Advice on reorganising a fairly complicated loop

Soldato
Joined
22 Dec 2008
Posts
10,370
Location
England
I think I'm finally dropping my conviction that putting everything in series is the best way to approach water cooling. However, novel for me, I think I'd like to know what more experienced people would do before I buy more pieces (or break things). The loop has gone beyond simple, so trial and error will take a very long time. I think it's multiple loop time, probably with a common reservoir.

I have the following things to cool
CPU with ek supreme block. Modified, possibly ruined.
8800gt with full cover, second 8800gt with core only block
Power supply (worst case scenario is a 150W heat dump)
In the future I'm likely to add ram and chipset to this, but I haven't yet.

To cool these, I have
A feser 240 with scythe s-flex
Two feser 120s with a san ace
One, soon to be two, 18W ddcs
One 10W ddc
A ddc res top
Soon a 120mm thin rad which might fit over the rear exhaust

I'm currently using two quick disconnect fittings to separate everything on the motherboard tray from everything in the case, I'd like to continue doing this but don't believe I'm going to be able to. Case is an akasa omega. I'll try a few things tonight, but suggestions would be much appreciated. I think two loops with a combined reservoir makes the most sense, but a T line system also appeals.

It seems a thin 120mm radiator with a 1000rpm fan, under a heat load of 150W, can be expected to maintain a 15 degrees delta. Source. This suggests running the 8800gt's off a single 120mm radiator.

Restrictions,
The psu/chipset block must have a radiator either side of it, or earthing problems exist.

Or I could just leave it be. Swap out the 10W ddc for an 18W one, and call it good. Some research into centrifugal pumps suggests putting them next to each other in series is fine, so I'll move them adjacent and see if that stops tubing collapsing.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
7,813
Location
Scun'orp
From your previous posts I gather you are not a gamer and therefore overclockingwise you are only ever going to be bothered about your cpu cooling performance, maybe chipset as well. With that in mind I would have a cpu only loop using the 240 rad and put eveything else in the second loop. Given that it sounds like this will lead to a crapload of blocks in the second loop that loop is probably going to need an 18W pump.

The cpu loop will probably be ok with the 10W, or at least try that and if the temps are too high consider swapping for an 18W and/or explore bigger rad options. No problem running one of the loops with a T line. Infact I personally would not have a combined res as I don't like the idea of the cpu temp being affected by what is happening in the other blocks via the mixing on temperature in a single res. I'd rather be certain of maintaining a low cpu temp, but then I do overclock a gtx280.

I've never seen a full case shot of your case so don't know how cramped it is, but it may be the time to consider getting a larger case so you can eventually go for 120.3 rads and the like.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
22 Dec 2008
Posts
10,370
Location
England
Interesting. Thanks Bubo. I need to get full case shots up at some point, build thread is overdue an update. Plumbing is becoming a bit of a challenge, and no more hard drives or optical drives are likely to fit. There's definitely space for a reservoir though, and another 120mm radiator at a push.

The cpu block is an ek supreme, which probably makes 18W a better idea. You're right in thinking cpu temperatures are more important to me than the gpu clock, so the answer is probably to set the loops up separately and test the water temperature, then introduce a mixing chamber if the cpu water is hotter than the peripheral water when both are under load. Also see if I can shoehorn another 120 into the case, this may be able to cope with the heat load of both graphics cards (they're only 8800s after all).

Cheers
 
Back
Top Bottom