wc radiator question

[k1rito]

Hey guys, building my first water cooling loop. I am just planning on cooling the cpu for now. So far I ordered a mcp35x pump. I am looking at this radiator
http://www.xoxide.com/blackice-gtsstealth240xf-radiator.html
. I was wondering if there is anything I need to check as far as compatibility goes. Does every radiator work with every pump? What about other wc parts? I read the sticky like 5 times btw, but there is a lot of information there and I just want to make sure I buy parts that are compatible with each other.
I appreciate any help guys, thanks.

 

[k1rito]

I went ahead and bought the radiator. I think they will work together. Still would appreciate any info on choosing compatible parts though. Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

Have you read through this sticky located here?

You should have understood parts compatibility if you did go through it as everything you'll need to know can be found in the sticky. There is usually a budget involved while amassing a loop and assembling it.

Most of the times there are also themes, loop order and dual or single loop construction that may warrant you to expand upon your budget or may even need you to decrease it.

I'm surprised you bought the radiator in a few short hours. What happened to your initial question?

 

[k1rito]

Lol I guess I got excited amd I figure I can find a way to make it work. I have my budget at around 300 and most of my parts and loop planned out. I was mainly concerned with the sizing for the tubing. The radiator will connect to the cooling block so they need to be the same size right? I have tried to plan it all out but im more of a hands on learner.

 

[Lutfij]

You can connect your components in a loop with varying tubing and fittings sizes but the overall theme and aesthetics may seem inappropriate. Fittings come in a variety of shapes, designs and sizes. What you need to keep in mind is the ID(inner diameter) and OD (outer diameter) of the tubing and fittings.

For example; 1/2" x 3/4" tubing will need 1/2" barbs fittings or 1/2" x 3/4" compression fittings.

It'll be a wise move if you can head down to the watercooling gallery and the build logs threads where both can offer you inspiration and possibly any flaws in your proposed purchase route for watercooling.

Would you mind sharing your watercooling hardware list here?

 

[k1rito]

So far I have ordered a MCP35x pump and a GTS 240 radiator. I am ordering a MagiCool Black Butterfly CPU Block. I am planning on getting some sort of liquid fusion reservoir. Then i'll grab some 1/2" or 7/16" tubing and g1/4 barbs and some clamps. I'm using a cm storm stryker case so I am planning on using either a push or pull radiator setup since I do not have room to put fans on both sides of the radiator for a push/pull without modding the case.

Thank you for your input btw, I am definitely still learning a lot about water cooling and am super excited to get some hands on experience with it.

 

[Lutfij]

You're welcome!

1| There are a lot of reasons why a person may want to go into watercooling, dimming down the noise may be one of them but beware, the perception of noise and its definition varies greatly from individual to individual. I stated this because the GTS Stealth seems to have a high FPI count and from what I can recall that rad needs high rpm (high static pressured) fans to keep temps in an acceptable range So this would defeat the purpose of cooling for silence approach.

2| Another aspect of watercooling(who do it) look into the performance aspect of the hobby if you're looking into this field as well then the MagiCool Butterfly isn't well performing, may want to check out the (popularly used) XSPC Raystorm block that goes for ~$50 on sidewindercomputers or Performancepc.

3| Like I mentioned earlier tubing needs corresponding barb or compression fitting dimensions to save yourself from a world of headache and possible dead components from leaks. You may go for slightly larger barb fittings than your tubing but otherwise its not going to work the other way round. I mention this because you've mentioned G1/4 barbs. that is the thread of the barb fitting, not the end that connects to the tubing.
^ covered in the sticky ind you.

4| Cramming all that hardware inside the case can not net you desirable temps, I'd ask you to consider mounting rad outside of case where you can allow your fans to draw cooler ambient air into the rads and possible allow you to run in push/pull setup with some fan shrouds.

5| At a glance you've made an attempt at watercooling but have managed to hit some unwanted problems one of which is buying a slim rad that must warrant noisy fans.

In a nutshell watercooling is a hobby(maintenance) with aesthetics(parts variety), performance(thermal dissipation and overclocking), time(assembly) and expenses all rolled into one. When you realize you've spent more than you needed to get the desired output then the whole endeavor seems demotivating and at the end of it all you'll notice a high end air cooler would've been the best route for all your efforts

So what are you trying to accomplish with watercooling?

Have you considered getting a kit while returning the rad you just purchased?

 

[k1rito]

I am building a water cooling loop just because I want to. Not to try and increase performance. With my current build I will not see much of a temperature change. The pump I am looking at had good reviews from what I read, why is the MagiCool Butterfly a bad block? I am still looking into other cooling blocks as well though and I will reconsider my decision. I picked the radiator in part because of its low profile and also because it has the 30 FPI. From what I understand the higher the FPI the better performance as long as I have good air flow through the radiator(so I would grab high rpm fans indeed most likely). Also from what I read, you can fit the 7/16" tubing over a 1/2" barb(PCworld says you can with a little effort and get a tighter seal) and then the g1/4 threaded side would fit into each g1/4 slot on each of the components I have selected. My main purpose in water cooling is just because I think it is fun and looks awesome. Also I don't see why it would be cramming, from what I have researched, the Storm Stryker has plenty of room water cooling.

 

[Lutfij]

Rads:

Radiators are typically listed and classified with FPI or 'Fins Per Inch'; this means that for every 1", there are 'X amount' of heat dissipating fins. Common low FPI rads are 7-11 FPI, while high FPI models are 20-30 FPI. This is important to understand as it directly relates to the radiator's performance (more FPI = higher cooling potential), but take note: this also means higher CFM fans with very good static pressure to move air over the densely packed fins. Higher CFM and static pressure fans are often more costly than lower speed fans that can be used for lower FPI rads.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/277130-29-read-first-watercooling-sticky#3718880

7/16" is just shy of 1/2" thus the snug fit of 7/16" tubing on a 1/2" barb, you can also forgo getting tubing clamps as the seal would be good enough.

and g1/4 barbs and some clamps

Thread size can be G1/4 or G3/8 and tubing size can be anything varying
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/277130-29-read-first-watercooling-sticky#3718885

The rad you chose works best on the highest possible static pressure fans setting(full blast) and would need a push+pull setup to overcome the deadzone located behind the fan motor thus why people use a shroud. Turbulence and motor will both be noisy though some people don't perceive it that way.

No matter, you can find alot of info on the watercooling sticky>watercooling block as there are reviews of various blocks compared. If your doing it just because you want to I don't think swaying you to better performing blocks changes anything. Get what you like

If deep down performance is an issue;

Spoiler

How do I know if I need watercooling or air cooler upgrade?
-aka-
My temps seem to be hot on my CPU and/or GPU!!
-aka-
Do I need watercooling?!

Not so fast. I’m not trying to discourage anyone from going out and contributing to the economy by spending their money on a new cooler or full-fledged watercooling loop. However, here is a simple way to test whether or not your cooler needs updating or if you simply have poor case airflow, in which a cooler upgrade would still have little effect (watercooling loop would still provide improvement, but still dependent upon ambient temps and radiator placement/airflow).

Remove the side panel of your case. Take a house or desk fan- turn on HIGH and blow air into your case. Run your benchmarks, game, Fold, encode video, etc…see what your temps are. Compare with the temps you get with your case side on, and no fan. If the temps drop 5°C or more, you have a case airflow issue inside your case that should be addressed before ever replacing an air cooler with another air cooler. Watercooling might help, but depending on your desired temp ranges and budget, updating/adding fans might be the only thing you need to improve to get temps where you want them. If your temps remain the same or within 1-3°C, you might have a minor airflow issue (or ambient temps are different than when you ran your baseline test without the fan). If you still are unhappy with your temps, this is when considering a cooling upgrade is a good decision.

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