Hello all I'm planning to install my first water cooling kit on a Asus Blitz Formula Mobo. I'm gonna put tubing on the mobo chipset cooler and CPU. I would like to know what's the best tubing loop setup and if it's any effective to use different kinds of tubes as I got two different radiator with different types of racors. So my set up includes: 1x Radiator for 3.8" tubes 1x Radiator for 5mm tubes 1x WC Block for 3.8" tubes 1x Chipset cooler for 3.8" tubes (the one that comes with ASUS blitz formula) 1x pumb for 3.8" tubes 1x tank for 3.8" tubes I'm planning to install the 3.8" radiator on the back of the case and the other one in the front. However I'm not sure if it's effective in terms of WC performance if I use both types of tubing. Obviously i'm gonna use some sort of converters to change 3,8" to 5mm size. Don't tell me to change the radiator racors cause I can't as these radiators come from premade WC kits. I assume that if the diameter of the tubes is less the water flow is faster, am I right ? Thanks
5mm is almost half the diameter of 3/8", which means it will be doubly (possibly quadratically, if Physics has cunningly snuck a square-law in there somewhere) more restrictive to your water flow. The waterflow would be faster if the pump is perfect and can supply constant pressure, however realistically your flow rate will suffer rather dramatically if you stick a 5mm section in the 3/8" circuit - you'll be limited pretty much to what the pump is capable of squirting through the 5mm section.
well ok we throw out the 5mm racor radiator. What can i do with the rest of the components ? What's the best way I can connect them. Any sort of diagram (even made with windows paint ) would be much appreciated. thanks
Definitely get rid of the RAD with 5mm barbs. You'll also need to install either a reservoir or a T-line for filling the system; this should be the last item just before the pump. For loop order I'd probably go pump --> CPU --> chipset --> RAD --> Res/T --> pump
Doh.. forgot to mention the reservoir..I got one already . I was thinking about the same order but currently with air cooling my chipset is hotter than my cpu so maybe i'll go pump-->chipset-->cpu-->...etc would it make any difference if i reverse the order of cpu and chipset?
The chipsets usually run hotter than the CPU anyways. Loop ordering won't make a large difference in temps as long as the radiator is big enough to dissipate all the heat provided by the CPU and chipsets; so the best is to lay it out so that you have the shortest/cleanest tubing runs.
Cunningly the pressure loss depends on d^1, the flow maximum speed depends on d^2 and flow volume depends on d^4.
If i'm correct this means that if the tubes are bigger in diameter, the flow speed and volume is better but if you go too far with the diameter of tubes you loose presure.
Difference in performance between various tube sizes is minimal. See http://www.over-clock.com/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=23 ...a difference of just 0.44 degrees C between full bore 1/2" ID hose and 1/4" hose.