What pump and where?

[lastsplash]

I'm trying to plan out my build but I'm not sure what pump to get or where to put it. Before I can continue planning I sorta need to make a decision!

So far this is what I've got planned...

The purple boxes are where I was thinking about putting a pump. I was thinking spot 2 or spot 4.

I'm also concerned about the space between the two video cards and the chipset and whether or not that's too tight of a space to use straight compression fittings and bending the tubes. What fittings and adapters would you recommend and where? I'd like to use compression fittings all-around, except for the PCH block (I don't HAVE to add it to the loop, either).

None of the WC hardware has been purchased yet so I'm open to suggestions on changing some of the parts.

 

[ZZLEE]

The pump should go between J And K . So in that set up 2 or 4 look good.

maybe a Bay type res ? Then pump where the res is ?

 

[Jackquelegs]

4 won't be a very good spot to put the pump since you'll have a very hard time getting the air out. Rule of thumb for WC, pump goes below res

My advice is #2 to get it out of the way of other components.

My personal favorite loop order is Pump> Rad> CPU> NB>GPU>GPU> Res>Pump

Beware that you may want to invest in a more powerful radiator if you don't want excessive noise. I can tell ya that the MCR320 will toast up like a cooling a loop like that

 

[lastsplash]

Alright, thanks for the input.

Here's revision 1...

I took the PCH block out of the loop, was too cluttered and not really necessary. I also took your advice on pump placement and decided to put it at the bottom. I lowered the res so the inlet/outlets are lower than everything but the pump (and made it a little bigger.)

I figure routing will go...

N L K A B F E G H I J M

 

[lastsplash]

R2. Still need to decide on a pump. I'm thinking an MCP655 with an EK pump top?

 

[Keywork]

Any pump will do really. Most people will tell you to grab either a 355 or 655 and almost any aftermarket top will do. Regardless of what triple rad you put up there, you will still have a difficult time obtaining good temps, especially considering you are planning on running an (OC'd presumably) i7 and 2 gtx 470's which are small little furnaces on their own. At least that's my 2C. Solid layout nonetheless! Once you go water you never go back!

 

[Jackquelegs]

R2. Still need to decide on a pump. I'm thinking an MCP655 with an EK pump top?

Whichever is cheaper IMO. I have a personal preference to the 655 vario, which even at the lowest setting can drive a loop like that easily and quietly

 

[KaptCrunch]

lastsplash yes go with D5 vario

question the rx360 flat on top the case or on the side of case

other is you want everything inside of case ? rad

 

[Prolab]

R2. Still need to decide on a pump. I'm thinking an MCP655 with an EK pump top?

+1. Thats exactly my setup ATM.

 

[Rison]

I wouldn't run the tubing the way you have it. Run the tubing with the least length required.

Temperature wise, it makes 0 difference if you put the Rad or Waterblocks first. No difference, i've tested this many times.

Go back to your idea of the 150 res, instead of 250. 250 just stores more water.. 150 takes up less room. It's not like you have to fill this thing once a week with a 150..

I prefer to have my pump underneath my res - because it makes for a shorter run, and you don't have to mount your pump to anything, you can hang it off the res. I borrowed the idea from another HWC'er, from their pictures and will always setup my loops this way.
In your first picture, the pump would be mounted at #3.

If N is your inlet to your pump, and M is your outlet (where the water flows out of..), then I would go:

M > G > H > F > E > A > B > K > L > J > I > N.
That is the most efficient tube run.

You will not be able to cross from G to F, it's impossible. There are 4 barb connections on the GPU block, two on each side, and stops for the other side (if that makes sense) so you can do a straight run from card to card.
On the newer EK 150/250 resevoirs (version 2), you can use the top plug to input from your rad - they have an internal tube so it doesn't do the "waterfall" effect. If you have a version 1, you can use an angled adapter at J to input from the rad.

If I were to build a loop from scratch, I would buy a pump, and the pumptop accessory with resevoir attached.. it's the smallest footprint available, and most efficient.

Pump: EK-DCP 4.0 High Performance Water Pump EK-DCP 4.0 [EK-DCP 4.0] - $59.99 : DazMode, Canadian PC Water Cooling and Modding Store
Pump top / res: EK-Reservoir Combo for DCP 4.0 Pump Only EK-Reservoir Combo DCP 4.0 [Combo DCP 4.0] - $37.99 : DazMode, Canadian PC Water Cooling and Modding Store

If you don't like the EK pump, you could go with the MCP655 + pumptop setup.