Okay, so this is my first build for a liquid cooled PC. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with liquid cooling- I use it a fair amount in high-end drones and R/C aircraft that I sell, so I'm fairly familiar with the physical mechanics and basic components of a loop. I'm not deluding myself into thinking the similarities end any further than that.
I appologize if I seem like I'm just shotgunning questions. I've read the guides and theres a few specific details that I'm concerned about, going forward. I have read the stickies, and will probably re-read them several times more yet. I greatly appreciate people taking the time to look at this and lending their advice.
I've recently had reason to begin a series of upgrades on the rig, which on the high-load end, I use to run CFD, tapping the GPU's for running the math problems. The chip is running hotter than I would like, and the only real change I could make is going to a Noctua NH-D15, but it's too large for my case to be practical, and I was going to make the switch to a custom loop rig when I did the next series of upgrades any how, which is to go for SLI 1080's, and I'm going to be getting parts that can handle that expansion.
My current air-cooled rig is as follows:
Okay. onto the questions.
First, the methods of controlling pumps and fans. my expectation is to set the pump to an appropriate flow rate that does the job, and leave it there, which is why I'm looking at the pump with the on board controls, for convenience.
This leaves the fans open to question. the 'easy' option I'm looking at is to plug them into a system-fan header, forked by a fan-hub providing additional PSU power to it, running them at an acceptable static speed. Is this basically how it's generally set up, or am I missing something?
Second important question is about adding auxilarly water blocks to the motherboard. The northbridge is now handled by the CPU. That leaves the southbridge and the mosfets.
The z370 has some fairly extensive cladding over them- which looks to be at least sheathed in plastic, though I assume it has some heat sinks and such like on it. the southbridge has glowy LED's, too. Provided enough airflow, should I even consider replacing these stock coolers with waterblocks? right now they're staying cool enough, but I'm concerned about loosing the air flow from the CPU fans and plugging the top three with a radiator.
I'm not even certain what the standard 'acceptable' temps are on the mosfets and southbridge, or memory- though I'd assume the sticks are okay.
Third, I've not settled on resevoir type. On one hand, I care more about functionality... and for a res that means ease of filling. Are drive bay res's- specifically the ones visible on the front- any more convenient in that regard? is there a certain minimal volume the resevoirs should hold, and do the larger resevoirs hold any substantial advantages?
In my R/C set ups, having a larger res means they can 'hold' more heat, but I'm pretty sure in pc's that's not the problem.
Fourth, does the hard tubing provide any useful benifits past looking neater? this will be a displayed case, so neatness counts, but, not that much.
and finally, because bling is important, do they make LED uv's that put light into the tubes? (I.e. making the tubes themselves glow more) or is that effect strictly from UV lighting in the case?
Edited to add another question: is there a functional difference between acrylic and coper-topped waterblocks?
I greatly appreciate your advice- and that this was possibly a giant wall of text.
I appologize if I seem like I'm just shotgunning questions. I've read the guides and theres a few specific details that I'm concerned about, going forward. I have read the stickies, and will probably re-read them several times more yet. I greatly appreciate people taking the time to look at this and lending their advice.
I've recently had reason to begin a series of upgrades on the rig, which on the high-load end, I use to run CFD, tapping the GPU's for running the math problems. The chip is running hotter than I would like, and the only real change I could make is going to a Noctua NH-D15, but it's too large for my case to be practical, and I was going to make the switch to a custom loop rig when I did the next series of upgrades any how, which is to go for SLI 1080's, and I'm going to be getting parts that can handle that expansion.
My current air-cooled rig is as follows:
Phanteks Entho Pro case (split window, if it matters)
MSI z370 gaming M5 motherboard
Intel i7 8600k currently throttled to the base 3.7ghz, which under modest load maintains a temperature at 40-50 deg. c.
64 gig corsair vengeance ram, 2400 mhz.
MSI geforce 1060 6gb aero, not overclocked currently.
I have two intake fans- a 200m front fan, and a 140 bottom fan mounted forward with a duct redirecting the flow towards the back of the case- about a third the air flow is under the PSU cover, while the rest is above..
I've four exhaust fans- a 140mm rear fan mounted high, and 3 top mounted 120's. the CPU cooler fans are programed to just go constantly on full.
I generally run Debian as the OS, though occasionally boot into win 10 (eww) and ArchLinux.
ambient temperature in the room is about 20-22 d. c, while case temps are about 24-ish, but this case does go to do exhibits with me, were temperatures may be higher. (but I'm almost never running high loads here. certainly not if it gets past 30c.
MSI z370 gaming M5 motherboard
Intel i7 8600k currently throttled to the base 3.7ghz, which under modest load maintains a temperature at 40-50 deg. c.
64 gig corsair vengeance ram, 2400 mhz.
MSI geforce 1060 6gb aero, not overclocked currently.
I have two intake fans- a 200m front fan, and a 140 bottom fan mounted forward with a duct redirecting the flow towards the back of the case- about a third the air flow is under the PSU cover, while the rest is above..
I've four exhaust fans- a 140mm rear fan mounted high, and 3 top mounted 120's. the CPU cooler fans are programed to just go constantly on full.
I generally run Debian as the OS, though occasionally boot into win 10 (eww) and ArchLinux.
ambient temperature in the room is about 20-22 d. c, while case temps are about 24-ish, but this case does go to do exhibits with me, were temperatures may be higher. (but I'm almost never running high loads here. certainly not if it gets past 30c.
Okay. onto the questions.
First, the methods of controlling pumps and fans. my expectation is to set the pump to an appropriate flow rate that does the job, and leave it there, which is why I'm looking at the pump with the on board controls, for convenience.
This leaves the fans open to question. the 'easy' option I'm looking at is to plug them into a system-fan header, forked by a fan-hub providing additional PSU power to it, running them at an acceptable static speed. Is this basically how it's generally set up, or am I missing something?
Second important question is about adding auxilarly water blocks to the motherboard. The northbridge is now handled by the CPU. That leaves the southbridge and the mosfets.
The z370 has some fairly extensive cladding over them- which looks to be at least sheathed in plastic, though I assume it has some heat sinks and such like on it. the southbridge has glowy LED's, too. Provided enough airflow, should I even consider replacing these stock coolers with waterblocks? right now they're staying cool enough, but I'm concerned about loosing the air flow from the CPU fans and plugging the top three with a radiator.
I'm not even certain what the standard 'acceptable' temps are on the mosfets and southbridge, or memory- though I'd assume the sticks are okay.
Third, I've not settled on resevoir type. On one hand, I care more about functionality... and for a res that means ease of filling. Are drive bay res's- specifically the ones visible on the front- any more convenient in that regard? is there a certain minimal volume the resevoirs should hold, and do the larger resevoirs hold any substantial advantages?
In my R/C set ups, having a larger res means they can 'hold' more heat, but I'm pretty sure in pc's that's not the problem.
Fourth, does the hard tubing provide any useful benifits past looking neater? this will be a displayed case, so neatness counts, but, not that much.
and finally, because bling is important, do they make LED uv's that put light into the tubes? (I.e. making the tubes themselves glow more) or is that effect strictly from UV lighting in the case?
Edited to add another question: is there a functional difference between acrylic and coper-topped waterblocks?
I greatly appreciate your advice- and that this was possibly a giant wall of text.