How does this setup sound?
 

Alright im getting all the attached in the attached image plus a maze3 (w/ chrome fittings and metal mounting screws) and a bay reservoir. You know the ones that fit in your 5 1/4 bay. I wanted to know if this system is any good or not. Or whether to go closed looped or with a res? I dont feel like bleeding for a week. Thanks in advance and comments are welcome. Also does anyone know if the bay res is any good?

Wow, that looks eerily like the system I am just about to assemble for myself. Have all the parts I need on order. My only difference is the waterblock. So... apparently, in my pre-use perceptions, I think it sounds good, or else i would not be getting it.

$66 for a small painted HC, ouch!

have you though of a HC, i bought a brand new GM copper HC for 49cdn and painted it black. the only problem with a normal HC is the size and fitting it in the case, also the barbs might have to be redone. but if you know how to solder you can change the hose fittings yourself and save alot of money.

if room is an issue for you, stick with the bix. i know people bitch about them a lot, but for a starters system, theyre pretty damn easy to mount and they dont take up much space and cool pretty well.

maze3. are you getting the plexi top or the copper top? I would get the plastic fittings instead of the chrome or brass, especially if youre getting the plexi top. btw, the plexi top sucks, mine cracked and spilled water on my vid card and motherboard. i would recomend you get the copper top and plastic fittings (the brass fittings will oxidize over time).

I have a BIX , but i can tell you that those fan mouting holes suck. They're hardly standard , i had a lot of trouble trying to find a screw that fitted and wasnt long enough to damage the fins right behind it. You gotto be carefull with that. Most stores dont accept returns with leaks and damaged fins in the screws area.

Anyway, i like the radiator, nice, small and has good temps. :)

Why is this post here? Hopefully an admin will move it.....

Brian W

Would it be risky to bend the fins out of the way behind the screwholes, and run the screws completely through the radiator? OK, you loose the warranty, but do you loose the entire radiator as well? As far as I´m told thats the way to mount a fan to a heater core. Happy for all suggestions on fan/radiator mounting.
regards
Mikael S.

I've seen that being done, but with a regular HeaterCore. Havent seen it with a BIX. Might work.

The problem with the fan mouting holes is that they are smaller then they should (imo). Trying to put a screw from one side to the other should prove to be somewhat difficult. I used (like i said before) screws small enought not to damage the BIX, and secured the fans to the shroud .

To try to do something like that, i guess you need to find a 3mm (diameter) screws with at least 50mm lenght to clear across the BIX. GL.

Just get the smallest Threaded Nylon Rod that they sell @ www.mcmaster.com, along with the appropriate size Nylon washers and nuts. Works great for me and my Dtek Core.

Brian W

Yea I had the BIX before and couldnt find screws that fit. I tried like 6 different times. If anyone knows the exact size please tell me. And yes size is important to me I have a chieftech midtower and figured I would put this in the front after a little bit of modding.

Also sorry for being in the wrong topic I noticed that after I posted.

Well I have the nylon bolts here from my old maze2 block thats why I decided to get the metal mounts. I heard that the nylons will get loose after a while? I guess thats not true though. What do you guys think about those bay reservoirs?

Also for the loop I was thinking

Pump > Water Block > Rad > Res >Pump

Does that sound right?

Not that it matters much, but lots of people seem to say have the Rad right before the waterblock, so it is as cool as possible going into the block.

I have ordered the res, i plan on installing it this weekend, so cant really comment, other than i had been trying to get one made for a while and finally got it.

Hehehe. Loop order...
Not exactly consenus in that topic, right?
Pump -> Rad -> WB gives lower water temps in the WB.
Rad -> Pump -> WB gives less pressure drop from pump to WB.
Both give lower CPU temps.
Both dotrines have strong followers.
Try both and see what works best in your system. That´s all that matters.
regards
Mikael S.

That setup sounds really good to me for a watercooling setup, you're using a good pump, block, and radiator. Can't go wrong at all with those parts

>If anyone knows the exact size please tell me

The ones i found that fitted are ~3mm diameter, regular screw with 1mm between the dents. I dont think it helps much. I had to trim just a little off the end to avoid them to hit the BIX fins. The downside of that was i had to test alot of different screws to find one that fitted. The paint in and near the mouting holes is all chipped. :rolleyes:

Someone should be able to back me up on this one but;

Unless you are watercooling every component in your system, the water will only vary by 1-2 degrees throughout the loop. You will see a better benefit by arranging the loop so that you have the rad in a location where it is getting cool air drawn through it, and the components are connected in such a fashion that bends and lengths of hose are minimised.

If having achieved this, there is still a degree of flexibility in your arrangement, then I would suggest putting the rad before the block.

Also remember, that the flow rate will be constant throughout the loop. The different components in the loop will each contribute to the total backpressure, at which pressure, the pump will be able to produce a given flow rate.

Reduce the backpressure by cutting out on the number of fittings/bends etc, and the flow rate will increase, improving the efficiency of all heat exchangers (ie waterblocks AND radiators)

Hope this helps

8-ball

Alright thanks everyone ill probably order this in about a week or so then. Anyone have any experience with the bay res? or is closed loop the way to go?

i would personally recommend you go closed loop, much easier to bleed the air out that way.

umm...I think your mistaken it takes much longer and is harder in a closed loop than with a reservoir.

nope, closed bleeds the air much faster. i've had two different resivoirs, and was never able to completely bleed the air out. theres a thread out right now about someone who has problems with foam who's using a resivoir. with my current closed loop system, i can completely bleed all the air out within an hour or so.

wow nice, They just made a new rev. of the dd res because of the vortex problem.

My system has the reservoir at the very top of the case. My system bled all air in under 30 seconds. I do not think it really matters what setup you use, as long as you allow air to collect out of the loop.....


Brian W

alright cool...I think im gonna go with a res just because the bay res will look cool after I mod my case too.