Cooling A bunch of watercooling questions

Mmkay, I'm in the process of getting my WC stuff up and going, so I'm gonna ask the same old things once more that I'm sure have been asked but oh well. Bare with me.

Here's the gear: (I bought it awhile back) http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18841

Swiftech MCW462-UH WaterBlock
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swifmcw462uh.html

BlackIce Extreme radiator (you all know which)

DangerDen blue cube Reservoir http://www.dangerden.com/images/reservoir/res3_large.gif

Danner 250gph Pump

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1. I've heard the block's inlet should always be lower than the outlet - is this true and why

2. Does the same thing apply for the reservoir and radiator

3. Does the orientation of the radiator matter - I want to put it on its side because it's so friggin' tall!

4. My flowpath: Pump -> CPU -> Res -> Rad -> back to pump.
Looks good to me - any suggestions?

5. I LAN alot - this sucker's gonna be heavy - how much should I be expecting this thing to weigh? And.. is there any special precaution other than be careful / don't drop it when transporting it.

6. And finally, are these waterblocks ok to disassemble to clean? I can see some leftovers that dried in the bottom I'd like to get out. Also, should I use any sealant or something on the waterblock's threads for the barb screw-in thingies?

7. Ha - I knew I would forget something: Which way is best for the fan on the radiator - blowing cool air through it or pulling it through. I've got it set up for pulling through right now.

I think that's all I've got for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more as I go along this next week.

 

1 I've never heard that, so??? Usually they can only be mounted in one orientation anyway.

2 Probably doesn't apply to the Rad, deffinetly not the Res. With the Res the inlet should be higher, the outlet lower.

3 Orientation shouldn't matter

4 I would do= Pump -> Rad -> CPU -> Res -> Pump. It should do better.

5 Precaution ::VERY HEAVY:: bring a dolly.

6 It's OK to dissasemble and clean. Use Teflon tape for barbed fittings.

7 One on either side, in a push-pull way, otherwise just a pusher is better

 

1.) Never herd this or thought about it....It all differs from block to block on mounting

2.) Resivor - Inlet on top :: Outlet on bottom , Radiator - it doesnt matter as long as water is flowing through

3.) As far as if the radiator is on its side or something no....As long as air can flow through it its all good

4.) I personaly use that flow design

5.) First of all never ever drop a computer period ....Weight depnds on the case, componets, ect...Shouldnt add that much weight though...

6.) Should be ok. Contact maker first. Might be some unknown seal shouldnt be broken ect...Usualy just soaking a block in stuff like CLR *calcium and lime remover* does the trick...If the threads on the barbs didnt come with any I dont suggest you put any on...Maybe seal around the outside with some Plumbers Goop *yes thats an actually product* to seal it up...

7.) Best method is to have 2 fans: one on each side...Blowing/sucking COLD air from outisde the case onto/through the radiator.....

 

Thanks to Both of you! Exactly what I wanted to hear.

And I love plumbers goop - I use that stuff for everything. The only problem I see is if I want to take the barbs off again..

And my case is the wonderful steel Chieftech that without the WC stuff already weighs 35 pounds and I'm sure the WC stuff is another 5 or more.. Glad I'm putting big handles on it.

I'll get some pisc up in a day or so.

 

Maybe just put some silicone on there then....The problem with tape is that it increases the size of the barb and if you have a poly top itll crack it...

 

With the swifty, you want the inlet in the centre, and just make sure you install it so as not to foul on the socket lever housing.

As for flow design, this is one of the most commonly asked questions. I have started instructing people as follows.

Arrange your components where you want them, then connect them with the shortest length of tubing and the least bends/right angles. This will increase the flow through the loop, put less strain on the pump and increase the efficiency of the block and the radiator. Optimising your setup for the highest flow rate is more important than the order of your components.

If you must order it any way, have the pump after the res. They are notorious for killing the static pressure of the water, affecting flow through the block. Basically, the pump will be pushing water through the loop up until the res, and then sucking water after the res. You want to be pushing water through the block, though the radiator doesn't matter so much.

So basically, you want pump-block-res in that order in the loop, and the radiator can go anywhere, between any of the above components, just make sure it minimises 90 degree bends and length of tubing.

Hope this is useful.

8-ball

 

Yes, thanks.

Just tonight when I took the block apart to clean it, I discovered something.. One of the screws holding the block together seemed loose when I started to unscrew it - then the screw, or the screw head rather fell out with the shaft buried in the top. It's going to be a pain to get that out.

I took a bunch of pics. I should have them up soon.

 

Alrightey. After it took me 30 minutes to find out that my FTP was working after all (it was case sensitive and I didn't know it) here are some (alot) of pics.

1. Here's the block - and a coke can next to it for size comparison. You don't realize how big these things are until you see one.


2. Here's my nifty case while I work on my real one. Ain't it pretty?


3. Here's the inside of the block:


4. And the door - I've left some of the protective film on it until the rest is done.


5. I tried to pick a case color that matched the block - I got pretty close.


6. And another of the front:


7. I also painted the PSU backplate, some PCI card blanks and most of the cases screws.


8. The back:


9. Here's the Radiator & Pump:


10. The top of the case:


11. The Side:


12. The top, bottom, and case feet:


13. And the broken screw:


14. And my pathetic attempts at fixing it, as well as my crappy camera not being able to decide exactly what to focus on..


That's it for now. BTW: If it looks like some of the panels look fuzzy and greyish, it's just metal dust from cutting and sanding all over them. I'm going to have to wash them off before I can touch them so I don't scratch them to peices.