Custom open loop H20 cooling

Been thinking of going open loop now that I have the case and room.

What is your opinion on open loop?

Have you run open loop before?

What are running in your rig and do you overclock?

By open-loop, I assume you mean custom water cooling, using radiators, pumps, blocks, and tubing...

indeed. opened servicable as opposed to sealed non-servicable/customizable loops

[dflynn]

it depends, it seems that most closed systems are pretty reliable and efficient these days, not sure what the benefit would be.

it depends, it seems that most closed systems are pretty reliable and efficient these days, not sure what the benefit would be.

word on the street is ... with nice thick all copper radiators your CPU/GPU/MOBO (which ever your custom set up includes) runs cooler allowing to achieve safer/better overclocks and reduces thermal throttle better than sealed systems.

For me .... being able to liquid cooling to my GPU so it doesn't thermal throttle is enticing. Running at 4K makes my graphics card run at 100% some times and gets hot. I haven't noticed it thermal throttle, but i'm sure it is from time to time during intense gaming.

I have also heard that when living in a warm climate , like Southern California , a custom loop can be beneficial because of the sheer volume of fluid and added size and quantity of radiators offers more surface area to dissipate heat.

To be honest though i'm not sure it's worth the hassle and cost for custom loop and I really don't see any downside to say a Corsair H110 GTX sealed unit. Would be nice to water cool my GPU though.

Do they make custom water blocks for the R9 290x though? I know they do for the 980

[(TKC)-o]T3[o]

I'm more than happy with my Corsair h100i but yeah, I only cool my CPU.

Same here, my H60 does good enough job for my CPU.

Do they make custom water blocks for the R9 290x though? I know they do for the 980

Yes they make waterblocks for R9 290 and 290x, same block . They run about $95 and cool the vrm and gpu. I plan on going crossfire when I can afford it and thas alot of heat in my case so watercooling makes sense, or at a minimum help to protect my investment and maintain performance.
Can also get a backplate with water blocks adding to a nice looking rig.

i use to run a custom loop in several of my old rigs, i say go for it!
few tips:
measure out how long your loop will be and make sure the pump's head pressure exceeds it.
try and stay away from 90 degree bends. you will raise the pressure of your loop and at lower your flow. the faster the liquid moves the faster it can whisk away the heat.
LEAK TEST! LEAK TEST! LEAK TEST! once your loop is filled and you have gotten rid of all the air pockets, run the pump for atleast 24 hours and watch for leaks.

cpu only loop (pump > Radiator > CPU block > reservoir > pump:


this one i went with as short of a loop as possible to keep the flow as high as possible. the water block i was using required high flow, but i wanted to make sure the liquid going to the block was as cool as possible. this is accomplished by putting the radiator before the block. i loose some flow but make up for it with cooler liquid. remember the pump dissipates its heat into the liquid as well.


and the last one. this one the CPU block required A LOT of pressure. it was a special design the used tiny jets to shoot water into small copper cups. still one of the best designs out there but is no longer being made.

i use to run a custom loop in several of my old rigs, i say go for it!
few tips:
measure out how long your loop will be and make sure the pump's head pressure exceeds it.
try and stay away from 90 degree bends. you will raise the pressure of your loop and at lower your flow. the faster the liquid moves the faster it can whisk away the heat.
LEAK TEST! LEAK TEST! LEAK TEST! once your loop is filled and you have gotten rid of all the air pockets, run the pump for atleast 24 hours and watch for leaks.

cpu only loop (pump > Radiator > CPU block > reservoir > pump:


this one i went with as short of a loop as possible to keep the flow as high as possible. the water block i was using required high flow, but i wanted to make sure the liquid going to the block was as cool as possible. this is accomplished by putting the radiator before the block. i loose some flow but make up for it with cooler liquid. remember the pump dissipates its heat into the liquid as well.


and the last one. this one the CPU block required A LOT of pressure. it was a special design the used tiny jets to shoot water into small copper cups. still one of the best designs out there but is no longer being made.

Cool pics man ....

Thanks for the tips.

I'm a little unclear how to calculate required flow based on length. I understand that when you increase the volume of fluid is to be moved and choke points the more pressure needed but do you mean just make sure you are getting flow when its all said and done or ....????

I'm almost thinking of doing a Hybrid system and run sealed Corsair H100i or better cooling for my cpu and custom water cooling my gpu. This would cut cost and from what you are saying about pressure ... maximize efficiency. I have a horrible habit of thinking outside the box though. Thoughts?

Also , this likely won't happen anytime soon just planning my next steps and deciding ahead what route to take.

i measured for my pump by just measuring the tubes i was using and double the length of the radiator. as long as your head pressure rating on the pump is higher then the length it should be fine. a D5 pump should be plenty for most applications as it has a head of 12 feet and is what i used for all my loops. actually that same pump has be re-used in all my builds and still runs strong.
you want flow. better the flow the better your system will run. when you have high pressure, the pump has to work harder and those areas of your loop will be more vulnerable to leaking.

here are a few links to help you out:
this one has lots of guides: http://www.overclock.net/t/226970/updat ... eads/0_100
if you need parts these guys are awesome: https://modmymods.com/