UV Reactive Leakproof Y Fitting
Arctic Silver Ceramique


Im on somewhat of a budget, about $400. Im buying from FrozenCPU.com. I do plan on adding a NB block and maybe another radiator and some other little things, but I just wanting to get the system up and going first.

What do you guys think? Any feedback of any kind is great, not sure if I said this but im new to water cooling so little tips will be much appreciated!

Well thats all for now, Im going to try really hard to get pictures for this log, I have an old one that isnt worth putting batterys in, so begging my friend looks like what im going to have to do.

[Ta10n]

Looks pretty good! I don't know about mixing Thermaltake stuff with the Dangerden stuff etc. I like my Thermaltake stuff but in about 10 minutes everyone on this entire forum is going to tell you that thermaltake is crap and that if you don't change your pump your computer will explode :). ( Believe me this has happened on other forums :) ). Anyway I would get one of those nice 1200 litre per hour pumps. Oh and try not to order from frozencpu, sidewindercomputer.com has way better prices :) But if you must, go ahead.

Oh and I almost forgot, what are you cooling with this gear?

[Silenced_Coyote]

It is spelled "googling" and it is a word.
http://m-w.com/dictionary/google

Oh, don't just look at the discharge. The Max Head is very important.

[b4i7]

if you plan on goin with a danger den setup....id say buy direct from them...its cheaper than youll find the stuff for anywhere esle (i believe)

[MitaPi]

Dont for get some nice strong clamps to reduce the possibility of leaks ^^

[TheMovement4]

Thank you all, Clamps I was going to get a Lowes, too much online.

Im going to be cooling down a 1900xtx and a Athlon 64 3200+ Venice. I was thinking of ordering from them direct but wasnt sure. Ill look into it.

[simon275]

1900xtx and a Athlon 64 3200+ now theres an interesting combination. One of the most powerfeul GPU's around and the bottom range proc around. Dude when you are gaming your PROC will be a massive bottle neck.

I agree with going with the Danger Den sinks.

[Intrance]

I have a full DD cooling rig and it is fantastic. If you are in UK then coolercases.co.uk were particularly helpful and as long as you were prepared to wait, if out of stock, Paul was good on the dispatch etc.

Installation was OK and i rigged up the system dry in the computer and then wet outside before installing it fully and running. You could always try the kamakazi method of setting up, filling and testing in the computer?!

If you go to this link (http://www.dangerden.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.1)you will find all of the DD installation instructions and these a pretty good.

I have no problems with my kit but you may wish to buy a few extra clamps as I manage to keep on loosing mine (god knows where they all go!!)

And dont forget the water wetter or it all gets a layer of gunge on the inside of the pipes pretty quick.

[Ta10n]

Whoa an XTX and an Athlon 64 on one 120mm rad? I might bump it up to 2x120mm or one of those new Black Ice GTS rads with twice the surface area.

[gobygoby]

Yeah ditch the Thermaltake stuff. Its not junk, Its just made for a 1/4" tube loop.

My loop is 3/8" and I use the Thermaltake CPU block and TT rad. its the only things they make that are 3/8" ID. Everything else is 3/8" OD :? No idea why they do that...its retarded.

I have DD Maze4 GPU block, and Vantec SB and NB blocks. Innovatek rad and swiftek D5 pump.



good luck!

[TheMovement4]

1900xtx and a Athlon 64 3200+ now theres an interesting combination. One of the most powerfeul GPU's around and the bottom range proc around. Dude when you are gaming your PROC will be a massive bottle neck.

I agree with going with the Danger Den sinks.

I got the CPU from brother as a birthday gift, so im going to wait on it. I belive my friend can get me a deal on a FX chip but im still waiting.

As for my list, here is my *NEW* List(Im going through DD website, saving around $60):


Danger Den Fillport - 2
Danger Den Stealth GTS 120 Black Ice Radiator
ClearFlex 60 Tubing 3/8" ID 5/8" OD - 5 feet
PrimoChill ICE - red
Danger Den DD12V-D5 Pump
Danger Den Tyee GPU Block
Danger Den TDX A64 Copper Water Block
Danger Den Single 5 1/4" Bay Reservoir
Danger Den G 3/8" Thread Barb - 3
3/8" UV Reactive Leakproof Elbow
3/8" UV Reactive Leakproof Y Fitting
Arctic Silver Ceramique


I changed the the pump, the reservoir, and added another fill port. Im going to use the other fill port as a drain, since that will be a whole lot easer on me. And correction on the 3 bards, its not 1/2, its 3/8 my misstake.


Whoa an XTX and an Athlon 64 on one 120mm rad? I might bump it up to 2x120mm or one of those new Black Ice GTS rads with twice the surface area.

Like I said, im just going to get this water cooling system up, then add on. I plan on adding a NB block(if I can, due to my video card) and another rad.

[Ta10n]

Like I said, im just going to get this water cooling system up, then add on. I plan on adding a NB block(if I can, due to my video card) and another rad.

Well then it looks like a great setup!

[TheMovement4]

ahh just keep chaning my mine, Ill be getting the GTS Black Ice, thanks Ta10n.

[Ta10n]

ahh just keep chaning my mine, Ill be getting the GTS Black Ice, thanks Ta10n.

No problem :)

[TheMovement4]

I just place the order in today, so ill be updating this log sometime next week.

[onelegout]

Cant wait to see this! Please post loads of pictures!:D
You could even turn this into a tutorial/explanation of how to install a watercooling system ;)
Peace
H

[AKA_RA]

that is one nice shopping list. really once you get that nice of stuff, the cooling efficiency comes down to airflow across radiators, total radiator coverage(square centimeters), and what i would consider most important, coolant volume. the more coolant, the less it will retain less heat. when i had my custom built resivior(read: 5 gallon bucket) i have about 3 gallons in the bucket, and a mostly sealed lid, it wasnt air tight but their were holes for the 3/8" tID tubing. i had home made north bridge cooler, 75 dollar special something or other cpu cooler(i think the TDK but dont quote me), and the video was something thermaltake(semi-budget almost mid range system). im sorry for the vague details, its all boxed up cuz of my recent move. if you ever have temps problems, more radiator area and more coolant flow will help, as will adding more resivior space. if your worried about crossing parts from compays, dont worry, just make sure the metals (copper is best) are the same or get some "anti-corrosion" coolant additive. anyways, long post..sry. good luck with you project.

P.S.: pics are loved by most, if not all, memebers around here. we like droolin over hardware apaprently. lol.

[TheMovement4]

lol wow, alright thanks for the tips. I was thinking of making somthing custom for this project, but I use this PC for lanning and other events, so having anything outside of the case wont work.

And I talked to my friend, he has somewhat of a good cam, better than what I got. And he also said I can use his tools and what not, so I thought Id just do my project down there.

Looks like next weekend Ill be starting this.

[TheMovement4]

Its me again, I was wondering if we had any wiring gurus here. I was looking at my case, wondering what to do with it. I want to mod it but how and where. So I looked at the front first, then saw the Power/Rest switchs. It takes up a bay, but it shares it with floppy bay and I wanted to take it out and free up a drive bay, then I thought where will I move the buttons to.

After a few minutes it hit me, ill put it on top near where the Fill Port will be going. So again got me thinking.. Ill get some lights and have a multi light set up, one pair red, other blue. Ill add two more buttons on top for them. Im mid-skilled in wiring, but I dont want to start learning what wire to cut with my computer.

So here it is, Im going to be buying four switchs (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1911/ele-77/Red_LED_Rocker_Switch.html?tl=g4c153s315).
Two will be for the lights, and the other 2 will be for the power/rest buttons.

Now heres my questions:
1) Can I use those switchs for a power and rest button? I know there not a push in button so thats why im asking.

2) Is this wire (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1759/ele-07/22AWG_Wire_-_Black.html?tl=g4c155s325) good to wire these? Its 22AWG. EDIT: Im getting Black, Red, and Yellow also, not just Black.

Im getting two sets of Logisys Cold Cathode (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2994/lit-32/Logisys_Dual_12_Cold_Cathode_Kit_-_Blue.html?id=2s8jTD9B&mv_pc=841) one bue one red. Now it has a backplate switch to turn the lights on and off, I was planing to cut that part off then rewire it to my switch im buying, will this work?

My friend that Im planing to go to his house and use his tools and such went out of town.. but I cant complain since hes letting me use his things free of charge. So little more waiting, but this gives me time to order the lights so I have everything together when measuring the holes and drilling.

[TheMovement4]

I receive my PC Ice coolant today along with a Y and an elbow connectors.

I place an order for an HD44780 LCD screen on ebay, the switchs for the lights(but not the lights, need to wait till next pay check) over at frozencpu.com, and Parallel to USB adapter for the LCD screen at newegg.com.

And on my last post, does anyone have any answers to my questions?

[modding.fan]

if you plan on goin with a danger den setup....id say buy direct from them...its cheaper than youll find the stuff for anywhere esle (i believe)

B4i7 Speaks truth about the pricing. When I got all the stuff for Deep Purple, across the board DangerDen was cheaper...the only bits i picked up from FrozenCPU where items that DD didn't have in stock.

:eek: Deep Purple showed up on Google! I feel famous!

But, mod looks great. All I can say (if you read all of my thread)...is that Leak Testing is *very* important....be sure not to have any power to anything but the pump for a good 8 hours minimum...don't want to have anything blowing up.

I'll be keeping my eyes on ya...gotta see what you have in mine for the Armor. :)

Cheers,

MF

[TheMovement4]

lol well thank you. I forgot what I typed in, but there it was, a pic of your case and a link to your worklog. I must say, I owe it to ya for getting me here. My mod wont be as crazy as yours, keeping it black, just adding on.

ANd quick question, will adding a 80mm rad to my line up be much a difference? I was thinking if taking the HDD bay fan, the one next to the PSU, and put it out side and add a 80mm rad, but idk, it looks alittle small.

Because this was going to be my line up.
pump>cpu>80mm rad>gpu>res>120mm rad>loop

Because once I upgrade my CPU one day im sure im going to need another rad, and not sure where yo put it.

Modding.fan, I was thinking of taking the HDD bay thats in the front of the case, cutting it down to add a 120mm fan and a 120mm rad, but I dont think I will be able to mount it right after that... ugg.. wish I had the parts on hand to know what im talking about.. 1 more day!

[modding.fan]

Well...my (minimally experienced) opinion is this:

The point of water cooling is two fold:
1) more efficient system cooling
2) noise reduction by removal of loud fans

80mm fans are notorious for their noise...even medium to high cfm 120mm fans are really quiet...

The $$$ difference in upgrading from an 80mm to a 120mm is minimal (rad and fan both). I'd seriously thought about modding a 120mm fan to the top of the case (wehre they have the mount for the 92mm). You also have the fan on the back, and the rack for a 120mm in the front...lots of space to choose from.

But...in the end...it's yhour case.

Then again...I'm sure you can find 92mm rad's out tehre somewhere. The Armor has 2 or 3 mounting places for 92mm's...maybe you cna go with a 120 and a 92mm?

happy shopping!

MF

[TheMovement4]

Well it came today! I was so happy to open all the boxes, felt like it was my birthday all over again. I also went to my local hardware store to get a few more things.

Heres what came in today from Danger Den.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0161.jpg


The bay reservoir, the fill ports, and the tubing.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0162.jpg


The pump and coolant.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0163.jpg


Radiator.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0164.jpg


The Blocks.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0165.jpg


And heres what I got at the store:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0166.jpg


Clamps.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0167.jpg


Zip Ties, sorry for the bad pic.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0169.jpg

Dremel Cutting and Grinding wheels.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0170.jpg


Wires.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0171.jpg


A cheap soldering iron.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0172.jpg


And some srews, hope they work.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0173.jpg

I may put them in tonight to get the tubing cut, but I wont start anything till next week so I can get me switchs in.

[TheMovement4]

ANd just to top my day... The pump is 1/2, I knew this when I was buying it, but a DD rep said all you had to do was wet the tubing and the hole.. yeah... So now im going to go back and order some adapter or something, man.


----------------

I got my LCD today:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0184.jpg


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/water%20cooling/DSCN0183.jpg


But now im just stuck... I got a feel on what to hook up, I saw some videos, but they added some restors, or what ever, and Im not sure how to hook the, nor do I know how to read schematics. If someone hook please PM if they can help that be great! Ill post a pics on what I got so far if you do PM me.

[TheMovement4]

^

[GT40_GearHead]

http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/cspplcds.asp


there must be more on this stuff but i cant find any more right now, but that^ should keep you busy

[TheMovement4]

The site didnt tell me anymore then what I already knew, but thanks for help.

Heres the schematic that came on the cd:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/Ethanstopshere/parallel.jpg

My friend and I belive it isnt the right one, or they game me too many parts.

My friend said that the capacitor and the diode(thats what he said.. I have no idea) isnt on the schematic...

Im so confused.. Can someone help me out?

[GT40_GearHead]

one thing you can do right about now is to send some emails their way, see what they say about it, there is a chance that this mai be the wrong schematic

[Logic Zero]

Isnt that dremel cutting bit for wood?

Correct me if im wrong.

[TheMovement4]

I did, and they said that was right.. I tryed so many things today.. I got smoke coming out one time. I turn it off right after.. hope it didnt cause any problems.

And Logic, idk.. I ask the guy what I was going and he pointed them out. Ill look over the back and see.

[elbarto241]

smoke?! wow..LOL tat sucks. i wouldnt buy another LCD from them again in the future. GL with ur troubles

[TheMovement4]

Well I would have to say it was 100% my fault, so I cant really blame them. Well today I got my 3 switchs, ones for the red lights, ones for the blue lights, and the other I got cheap, and got it for the LCD. So I dont have to have a bright room when im trying to sleep. More updates sometime next week or something. Things came up that I need to get done first.

[TheMovement4]

Isnt that dremel cutting bit for wood?

Correct me if im wrong.

Yeah it was, wow thank you, saved me $20.

[TheMovement4]

Alright, I got started on it. I dont have pics, yet.. My friends cam didnt have power, but he said tonight would be good to start on it since he will be busy tomorrow. I got the fill ports in. I modded the reservoir, you will see what I did tomorrow. And thats about it for tonight. I had alittle slip on on the drain port.. the bit came apart during dilling and scraped the case a bit, but its on the bottom out of sight so im not going to worry about it. Hopfuly filling the system tomorrow!