Project: Complete Newb

[powdaman]

Well i have now recieved the Pump/Res and the coolant. This is a placeholder for my first attempt at watercooling. This kit is as follows (photo's will be provided also):

ASUS A8N-SLI Delux
AMD64 3500+
Graphics cards (tbc) - Sent back due to faults so waiting for replacment (NVIDIA SLI)
3GB DDR Dual Channel RAM (pc3200 running t2 as am using both channels)
3 SATA Hard Disks (which get quite hot in the case
Coolermaster Wave Master - Silver (CA-037-CM)
Creative X-FI ExtremeMusic

WATERCOOLING KIT:
TDX A64 Block (1/2")
2x Maze4 Low profile (1/2")
Laing DDC pump with Plexi RES top (1/2")
Black Ice GT240 (1/2")
Nylon Hose Clamps (x12)
9ft Danger Den Hose
2x Akasa Amber 12mm Fans

The loop is as follows: PUMP/RES,GPU's,CPU,RAD.

The loop has been measured and constructed without installing the blocks on the components for Leak testing prior to fitting. Not sure if this is the best way of doing it but hey!! we shall see.

Once I have received the graphics cards and after leak testing I shall put the stuff together but before hand I will take some photo's of the loop plus any other handy stuff before I start.

PLACEHOLDER FOR REST OF PROCESS!!
UPDATE: nooo it looks like the barbs that came with the DDC pump and res top are the wrong size!!! Using 1/2" and recieved the smaller size barbs!! disaster will keep you all informed!

EDIT: added photo of above plus another downer is that it looks like the Radiator doesnt fit in the case (see second photo). I am thinking that my wavemaster is actually a replica and is slightly smaller than the real wavemaster + i have a monster PSU 550W with coax like cable connectors! Looking at new cases as we speak!

[powdaman]

Ordered a new case due to problems with the FAKE wavemaster case i had. Should be here shortly (next couple of days). New case is Thermaltake Armour!

Watch this space!

[sunnyg]

the loop should go pump/res --> rad-->cpu-->gpu-->pump

[RevolutioN]

Either that or:

Pump-CPU-GPU-Rad-Res-Pump

[coolmiester]

UPDATE: nooo it looks like the barbs that came with the DDC pump and res top are the wrong size!!! Using 1/2" and recieved the smaller size barbs!! disaster will keep you all informed!


Can you measure the barb hose tail in millimetres like (http://www.coolercases.co.uk/images/barb_sizes/od_hose_tail.jpg) this mate

[powdaman]

Coolman. It has to be smaller as the pipe falls off on its own. its extremely loose and I am sure that is not how it should be. Anyhow I shall endevour to measure as desribed when I get home tonight m8!

My thoughts as to the loops is as follows:

if the radiator is at the end of the loop. It is going to be in effect for cooling straight after the blocks have heated the coolant up. and the cooler liquid will the go through the pump/Res. If this is not recommended I will change the loop.


Update: The case has arrived. The only things outstanding now are the Graphics cards which I am still waiting for, and the correct size barbs. Once these have arrived I shall be off and running (potentially the weekend if i am lucky).

[DaveMac]

Loop sequence makes very little difference to temps

Res before pump is the only thing to consider as the pump may cavitate if insufficient water is supplied to it, but as your res is built in it won't apply.

Route the tubing to what is easiest and avoid sharp bends / kinks and excessive lengths if possible.

[powdaman]

Coolman here are the pictures of the Barbs that are to small for the 1/2" pipe.

[coolmiester]

The 2 on the outside are the new Danger Den G1/4 to 1/2" Hi-Flow Barbs and the 2 centre are Alphacool G1/4 to 1/2" Barbs.

You are using hose clamps with them???

[powdaman]

put it this way even with a hose clamp i cant see it securing the pipe enough as they are considerably smaller.. Will try if you like but am extremely worried about leakage as they just fall off the pipe?

My thoughts were that if i put a hose clamp on this as its a lot smaller it will kink the pipe. Plus the ones that are built into the Maze 4's and the AMD block are extremely tight fits which is what i expected. Why are different ones used?

[Rig]

Fall off, that doesnt sound good

[coolmiester]

put it this way even with a hose clamp i cant see it securing the pipe enough as they are considerably smaller.. Will try if you like but am extremely worried about leakage as they just fall off the pipe?

My thoughts were that if i put a hose clamp on this as its a lot smaller it will kink the pipe. Plus the ones that are built into the Maze 4's and the AMD block are extremely tight fits which is what i expected. Why are different ones used?

Basically different companies use different barb types and those were the ones you ordered.

By all means return them and i'll swap them for Perfect Seal if you would prefer.

[powdaman]

2 of these barbs came with the radiator (ordering 1/2" rad version). The other 2 I bought as 1/2". If you say they will work then we can use this project to test the barbs as I dont want to create an issue if there actually isnt one. Would you like me to do that?

[coolmiester]

The 2 which came with the rad are the latest G1/4 from Danger Den which was the first i knew about them so don't even have stock of those myself yet.

The Alphacool ones are safe to use providing you clamp them up tight but if your more comfortable using say Perfect Seal (same as your Maze4) i can swap them over no problem.......its up to you;)

[powdaman]

I think i would like to try with this and report back on here. Just to avoid people reading this thread and thinking their are issues with certain barbs! I dont want to be responsible for putting people off of buying things and your help throughout the sales process along with the forums has been fantastic.

Hopefully when my graphics card/s arrive I can get this project underway and post a success!!

[Brodel]

I'm in the same boat as you, first time watercooling etc. My barbs and hose just arrived today and I can see what you mean. They aren't anywhere near as tight as the perfect seal barbs but I think with the clamp on they should be ok. At least with two 'noobs' starting around the same time we can share our worries lol.

[coolmiester]

Its been said unofficially that you can run Perfect Seal without hose clamps at all but i don't think i'd care for that especially running something powerful like a Laing D5.

Hose also differ in size - Danger Den Cleerflex being 13mm ID where as Tygon is 12mm ID and is much more sticky so tends to grip to the barb better (sometimes to good)

Providing you clamp well and leak test away from electrical bits the worst case scenario would be a damp carpet and all you would need to do is click the clamp up another notch.

[powdaman]

hehe.. and by some more coolant!!

[Teebor]

From that picture they all look to me like 1/2 inch barbs.

Having only just got into water cooling (only about a year ago) I can understand the worries you are having.

Once you clamp everything properly everything will be ok, some barbs that even look the same in my setup are loose while others are very tight.

Have fun and watercool responsibly :D (run it for 24 hours without it being attached to a computer)

[Rig]

I run the power from another computer to test the system for leaks even though i use non-conductive water, better to be safe than sorry.

Can wait to see the project, never heard of such problems with barbs before though.

[powdaman]

Update:

Right i thought i would do a proof of concept before the Graphics cards arrive and ensure no leaks etc plus see where i would put stuff and i have come up with my first dilema!! (you may laugh)...

How can i securely fasten the fans onto the Radiator firstly as the screws that come with it dont seem long enough???

Secondly any ideas of a good way of securing the Radiator onto the case?

Lastly I am not sure if the place I intend to put the radiator is any good (please see pictures attached).

The pictures detail where i intend to put stuff and so I would like some people to get back to me on their thoughts (hehe setting myself up i know)...

For some reason the system wont let me add pictures??? I have resized and ensured they are lower than the limit but it just errors???

[powdaman]

Well i have been tryin for ages to upload some piccy's but its still not working.. I have no idea why???

Another question: once i have installed the W/C stuff.. How to i fill it with liquid? the pump is on the bottom of the case with the res on top of it? Water is not going to flow up??? Do i do it with the pump on???

[DaveMac]

I use Imageshack for pics, upload then paste the direct link inside link temporarily quote this post and you'll see the info for the photo at the bottom.

To fill the loop you'll need to fill the res as much as possible, cap it, lift and rotate the case to move the water around the loop by gravity, refill & repeat.

Once you have a decent quant of water in the loop refill the res, cap it and flick the power to the pump on and off water the water level in the res, ensuring that air is not being drawn in to the pump, refill and repeat till full.

Do not run the pump dry as you will damage it.

Keep an eye on water levels for the first couple of days initially and top up as required.
Use Pauls trick of freezing the filler cap full to fill the res completely once all the air is bled out.


To power the pump on its own remove the PSU connectors from the PC and hotwire the ATX connector as below then use the PSU switch to power.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8093/psubridge3lm.jpg

[powdaman]

Piccy's... at last! So can anyone comment on my chosen place for the Rad please?

[powdaman]

Graphics cards still havent arrived but at least its given me a chance to have a good think about what I intend to do instead of rushing to get it all installed!!!

I think the hardest things I am trying to confront are as follows:

- The position of the radiator;I think that if i install it to the front of the case (as per piccy's above), then i will be pulling cold air through the rad but the rad itself will heat the air up and so i will be introducing warm air to the rest of the components. Is this advisable? Also where else could i fit the radiator? It would be fab is someone on the heavy end of this website created a guide for installing rads in various locations.
-Getting the fans on the rad;For some reason the screws that came with the fan arent long enough to fix them to the rad? Am trying to work around this.
-Filling the system once its installed;I dont like the idea of having to fill it bit by bit and physically turn the case round and let gravity move the water. Surely this will create lots of air pockets? Are there other ways to fill the loop? (baring in mind that my res/pump is located at the bottom of the case).

[ghost]

powderman for fitting the fans i used hex bolts 10 or 6mm M3 or M4 whichever your rad takes, do a google for M3 or M4 hex bolts and you will usually find someone selling packs on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STAINLESS-STEEL-ASSORTED-M3-NUTS-BOLTS-AND-WASHERS_W0QQitemZ140005104743QQihZ004QQcategoryZ99 46QQcmdZViewItem

hope this link is not against forum rules :rolleyes: :)

[UnreaL]

why do you have the rad that way around? most are designed to have barbs at the bottom, also it should be easier to route pump -> rad -> blocks -> t-line, reservoir -> back to pump.

[Conan257]

I had the rad in the same place on my armour. Although I cut out the drive bay so that the rad could be hidden in the bays themselves rather than being seen.

[powdaman]

I could turn the rad round i guess. My concerns were about pulling warm air into the case through the rad? This not really a problem?
Thanks for hte advise so far guys! (fingers crossed the graphics card should arrive today).

[powdaman]

OMG... they only sent completely the wrong card!! and now overclockers are saying i have to speak directly with MSI in order to get it sorted although originally they told me I couldnt???

I sent faulty 6800GT Sli card (Dual DVI). They returned a 6800GT without SLI support (single DVI/VGA).

Now i have to start all over again!

[powdaman]

Complete change of plan! YAYYY

overclockers have admitted the mistake and are upgrading me to the following:

http://www.evga.com/articles/304.asp

HMM i am thinking now that i will only run one card and stick watercooling on this baby instead. With the MAZE 4 low pro's work fine on this card?

[Rig]

Would that be overclockers.co.uk

I know a guy who had problems with RMA with them too, he sent an x850xt off as it was artifacting under the stock cooler after only one month, he is still waiting for it back, its been over 2 months!!

seems they are ok to get hardware from, just make sure you dont have to RMA it, otherwise your screwed.

[powdaman]

but.. this card is directly supported by the manufacterer who offer a 10 year or lifetime warranty as per their website. Also offers a 90 day upgrade to a better card should one become available in that time for the cost of the difference!!

[powdaman]

Graphics cards has arrived. It is the 7900 GT KO card by eVGA. With Core clock at 580MHz and Memory Clock at 1580Mhz. Will get on with watercooling solution when i get home!!! I do hope the Maze 4 blocks are supported!!

[powdaman]

Right i have now made the decision that until i decide which ram sinks to purchase for the new card I am only going to use watercooling for hte CPU... Here is a piccy or 2

[powdaman]

how i get rid of air bubbles???
there is one big one right at the top (obviously gravity working at its best here)....

[Lemmingzappa]

tilt the case about

[Conan257]

Make your res the highest point in the case and take the lid off the res. Then turn the pump on... the air "should" be pushed into the res then sit there.

[coolmiester]

Its a forum myth that you need the res at the highest point in the system - a res will work top or bottom due to the water being forced around the loop by the pump and will eventually get caught in the res. You might need to tip the case side to side and front to back to dislodge air trapped in the radiator though.

[powdaman]

Well my first project is complete. I have only water cooled the cpu but managed to get it right first time (no leaks!). a triple holder for the Hard drives came with this case that used the 5 1/4 bays at the front. I drilled out the pot rivets for the bottom 2 bays and used the top bay for one of my hard drives so that I could still have the fan attached inside the front of hte case. I then but the double res just below this so in effect I have 3 fans inside the front of hte case all pulling air into the case. The barbs that looked a little to small are fine as long as you can get the pipe clamps on tight enough (i used a pare of pliers to squeeze them a notch or 2 tighter). I have a little air in the top pipe but it doesnt seem to be doing any damage as the processor now overclocked 5% currently runs around 31 degrees.

My next stage (when i have ordered and received the ram heat sinks) will be to add a maze 4 block to the graphics card. It is currently running fine with the oem fans but i find one game in particular makes the GPU run a lot harder than others and so i monitored it rising to about 75 degrees. I am hoping that adding the maze block will keep this considerably cooler and so extend the life of the g/card a fair bit!!

Will keep everyone posted!!

One question: What the hell do ya do with all the fan power connectors? there a loads and they are really messy???

[sunnyg]

putting a res at the bottom is a nightmare. i was scared that a leak in the res at the top would cause water to trickle over all my drives. turns out putting the res at the bottom is a silly idea because any air will go to my pump which is bad. the res is best (in my opinion) at the top cus any air will stay there.

[powdaman]

Have now purchased the RAM sinks for the RAM on the G/C. So the next step is to watercool it - add it to the loop. Any idea's on an easy-ish way to drain the system?

[Conan257]

Pull the plug.

[powdaman]

OK so i drained the system by stabbing the lowest pipe (which was coming out anyway) with a v.sharp knife. This created a hole but because the way the pipe was bent it sealed straight away. I then but a jar underneath the pipe and squeezed it until completely empty. managed to do this without spilling a drop!!

2nd stage was to remove the pipe at the bottom (which was cut). and replace with the two pipes that would attach to the graphics card. I actually attached the pipes facing the right way on the graphics card first, then fitted the card, then attached the two pipes to the pump and cpu.

3rd stage was to cut the top pipe (see pics from previous replys as to what pipe this was), then i used a hoselock y-piece to reattache them and installed another pip going to the top of hte case with a fillport attached to it!

I then filled up the system using this new fillport. Ran it for a while and kept topping it up as the bubbles worked there way to the top of the loop. I now have absolutely no bubbles in the loop and everything seems to be working fine!

The loop is a follows:

PUMP/RES - GPU - CPU - Y/Fillport - RES

Photo's will follow!

[Axiom]

Sounds Good can;t wait to see the photos keep up the good work

Axiom

[powdaman]

OK.. sorry to completely forget about this.. will take some photo's of the system and post em on the forum.. its been running for a while now without any issues whatsoever.. its great!!