[zone]

I just got myself the Thermaltake Big Water SE.
Lol I'm using my old rig to post this message as my new system is still open on the table.
All right it took me about 1 hour and I did the following:
1) Took out my psu, mobo and stock hsf.
2) installed the water block.
3) re-installed the mobo and psu.
3) installed the water tank.
4) installed the pump at the rear bottom of my case using the velcro supplied with the kit. I must say I wasn't impressed with that velcro as the pump is not very well fixed in place. It easily moves sideways (left and right).
5) installed the radiator on my case on the outside.

Now comes the part of cutting the tubes and deciding how I will engineer my own setup (mainly talking about the loop here).
I decided not to follow the loop suggested in the manual because it doesn't seem to be the smartest thing to do.
You see, the manual suggests the following: pump -> cpu block -> radiator -> tank
I decided to go this way: pump -> radiator -> cpu block -> tank
Mainly because I want the cpu block to get the freshly cooled liquid immediately from the reservoir (thx nytevizion for pointing that out).

Now the questions:
1) If my radiator is set outside the case (attached to it but outside)... should its fan be blowing inward or outward ? Logically it should be blowing outward otherwise it will disrupt the air flow within the case (which is supposed to be blowing from front intake to rear exhaust).
But if I set the radiator fan to blow outward won't that mean it will be taking hot air from the case itself ?
2) How about setting the radiator on a table by itself and putting my original rear 12cm fan (which I had to remove to put the radiator) back on the case ?
I only hope I will have enough tube length to set the radiator on a table by itself.
3) How should I go about testing the system once everything is in place and I am done filling the reservoir with coolant ? Should I keep the side panel open and power the system on to check for leaks then add coolant as its level goes down when it replaces air in the loop ?

 

[Snerp]

1: The fan should be sucking air through that rad.

2: That would be fine

3: Actually you should always leak test your setup outside you case for 24hrs. Take it apart and put it back together. It's not worth blowing 100's of dollars on computer equipment because you were impatient.

 

[zone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snerp 1: The fan should be sucking air through that rad. 2: That would be fine 3: Actually you should always leak test your setup outside you case for 24hrs. Take it apart and put it back together. It's not worth blowing 100's of dollars on computer equipment because you were impatient.

Concerning point 1) that makes sense but I took out the fan and inverted it as I installed the radiator outside. That's what it says in the manual.

About point 3) You mean I should set up the entire system outside my case and then I should empty the coolant and reinstall it inside the case after a 24 hours test run ? I won't have enough coolant for that.

How about I test the tubes for perforations/leaks just by blocking them at one end, filling them with water and blowing into them ? Is that a useless idea ?

 

[Snerp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by z_one Concerning point 1) that makes sense but I took out the fan and inverted it as I installed the radiator outside. That's what it says in the manual.

I didn't exactly follow you there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by z_one About point 3) You mean I should set up the entire system outside my case and then I should empty the coolant and reinstall it inside the case after a 24 hours test run ? I won't have enough coolant for that. How about I test the tubes for perforations/leaks just by blocking them at one end, filling them with water and blowing into them ? Is that a useless idea ?

It's not so much the tubes, it's the blocks. A leak could be small enough that it would take 24hrs to notice it. So I would say if you can't wait 24 at least give it 6 or 8, but you should wait. If you end up with a leak you will hate yourself FOREVER.

You could use distilled water and let it run for 24 hours, drain it, then add your coolant. I was actually able to keep my system intact and full while I installed it, but it just depends on if everything could fit.

 

[nikon-x]

You should really take your mobo and everything out of the computer except the PSU, then plug up the water kit. I would say test it for at least a day maybe a day in a half if its your first time. then once it passes your leak test, then put everythng back in the case and finish the job.

 

[zone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snerp I didn't exactly follow you there.

I mean I unscrewed the fan grill that is on the radiator, took out the fan, rotated it by 180 degrees, installed it and installed the fan grill again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snerp You could use distilled water and let it run for 24 hours, drain it, then add your coolant. I was actually able to keep my system intact and full while I installed it, but it just depends on if everything could fit.

Well I could install it while keeping it intact if everything is inside the case. What about the option where the radiator is outside the case... you can't make the tubes pass through a slot opening to connect them to the radiator without detaching them on one end.

 

[Snerp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by z_one I mean I unscrewed the fan grill that is on the radiator, took out the fan, rotated it by 180 degrees, installed it and installed the fan grill again. Well I could install it while keeping it intact if everything is inside the case. What about the option where the radiator is outside the case... you can't make the tubes pass through a slot opening to connect them to the radiator without detaching them on one end.

Well my rad is inside my case. Actually now that I think about it you should leak test it then pull it apart and mount your blocks without the tubing on because the tubing can push on the block. It might not make a difference with the dinky tubing your kit uses, but I know it made a difference with mine.

However you decide to do it leak test it.

 

[zone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snerp ... you should leak test it then pull it apart and mount your blocks without the tubing on because the tubing can push on the block.

Now it's my turn to say I didn't quite follow on that one

Do you mean I should mount the cpu block, pump, radiator and tank without any tubes connected. Then when they are all fixed in place I connect the tubes to close the loop ?

 

[Snerp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by z_one Now it's my turn to say I didn't quite follow on that one Do you mean I should mount the cpu block, pump, radiator and tank without any tubes connected. Then when they are all fixed in place I connect the tubes to close the loop ?

That is exactaly what I mean.

 

[Zero]

when i leak tested mine i took out the psu in my pc and used a wire to 'jump start it' while i had just the water cooling setup hooked up to it and sat them both on a table and let it run for just under 24 hours, that way it couldnt leak into my case and i wasnt running any other parts of my pc