ordering my first watercooling kit

"Looks" is the operative word here:

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/Liquid/DIY/cl-w0121/cl-w0121.asp

First issue is we have a 2 inch slot for the air go through. Then the biggest question is whether there is any point to going with watercooling only to get a system that features a 120 mm aluminum radiator (see the specs tab, this radiator looks like something from HW labs, etc. but it is not copper). There is little reason to think it will be any better than a 120 mm aluminum heatsink, for the simple reason that the cooling surfaces are essentially identical. I'm sure a pump distributes the heat better than heatpipes, but I doubt it adds up to enough to make it worth paying for the all the extra a WC loop needs over a comparatively simple heatsink.

 

i find the 10cm uv light tubes to be very weak , so i wouldnt recommend them to anyone

prolly have to wait another 5 days for i can start
big expectations now , really hope this was worth it

 

all parts arrived today finally
i took a day off on friday so i can assemble

any last pointers on assembly?
like
-where to put a flow meter
-distance from radiator to pc
pump mounting upside down against case ceiling or bottom?
-leak testing?

thx

 

My intuition would be to put the flow meter near the end of the loop, so that the water hits the CPU block with the maximum amount of pressure. Other people would object, I'm sure. Resevoir should definately be close to the pump intake. Radiator can be wherever you like, that's the advantage of watercooling--ideally where fresh air is of course, so case intake or exhaust or outside the case altogether. As far as order I put it after the blocks, but some people put it after the pump.

Leak testing. What you're supposed to do is set up your loop with the blocks mounted and tubing and clamps and such, then remove everything entirely out of the case, then fill, then run it for 24 hours to check for leaks. I've been lazy about this and have never done this. Blocks you've never opened up are very unlikely to leak, and tubing if clamped will not either. But its a good idea anyway, and certainly won't hurt. It is much tougher to tell if its leaking inside the case, no doubt about that.

It takes quite a while to get all the air out, and in the meantime it will seem like the pump is noisey and barely working, so don't worry about that. It helps to have the resevoir at the highest point when you fill I believe (air doesn't have to fight its natural upward movement to escape), but I've never used one. If you don't want it at the top of your case normally, this could be another advantage of filling the loop outside the case. I fill mine in the case and I end up having to rock the case around quite a bit, also start and stop the pump, still it takes an hour or so to get it mostly out, then overnight before its entirely bled of air.

 

ok i started
i put 12vdc on the pump and it does nothing
there is a single bleu wire extra wich ends in a 3 pin fan connector , speed control , or ?

what to do

 

called it a day @ 5pm
hooked everything up , did some cable management and cleared all the dust

the pump does run on 12vdc , but its very very hard to hear
had to change pci-e slots for the 8800 to fit the chipset waterblock
disassemble my hd tray to install a new front fan
drilled clamps on the back for the reservoir

still need to work on the potentio meters for the fans, leak test everything etc

only thing i'm not sure on is the pumps third wire ,i think i'm supposed to put it in "cpu fan" but i'm not sure

the rest is for tomorrow
ill post pics then
cheers

 

pump not working
returning it
****

 

found another pump close by

alphacool coolpump cp 1511

 

I assume the PSU is on:

http://www.overclock.net/faqs/96712-how-jump-start-power-supply-psu.html

Also that the intake is full of water. Other then that, not sure. If there is a 1 wire 3-pin header then it is to monitor the RPMs of the pump.

 

yes i tried it with a old psu , bridging certain pins and it worked but i have a old system lying around that i don't use and i just switch that on and plug the pump in there

the new pump works and seems very strong, however i discoverd that the fittings for the cpu block are basically rubbish to work with
i've had small leaks on both of them , even with metal clamps

i'm going to get metal fittings tomorrow and try to finish the project then

 

:newb: succes !

job completed @ last
no leaks & very silent
temps in the bios

air
cpu= 37C
pwn=45C
chip=41C

H²O
cpu=25C
pwn=33C
chip=25C

lessons learned =

double check your orders to see if you got everything , buy extra cooling fluid and tubing for reserve
use screw on fittings, 100% no leaking
if you have never done this type of thing , do the filling and leak testing OUTSIDE the case , you won't regret it if something goes wrong
hotwire your psu or use a spare one to run just the pump

i'll take pics tomorrow

thanks to all guru's for lots of help
cheers
:cheers: