Computer Custom Water Cooling Loop Tips

 Custom Computer Watercooling Tips

• Radiator(s):

• If you are NOT going to overclock your system, I like to use a general rule of 120mm of radiator real estate for every part that is going to be cooled.
• If you ARE going to overclock the system, I like to use a general rule of 240mm of radiator real estate for every part that is going to be cooled.
• You can never have too big of a radiator for cooling using the rules above. You can however VERY easily have a system with too small of a radiator for its needed cooling. You can't have too much radiator surface area, so don't worry about having MORE than you "need".
• If you are mounting a radiator vertically for your water cooling loop, make sure that the fittings for the radiator's input/output are at the BOTTOM; closest to the bottom of the computer case!! This will allow better fluid circulation and prevent poor circulation that commonly occurs when you have the inlet/output of the radiator oriented at the top.

• Fittings:

• Soft tubing fittings use barbs to grab onto and connect with the appropriate tubing.
• Hard tubing uses a compression fitting to connect to its tubing.
• The collar of a hardline fitting is not what's responsible for sealing the connection with the tubing that it's being connected to.
• As long as the compression of the fittings and the tubing both match each other (ie: 10x13mm for the fitting AND for the hose/tubing being used), then you know the two will be compatible to create a water-tight seal between the fitting and the tubing.

• Fans:

• For airflow, some fans will have an arrow somewhere on the fan itself to indicate the direction in which air will flow when the fan is turned on.
• If there isn't a directional arrow/indicator, the rule of thumb that I like to use is that a fan's airflow is 99% of the time going to be moving from the "caged" side of the fain (where the fan is connected to and supported by the fan's frame), to the "non-caged" side. I know, super technical jargon is being used here... But it's a simple way to easily remember which direction a fan's air will flow!
• You can also buy/3D print a fan spacer to install between the fan and the radiator to help prevent naturally occurring turbulence due to the fan's proximity to the radiator.

• Tubing/Hoses:

• Hard tubing is the least porous and the least prone to water loss/seepage. But hard tubing is also the most difficult to work with due to the fact it needs to be heated and bent into needed shapes; which requires its own special tools and processes to complete.
• Soft tubing is not as "nice" as hard tubing as far as looks and performance are concerned, but it is MUCH easier to install, work with, and cheaper to buy/replace vs. hard tubing.
• Try to use low-porosity tubing to prevent liquid absorption/seepage/loss and leaking.

• Fluid/Liquids:

• Configure your loop with a drain port; preferably at the bottommost position of your loop.
• Try to install your pump directly under your reservoir, or use a reservoir/pump combo.
• Use DISTILLED WATER if you are not going to use any fancy-colored/specialized liquid.
• Add a little bit of a Biocide, like Iodine, to your liquid medium to help prevent bacteria or other organic growth
• DO NOT USE FOOD COLORING TO COLOR YOUR COOLING LIQUID!
• BEFORE you fill your loop with ANY liquid whatsoever, use a simple hand air pump to do a basic pressure test and make sure none of your tube connections or fittings blow out or come loose.
• DO NOT FULLY POWER ON YOUR SYSTEM TO FILL YOUR LOOP!
• Most loop kits come with (or you can purchase) a basic PC power supply "jumper" plug that will allow you to power the system at a very low lever, without actually fully powering the computer on.
• That way you can add fluid to your loop's reservoir, use the PSU jumper to power on the PSU and pump the fluid through the loop, and then just rinse/repeat until the loop is fully filled!

• Flow Order:

• Flow Order is the order in which you are going to cool the devices in your custom loop. 
• It doesn't really matter about what order you go in, and you DO NOT need a totally separate loop for each device being cooled. There might be a 2-3C temperature difference when daisy chaining devices together in a custom loop; nothing CRAZY. So it IS ok to go from a GPU to a CPU directly in a custom loop.
• An optimal Flow Order looks something like this when cooling a GPU & CPU:
  

Reservoir/Pump > 360mm Rad > GPU > CPU > 360mm Rad #2 > Back to Reservoir

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

Failing CPU AIO Water Cooling Loops

So for a few months now I have been seeing a WAVE of failing CPU AIO loops coming into the shop. A CPU AIO (all-in-one) is a pre-packaged device that will liquid-cool your CPU. It's a CPU water-cooling solution, that can be easily installed into a system without having to heat/bend tubing, install/test fittings, etc. The AIO combines the water block, radiator, tubes, fans, fittings, and pump into an all-in-one (AIO) package.

At first, most of the failing CPU AIO loops I was seeing, were related to iBuyPower systems using their own self-branded water-cooling loops. More recently, however, I am starting to see other CPU AIO loops, from other brands, failing as well. What gives? Why are these loops dying all of a sudden?

That's when it hit me; they all had one particular characteristic in common. 

I noticed that instead of the pump for the AIO being a part of the assembly that is directly attached to the CPU, the pump was actually installed in the RADIATOR!?!

But why would the pump for AIO be in the radiator and not on top of the CPU itself!? 
Having the pump directly on the CPU itself is the most efficient method for moving hot liquid away from the CPU! So what gives?!

Well after doing some research, I have found that the Danish company Asetek, actually developed and owns the patent(s) on what would be considered a modern-day CPU AIO water cooling loop. So when you see CPU AIO loops from Corsair, CoolerMaster, etc. The fundamental loop design is actually licensed from Asetek! Manufacturers may make some modifications, make some improvements, add some features, and add their own brand to the product. But that's it!
The core functions and design of a modern "CPU AIO Water Cooling Loop" are all patented by Asetek.

So what can manufacturers do to increase their profits and not have to pay Asetek any licensing fees??

Well, some manufacturers are deciding to switch to a different design of CPU AIO water cooling loop altogether. Not because it's more efficient, but likely just to avoid licensing feed. So by moving to a design where the main components have been moved around (more specifically the pump) manufacturers don't have to license the AIO functionality from Asetek, and more profits are to be had.

Brilliant! *shakes head in disappointment*

Because of this little money-making move? I am now seeing custom computers that are using these radiator-pump-based CPU AIO loops, and they are clogging/dying left and right. 
So when you are buying a custom-ordered system from a manufacturer, try to pay close attention to the design of the CPU AIO Loop they are using/installing, and make sure the pump used in the loop is located on the CPU itself, and not in the radiator. Even if you have to pay a little more for an upgraded AIO CPU water cooler... It will be worth it in the long run.

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NW Computers
www.pacificnwcomputers.com
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers