First Water Cooling Rig

[The boy 4rm oz]

Well if I go for the ASUS Striker Extreme or P5N32-E SLI then I need to use the ASUS A8N block so probs that one, if not just the standard DD 680i block.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I was just wondering how much coolent the average system uses? I'm using a 5.25" bay res and just want to know in advance.

[Zephik]

I'm not too sure actually. But I'll tell you this much, It definitely needs at least one.

[Zephik]

You could probably mix distilled water with your coolant if its not enough. That would be loads cheaper than buying two.

[nil8]

I have a distilled water system with a couple of additives in there, and it works well enough.

If you're including your graphics card, FSB, and a 5.25 reservoir you'll probably use around 1/5 to 1/4 of a gallon. If you're going for distilled water, buy a gallon. It makes life easy when you have to drain your setup as well.

Oh, and 1/2" ID is 5/8" OD tubing. This isn't the same as 1/2" OD(3/8"ID). Look at your specs carefully before you order your tubes.

Reading through this, a couple of guys have been a great help to you. rep+ to Snow & Silenced.

I have a basic post of tips for water cooling, let me go dig that up and post it here.

Edit: I've found it. I hope this helps with some basics.
I wrote this up in another thread, I'll copy it here.

"Watercooling isn't that hard. It helps immensely to be comfortable working on computers and doing some more advanced work. If you don't have this, don't worry. It's what this community is here for.

You can buy your parts separately, just make sure you have the same size tubing going from 1 part to another. There are 2 different sized tubes that are commonly used(1/2" and 3/8"). Most kits use 3/8".

Everything is compatible as long as it has the same tube sizes. Going from a 1/2" fitting on one piece to a 3/8" fitting can be done, but it's tedious and not going to give the correct visual appeal of water tubing and causes more possible leak points.

Your basic watercooling system consists of your waterblock(s), pump, radiator. I highly suggest a reservoir for filling/bleeding the system.

Another thing is to make your reservoir the high point of your system, so the air will bleed quicker and easier.

I've built a couple of WC rigs. The best loop I've found is pump->reservoir->cpu block->gpu block->radiator->pump. Other guys might have different opinions or ideas, this is mine. Take it with a grain of salt.

Most of all, be patient. The computer I'm typing on right now is watercooled and I rebuilt the water loop at least a dozen times to fix issues. Be patient, take care of your equipment and occasionally monitor your system for problems.

Another suggestion I have is the Criticool powerplant. I've found it to be insanely useful for troubleshooting problems without having the computer on. The other upside is that when you hit the power button on your box, your pump turns on too. The only other options are leave it on 24/7 or plug it in every time you use your computer. If you forget it once, the water will heat up and can cause failure. The type of tubing used in wc setups isn't designed for boiling heat.

Soft tubing and high gph/lph pumps cause problems. The tubes can't take the pressure and start to close in on themselves. Use harder tubing on the pump intake. Most DIY stores have hard tubing in their plumbing section. It's meant for refrigerators or to move water.

If your fittings are threaded, buy some teflon tape and use it. A couple of wraps of your fittings threaded ends will do. It helps keep things watertight and is necessary due to small gaps caused by manufacturing. Hardware stores will have it.

Cable ties moving in opposite directions on the same fitting normally will keep it watertight. A pair of needle nose pliers and a little pressure will normally stop would-be leaks as long as your tubing is cut flush. Cable ties can be found anywhere and a few hundred small ones shouldn't cost more than 5 bucks.

I would also suggest keeping a couple extra seals around just in case. Better safe than sorry. Also, paper towels or some other way of catching fluid. Draining systems can get messy.

A little tip on draining: As soon as you remove a tube from a closed loop, you have 2 parts leaking fluid. This is no good. You have to be quick about this, but using your thumb as a watertight seal works well. The air will displace through the tube and your thumb will keep the water in place in whatever part of the system you just pulled the tube from."

I've personally had a couple of broken seals, a reservoir that wasn't level, a lot of tubing leaks, twists in my tubes and times when I've lost my patience.

Give yourself plenty of space to work and make sure you have something to clean up the mess with. You will make a mess the first time you drain your system to fix something.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Thank you nil8 +rep for you.

[The boy 4rm oz]

So nil8 your saying that if all of my connectors are 1/2" OD I need 3/8" ID tubing.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I was just re-thinking my tubeing layout and i realised that it may be hard to do the loop without some right-angle fittings. Do they reduce the flow or should it be ok? Oh and i figured out the tubing, I was tired when I read the explanation and just didn't get it. Ok so I need 3/8"ID tubing for my 1/2" OD fittings. Also how much tubing should I order, is 3 metres enough or should i just get 2?

[The boy 4rm oz]

I never really calculated how much this w/c rig was going to cost me until now. At about $800 AUS thats just like me buying a second 8800GTX. So I am going to have to get a Danger Den TDX instead of the RBX and I may have to forget about the north bridge block all together.