Thanks for the pictures guys. It looks like all the tubes go into the drive bays in the top front part of the chassis. Why is that? I thought they would go to radiators, attached to fans?
Edit: I think I need a diagram or something.
Thanks for the pictures guys. It looks like all the tubes go into the drive bays in the top front part of the chassis. Why is that? I thought they would go to radiators, attached to fans?
Edit: I think I need a diagram or something.
Last edited by zombie67; 08-28-12 at 11:12 PM.
Many people put the reservoir and pump in the drive bays. It's most commonly the emptiest place inside the case with plenty of working room. Reservoirs specially made to be installed in your drive bays are pretty common, such as these: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ath=59_318_665
I designed my system to not use a reservoir. Instead i modded the HAF X and installed a filler port on top (similar to this). The length of tubing from the port to the T junction acted as my reservoir.
Ah! So that is just reservoir and pump stuff. The fans are elsewhere. Got it.
I am learning now that this liquid cooling stuff is all completely custom stuff. The components are out there for just about anything. But you need to design each installation from the ground up with each box, based on a number of variables. Is there such a thing as a liquid cooling "calculator"? For example, you put in the items and quantities of things you need to cool, the amount of OC you are planning on, and it spits out the specs? Things like tubing size, radiators, pumps, fans, and tubing flow chart?
FWIW, I decided several builds ago that all my boxes will be HAF-X. I don't care about the size or cost. I just want the biggest, easiest, with the most options. No more messing around with trying to squeeze crap into a cheap box, and ending up with frustration, evil thoughts, and sliced hands. It is going to take up a relatively similar footprint, regardless. So why not have space to work? And it also has nice big fans and holes for tubing if needed.
Yep it's completely custom. Even if you gave 2 ppl the exact same computers, the results would be different on each. Personal preference is also a large part of it. There are no calculators that i know of due to this. The closest thing i've ever seen is a chart (don't remember where) that basically said "if you're cooling x components" then use "this size of radiator", which is still very useless for multi-radiator systems like mine was/is. I used a 3x120mm rad for the CPU (though a 2x120mm is enough, even when OCing. It's just what i had on hand) and a 9x140mm radiator for the 2 GTX 590s. Yes, that is overkill, but at the time i had planned on a future expansion to 4 GTX 590s. I mounted it to the outside of the HAF X. Bastard weighs 17 pounds empty and with no fans. With no more heavy GPUs in the case it falls over very easily
Anyway, a 2x120mm rad with a decent fan, such as the one Corsair includes with their H80, is enough for a single GPU card. A 3x120 should work for a dual card or OCing a high-end single card. A 2x120 is enough for a highly OC'd high-end CPU, or even a 1x140mm. The quality of your fans is the most important factor. The higher the static pressure (preferably 6 mm/H2O or more), the better.
A 3x120 is also good enough for 1 CPU and 1 GPU.
As for tubing, i only use 1/2 inch ID because the best pump in the world (imo, though it's likely a also a fact ) has 1/2" inlets/outlets. The Swiftech MCP655, of course. Only 1 moving part - the impeller, which floats on a ceramic coated pin - can last seemingly forever. And at 50 PSI, you could run 2 GPUs, a CPU, and various other things like RAM and Mosfet cooling all in the same loop, though i've never personally bothered with liquid RAM or Mosfet cooling. The OD of the tubing should never be less than 3/4" when using 1/2" ID. Otherwise the hose won't be strong enough to handle the pressure from the pump.
Thanks. Especially for all the details. Really!
I have learned that I kinda need an engineering degree to work out the thermal dynamics, for what is needed vs. waste of money. I work with engineers who do nothing but this stuff (with air), and have learned that even with all their school and experience, it's really part science and part voodoo. They have a good idea about how things should, and usually do, work out. But the chamber testing sometimes surprises even them.
So I think I will stick with the stock GPUs, and the closed liquid CPU solutions.
Frankly I am not sure how I would power a machine with more than 4 top-end GPUs anyway. Circuits breaking and all that.
Hmmm looks like I'm late to the party....
Z, just in case you are still interested there is another closed loop GPU cooler on the market. Its the Arctic Cooling Accelero Hybrid.
AC Product page (Link)
Newegg (Current lowest price per Google) $169.99 w/ Free Shipping
OverClock.net Review (Link)
Edit:
@JPM: Great find on those custom brackets. Thanks for the links.
Edit #2: Arctic Cooling now offers the Accelero Hybrid 7970 (Link)
Last edited by Fire$torm; 08-29-12 at 06:18 AM.