mixing components with different fitting sizes

[mrpg]

Heya Guys,

Some noob questions here, I'm throwing together my first h2o kit and I've based my decisions partly on performance and price/available deals to get the following;

Blocks;
2x Swiftec AMD CPU Blocks
1x Swiftec NVidia GPU Block

These blocks have 1/2" fittings. I've chosen Black Ice as for my radiator, I would like to get the micro because of area constraints in my case but it has 3/8 barbs and before I get it I'm curious as to the affect it will have on the performance of my system.

1/2" blocks/tubing/reservoir/etc and then to introduce 3/8" fittings at a critical part in the loop. My logic, albeit ignorant, tells me 3/4" is practically 1/2" and not enough of a change to affect pressure or any other factors in performance to the point I would gain few degrees.


Sorry for the novel

Anyone insight into my dilemma would be appreciated.

[kibbles]

1/2" tubing has a 33% greater diameter, and that means a 78% greater cross-sectional area.

[pHaestus]

if you are thinking about cooling 2 CPUs and a video card then I hope you are thinking about using more than one BI Micro. If using 2 then you can get 1/2" Y splitters and run them in parallel. 3/8" Tygon should go over the 1/2" Y barbs, especially if you put the end of hose in near boiling water. Then you can use 1/2" hose except for the small runs from radiators to Y. Since this run is in parallel then it isn't as big of a flow rate killer.

[mrpg]

Thanks for the reply

I'll take you advice and go for BI2/X instead in a series. I was thinking of the following layout;

BIX(1) <y splitter>;
y 1> gpu block
y 2> BIX(2)

BIX(2) <y splitter>;
y 1> cpu 1
y 2> cpu 2

Still a bit more reading and planning to be done. I'm working with limitted space and I'd like to keep all my kit inside the case.