Fitseries3
Eleet Hardware Junkie
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i think it's time we THOROUGHLY document, on our site, proper watercooling, FAQ, and anything water related. possibly a sticky?
i will edit this first post as YOU collectively help compile all the knowledge you feel others should know.
Manufacturers_____
D-tek - Makers of the Fusion CPU and Fusion GPU blocks as well as a few other things.
Swiftech - provides a vast variety of water kits, CPU, GPU, chipset blocks as well as radiators, pumps and reservoirs.
Danger Den - very good selection of waterblocks for just about anything you can buy. also have reservoirs, radiators, pumps, as well as unique cases.
EK - some of the best blocks money can buy. more expensive but often outperform other blocks. a wide variety of selection for just about anything. also make very good reservoirs.
Koolance - makers of decent pre-designed systems. also offer a good variety of GPU blocks. very popular for their barbs/fittings.
Thermochill - makers of some of the best radiators you can buy. well worth the money.
HWlabs - makers of the Black Ice series of radiators. very competitive with the thermochill's while using less space.
Zalman - have limited water cooling components. are known for their "reserator 1, 2, and XT designs. also make a wide selection of GPU blocks.
Distributors_____
Petra's Tech Shop - probably one of the best places to order from. most People receive their stuff within 3 days of ordering. they are like the newegg of watercooling sites. they sell a wide variety of modding and cooling supplies as well.
Perfomance PC's - also a very good site. sometimes a bit slow processing orders but they have a HUGE selection of Modding and cooling accessories as well as replacement case parts. also sells pre-modded cases and PSU's.
Sidewinder - often have lower prices and decent shipping. not a VAST selection but they carry most popular items.
FrozenCPU - another site with a HUGE selection of just about everything cooling/modding related. good customer service.
CrazyPC - not the best selection but they have some rather unique and obscure items. they also sell pre-modded cases.
Xoxide - very good site that sells a little of everything. shipping is a bit slower that other sites but they may have what your looking for when others are out of stock.
Sharka - carries Silverstone, Zalman, Danger Den EK and Aqua Computer exclusively. has many replacement parts in case you loose that important part you need.
Mountain Mods - makers of VERY unique cases designed to accommodate extravagant watercooling systems. also carry a wide variety of popular watercooling parts and accessories.
Jab-tech - carries a limited supply of watercooling supplies but are often better prices than others.
FAQ____
Q. How big of a risk is it that water may kill my PC?
A. if you take your time and double check everything as well as properly leak test your system before installing you components, you run very little risk of damage.
Q. Will my power supply be able to handle the extra power from the water cooling system?
A. most pumps use a surprisingly small amount of power. as long as you have a decent power supply for your system you wont have any problems powering your water setup.
Q. I found a pre designed kit by _____ that is a good price. would it work for my system?
A. It should work fine if you are just trying to setup a basic loop. some kits come with GPU and chipset block as well as reservoirs along with the CPU block and pump. if you plan to add more to you loop, a kit may not be your best choice. it is ofter cheaper and better to select your own components and build your own system to ensure you accomplish your goal.
Q. What case is the best for water cooling setups?
A. this is pure preference. i have seen water setups in just about every case. some cases are known to be great for water setups. some of which are, Silerstone TJ07, Thermaltake Armour, Most Lian Li's, Moutain Mods UFO cases, Danger Den WaterBox, Gigabyte Aurora.
Q. I don't want to "mod" my case. is there anything i can do to have a water setup without cutting my case up?
A. yes! there are several things that were designed just for you! Koolance makes external water systems, Swiftech makes the "Radbox" that allows you to mount the radiator outside on the back of your case.
Q. Sometimes i move my computer or take it to a friends house/LAN party. is it ok to move it with the water in the system?
A. As long as your loop is sealed and no water will splash out of your loop. a good rule of thumb is to just be careful, especially if your radiator or anything is outside the case.
Q. Do i need a reservoir in my loop?
A. NO. while it is recommended, a reservoir is not always needed and there may not be room for one in your case. you may use a "T-line" to fill/drain your loop.
Q. how often do i need to clean my loop/flush it out?
A. if you use the proper Biocide, i feel that you can easily just keep your loop toped off for about a year before changing the water. (correct me if im wrong)
Q. What type of coolant should i use?
A. distilled water is the best coolant to use. it is reccomended to use a small amount of biocide to prevent algae from growing in your loop. there are coolants out there that are good as well but they do not perform as well as distilled water. dye can be used to change water color.
Q. should i perform a leak test and how long before i can declare my system ready to use?
A. it is typically recommended to leak test your system for 18 to 24 hours before ANY components are installed into the system. this will ensure yo don't have any leaks and will prevent from damaging your $$$ computer parts.
ITEMS TO STAY AWAY FROM_____
1. anything Thermaltake. it is known that thermatakes designs are cheap and often lead to headaches down the road. it's best to steer clear from thermaltake water cooling stuff.
2. gigabyte has made an ATTEMPT to capture the audience of water coolers. it has pretty much been a complete failure. their motherboards are GREAT though!
3. coolermaster has also made an attempt to produce water cooling kits. none have shown to be very beneficial.
OTHER LINKS THAT MAY HELP_____
Tubing guide by VirtualRain@XS - very informative of different tubing brands and sizes.
In Depth Pump Guide by MaxxRacer@XS - goes in depth on most of the pumps you may consider using. lists the pro's and con's on each.
120mm Fan Guide by Vapor@XS - need help deciding what fans to use? this will help!
Martins System Flowrate Estimator Spreadsheet by Martinm210@XS/OCN/ http://www.martinsliquidlab.com/ - this guy has dedicated A TON of time to measuring and documenting the pressure drop, flow rate and all aspects of hydrodynamics of computer watercooling supplies. he has developed an Excel spreadsheet to help you determin your systems flow rate and pressure drop BEFORE you buy/build you loop(s). DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK
Will add more soon.... please PM me with your contributions.
PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THIS TREAD THAT IS NOT WATER RELATED. THANK YOU!!!
ALSO... please post your water setup pics here to show examples of good setups.
i will edit this first post as YOU collectively help compile all the knowledge you feel others should know.
Manufacturers_____
D-tek - Makers of the Fusion CPU and Fusion GPU blocks as well as a few other things.
Swiftech - provides a vast variety of water kits, CPU, GPU, chipset blocks as well as radiators, pumps and reservoirs.
Danger Den - very good selection of waterblocks for just about anything you can buy. also have reservoirs, radiators, pumps, as well as unique cases.
EK - some of the best blocks money can buy. more expensive but often outperform other blocks. a wide variety of selection for just about anything. also make very good reservoirs.
Koolance - makers of decent pre-designed systems. also offer a good variety of GPU blocks. very popular for their barbs/fittings.
Thermochill - makers of some of the best radiators you can buy. well worth the money.
HWlabs - makers of the Black Ice series of radiators. very competitive with the thermochill's while using less space.
Zalman - have limited water cooling components. are known for their "reserator 1, 2, and XT designs. also make a wide selection of GPU blocks.
Distributors_____
Petra's Tech Shop - probably one of the best places to order from. most People receive their stuff within 3 days of ordering. they are like the newegg of watercooling sites. they sell a wide variety of modding and cooling supplies as well.
Perfomance PC's - also a very good site. sometimes a bit slow processing orders but they have a HUGE selection of Modding and cooling accessories as well as replacement case parts. also sells pre-modded cases and PSU's.
Sidewinder - often have lower prices and decent shipping. not a VAST selection but they carry most popular items.
FrozenCPU - another site with a HUGE selection of just about everything cooling/modding related. good customer service.
CrazyPC - not the best selection but they have some rather unique and obscure items. they also sell pre-modded cases.
Xoxide - very good site that sells a little of everything. shipping is a bit slower that other sites but they may have what your looking for when others are out of stock.
Sharka - carries Silverstone, Zalman, Danger Den EK and Aqua Computer exclusively. has many replacement parts in case you loose that important part you need.
Mountain Mods - makers of VERY unique cases designed to accommodate extravagant watercooling systems. also carry a wide variety of popular watercooling parts and accessories.
Jab-tech - carries a limited supply of watercooling supplies but are often better prices than others.
FAQ____
Q. How big of a risk is it that water may kill my PC?
A. if you take your time and double check everything as well as properly leak test your system before installing you components, you run very little risk of damage.
Q. Will my power supply be able to handle the extra power from the water cooling system?
A. most pumps use a surprisingly small amount of power. as long as you have a decent power supply for your system you wont have any problems powering your water setup.
Q. I found a pre designed kit by _____ that is a good price. would it work for my system?
A. It should work fine if you are just trying to setup a basic loop. some kits come with GPU and chipset block as well as reservoirs along with the CPU block and pump. if you plan to add more to you loop, a kit may not be your best choice. it is ofter cheaper and better to select your own components and build your own system to ensure you accomplish your goal.
Q. What case is the best for water cooling setups?
A. this is pure preference. i have seen water setups in just about every case. some cases are known to be great for water setups. some of which are, Silerstone TJ07, Thermaltake Armour, Most Lian Li's, Moutain Mods UFO cases, Danger Den WaterBox, Gigabyte Aurora.
Q. I don't want to "mod" my case. is there anything i can do to have a water setup without cutting my case up?
A. yes! there are several things that were designed just for you! Koolance makes external water systems, Swiftech makes the "Radbox" that allows you to mount the radiator outside on the back of your case.
Q. Sometimes i move my computer or take it to a friends house/LAN party. is it ok to move it with the water in the system?
A. As long as your loop is sealed and no water will splash out of your loop. a good rule of thumb is to just be careful, especially if your radiator or anything is outside the case.
Q. Do i need a reservoir in my loop?
A. NO. while it is recommended, a reservoir is not always needed and there may not be room for one in your case. you may use a "T-line" to fill/drain your loop.
Q. how often do i need to clean my loop/flush it out?
A. if you use the proper Biocide, i feel that you can easily just keep your loop toped off for about a year before changing the water. (correct me if im wrong)
Q. What type of coolant should i use?
A. distilled water is the best coolant to use. it is reccomended to use a small amount of biocide to prevent algae from growing in your loop. there are coolants out there that are good as well but they do not perform as well as distilled water. dye can be used to change water color.
Q. should i perform a leak test and how long before i can declare my system ready to use?
A. it is typically recommended to leak test your system for 18 to 24 hours before ANY components are installed into the system. this will ensure yo don't have any leaks and will prevent from damaging your $$$ computer parts.
ITEMS TO STAY AWAY FROM_____
1. anything Thermaltake. it is known that thermatakes designs are cheap and often lead to headaches down the road. it's best to steer clear from thermaltake water cooling stuff.
2. gigabyte has made an ATTEMPT to capture the audience of water coolers. it has pretty much been a complete failure. their motherboards are GREAT though!
3. coolermaster has also made an attempt to produce water cooling kits. none have shown to be very beneficial.
OTHER LINKS THAT MAY HELP_____
Tubing guide by VirtualRain@XS - very informative of different tubing brands and sizes.
In Depth Pump Guide by MaxxRacer@XS - goes in depth on most of the pumps you may consider using. lists the pro's and con's on each.
120mm Fan Guide by Vapor@XS - need help deciding what fans to use? this will help!
Martins System Flowrate Estimator Spreadsheet by Martinm210@XS/OCN/ http://www.martinsliquidlab.com/ - this guy has dedicated A TON of time to measuring and documenting the pressure drop, flow rate and all aspects of hydrodynamics of computer watercooling supplies. he has developed an Excel spreadsheet to help you determin your systems flow rate and pressure drop BEFORE you buy/build you loop(s). DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK
Will add more soon.... please PM me with your contributions.
PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THIS TREAD THAT IS NOT WATER RELATED. THANK YOU!!!
ALSO... please post your water setup pics here to show examples of good setups.
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