Some Water Cooling Questions

[CoolMaster]

got some questions?

What are the best size tubing?I wanna use the most durable so 1/2? is that good

 

are plastic or brass fittings best?

 

Do I neccesarily need clamps with my fittings, or is it just precationary,

 

I wanna def do dangerden, it looks the best, Like do they make all their products or just like resell them?

 

Whats a good radiator that can fit a 120 mm fan?

 

whats the best cpu block for an intel p4 socket 478

 

overall are water cooling systems reliable?

 

what exactly is a fillport? is it needed?

 

Is it really really hard to set a watercooling system up? should i expect leaks, if i do it slowly and right/ even though it's my first time?

 

if I use 1/2 inch tubing or whatever? Should I use clamps wtih the fittings? If so, do I need to put anything else on it, or should It be fine?

 

Whats the best pump, that like goes into your wall? i guess thats AC, im dumb with electric stuff lol, So whichever the one that goes into your wall plus lol

 

overall since this ismy first time, would U say I should be okay, as long as I test everything and do it slowly, Im guessing watercooling kits are pretty reliable since ALL yall have them,

 

final question, does the tubing corrode easy, since it's plastic I'd figure not?

or is the corroding they talk about with the water blocks?

 

SORRY for so many questions, THX!

 

EDIT: oh yea what liquid stuff do yall usually use? I dont exactly wanna spend 20 bucks buying that premixed stuff? or should I?

and is it ok, to like put dye/food coloring in the water to make it look cool? or no?

Edited April 13, 2005 by CoolMaster

[markiemrboo]

got some questions?

What are the best size tubing?I wanna use the most durable so 1/2? is that good

 

are plastic or brass fittings best?

 

Do I neccesarily need clamps with my fittings, or is it just precationary,

 

I wanna def do dangerden, it looks the best, Like do they make all their products or just like resell them?

 

Whats a good radiator that can fit a 120 mm fan?

 

whats the best cpu block for an intel p4 socket 478

 

overall are water cooling systems reliable?

 

what exactly is a fillport? is it needed?

 

Is it really really hard to set a watercooling system up? should i expect leaks, if i do it slowly and right/ even though it's my first time?

 

if I use 1/2 inch tubing or whatever? Should I use clamps wtih the fittings? If so, do I need to put anything else on it, or should It be fine?

 

Whats the best pump, that like goes into your wall? i guess thats AC, im dumb with electric stuff lol, So whichever the one that goes into your wall plus lol

 

overall since this ismy first time, would U say I should be okay, as long as I test everything and do it slowly, Im guessing watercooling kits are pretty reliable since ALL yall have them,

 

final question, does the tubing corrode easy, since it's plastic I'd figure not?

or is the corroding they talk about with the water blocks?

 

SORRY for so many questions, THX!  

 

EDIT: oh yea what liquid stuff do yall usually use? I dont exactly wanna spend 20 bucks buying that premixed stuff? or should I?

and is it ok, to like put dye/food coloring in the water to make it look cool? or no?

461682[/snapback]

 

Tubing, 1/2" is good.

 

Definately brass fittings, I cracked the plastic fittings on an old pump when tightening the clamps down .. and it started leaking everywhere.

 

Clamps are a must. Water cooling without clamps is asking for trouble and pretty dang stupid. Do you want to risk a leak?

 

DD make their own blocks and stuff as far as I am aware, I think they resell the radiators though. What does it matter anyways? But yeah, DD are way up there in the goodness factor.

 

I had a Black Ice Xtreme. Hate those now and they're overpriced for what they are. After a screw scraped at one of the tubes and started leaking (poor quality construction? ) I got a Dual HeaterCore... and I loved that thing. If you don't have room for the Dual HeaterCore, just go with the Single. In short: I recommend the HeaterCores over the Black Ice Xtreme.

 

Best block, no idea. Been out of the scene way too long

 

Water cooling, well, I guess so. Depends on the equiptment I suppose. But be aware that a lot of stuff has a possibility to develop a leak and the pump may fail. That's pretty much what you have to worry about I think. In my ~1 year of water cooling experience I had a leak from the cheapy crappy aquarium pump (the barb cracked like I mentioned earlier) and an accidental leak from a not quite tightened clamp on the CPU block (whoopsie).

 

Fill port is a place to put water in to the loop. This could be a small hole with a plug on the reservoir, a small plug on the radiator or the T line opening. I tried reservoir and T line and ... the reservoir approach is SO much easier at the cost of a little extra space needed. But then, some people find working with T lines and getting the air out of the system really easy. Reservoir get's all the air bubbles out of the loop in less than 10 seconds...

 

Not really. Mine never leaked when I first put it together. Use clamps and you'll probably be alright (so long as they are done up reasonably tight). If you're extra paranoid seal around all the barbs afterwards.

 

Repeated question. YES, use CLAMPS on EVERY fitting.

 

Hydor pumps are fairly good, but the Ehiem ones are supposed to be the best.

 

Another repeated question.

 

Tubing doesn't really corrode, it might stain from UV dyes and stuff though. I would recomment DD Clearflex 60 or Tygon tubing though. I used plain old DIY store PVC tubing and some Clearflex... the Clearflex bends so much easier!

 

I used Deionised water from the garage/petrol station 5 minutes down the road with a mix of antifreeze from the garage. Food colouring isn't really recommended as it can clog stuff up. I put some food colouring in mine before and it has good colour results though!! UV dye just might stain your tubing (might also be electrically conductive, so if you get that special non conductive liquid I wouldn't recommend polluting it with UV dye, kinda defeats the whole purpose!!!)

[CoolMaster]

Ah cool Cool, Like what kinda clamps do i use?

and plastic fittings=bad idea correct? even DD one's? they look pretty durable? So how many clamps will I need, one for each fitting I guess?

 

EDIT: and hey that heater core radiator looks good? anyone else have good experience with them?

 

and do they usually come with clamps? if so how many do I have?

 

and the brass fitting only really comes in 1 shape? just straight

 

and can U do this, Have a pump JUST running to a waterblock and back? or is it more complicated than that?

 

I want a resivoir btw, like to get the thing running and stuff? how exactly do i get everything flowing good? like where do i put the water at, to start off? or is their a hole to put the water at? I just dont see how u get everything started I mean u obvously have to put water in it? but where? if the connections are all closed and stuff?

I figure u'd put it in the pump? but do the pumps even have holes for that?

 

 

EDIT: and do you really need teflon tape? if so whats it for? if it's just for putting around the fittings then is it really that neccesary if I have clamps

 

 

and if it's possible for me to just have tubes going to my processor and back, the only place I really really have to worry about leaking is the barbs around my cpu right?

and those seem pretty study so i wouldnt figure so?

wait, their metal anyways? How do you clamp around the water block? or does it come with clamps itself? or something that somehow specially work with the waterblock, cause since their metal, u cant really clamp on it?

Edited April 13, 2005 by CoolMaster

[markiemrboo]

Ah cool Cool, Like what kinda clamps do i use?

and plastic fittings=bad idea correct? even DD one's? they look pretty durable? So how many clamps will I need, one for each fitting I guess?

 

EDIT: and hey that heater core radiator looks good? anyone else have good experience with them?

 

and do they usually come with clamps? if so how many do I have?

 

and the brass fitting only really comes in 1 shape? just straight

 

and can U do this, Have a pump JUST running to a waterblock and back? or is it more complicated than that?

 

I want a resivoir btw, like to get the thing running and stuff? how exactly do i get everything flowing good? like where do i put the water at, to start off? or is their a hole to put the water at? I just dont see how u get everything started I mean u obvously have to put water in it? but where? if the connections are all closed and stuff?

I figure u'd put it in the pump? but do the pumps even have holes for that?

EDIT: and do you really need teflon tape? if so whats it for? if it's just for putting around the fittings then is it really that neccesary if I have clamps

and if it's possible for me to just have tubes going to my processor and back, the only place I really really have to worry about leaking is the barbs around my cpu right?

and those seem pretty study so i wouldnt figure so?

wait, their metal anyways? How do you clamp around the water block? or does it come with clamps itself? or something that somehow specially work with the waterblock, cause since their metal, u cant really clamp on it?

461796[/snapback]

 

 

Well, plastic fittings work... but I much much much prefer brass because with the metal 'wormdrive' clamps I was using it's possible to crack plastic fittings by overtightening. But yes, one clamp for each fitting/barb.

 

I am not sure if the kits you buy come with clamps. I imagine they come with the zip tie style clamps at the very least!

 

I think you'll find most people will recommend the heatercores, they (apparently) cool slightly better and cost much less. Go for it

 

No idea about the shape. Straight barbs are generally preferred. 90 degree right angle ones restrict flow

 

You can do that, but don't expect it to cool well AT ALL without the radiator there. When my BIX (Black Ice Xtreme) sprung it's leak I had to do that, had to seriously underclock my CPU to keep the temps under 50C though as the pump was just adding heat to the water. You'll need a radiator. Reservoir is, however, optional and you can make do with a T line fitting (although in my experience they're MUCH harder to work with and you'll have to wait forever for the air bubbles to get out of the loop)

 

Where do you put the water, this is the purpose of the 'fill port'. All reservoirs will have one of some description. The bayres I had, had a little black screw style plug on the top, open it up.. pour water in. The alternative is a T line (can't explain that one and I am too tired to draw a diagram right now, sorry )

 

lol, teflon tape is a sort of sealant. You can never be too cautious. It's not absolutely necessary, but it COULD save your hardware should one of the barbs start leaking, so why not spend that extra $1 and get some?

 

As for the clamps, I think you're a little confused. Basically, the 'wormdrive' clamps they're like a circle of metal that you slip over the tubing, then you put the tubing on the barbs and this clamp has a little screw driver thing, tighten it up and you're done!

 

(You can't just have it 'going to the CPU and back', you'll need it going to the pump inlet and outlet, reservoir inlet and outlet and radiator inlet and outlet.. you'll need atleast 8 clamps I think)

[CoolMaster]

Ok so you'll need one clamp for each side or the fittings?

 

plastic fittings then pretty much x them out? lol

 

and those wormhole clamps? i didnt see them on the website? OR are tey already on the brass fittings?

 

And I meant by going to the cpu and back I mean, Pump to radiator to cpu then from cpu to resivoir back to pump?

 

will that work? or no, and should the resivoir be on the way to the cpu or the way back.....or does it not really matter?

 

Im def getting a resoivoir, since it practically bleeds itself?

 

and do you fill up the resivoir all the way? when ur like running a watercooling system? or just like halfway or what?

 

 

EDIT: and with the clamps I was talking about how do you secure the tubing on the waterblock? or does it have the wormhole thing, since Im guessing the inlets to the waterblocks are brass?

 

cause I looked ON DD website, didnt see any wormhole clamps

 

sorry im such a newb at this, i wanna get everything worked out real good :-D before I do it

Edited April 13, 2005 by CoolMaster

[markiemrboo]

See attached dodgy paint diagram

 

Black arrows would be how you might idealy want the flow of water going, although it really doesn't make much difference (or it didn't for me anyway!). The rest is pretty self explanatory I think!

 

As for the clamps, I don't know what you US people call them. Over here in the UK we actually call them Jubilee clips. ( http://www.toolbank.com/category.cfm?code=...&tk=04000&rid=1 ) but I keep hearing people refer to them as worm drive clamps or something.

 

Yes, reservoir bleeds all the air out dang quick. I would say go with the reservoir, it'll make it all so much more pleasant! I always filled my reservoir up as much as I could, but then I had a bayres.. and they're really quite nasty! If it wasn't filled right up it would suck air down the tubes every so often (that's not a good thing)

 

The whole clamping thing is straight forward once you have it all there. It's just common sense.

 

 

 

EDIT: lol, yeah, I had to draw the diagram in the end. I am in desperate need of things to do to keep me awake!

[CoolMaster]

Oh i see I see

so my "plan" would work after all, your diagram is basically what i meant.

 

so resivoir is after the block, in all how many feet of tubing should I use? and whats better, having too much?> or not hasving enough.

 

I wish Dangerden had more than those "plastic clamps"

 

anyone know if those plastic clamps even help at all? thx

 

oh yea everything is gonna be outside the system btw well obviously except for the cpu block LOL

guess Ill have to cut some holes in my plexiglass........oh well ahaha

 

I cant wait to get started.....well once my ebay thing sells, and if it doesnt a fellow OCC member wants to buy my guitar....wish i would've let him before I put it up on ebay.

so i'd like to thank mikey, for wanting to purchase it (thx dude)

hopefully ebay doesnt sell it so u can buy it

 

EDIT: do all resivoirs come with fillup points? I hope so lol

and btw if air gets in your tubing, does thta like screw everything up....or just like slow it down until all the air gets like ...left out lol

Edited April 13, 2005 by CoolMaster

[markiemrboo]

lol it's obviously better to have more tubing than you need You can cut it to size easily and if you get it wrong, well, you've still got some spare to correct your errors!

 

You should be able to find Jubilee clips at some hardware/diy type stores. "Home Depot" or something maybe?... they're pretty cheap over here!

 

All my stuff was outside my computer too More reassurance as it decreases the chances of something leaking inside your computer.

 

I still have the quick release fittings I was using, which you'd probly be interested in as it goes... but youre in the US, right? So.. the shipping cost of them would probably kill you Shame, cause I really need to get rid of those things too!

 

 

They're the two plug type things you can just about see at the back of my computer. Press a button and they detach and the valves close so no water leaks out. Quite cool

[CoolMaster]

ahahh coolness,

 

so U think those plastic clamps from Dangerden would work well? or no

and do you put clips on the tubing that goes to the waterblock aswell?

[markiemrboo]

I guess they'll be alright, just make sure you tighten them as much as possible

 

If you look at that picture actually, you can pretty much see how those jubilee clips work (and yes, the clamps are on ALL the barbs, including the water block, see the picture )

[CoolMaster]

alright thx alot dude :-D