New PC build - my very first custom loop watercooling system

T'Tan · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 7:49 PM

Hi fleet,

I like to share my latest private project: I always wanted to build a watercooled PC. Here it is:

If there is some interest, I can add a few more pics from building it.

Petrarch · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 7:53 PM

I've never trusted myself with a water cooling setup and the great graphics card shortage/pandemic stalled my refurb, so let's have some pics!

Arno12 · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 8:02 PM

I admire those who attempt a custom loop, I'm too scared to even try, but yeah post those Pics!

Bridger · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 8:02 PM

Very Nice, well done!

Sul-Matuul · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 8:48 PM

What fans are those? I love the blue glow.

I've never been brave enough to try a custom loop but I do have a AIO unit to cool my rig and it does an amazing job. I'll never go back to plain old air-cooled!

Taku · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 8:54 PM

I built an open-air rig with massively oversized heat sinks and fans a while back. I have been a big fan of that style ever since. I get the efficiency and style of water cooling.

But, is it coolant filled or just water?

The next step? Submerged computing!! My open-air style would work so well with a submerged build. But I'm broke. So I shall instead "Ooh" and "Aahh" at yours.

Ooooh! Aaaah!

Now, post more pictures.

Sul-Matuul · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 9:29 PM

Originally Posted by Taku

I built an open-air rig with massively oversized heat sinks and fans a while back. I have been a big fan of that style ever since. I get the efficiency and style of water cooling.

But, is it coolant filled or just water?

The next step? Submerged computing!! My open-air style would work so well with a submerged build. But I'm broke. So I shall instead "Ooh" and "Aahh" at yours.

Ooooh! Aaaah!

Now, post more pictures.

It's normally a mixture of water/glycerine, at least in the ready built systems you buy off the shelf. Water alone would evaporate over time causing you issues.
Some of the coolant with slowly leach out through the hoses though, but this takes years to even be noticeable.
At least with a custom loop you can top up the levels if needed.

T'Tan · Posted Thu 22 Apr, 2021 10:07 PM

Thanks guys!

I was shaking when first filling some coolant into the system. Reason for watercooling is mainly because I use the system inside our TV rig. So basically the only option to get heat out is to transfer it to the open back of the TV rig. There is a door at the front (you'll see in the pictures).

As I had some experience from work where we experimented with hydraulic circuits for a project, I was confident enough to try this for the first time.

Here are the specs of my build. It evolved around my lucky graphic card purchase. Despite crisis I found a 3070 with built-in EK waterblock for just over 1000 €. Still not cheap at all, but normally the waterblock alone is around 180 €.

Specs:
- VGA: ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 EKWB, RTX3070-8G-EK, 8GB GDDR6
- Motherboard: ASUS Prime Z490M-Plus
- CPU: Intel Core i5-10600KF, 6C/12T, 4.10-4.80GHz
- RAM: G.Skill Trident Z Neo DIMM Kit 32GB, DDR4-3200, CL16-18-18-38
- SSD : Kingston A2000 NVMe PCIe SSD 1TB, M.2
- PSU: GIGABYTE P750GM 750W ATX 2.31
- Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic
- Riser: Lian Li Riser Card

Custom loop:
- VGA waterblock: built-in EKWB
- CPU waterblock: EK Water Blocks Quantum Line EK-Quantum Velocity
- Pump/reservoir: EK Water Blocks Classic Line EK-Classic 260 SPC PWM D-RGB Acryl with EK-RES X3 Multiport top
- Radiators: 2x MagiCool 360 G2 Slim
- Rad fans: 6x Arctic P12 PWM PST
- Case fan: 3x Lian Li BR Lite RGB
- Tube: Alphacool AlphaTube HF, 13/10mm, clear
- Fittings: various Alphacool HF
- Liquid: Aqua Computer Double Protect Ultra, blue

Overall, I ended up with just under 2500 €. Could have been cheaper? Sure, but it was immense fun putting this together and still makes me giggle everytime I turn it one and see my blue waterfall in this thing which looks close enough to a warp core for my eye.

Originally Posted by Sul-Matuul

What fans are those? I love the blue glow.

the RGB fans in the bottom are Lian Li BR Lite. I'm still waiting for a few last parts to control RGB colours better (I ♥♥♥♥ed up by mixing 12V 4-pin RGB and 5V 3-pin ARGB parts with only one RGB strip header on the mainboard.

Originally Posted by Petrarch

so let's have some pics!

Originally Posted by Arno12

yeah post those Pics!

Originally Posted by Taku

Now, post more pictures.

Coming very soon TM.

jdcollins · Posted Sun 25 Apr, 2021 2:11 PM

Very nice!

T'Tan · Posted Fri 11 Jun, 2021 6:30 AM

Sorry für the delay and my inactivity. I had two very rough months - lost my job and such.

I hope to deliver more pictures of the building process this weekend.

NightZombie · Unlocked Mon 21 Mar, 2022 8:02 PM

Yeh it does look cool, but i dont really like liquid cooling. My first and only water cooling system i had.. I tested the system for leaks but for some odd reason i was filling up the tank almost daily.. i checked the entire system. One of my customers was using water cooling and after a couple years all the seals gave out and liquid pourd out over the graphics card motherboard hard drives and the DVR card which like R4700 for a card .. on 2 pcs it happened so he asked me to remove it from his other machines. so i dont trust water cooling much.. unless you can find a liquid that has 0 conductivity .. but it does look really nice though

New PC build - my very first custom loop watercooling system

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