Creating a video guide to setting up a LC system: need advice

•Inspect CPU waterblock first. make sure everything goes together well and that no packing material or debris is stuck somewhere in it. READ THE MANUAL that comes with the waterblock. Run some sink water through it. You might have to change the mounting bracket. make sure the screws and screw holes thread nicely for the bracket. The block usually only mounts one way on top of the chip, check that. The block usually has one inlet for just inlet.

Kitchen floor with no socks is just fine. Unless your known to static all the time, no need for anti static strap. I haven't used one in absolutely years. But I do ground myself to the case with the Mobo bag or the CPU package with my wrist like you said.

Sink water is just fine. Rinse with distilled.

•Remove stock heatsink. Scrape thermal gel off with a razor blade CAREFULLY. Dab a tissue or fiber-less cloth in alcohol (just a little, you don't want it to drip), and GENTLY clean off any excess thermal gel. Allow alcohol to dry thoroughly before proceeding (wait at least 30 minutes). Use qtips. scrape with qtips all the old thick paste. qtips dipped in alcohol, the normal stuff from the store, wipe off the old paste. use a paper towel to wipe and wipe till clean. Drys in seconds.

•Attach barbs to CPU waterblock. Hand tighten, and then give it another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Look at o-ring. You want the orings to compress properly. You also need to tighten the barbs so they won't untighten due to hose tourqe. so hand tightem till the oring starts to compress, then 1/2 turn more. Yes, I do use a wrench. On the GTZ for example, the barbs supplied on my Fatboy barbs were too thin. I took the ones off the supplied barbs and used them instead. But the orings on the fatboys were fine everywhere else

Don't even connect anything to the mobo except the watercooling. Install the mobo after the CPU block is on the mobo. You gotta leak test first, even leave the PSU out. No SATA, power, nuthin, memory sure, easiest when mobo is on table.

If there is a leak, better when nothing is hooked up.

Thanks for the clarification there. Now, stupid question, how will I know with what lengths to route my tubing unless I mount the mobo and all WC pieces in the case first? Or should I just estimate as best I can?

Define "bump the pump" for me. I think I understand how to fill the setup, just add coolant little by little, shut off pump when water runs out. But what do you mean by "bumping the pump?" Are you talking about using water-hammer to break up air bubble collections?

I noticed that you seem to prefer hose clamps (correct?), and I've also seen many guides recommend zip-strips. Any real advantage to the hose clamps (other than that they are more easily removable)? This is just the variety from the hardware store right?

Oh, and one more thing, I purchased some of this additive: http://www.petrastechshop.com/loliredcoad.html. I've read that you generally want to add 10-25% additive to prevent corrosion, and the higher you go, the better it protects (though it reduces the cooling capabilities somewhat). What's an ideal concentration to use?

Oh! and do I also need to get an anti-microbial solution, or will the additive I linked do the trick?

Yea, you mount the mobo and WC parts first. But don't connect any power plugs, SATA, fans etc. The mobo should be completely disconnected, you'll only be using ONE molex until your done with leak testing. If fact I got an old PSU I got, I just use it and lay it on the table.

Bump the pump is just that. You never ever want the pump to run dry. So as you fill, you'll be bumping the pump with the PSU power switch. Then pinching hoses, tapping the side of the rad, bumping will help get rid of the big bubbles. Fill and big bubbles takes an hour or so if your new. Getting rid of all the bubbles takes a day or two with the loop running and an occasional bump etc. You'll be running the loop overnight and checking it in the AM for leaks right?

Hose clamps are the best most secure way. If your an expert with zip ties and have some strong industiral ones, they work, but they aren't as secure as hose clamps.

Dump the additive. The red stuff is NOT a biocide. Distilled and Petras PT PHN Nuke is all you need. Pure water is able to pull more heat than anything avaible to the common non-NASA man. Your loop will not corrode etc, you don't need anything like this. The antifreeze you bought, if going sub zero in a Dry Ice chiller setup would be great, thats Quality Toyota Antifreeze.

You did see the link about what happens to a loop when it's not pure? In the guide.

Get colored tubing.

"Oh my Gawd!"


You've made your point!

I was just going off of what it said in this guide: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=282232:

A few things I forgot to include in my original build:

Fillport

Drain

Flowmeter (if recommended)

Water Temp Sensor (if recommended)

My reservoir (MCRES Rev. 2) has two optional holes for fillport and drain, and my HAF 932 has a 1" pre-cut hole on top for a fillport fitting (I can add a drain hole myself). I was considering using this DD Delrin Fillport and a ball valve (alphacool makes one) for the drain.

Any suggestions or tips? Is a flowmeter or thermal water sensor a necessary or recommended thing to get?

Yep, that would work great for fill/drain. You want the drian to be at the very bottom of the lowest hose though. And it still won't drain it all, but it helps. This is one place I recommend Koolance too for drain ports. they got some nice small ball valves etc. I think performance PC's has a lot of it.

No flowmeter, no temp sensors. Your flow rate will be fine by the selection of your parts and why monitor water temps when monitoring core temps and GPU core temps is where it matters.

You can get the stuff, it's rarely used and the funny part, unless you go industrial flow meters in the $100+ (not counting interfaces) the flow meters we have restrict flow with a paddle wheel hooked to a tach.