Good point about the flexibale tubing making removal of graphics cards etc that much easier.
The bends loops would have to be tight or used with offsets in order to connect some components as you say might look nice tho!
The use of hose clamps i don't think would be needed, the tube is designed to stand upto 10Bar about 147PSI. The tube itself when hot can be expanded to allow it to be pushed over fittings but it is a memory tube when it cools it will contract to its original dimensions gripping the fitting with surprising force.
Conduction of heat into or out of this tube is very low.
The restrictions of fittings such as elbows do factor in the water dynamics without doubt. There are other things also which should be taken into consideration such as the resistance within the water blocks them selves which could be many time more.
This become more and more extreem as water is feed to CPU block then GPU then Chip set etc each one getting less than the one before because of any restrictions and also getting pre-heated water.
Seems another form of restriction maybe the radiators as they are from what i can see 1/4" thread as is the reserviors and some blocks. So the use of a 1/2 bend or elbow would seem in the scale of things to have a smaller effect than maybe first considered.
So the use of a 1/2 bend or elbow would seem in the scale of things to have a smaller effect than maybe first considered.
But an effect all the same - if you're building for the best performance possible, than factor for it. If you're not, then ignore it... that's all down to the individual and thus entirely up to you. If you've selected blocks and radiators specifically to offer the lowest restriction, then you may as well ensure the piping methodology is the same...
System pressure drops can all be calculated and accounted for. All good manufacturers provide pressure drop data - this is used in "Martin's Flowrate Estimator" to provide a virtual tool to calculate loop flowrates based on PQ curves for popular components - find it over here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=151627
The outcome can then be used with radiator performance data (such as that found at www.thermochill.com/PATesting and www.thermochill.com/PATesting/dT15 ) to predict performance of the loop as a whole prior to build, and to assess airflow requirements for the given heatload (which can be deduced as a result of power consumption of the items being cooled in watts, but accounting for inefficiencies, so everything is judged heatload-wise as 75% of the total power consumption of that item). This is handy when aiming at a performance target... otherwise, most simply overbuild which can result in an excess of cooling power that isn't actually doing anything... the "perfect" watercooling system is based on a figure of efficiency more than anything else, factoring in a LOT of variables that differ from customer to customer.
1/4" regarding radiator fitting thread is the radius, not the diameter. A 1/4" BSP threaded hole is a 1/2" diameter hole. ThermoChill radiators use a 3/8" BSP threaded hole which equals 3/4" diameter hole. The pressure drop is a combination of the radiator's internal tube and endtank characteristics, partnered with the internal bore of the fittings used on the radiator.
ThermoChill radiators have the lowest pressure drop of all radiators available (specific to the design).
Quote:
1 - Pressure Drop - flow set at 4lpm at pump, pressure measured after radiator. % loss shown - smaller the loss, better the head pressure... listed best to worst.
With regards pressure drop of blocks, it balances out to be a constant within the loop at each point regardless of loop order. IE: Can move radiator to before a block or after a block, the pressure at the block itself will be the same regardless of the order of other components. All the data for the popular blocks can be found on the more advanced liquid cooling forums such as XtremeSystems or ProCooling, where presented data must generally be scientifically accurate before it is accepted (ie: obey laws of thermo and fluid dynamics, account for all the variables before making any conclusive performance statements, and be reproduceable theoretically, in simulation, and in real-life)...
With regards preheated water - you'll find the difference in water temp between the entry and exit of a block to be relatively miniscule and make little difference. Once equilibirium is achieved (which can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour from switchon depending on the system, hence most testing takes place over a long period to assure equibrium is reached otherwise if data acquisition begins before equilibrium, the produced data will be worthless) the temperature of the coolant thru-out becomes more or less constant (and thus performance is calculated by the difference between inlet water temp, and temp of the item itself, not inlet vs outlet temp)... Order of components in a loop makes little to no difference. Google "Watercooling Myths Exposed" for further info on this.
If its any help i've just about finished a rig with a couple of different loop styles.
Loop 1. CPU, GPU. modular loop. 1x pump, 2x 240 rads.
single pump splits the flow ino each rad so each block has its own rad. Yes this does reduce the flow rate by 50% but if the pump is rated at 750lph and the block manufacteres give an optimum flow rate of 220-250 lph there is no gain in having any higher. Also this prevents the temp of one block directly affecting the other.
Loop 2. Very similar except its split in to 3 groups, and serves mofsets,memory,north bridge and south bridge
If its any help i've just about finished a rig with a couple of different loop styles.
Loop 1. CPU, GPU. modular loop. 1x pump, 2x 240 rads.
single pump splits the flow ino each rad so each block has its own rad. Yes this does reduce the flow rate by 50% but if the pump is rated at 750lph and the block manufacteres give an optimum flow rate of 220-250 lph there is no gain in having any higher. Also this prevents the temp of one block directly affecting the other.
Loop 2. Very similar except its split in to 3 groups, and serves mofsets,memory,north bridge and south bridge
First a big Waterygrave.......And that sounds like a cool setup you have .......do you have any pics?
It's a shame you're gonna have to put a graphics and sound card in there as well .....looks so nice and open without
really like the UV Tubing and UV light you've chosen and the way you have them set up
Thank you.
Just adding a GTX 8800 Extreme right now. Also i changed all the tube on loop number 2 to U V blue earlier. But kept the green as stand by. You know what its like right
Should be all done by the weekend so I'll post for you to have a mooch and see if I've missed something.
Yep, as soon as its finished I'll put them here first along with specs.
Thanks again for the warm welcome.
Shiny is the one and only computer (thus far) that I've built. And whilst building it i decided to watercool it. It all worked but it was functional rather than flattering.
So this is the rebuild, after only 2 months of use poor thing. Do you guys find when reading posts, that anyone who is after advice will most likely log out of some forums even more confused than when he signed in?
Do you guys find when reading posts, that anyone who is after advice will most likely log out of some forums even more confused than when he signed in?
Welcome waterygrave, your in for a treat on this forum everyone is helpfull and friendly.
Like your setup, but after all that work you have put into it I absolutlely love the purple!! I'm hoping Vadims new machine might be a shiny purple or a patterened purple cut out.
Waterygrave.......And that sounds like a cool setup you have 
.......do you have any pics?
your at 3 now
.....Hello Shiny 
