New WC Setup, Is this right?

[totalmajor]

So I got my hands on an old Gigabyte X58 UD7 with the liquid cooling blocks already installed and an Zotac GTX 460 with the FC GTX 460 water block on it as well. I've been reading a lot about liquid cooling but I'm not sure if I'm doing things right.

The only thing that confuses me is the G1/4 thread and the Gigabyte mobo. People seem to complain that the mobo ID is smaller, but if the thread is the same size, what is stopping me from using the same large tubing I could use for the GTX 460?

I'm assuming I will either need 3/8''ID or 1/2'' ID but I don't want the mobo blocks to impose on the rest of the set up.

I need a CPU block, pump and reservoir (i7 920).

I'm thinking

MCP 355/ PMP400 pump
XSPC Dual bay reservoir
MCR320 radiator

Don't really know about the CPU block yet because it's a cost effectiveness thing (if you're selling one, please let me know - same goes for any of these parts).

Minor overclocking. Nothing serious, is that overkill for a set up or just right?

Thanks a lot,
Peter

 

[rubix_1011]

G1/4 is different than tubing/fitting ID. Please see the watercooling sticky as this is discussed with an example.

 

[totalmajor]

Yes I know, that's where my question stems from.

Why do people complain about using a certain size tubing if the G1/4 size is the same on both the GPU block and the mobo block? Does the block itself hinder it from sending that much water through it?

 

[rubix_1011]

I don't think anyone necessarily complains; tubing size is a matter of preference. Anything 3/8" ID tubing and fitting size or larger performs relatively the same.

 

[Pinhedd]

Yes I know, that's where my question stems from.

Why do people complain about using a certain size tubing if the G1/4 size is the same on both the GPU block and the mobo block? Does the block itself hinder it from sending that much water through it?

The G1/4 threading is what connects the barb to the waterblock/reservoir/pump(sometimes). It's become a bit of an industry standard although some prebuilt loops do not adhere to it (Thermaltake, I'm looking at you). The major radius is nominally around a quarter of an inch, which gives the a major diameter of around a half an inch. The standard is British so it's all metric. The minor diameter of the fitting has to be smaller than this to allow for the walls of the threaded pipe to exist. Naturally the maximum diameter of the tubing is constrained by the G1/4 inner diameter which is why it's rare to ever see a loop with an ID over 1/2 inch.

From my experience the diameter of the tubing doesn't really matter. You should try to pick components that have a common diameter, this is usually constrained by your pump which may not have replaceable barbs. If your pump has 1/2 inch barbs then you should use half inch tubing throughout your loop and half inch ID barbs on all of your components

Fun fact: The G1/4 thread has a 1.337mm pitch, I wonder why they chose it

 

[rubix_1011]

Fun fact: The G1/4 thread has a 1.337mm pitch, I wonder why they chose it

Interesting...I didn't know that one...

 

[Lutfij]

me neither...hmm interesting indeed.

@ totalmajor - you might to look at the review of varying tubing dia and flow rate. I think it was on martinsliquidlab...

 

[totalmajor]

It's all starting to make sense now... Thanks!

I just made the mistake of taking apart the FC GTX 460 and didn't realize that's something you don't usually take apart... crap.

On the bright side, I picked up a brand new PMP400 for $50 (which I think is a pretty good deal). Now all I need is a CPU block and radiator and reservoir.

I can't decide whether I want an RS 360 or if an RS 240 will suffice for what I'll be doing. Space is an issue since I'm building this into a G5. Any suggestions?

Thanks for all the help!

Peter

 

[barthalamoo]

I would avoid the RS series and instead get the RX which is thicker and far more heat dissipation or get the EX which is much slimmer and about the same heat dissipation as the RS. But as always, do the research before buying. I know I've changed my mind on what radiator I want about 4 times already lol.

 

[Pinhedd]

It's all starting to make sense now... Thanks!

I just made the mistake of taking apart the FC GTX 460 and didn't realize that's something you don't usually take apart... crap.

On the bright side, I picked up a brand new PMP400 for $50 (which I think is a pretty good deal). Now all I need is a CPU block and radiator and reservoir.

I can't decide whether I want an RS 360 or if an RS 240 will suffice for what I'll be doing. Space is an issue since I'm building this into a G5. Any suggestions?

Thanks for all the help!

Peter

Did you take apart the waterblock? If you actually took the waterblock apart (some can be separated into a top and bottom for cleaning) then I highly suggest you caulk that thing with some silicon sealant before you put it back together. Any respectable 2 piece waterblock will have a rubber ring as well, never hurts to put some sealant in there as well. If you do reseal the block be careful that you don't get any sealant inside the chamber itself otherwise this will make its way into your loop which can gunk stuff up.

As always, make sure to test for leaks by running the loop with the PC turned off. You can do this by shorting unplugging all power to the motherboard and GPU and using a paperclip to short the green wire on the 24 pin connector to any nearby black wire. This will cause the PSU to startup.

 

[Lutfij]

a big no no for using sealant in/around the blocks. the o rings for any component should suffice. If they are damaged/worn out you can find replacement rings online.

 

[totalmajor]

Thanks for all the help. Yeah it has a gasket but I can't seem to get it back in properly... seems too big. Looks like silicon will be the way to go for this one.

@barthalamoo, yeah I thought about the RX but double the price seems like a pretty penny, I really have to think about it beforehand, but then again I can always re-use it in the future. Thanks for the insight!

 

[Pinhedd]

a big no no for using sealant in/around the blocks. the o rings for any component should suffice. If they are damaged/worn out you can find replacement rings online.

I've had more than a few waterblocks where the o rings aren't sufficient after the initial seal had been broken. A couple of them were tiny chipset blocks that didn't quite seal properly when the barbs were screwed in. The silicon sealant works fine if used correctly. If used incorrectly it will gum up your pump.