Click to view I used to think a truly high I used to think a truly high performance computer meant lots of fans and lots of noise. Then I discovered water cooling. If you really want to overclock your PC and push it to the brink of its power, water cooling is the best way to make that happen, while keeping the entire thing whisper quiet.
Music by Eric Skiff.
Why Water Cooling?
Water has a high thermal
conductivity, meaning it absorbs heat very easily—even moreso than air.
As such, it's a great candidate for cooling your system. Water cooling
works by running water over each of your components, transferring heat
from each part to a radiator that dissipates the heat and keeps the
water cool—almost exactly like your car's radiator does. This lets you
cool your processor, graphics card, and other hardware more effectively.
We've talked a bit about water cooling before, but prebuilt systems like the Corsair Hyrdo Series
can only take you so far. They're certainly quieter than most air
coolers, and they'll definitely give you lower temperatures than your
PC's stock fan, but if you really want silence and low temperatures, a
homebrew water loop is the best way to do it.
Water cooling is particularly
useful for those that perform resource-intensive tasks like video
editing and gaming. Not only will it keep your hardware cooler during
heavy loads (my temperatures went down by nearly 10 degrees), but it
gives you a ton of headroom if you decide to overclock your system, giving you the most power possible out of your components.
Water cooling isn't without
downsides, however. Water cooling has long been an enthusiast-only
endeavor, mostly because of its high cost and complexity. However, you
can buy all-in-one kits that cut your cost in half, and eliminate the
hours of research you'd otherwise have to do finding compatible parts.
Below, we'll show you all the parts you need for a water cooling setup
as well as how to put it all together. Check out the video above if you
want to see it in action, then head to the how-to below for more
detailed instructions.
What You'll Need
We're using this XSPC Raystorm RS240 all-in-one kit,
which costs about $150. You can buy your parts separately if you
choose, but know that the cost can jump up to $300 or more. The parts
you'll need include:
A Waterblock: This is the block that you mount on the hardware to be cooled. In this guide, we'll just be cooling our processor, but you can also find waterblocks for your graphics card, chipset, and other components. Note that while waterblocks for RAM and hard drives exist, they're not really necessary and won't give them much of a performance boost—water cooling is most useful for the processor and graphics card.
A Radiator and Fans: The radiator, coupled with its attached fans, is what actually keeps the water cool as it flows through your loop. Radiators come in multiple sizes, usually designed for a certain number of fans. The larger and thicker the radiator, the more effectively it will be able to dissipate heat. Our radiator is a 240mm fan (meaning you can attach two 120mm fans to it), but you can get smaller one-fan radiators or large 4-fan radiators. If you have a large enough case, you can mount them inside your computer, but smaller cases will usually require you to mount them externally.
A Reservoir: Your reservoir is what holds the liquid in the loop, and makes bleeding out bubbles easy. Most reservoirs require you to mount them inside your case using provided hardware, though some (like the one we're using) are designed to mount inside your 5.25" external drive bays.
- A Pump: Your pump is, obviously, what pumps the water in your loop. You can buy an external pump or a pump that attaches to certain reservoirs. In our case, we're using a pump that's built-in to our reservoir.
Fittings: You'll need two fittings for each component in your loop—the waterblock(s), the radiator(s), and the reservoir. These are what actually allow you to connect them to one another with tubing. You can use barb fittings, which are just a spout, or compression fittings, which contain a second piece you screw on for a super tight fit. They're better looking, but more expensive.
Tubing: Your tubing is what connects each component together, and it comes in multiple shapes and colors. When you buy tubing, make sure its inner diameter (ID) and outer diameter (OD) are compatible with the inner diameter and outer diameter of your fittings. Usually this means they should be the same size, but in some cases your tubing can be slightly smaller than your fittings if you want a tight fit.
Coolant and Additives: Lastly, you'll need a coolant, and you'll have to buy this separately even if you get a kit like the one mentioned above. You can buy all sorts of coolants with different properties, but we're partial to distilled water. It's just as effective as anything else, but it's super cheap, available at any grocery store, and has less of a chance of causing problems. You'll also want some additives for your coolant, which can include but are not limited to:
- A biocide, which keeps algae and other gunk from growing in your loop. PT Nuke is a popular brand. Alternatively, you can use a small piece of silver called a kill coil, since silver acts as a natural biocide. This is nice because it doesn't require you to add extra liquid to your coolant.
- An anti-corrosive, which is only necessary if you have multiple metals in your loop. Our loop contains a copper waterblock and a copper radiator, so we don't need this. But, if you used a copper block with an aluminum radiator, for example, you'd want an anti-corrosive like Fesser Base in your coolant.
- A drop or two of dish soap, which acts as a surfactant and can help you get rid of bubbles in your loop.
- Coloring, which we don't recommend using. Color additives have a tendency to gum up the works, so if you want color, we recommend getting some colored tubing instead.
If you're buying all your parts
separately, make sure to triple check that everything is compatible. If
you're unsure, ask around on forums like Tom's Hardware or
Overclock.net. I also highly recommend checking out DazMode's complete guide to water cooling on YouTube, as its incredibly informative on the finer points of each component.
How to Put It All Together
Once you've decided on all your
parts, it's time to put everything together. The process is a little
involved, and can be pretty scary at first—but as long as you go slow
and follow the instructions, you should have a safe water loop running
in no time. Again, to see the process in action, check out the video at
the top of this post.
Step One: Plan Out Your Loop
Before
you do anything, look inside your case and plan out how your loop is
going to work. Figure out where you can mount your reservoir and pump
using the included hardware, decide where your radiator is going to sit,
and in what order you'll connect all the parts.
Your reservoir should sit right
before your pump in the loop, so the pump never runs dry. If your
reservoir isn't built for a drive bay like ours is, you'll need to
either mount it on your case with the included hardware, or find a spot
to velcro it in place. The hard drive cage is often a good candidate for
this.
Once you've figured out where all
the parts go, decide how you're going to run your tubing. From the pump,
you can go to your radiator, then your waterblock, then back to the
reservoir. Alternatively, you can go to the waterblock first, then to
your radiator and back. Neither provides a clear performance improvement
over the other, so do whatever looks good to you and fits easily.
Keep in mind you may have to tweak
this setup once you actually start connecting your tubing, but at least
get a good idea of where you expect everything to go.
Step Two: Rinse Out Each Component
Next,
collect all your hardware and rinse it out. For your waterblock,
tubing, and reservoir, this is as simple as just running some distilled
water through it and dumping it out. Your radiator, however, is a bit
more complicated. Radiators can often come with a bit of debris left
over from manufacturing inside, so you'll want to give it a very
thorough rinse before you hook it up.
To do this, heat up some distilled
water and pour it into your radiator, filling it up about two thirds of
the way. Plug up the holes, and then shake it vigorously for a minute
or two. Dump the water back out into a bowl, and you may find that a lot
of debris comes out with the water. Repeat this process until the water
comes out clear.
Step Three: Install Your Hardware
Now
that everything's clean and ready to go, install your main components.
The waterblock will mount to your CPU the same way any other cooler
would: Add a small dab of thermal paste to the CPU, set the cooler on
top, attach the backplate to the back of your motherboard, and screw it
into place. When you screw it in, make sure to only give each screw a
few twists at a time, moving in a star pattern so that pressure is
applied evenly to your processor.
If you have a big enough case, you
can mount the radiator just by mounting it on the vent your fans
usually go, then screwing the fan to the radiator itself. If you have a
larger case, you'll likely mount it in the bottom. If neither of those
are an option, you'll need to mount it externally using the brackets
that come with it.
Mount your reservoir and pump
using velcro or the mounting hardware that come with them. If you have a
bay reservoir like the one we're using, just slide it into place and
screw it into the sides like you would a DVD drive.
Step Four: Connect Your Tubing
Now
that everything's in place, it's time to connect it all with your
tubing. Screw your fittings into each component, making sure they're
good and tight before you continue so you don't spring a leak. I like to
screw them in finger tight, then give them a small turn with a wrench
or pair of pliers to make sure they're snug.
Now, start connecting your tubing.
Slide one end of your tubing over a fitting, then measure how much
tubing you'll need to connect it to the subsequent component in the
loop. Mark it with your finger, and cut the tubing with a pair of
scissors. Cut it as straight as you can. Connect that end of the tubing
to the next component, and repeat this process with each piece of
hardware. Make sure you're connecting the tubing to the correct fitting
each time—your blocks, pump, and reservoir should each have a designated
inlet and outlet. It won't matter which holes you use on your radiator.
You may find during this step that
the tubing makes too sharp a turn, and kinks. This is bad for your
water flow, so you need to return to the planning stage and see if
there's a way to make that bend without a kink—sometimes giving yourself
some extra tubing solves the problem, but other times you'll need to
connect your components in a different order. To disconnect tubing from
your fitting, you may need to slice it with a razor blade where the two
connect—pulling them off is often very hard to do.
Step Five: Fill Up Your Loop
Once everything's connected, it's
time to fill up the loop. Some people recommend removing the loop from
your case and testing it on its own, but I prefer to just test it inside
the case. If you test it outside the case, you can still spring leaks
by moving it back in, so it doesn't give you a ton of extra security
against leaks. As long as you do everything slowly and correctly, you
shouldn't have a problem—just make sure to put some paper towel down
inside your computer, and if you do spring a leak, plug it up,
empty out your loop, and give your computer 24 hours to dry off. Most of
your hardware will be fine, even if you get a little water on it.
Before
you fill up, you'll need to jump your power supply. This lets you test
the pump and the fans without actually turning on the computer itself.
Disconnect the 24-pin cable from your motherboard, and connect the green
wire to the black wire using a paper clip, as shown above. Some kits
also come with a small adapter to serve this purpose.
Next, add your liquid additives to
your water, if applicable. Grab a funnel and put it in the reservoir's
fill port. Carefully pour your water in, filling the reservoir almost to
the top. Some may empty into the tubing, which is okay. Once the
reservoir is filled up, flip the power switch on the back of your
computer and let it run for a second. When your reservoir gets about
halfway down (1/3 of the way if you're using the XSPC pump/reservoir
combo), turn the computer off before the pump runs dry. It's very important to make sure your pump never runs dry,
as this can permanently damage your pump in a matter of seconds. Once
you've let a little water out of the reservoir, fill it up to the top
again. Repeat this process until the water level in your reservoir stays
constant. Double check your loop for any leaks, and if everything's
okay, you have yourself a working water loop!
Step Six: Test for Leaks and Bleed Out Air Bubbles
The
last step is to let the entire loop leak test for 24 hours. Let it run
and check back frequently to make sure it isn't leaking anywhere. During
these 24 hours, you should also find that a lot of the bubbles in your
loop will bleed out. You may need to tip, shake, or jiggle the case to
help this process along, as well as tap or pinch the tubing. Don't worry
if you have a few small bubbles left over, they'll go away in time.
Again, a drop or two of dish soap can help bleed out the bubbles as
well.
Once the system proves to be
leak-free, you can turn it off, reconnect your 24-pin motherboard cable,
close everything up, and start using your computer. You should find
that your computer's temperatures are much lower, and that you can run
the fans at much lower speeds, keeping everything much quieter. You'll
need to empty out the loop and rinse out the hardware about every 6
months, but for now, you're ready to overclock your processor, do some serious gaming, or just bask in the silent hum of your computer's new cooling system.
Further Reading
If you're ready to give water
cooling a try, that's great! I highly recommend doing a bit of extra
research, so you know everything backwards and forwards before you
start. Here are some other great guides that should help you learn more
about the process:
- Overclock.net's Water Cooling Guide for Beginners: A basic introduction to water cooling, good for those still deciding whether they want to get into it and what kind of parts are available.
- Overclockers' Beginner's Guide to Water Cooling Your PC: This guide goes through some less-talked-about points, like water cooling without a reservoir and choosing the perfect case.
- Tom's Hardware's Beginner Guide for Water Cooling Your PC: A good guide with lots of pictures for each step of the process
- Clunk.org's Water Cooling Guide for Beginners: A very, very detailed guide to picking parts and each step of the process.
I also high recommend these two video guides:
- DazMode's Complete Water Cooling Guide: This is a great run-through of the different parts you can buy and the pros and cons of each.
- NCIX Tech Tips' Ultimate Water Cooling Guide: This guide is awesomely over-the-top, so while certain parts may not apply to the beginner, it has a fantastic demonstration on the actual filling procedure.
And, of course, we have a few
water cooling gurus around here that know their stuff, so feel free to
ask questions in the comments below.
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