Watercooling an existing build

Beta Ray Bill

So before I start, I'm doing this for learning/laugh/eye candy. I'm not gonna be overclocking.

Current Build

Case: Lian Li O11 XL
Fans: Lian Li Uni Fan SL (not V2) x 10
CPU Cooler: Lian Li CPU AIO with 380mm Rad
Controller: 2 Lian Li Fan/RGB controllers
MBoard: x570e
CPU: AMD 5950x
GPU: Sapphire Nitro 7900xtx

So I've a few questions/observations:

1: The price of the stuff from EK or Corsair is outrageous. Thermaltake and Alphacool are options, any other manufacturers?
2: Distro plate or Reservoir?

So if I use a distro plate you essentially block of a full 380mm air intake, but you potentially have move convenience, possibly better heat dispersion given the large surface area
If you use a standard Reservoir you keep the 380mm opening for a rad or fans, put potentially have more piping to do.

I'd like to hear experiences on both. Is the flow rate different on the Distro plates vs the Pumps?
Do I need new controllers for the pumps or are they USB 9 pin jobs?

3: I'm gonna be hard piping, I've watched the vids and I've plumbed some of the radiators in my house so I'd say I'll be grand. I just wanna make sure my strategy is sound so the plan was:

If using a pump/reservoir:
GPU -> Rad -> CPU -> Rad -> Pump

If you using a Distro plate
GPU -> Rad -> Plate -> CPU -> Rad - Plate

Spear

EK may not be around much longer, it may advisable to steer clear of them for now. A shame as I've always used their waterblocks, and never had an issue.

Bitspower and Bykski offer much cheaper options and seem to have decent reputations. I've never used them personally, so you may want to read up on them first.

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122578568#Comment_122578568

I've read about the Bykski stuff before, seems decent

So I need:
Distro plate
PETG Tubes
CPU Block
GPU Block
Rad x 2
90 Degree Connectors x 6
Bending Tools (Angles plus Silicon Pipe plus heat gun plus pressure tester)
Coolant

What else do I need?

Note, PC currently looks like this:

Spear

Have you decided how you'll drain it? Through the distro plate base? You may want a drain valve fitting attached permanently there, or in line elsewhere.

You may also want a biocide or anti corrosive additive too.

Beta Ray Bill

I thought the coolants had biocide and anti corrosion additives already.

Do I need to think about electrolysis?

Doe the distro plats come with the required fittings or do I need to buy them separate?

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122581420#Comment_122581420

It'll depend upon what coolant you go for, best to make sure though.

You should always avoid mixing metals, e.g. copper with aluminium. I go with all copper for my blocks and rads accordingly. I still add a drop of anti-corrosive to play safe.

I can't comment on the distro plate accessories, I don't use them as there's none for my giant case, and it wouldn't be visible anyway.

Beta Ray Bill

Bit the bullet and ordered the stuff from https://bykski.eu/

2 Rads, CPU Block, GPU Block, pipes, fittings and a big distro plate.

Haven't decided on a colour for the coolant.

After ordering the CPU block I realised I'm gonna have to remove the entire board to get the back plate on…. gas.

Few hours work to complete it I'd say.

Beta Ray Bill

GPU Block arrived today
Looks tidy:

knobtasticus

You’re presumably looking to keep the tube runs as simple as possible and it seems like you’re also looking to minimise the amount of tube bending with all those 90 degree fittings. What type of tubing did you buy? Regardless, I wouldn’t be expecting to get the job done in a few hours. Take your time and plan your runs well. Be sure to flush out the radiators extensively (with warm distilled water) before use. This isn’t optional. New rads are full of gunk from the manufacturing process and that gunk will end up stuck in the fins of your blocks if you don’t flush it out first. Rinse them into a white coloured container so that you can monitor the amount of black crap coming out with successive rinses.

Lube your tube insert with a dip into some water/washing-up liquid mix before inserting it into the tube. When heating a tube, mark the centre of the bend and heat the tube a good 2-3 inches either side of this mark so that the whole area bends rather than stretches and thins.

Using a Distro plate cuts out any need for component → radiator or component → component runs. Everything runs direct to and from the distro plate. That’s the point of it. The entire loop will temperature-equalise rapidly when in-use so loop order is irrelevant. There’s no need or benefit to positioning rads in between components in the loop order.

Most pre-mixed coolants will already contain the required biocide and anti-corrosive additives but like the other poster said, check and make sure. Coolant can be nasty stuff. Wear gloves.

You will absolutely make a balls of your first cut and/or bend. All part of the experience. After you’ve done a couple of tubes, you’ll get a decent feel for the whole process. Don’t set the heatgun too high. Slow and steady heating is the way to go. Too high and you’ll get bubbles in the tube.

When it’s all done and you want to pressure-test, remember that you’re looking for water-tightness, not air-tightness. If you pressurise the loop with air and it holds the pressure for 10mins, you’re good. Fill her up. Lots of people notice their loop test shows it losing air after 20+ mins and think they’ve a problem. Not so.

You’ll want to jump the ATX 24-pin to power the pump without the cable plugged into the mobo. You can do this yourself with a short bit of wire. Guides online will show which 2 pins to jump. Run the pump in short bursts as you fill and make sure the pump doesn’t run dry at any stage. The loop will be full of bubbles as the fluid circulates for the first few hours. Gradually these bubbles will work their way back to the reservoir. Tilting the case in various directions can also help shift air trapped in the rads. Over the first few days of your loop, the fluid level in the reservoir will noticeably drop. This is normal as air escapes. Top it up.

Enjoy!

Beta Ray Bill

Update:

Bykski have not dispatched the rest of the components, well over 2 weeks after ordering at this stage.
Not impressed.
Radio silence on emails too.