Loop Advice Please

[Leeum]

It won't be long before i'll be setting my WC stuff up. My loop will consist of pump, res, rad, cpu and gpu. What's the best order for stuff?

Thanks in advance

[fivecheebs]

As long as you have the res before the pump youll be fine. Just rout the hoses the shortest distance other than that. Some people may say to put the rad after the pump and before the cpu to get best performance but it makes very little difference in reality i am told. FWIW my rad is last in my loop

[Starbuck3733T]

You've got big problems, imho, if the radiator drops the coolant that many degrees that it needs to be in front of your CPU.

[Darv]

Is it really so important to have the res right before the pump. I've had my rad in between them and it's been going strong for nearly a year now. :unsure:

I just routed it the easiest way so that tubing wasn't going everywhere.

[fivecheebs]

well, i guess if its been running fine then theres no need to worry in your case. I think its just agenerally a good idea to give the pump as free flowing intake. Think of how Nexxo has that phat 3/4" hose on his inlet of his pump. It helps the pump run more efficiantly as pumps dont like sucking, they like pushing. The same goes for putting restrictions in between the res and the pump as i understand it.

[Starbuck3733T]

The location of the res is often specific to the pump. In my case, the more unrestricted intake flow you give an eheim 1250, the more flow you'll get. there's a huge difference between a 1/2" feed and a 3/4" feed. I suspect in my hybridization i may actually put the 1250 inside the reservior.

[Leeum]

The cleanest path would be ::

Pump > Rad > Res > CPU > GPU > back to pump

Not sure if that's right though. The components will be pretty much in the same position as Nexxo's, ie the aquatube at the top of the case etc. It's all 1/2" ID tubing btw ^_^

[fivecheebs]

I'd still prefer the res directly before the pump if it were me, then go the cleanest route ... it is of course up to you to try as you like. If you have enough spare hose left try both :D

[Starbuck3733T]

The cleanest path would be ::

Pump > Rad > Res > CPU > GPU > back to pump

Not sure if that's right though. The components will be pretty much in the same position as Nexxo's, ie the aquatube at the top of the case etc. It's all 1/2" ID tubing btw ^_^

Is that pump intake to rad, to red, to cpu, to pump output?

[Leeum]

Pump pushing water into the radiator :)

[Starbuck3733T]

You'll loose a whole lot of head (presure) and flow by having the pump push to the reservior. The reservior should be after the components you're cooling.

[Leeum]

Ah right, how does this look?

Pump > Rad > CPU > GPU > Res > Back to pump

[fivecheebs]

Looks good to me :)

[Leeum]

That's all cool then, thanks guys ^_^

[dutchcedar]

^^^ That sounds very logical and is the way a "conventional loop" would work. B)

However, I have a different way of viewing the "ultimate loop layout". I've used it in BaDassII with great results and will use it for all future water-cooling set-ups.

It uses the same sequence as you describe, however... the reservoir (air trap) is essentially taken out of the loop but still remains in the set-up. The reservoir is simply put into the loop with a t-line, with only one of its ports used.

This by-passes any flow through the reservoir, negating all of the flow restriction it creates, but retains it as a fill point and an assurance that it will keep the loop filled as it loses fluid.

Being a simple minded kinda guy, I just don't see the need to push coolant through a reservoir when doing so does nothing to add effectiveness to the system. In a closed loop system, a reservoir is a storage device, air trap and filling point... nothing more.

BaDassII uses two cpus and doesn't cool the video cards, but I think you'll get the idea from the diagram. Please disregard the pump's orientation in the diagram... the arteest drew it in back-asswards. :lol:

[fivecheebs]

Thats cool :)

Last time i read about your badasses it was all a little over my head. Im going to read it again i think :)

[Starbuck3733T]

Does an air trap in that orientation really work that well? i take it it connects at the top of the loop? or the bottom? me confused.

[dutchcedar]

^^^ It works great, Starbuck. B) Since building the rig in May of last year, I've added 2 oz. of water to it and its been running 24/7 without a hitch.

The air trap is set at a level just above the highest block.

(credit for re-thinking from a reservoir to an air trap goes to ScopEDog)

Kinda like you suggested in an earlier post, I used 5/8" I.D. tubing between the manifold, pump and radiator. I can't prove it, but think its helped a lot in keeping this rig trouble free and smooth running, because the pump is never starved.

cheebs... read away!!! <_<

[Starbuck3733T]

how do you go about filling that?

[dutchcedar]

^^^ The top of the air trap unscrews (its just a shortened Innovatek reservoir with one outlet blocked off) and that's where it gets filled. With a bit of case tippin' the first time, it was filled quite easily. If I remember correctly, it had bubbles in the lines for a couple days... which I suspect were coming from the nooks and crannies of the heatercore. :unsure:

[GodsUnicorn]

Hey dutch,
I still think it needs some flowers.........unicorn orchids !:lol:

[Starbuck3733T]

My loop after a fill tends to drop about 1" out of my 3" diameter res after a week, as you say, nooks and crannies.

[GodsUnicorn]

Sorry to jump in on this thread, but......
Would this set-up be correct ?

It consists of :-

Innovatek Tank 'O' Matic
Eheim 1250
Thermochill 120.1
Danger Den RBX CPU block
Danger Den Maze 4 chipset block
Danger Den Maze 4 GPU block

[Fibbles]

That setup will work. There are pros and cons to splitting the flow, but I'm not the one to ask about it.

[Darv]

I think it's better to not split the flow between the two blocks because they are no longer getting as much flow.

It's probably best to try it out in parallel and series and see which ones works out better. B)

[biggiy6]

You should also put the GPU before the chipset since the GPU generates more heat and needs to be kept cooler.

[fillip]

You should also put the GPU before the chipset since the GPU generates more heat and needs to be kept cooler. In the setup above the Chipset and GPU get hit at the same time though, since the flow is divided from the CPU block.

[Pug]

It's a risk many more are beginning to take...

GU - when/if you try it, monitor temps carefully.
I'd personally switch the outlet hoses on the GPU & NB so that one has short in, long out and the other has long in short out. Try and keep the overall lengths the same if you can at first and adjust them if one loop has more resistance due to the blocks you're using.., ie: if the NB loop is more restrictive, use less hose on that loop.

Hope it makes sense... :unsure:

[Edit] From this rant I posted on Bit-tech (http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost.php?p=339614&postcount=14) a while back (excuse the sarcasm, it's not directed at you) -

Here's an easy practical assignment for you, if you're interested.
Get one of those shower assemblies that attaches to a pair of taps.
Remove the end that goes over one of the taps and connect the other to your tap, so that you have a short length of hose on one side of the T and the long length, complete with shower head on the other.
Turn the tap on (no, the one that the hose is connected to! )
See which end all the water runs out?
Notice how NONE actually comes out of the shower head?
Get my point now?
Extreme example, maybe but perfect illustration of what I am trying to get across to you.

[dutchcedar]

GU, I think you have a good solution there.

fillip kinda nailed it... the flow is already split at the CPU by the RBX block, so what GU is doing is recombining the flow with the "Y" fitting after the other two blocks instead of before.

With a smaller pump, it might be different, but the 1250 will keep the juices flowing.

Now... when are you gonna show off your water cooling box here at WizD, GU? :rant:

[GodsUnicorn]

GU, I think you have a good solution there.

fillip kinda nailed it... the flow is already split at the CPU by the RBX block, so what GU is doing is recombining the flow with the "Y" fitting after the other two blocks instead of before.

With a smaller pump, it might be different, but the 1250 will keep the juices flowing.

Now... when are you gonna show off your water cooling box here at WizD, GU? :rant:
That box is soon to be a thing of the past, but I still got the pics if anyone want's to see it.
One more thing about my proposed set-up, all the barbs and hose are 1/2" so I dont think the flow will be restricted too much and as dutch said I do have a quite powerful pump.
It is the actual lay out I was wondering about.

[dutchcedar]

I still got the pics if anyone want's to see it.And how exactly will anyone know if they wanna see it if they don't see it? :lol:

Anyway... I hope ya post a worklog of your new get-up... B)

[GodsUnicorn]

And how exactly will anyone know if they wanna see it if they don't see it? :lol:

Anyway... I hope ya post a worklog of your new get-up... B)
OK where do I post the pics ?

I'm already best part done with the new case and I hav'nt taken many pics so it's a bit late for a worklog.

[dutchcedar]

^^^ The "Chop Shop" when you're tinkerin' on a rig and the "Case and Cooling Gallery" when you're done. ^_^

[Leeum]

Slight thread revival ^_^ Decided to go for a Maze4 Chipset. (why not) My first idea was:

Pump > Rad > CPU > NB > GPU > Res > Pump

Took a quick look around the web and it seems alot of people run the following :

Pump > Rad > CPU > GPU > NB > Res > Pump

Perhaps it's for the tubing as i imagine the bend of tubing from the CPU > NB might kink etc. Any ideas guys? :blink:

[biggiy6]

Slight thread revival ^_^ Decided to go for a Maze4 Chipset. (why not) My first idea was:

Pump > Rad > CPU > NB > GPU > Res > Pump

Took a quick look around the web and it seems alot of people run the following :

Pump > Rad > CPU > GPU > NB > Res > Pump

Perhaps it's for the tubing as i imagine the bend of tubing from the CPU > NB might kink etc. Any ideas guys? :blink:
I know over here in the states if it is a tight bend people get some tygon tubing.

They run the GPU before the NB because the GPU is running hotter than the NB.

Hope that helps some.

[Leeum]

That it is ^_^ I'm using Tygon aswell so np.

[fivecheebs]

It needs to bend pretty tightly TBH. My stiff 10/8 on the same motherboard is a tiny bit oliptical on that connection. If i had GPU in the loop id go to it first. I have got some 1/2 tygon recently and its much more flexible. I was amazed at the difference, but with the extra external diameter i still think it will be tight.

[Fibbles]

I go GPU first for routing reasons. I don't bother with Tygon because it's really hard to tighten my compression fittings over it and the Innovatek hose is bendy enough, while being a tad cheaper. Innovatek only makes it for 8/10 though.

[Da_Rude_Baboon]

You will get very little to no performance difference with regards to the order of your NB and GPU blocks so just go for what ever option has the easier routing.

[Leeum]

Thanks for the input guys, looks like GPU then NB might work better as then it has to go to the aquatube at the top of the case. Thanks for all the inuput ^_^

EDIT: Also have another question ;) How do i bleed the system? IIRC i fill the system, tip it on it's back and supposidly flick any sorts of bubbles that stay in the tubes which should then go to the highest point in the system (in the case the aquatube) Am i right so far? :blink:

[Darv]

EDIT: Also have another question ;) How do i bleed the system? IIRC i fill the system, tip it on it's back and supposidly flick any sorts of bubbles that stay in the tubes which should then go to the highest point in the system (in the case the aquatube) Am i right so far? :blink:
Yer that will be fine. You don't need to excessively tip your case, you don't want to drop it, but tip it in every angle you can and it will get rid of most of the air.

You won't be able to get all the bubbles out straight away, however with time they will dislodge.

[Leeum]

Cheers Darv :D

[Darv]

NP, I've just re-filled my loop and leaning it to each side for a few moments got rid of most of the bubbles. I think I've got a few in the block still but they should dislodge soon. B)