Hey there,
I am thinking about going - first time - custom loop soon.
But I have a few (more or less) general question before I go into specifics.
I know you´d prefer if I tell you specifically what I will be cooling but the truth is I don´t know how much of my rig I will be changing until I go water cooling. But here is what I do know:
Also, I am thinking of sticking to one of those XSPC kits. If I am going to order a set and add some other stuff or if I am just going to get some parts of a kit and get some other stuff, I just don´t know yet.
As I said, I still have a few questions. In no particular order:
( Since I am still a n00b when it comes to custom loops, I am sorry if I use the wrong names.)
1) I read that a lot of people recommend using colored tubing with clear liquid over using clear tubing with colored liquid because you never know what they really put into the colored liquids. What´s your take on this?
2) When you order just a radiator, does it usually come with connectors (I think the right word is "barbs", right?) included?
3) I have seen a lot of videos on how to drain your loop and it usually goes like this: Place a bowel under a part of your loop, open the loop over said bowel, pray nothing spills, blow into the tubing to get all the liquid out.
To me - as a n00b to this stuff - this seems a bit ...I don´t know..."primitive" (in lack of a better word). Isn´t there another way, like adding an outlet valve to your loop or something?
4) As for the liquid used: I´ve read that you usually want to use destilled water, add a few drops of anti-corision liquid (is that the right word?) to it and also some other stuff if you are using different metals in your loop. Is that right? Also, do those liquids that come with the ready-to-go sets like the ones from XSPC already include all this?
5) Assuming I would include my i7-4770k and two GTX 780s in the loop, would something like a UT60 360mm + XT45 240mm radiator combo be enough? I know, I would need to calculate the heat and dissipated heat by the rads to get an answer to this. But - as you might know - if you have never set up a custom loop yourself, you just lack the insight or "feeling" for that kind of stuff.
6) Assuming the same configuration from 5) would a D5 pump be strong enough to handle it? If so, would there still be some headroom?
7) I am thinking of switching over to an Corsair 540 Air (mostly because I really really like the looks) which has 2 vertically 5.25" drive bay. If I also were to get one of the XSPC sets that has this pump + 5.25" reservoir combo, how much harder would the installation process be due to the vertically mounting issue?
8) Really stupid question this time. If I were to get one of those reservoir tubes, how are those things usually being mounted? I have seen a lot rigs in which such a reservoir is mounted right above the expansion card slots which I personally would not like at all. But I do understand how those reservoirs can be mounted there.
But what about when you mount it between your motherboard and the front of your case (like most people do I believe)? How is it being mounted then? Do you have to drill matching holes into your motherboard tray or can you use existing ones? Something completely different?
Sorry for the long text. Wasn´t planning on writing nearly that much at all.
Anyway, thanks in advance for your help.
I am thinking about going - first time - custom loop soon.
But I have a few (more or less) general question before I go into specifics.
I know you´d prefer if I tell you specifically what I will be cooling but the truth is I don´t know how much of my rig I will be changing until I go water cooling. But here is what I do know:
I am definately going to cool my i7-4770k
Maybe going to cool a GTX 780, maybe two GTX 780, maybe a 780 Ti, maybe a R9-290x
Maybe going to include the motherboard into the loop (depending on what motherboard I will have by then
Also, I am thinking of sticking to one of those XSPC kits. If I am going to order a set and add some other stuff or if I am just going to get some parts of a kit and get some other stuff, I just don´t know yet.
As I said, I still have a few questions. In no particular order:
( Since I am still a n00b when it comes to custom loops, I am sorry if I use the wrong names.)
1) I read that a lot of people recommend using colored tubing with clear liquid over using clear tubing with colored liquid because you never know what they really put into the colored liquids. What´s your take on this?
2) When you order just a radiator, does it usually come with connectors (I think the right word is "barbs", right?) included?
3) I have seen a lot of videos on how to drain your loop and it usually goes like this: Place a bowel under a part of your loop, open the loop over said bowel, pray nothing spills, blow into the tubing to get all the liquid out.
To me - as a n00b to this stuff - this seems a bit ...I don´t know..."primitive" (in lack of a better word). Isn´t there another way, like adding an outlet valve to your loop or something?
4) As for the liquid used: I´ve read that you usually want to use destilled water, add a few drops of anti-corision liquid (is that the right word?) to it and also some other stuff if you are using different metals in your loop. Is that right? Also, do those liquids that come with the ready-to-go sets like the ones from XSPC already include all this?
5) Assuming I would include my i7-4770k and two GTX 780s in the loop, would something like a UT60 360mm + XT45 240mm radiator combo be enough? I know, I would need to calculate the heat and dissipated heat by the rads to get an answer to this. But - as you might know - if you have never set up a custom loop yourself, you just lack the insight or "feeling" for that kind of stuff.
6) Assuming the same configuration from 5) would a D5 pump be strong enough to handle it? If so, would there still be some headroom?
7) I am thinking of switching over to an Corsair 540 Air (mostly because I really really like the looks) which has 2 vertically 5.25" drive bay. If I also were to get one of the XSPC sets that has this pump + 5.25" reservoir combo, how much harder would the installation process be due to the vertically mounting issue?
8) Really stupid question this time. If I were to get one of those reservoir tubes, how are those things usually being mounted? I have seen a lot rigs in which such a reservoir is mounted right above the expansion card slots which I personally would not like at all. But I do understand how those reservoirs can be mounted there.
But what about when you mount it between your motherboard and the front of your case (like most people do I believe)? How is it being mounted then? Do you have to drill matching holes into your motherboard tray or can you use existing ones? Something completely different?
Sorry for the long text. Wasn´t planning on writing nearly that much at all.
Anyway, thanks in advance for your help.
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