Watercooling questions

[diluzio91]

So, now, as i have been having far, far too much time to think about my summer project, im starting to lean towards watercooling it. Now, i have never done any watercooling, and know nothing about it, so im coming to the experts. I read all the how to guides online, but i want some answers that are kind of opinion based. I need to know, who makes a good pump that will last, but is inexpensive, same for water blocks (for am3 cpu, 5770 gpu), rads (the idea i have in my head is to use 2 seprate rads that are 120 mm each, so 1 on top one on bottom mounted in the 5.25 bays, and one on the bottom by the 120 mm fan, if i do that do i need 2 pumps? i want to have 1 res, that i will be custom making so it fits under the top panel of my case, how do i stop the rez from leaking, just silicone caulk? do i have to shut down every night? here is a pic of what im thinking of,

Blue Rect = res
Red Circles = heat sinks, gpu and cpu
Green rect = pump
Black rect = rad (there will be a dvd drive between the 2 rads)
red line is hot, blue is cool


[IMG]

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thanks a billion tbcs!

[Starlite KNight]

You don't need 2 pumps for 2 rads but you can set two up in series with one of the many double pump tops available on the market. You can have them set up in series. What case do you have? You might be able to mod the case and have the rads up on top or on the sides. I plan on having mine externally mounted, one computer behind utilizing the fan mount on the back of the case and another computer top mounted.

Liang makes the pumps that are rebranded as Swiftech, Danger Den, whatever. Liang D5=MCP655, D4=MCP650, etc. Other popular pumps used are Iwaki and Eheim.

For res: http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/f...ead.php?t=1026, http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=418723 and Cyberdruid uses TAP Acrylic Cement.

Res>pump so pump doesn't run dry, then you can string together everything in one loop. Rads can go after all the blocks or after CPU and then again after GPU but that would add more tubing. The temperature in the loop won't be more than a couple degrees anywhere so you have the rads after one another with their barbs on the bottom of the top one and the top of the bottom one if you plan on utilizing them that way.

[mDust]

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert.

if i do that do i need 2 pumps?

If you run the cooling system in parallel like you've drawn you will need two pumps. Or, with a Y-connector before and another after the pump, you could use one strong pump...however I don't recommend that. In fact, unless you've designed it in parallel for aesthetic reasons, make a series loop: res>cpu>gpu>pump>rad1>rad2>res. The gpu in a series loop should come after the cpu because the gpu is more tolerant to heat than a cpu.

just silicone caulk?

No, but silicone rated for indefinite water submersion will work. What is the res to be made of? If it's acrylic, weldon #3 or #4 will make a very strong, water tight seam. And test the entire loop before putting it into the computer...a single drop of water can be enough to destroy hundreds of dollars of hardware. I have a pile of graphics cards that can attest to that. And on a similar note, compression fittings are win...try to avoid barbs.

do i have to shut down every night?

No.

I can't really recommend hardware as I've not used enough to make any useful comparisons.

[diluzio91]

So you think this setup would work better?

the reason i looked into parallel lines is because i thought it would run cooler because i plan on having the res being pretty large, and i thought that gravity would do most of the work in carrying the flow. The double rad is just because i think it will look nice the way im going to use it, the case is a coolermaster 690, so in my mind it looks something like this

the res will be acryllic, and it will be dropped into the a hole in the top so you can see the bottom hanging down. it will be frosted, like everything else in the case ( there will be a plate over the bottom where the PSU is so you cant see it... i think the end result will be pretty stunning... i have also been toying with making my own blocks for the computer.

[Starlite KNight]

Having a parallel loop wouldn't necessarily be cooler. The temps will even out through the loop with the water from the hotter loop transferring to the cooler loop. You also wouldn't have equal flow.

Easy frosting tip. You can try res>pump if you have room in the drive bays to put the pump but the way you have it drawn out now looks better than the first attempt. Alternatively, you can have a rad rear mounted where the current fan is.

[diluzio91]

thinking of these parts

pump
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/94...tl=g30c107s154

rads
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/40...?tl=g30c95s159

fittings
either

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10...l=g30c409s1032

or

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/82...l=g30c409s1032

ooor if my budget does not want to cooperate

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/93...l=g30c409s1032

[diluzio91]

Having a parallel loop wouldn't necessarily be cooler. The temps will even out through the loop with the water from the hotter loop transferring to the cooler loop. You also wouldn't have equal flow.

Easy frosting tip. You can try res>pump if you have room in the drive bays to put the pump but the way you have it drawn out now looks better than the first attempt. Alternatively, you can have a rad rear mounted where the current fan is.

the rear panel will be used for some........ hidden lighting....

[Starlite KNight]

Everything looks good to me. Get the fittings that aren't out of stock.

[diluzio91]

Everything looks good to me. Get the fittings that aren't out of stock.

lol... when budget allows this i hope they will be in stock... but i will probably go with one of the black fittings, just because it should look nicer... im thinking ahead of my budget at the moment... Looking at some of the blocks for AM2/3 on egg i might have to go with a premade... for sanity's sake

[Starlite KNight]

Don't forget fans for those rads, tubing and coolant.