[PachinkiMechanic]

This is my first loop. I've been reading about this stuff for about a week. Plan is to go with minimum maintainance. This box sits under my desk and doesn't need RGB/Aesthetics. Just need to replace the crappy h115i - should have done that years ago.

Please let me know any feedback you may have.

Questions at the bottom.

Notes:
Picture of the case is just stock, I've removed harddrive cages.
All fans are Quiet Wings 3, with exception of Kingpin AIO fans.
Every space that can host a fan will host a fan.
Triangles with fans show air flow config and number of fans.

Constraints:
I am not changing the case (Corsair 760T). I love this thing for more reasons than one.
This is a NO RGB kind of build.
All tubing will be black EK-ZMT.
GPU will be integrated next iteration.
CPU block is a joke I know. If it sucks I'll toss it.

Questions:

1. Does direction of coolant flow matter? In the illustrated scenario should I reverse it for any reason?
2. My AsRock Velocita Z590 does not have temperature header. How does one set up fan control based on water temp in the scenario where motherboard does not expose temp header? Is this even needed? Am I overthinking it?

 

[geriatricpollywog]

Your H115i will provide better cooling than an XT240 radiator. The H115i has a 280mm radiator. The whole point of a custom loop is to cram big fat radiators into your case for maximum cooling.

Coolant flow direction doesn’t matter.

A D5 NEXT pump can control fans based on water temperature.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

Your H115i will provide better cooling than an XT240 radiator. The H115i has a 280mm radiator. The whole point of a custom loop is to cram big fat radiators into your case for maximum cooling.

Coolant flow direction doesn’t matter.

A D5 NEXT pump can control fans based on water temperature.

Thank you.

Good catch. I will go with 280, something like Corsair Hydro X Series XR5 280mm. The illustration is wrong, its actually showing a 280mm radiator in front.

When I water-block the GPU - it will be with the biggest radiator I can fit on top of the system. I think 420 will fit.

Checking into D5 Next and it looks like Aquacomputer makes a slew of controllers that might do what I need.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

Decided to go with:

• Aquacomputer ULTITUBE D5 150 Reservoir with D5 PWM Pump
• Aqua Computer Quadro PWM Fan Controller with Ambient/Backlight Connector
• Aquacomputer SPLITTY9 (should be enough power for 7 SilentWings 3)

Will use a simple sensor and plug it into the Quadro. Octos are impossible to find in USA atm.

Don't want to go with NEXT - rather have all that componentry (flow sensor, temp sensor) separate and swappable.

 

[ciarlatano]

Thank you.

Good catch. I will go with 280, something like Corsair Hydro X Series XR5 280mm. The illustration is wrong, its actually showing a 280mm radiator in front.

When I water-block the GPU - it will be with the biggest radiator I can fit on top of the system. I think 420 will fit.

Checking into D5 Next and it looks like Aquacomputer makes a slew of controllers that might do what I need.

Just say no to Corsair liquid cooling parts excepting the fluid. Their blocks are subpar, and the rest of the line is rebranded items at an astronomical markup. That XR5 you are looking at is an HWL L=Series with a little sailboat sticker slapped on the side and marked up 50%. You can buy the next model up in HWL's (the GTS) line for less than that.

 

[Section31]

Just say no to Corsair liquid cooling parts excepting the fluid. Their blocks are subpar, and the rest of the line is rebranded items at an astronomical markup. That XR5 you are looking at is an HWL L=Series with a little sailboat sticker slapped on the side and marked up 50%. You can buy the next model up in HWL's (the GTS) line for less than that.

View attachment 2543070

Yup. Hwl was even better deal during the ppcs sales on black friday. 20-30% off them. However the last bf deal had some crazy good deals at titan rigs also. Sometimes wouldn’t it be great if Canada was part of the US lol.

I think thats the best time to stock up on watercooling parts for builds. Coupled with free/low cost shipping too for us people.

When things are back to normal im going to restart shipping everything from us stores to us address/po box and bring back myself. Shipping from global even us to canada is starting to get too expensive. Can also save on sales taxes that way.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

You can buy the next model up in HWL's (the GTS) line for less than that.

Its going to stay in the package until end of the month. Aquacomputer Quadro is being shipped from UK... So if I find a cheaper 280 somewhere else in the meantime I'll just return it back to Amazon. Good to know though.

Corsair was the cheapest 280 on amazon I could find atm.

 

[geriatricpollywog]

Note the width of the HWL 280 and if it will fit where you are trying to squeeze it. They are wider than other brands.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

Note the width of the HWL 280 and if it will fit where you are trying to squeeze it. They are wider than other brands.

There is 13 x 7.8 in of space there. It fit h115i radiator fine - the pipes were too short to be stretched to the bottom, and when mounted at the top would forward air to the CPU block (causing instant overheat). Kind of the initial catalyst for pursuing custom loop.

You are correct, looks like about .5 inches wider than everything else.

 

[ciarlatano]

Its going to stay in the package until end of the month. Aquacomputer Quadro is being shipped from UK... So if I find a cheaper 280 somewhere else in the meantime I'll just return it back to Amazon. Good to know though.

Corsair was the cheapest 280 on amazon I could find atm.

The Corsair on Amazon is more than a GTS from PPC.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

The Corsair on Amazon is more than a GTS from PPC.

Indeed $63 and $77 with shipping. Bezos still wins due to prime free shipping. I will look for other stuff there, still need fittings.

 

[Sir Beregond]

Just say no to Corsair liquid cooling parts excepting the fluid. Their blocks are subpar, and the rest of the line is rebranded items at an astronomical markup. That XR5 you are looking at is an HWL L=Series with a little sailboat sticker slapped on the side and marked up 50%. You can buy the next model up in HWL's (the GTS) line for less than that.

View attachment 2543070

Also of note, their "D5" pumps have half the flow rate of a real D5 as well. All very sub-par.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[ciarlatano]

Also of note, their "D5" pumps have half the flow rate of a real D5 as well. All very sub-par.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Yes, forgot to mention that. And as we discovered, the Corsair DDC is only a third of the flow expected. And to make it even better, they price them like full powered models.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

Also of note, their "D5" pumps have half the flow rate of a real D5 as well. All very sub-par.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I've ordered whatever D5 is coming with Aquacomputer ULTITUBE D5 150 Reservoir with D5 PWM Pump.

Hope that has normal flow-rate. Thinking of maybe getting some high-flow QD fittings for GPU and maybe in the future to external mora radiator. Don't want to compromise flow in any way.

 

[geriatricpollywog]

I've ordered whatever D5 is coming with Aquacomputer ULTITUBE D5 150 Reservoir with D5 PWM Pump.

Hope that has normal flow-rate. Thinking of maybe getting some high-flow QD fittings for GPU and maybe in the future to external mora radiator. Don't want to compromise flow in any way.

Watercool D5 pumps have normal flow rate.

I have a MO-RA3 with 4 x D5 pumps and would not recommend using less than 3 pumps if running them at 100% speed. If you end up getting a MO-RA, you can keep your current pump and buy a dual pump side car later:

MO-RA3 420 D5-DUALTOP Modul, 144,95 € (watercool.de)

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

Watercool D5 pumps have normal flow rate.

I have a MO-RA3 with 4 x D5 pumps and would not recommend using less than 3 pumps if running them at 100% speed. If you end up getting a MO-RA, you can keep your current pump and buy a dual pump side car later:

MO-RA3 420 D5-DUALTOP Modul, 144,95 € (watercool.de)

Good info thank you. Will definitely follow that. Are your 4 pumps running at 100%?

 

[geriatricpollywog]

Good info thank you. Will definitely follow that. Are your 4 pumps running at 100%?

They are, but they reach 1 gallon/min when all are running at 70-75% (tested not with a flow meter, but by filling up a gallon of water). At 1GPM there is no cooling benefit to more flow rate.

The reason I keep them at 100% is because the 2 pumps on the MO-RA sidecar are D5 NEXT and can be controlled using the attached LCD. The 2 inside the case are standard EKWB D5 PWM and must be controlled in the bios. I am constantly making changes to my bios and can't be bothered to set them to 75% every time I save a profile.

At 75% all 4 pumps are dead silent. At 100% I can hear the 2 EK D5 pumps inside the case if I get close to it. I can't hear the D5 NEXT at 100%.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

They are, but they reach 1 gallon/min when all are running at 70-75% (tested not with a flow meter, but by filling up a gallon of water). At 1GPM there is no cooling benefit to more flow rate.

The reason I keep them at 100% is because the 2 pumps on the MO-RA sidecar are D5 NEXT and can be controlled using the attached LCD. The 2 inside the case are standard EKWB D5 PWM and must be controlled in the bios. I am constantly making changes to my bios and can't be bothered to set them to 75% every time I save a profile.

At 75% all 4 pumps are dead silent. At 100% I can hear the 2 EK D5 pumps inside the case if I get close to it. I can't hear the D5 NEXT at 100%.

Interesting. Makes sense to use NEXT motors in that case. Happy to hear they are that quiet.

 

[J7SC]

Interesting. Makes sense to use NEXT motors in that case. Happy to hear they are that quiet.

FYI on the rad(s) in your diagram:

a.) if possible mount whatever rad you get with the inlet and outlet on top rather than the bottom as depicted; that way it will be much easier to bleed air bubbles as air bubbles want to rise to the top in the cooling liquid and need a way out.

b.) if possible, get the 'thickest' copper/brass core rad of whatever brand and length you're looking at. Typically, those can be dual or even tripe core within one housing for improved cooling performance if matched with the right fans (including push--pull). Comes down to available space in the case you're mounting it in, though.

 

[PachinkiMechanic]

Good points.

FYI on the rad(s) in your diagram:

a.) if possible mount whatever rad you get with the inlet and outlet on top rather than the bottom as depicted; that way it will be much easier to bleed air bubbles as air bubbles want to rise to the top in the cooling liquid and need a way out.

I can mount it either way, the problem is that in that position if there are bubbles - they will go the CPU block as its the highest point in the loop until I integrate GPU into the loop. In the diagram - the top radiator is Kingpin AIO. Once I integrate the GPU in I'll flip it. Do you agree?

b.) if possible, get the 'thickest' copper/brass core rad of whatever brand and length you're looking at. Typically, those can be dual or even tripe core within one housing for improved cooling performance if matched with the right fans (including push--pull). Comes down to available space in the case you're mounting it in, though.

There is space there to stack 3 radiators, I went with standard sized corsair 280... everything I read seems to show that thick rads are marginally (insignificantly) better. I can still return it and go with thicker rad, but I can't find anything that shows they are worth it.