E8400 - Custom WaterCooling Setup

[skool h8r]

Hi all,
I'm currently considering going down the watercooling route with my E8400. However, i'm wanting to cool everything in my system with the same setup (except RAM). I've been looking at OCUK for items, but i've not done proper watercooling before (bar that TT kit that didn't work).

Components » Water Cooling - Overclockers UK

Anyone help out with what i should be looking for? Don't wanna find out that i've picked the wrong sized connectors and piping or w/e. Ideally, the system needs to be as quiet as possible, and it must be reliable. I'd also prefer it to be completely contained inside the case (Antec P182) with maybe the exception being the radiator. I'd like a drive-bay based reservoir. Got 4x5.25" unused drive bays atm so space shouldn't be a problem.

Cheers,
Scott.

[Áedán]

Do you really need a reservoir? I know that lots of people use them, although no-one's yet given me a convincing reason to have one.
Noise is a little bit more difficult. My experiences with affordable watercooling is that generally it doesn't really deal with the noise problem!

[ccperf721p]

Skip the reservoir, while it makes it a little tougher to initially bleed the the loop, it will be a quieter system with one less component that can fail.

If budget will allow, I prefer the Laing D5 pumps, (swiftech mcp655), silent, powerful and last a long time.

The Apogee GT is a solid performing block at a decent price.

A 240mm radiator will allow you to run both fans on low and keep the system silent.

I switched over to the 7/16 Masterkleer tubing on my last rebuild, it was night and day from the 1/2" tygon I was running before. Routing was simpler, it did not put any extra pressure on my blocks and cleaned up my rig quite a bit.

[skool h8r]

Hmm, i always thought reservoirs were essential in a watercooling setup. There's not really a budget as such. I decided to skip another 24" monitor (dual-widescreen ) for this month and go with something else.

[Áedán]

Reservoirs have never been essential in a watercooled PC. There's several advantages of not having one, and relatively few disadvantages - of which bleeding is the biggest.

One of the common myths is that a bigger reservoir is better, as it gives you more cooling capacity. That's simply not true though, as the radiator is the component that dissipates heat. All that happens is the body of water masks the problem of poor design.

[Samuknow]

Cliff seems to have nailed it. I use a res for the two reasons. It is easy to bleed the air out and it looks really cool. If that is important to you. Other than that, there is no real benefit. a 120.2 rad and some high pressure low speed fans will get you the quiet you are looking for. If you have room, a 120.3 rad would be better since you are adding your GPU to the loop.

[skool h8r]

ah, think i will go with one then. Without one, how do you fill the system in the first place? Surely it's not spout-in-pipe method?

[wild_andy_c]

Originally Posted by skool h8r

ah, think i will go with one then. Without one, how do you fill the system in the first place? Surely it's not spout-in-pipe method?

Yep - it gets as technical as that!!! And disconnecting the pipe from the pump outlet every minute for hours as you bleed it.

[Áedán]

Originally Posted by wild_andy_c

Yep - it gets as technical as that!!! And disconnecting the pipe from the pump outlet every minute for hours as you bleed it.

There are ways and means to get the system to bleed itself without requiring disconnecting anything. A few things help though: A filler tube, a T connector and a bleed valve at the highest points in the system. Put the filler tube on the suction side of the pump, and the T connector with the bleed valve on t'otherside. Filling such a system is via the filler tube with the bleed valve open (Mind you, a funnel helps). Once the system is full and sealed, running the pump tends to dislodge air into bleed valve, where it's easy to get rid of.

Strangely enough, you'll find this is pretty close to what most pressurised central heating systems use.

[Azriel]

Actually, I'd say a reservoir is important for a few reasons.

A pump submerged in a reservoir is MUCH quieter.
It allows you to visually inspect your coolant, as well as your flow and level.
More water will allow your system to take short periods of extreem load better. This being applicable only when the system is absorbing more heat that it can dissipate.
10 second bleeding.
Higher flow rate. the flow of any mag drive pump will suffer greatly with a hose attached to it's inlet.
Easy filling and draining.
They look ****ing sweet.