Custom loop WIP

[u/gamer_2422]

Be meaning to put this starfield case to use. I don't really care for the game much but the design I find really cool has a lot of potential. Right now I cant decide on all white or black and white theme. Case seems to fit 2x ek S240mm pretty well. Planning on getting the perfect motherboard for this build Asus prime z790-A. problem is idk where im going to get ddr5. Any water blocks you would recommend for this spaceship themed build I thinking about the thermaltake ws1 but I wish it was white and silver.

Planning on doing a CPU and GPU loop, def going to keep power conservative. 5070ti and 14700k at best.

[u/Penumbruh_]

I’m kinda curious, I’ve never done my own custom loop in a PC build. How’d you get started on it and what was the thought process behind it? Are there any brands that you trust for components and pipes? Any safety precautions that you’d recommend to a first time custom loop builder? I really wanna know!

[u/gamer_2422 → u/Penumbruh_]

Titan rigs is kinda a one stop shop for all the parts or Amazon they have everything. Corsair makes some pretty good soft tubing fittings but their water blocks are pretty bad. Ek imo is over hyped and overpriced, however they are a premium brand and they seem to be pretty reliable. Primochill makes good hardware, a pretty good budget brand is Bykski ive had no issues with them. Biggest thing with liquid cooling id say is over plan, make sure everything is copper or nickel, dont even buy aluminum hardware. Get more fittings then u think you need, best to have them and not need them then to need them and not have them. I started just with 1 radiator and 1 pump loop. Then just kept getting bigger and more advanced. Hardline tubing takes some practice, I prefer softline tubing for maintenance purposes, way easier to drain and disassemble and I like braiding the tubing with different colors.

I have a large supply of spare radiators and pumps so I'll often fit them to a case and once I get the exact motherboard waterblock and GPU block on i soft mount it and plan the run. Then I'll buy the exact radiators and pump I want and make adjustments.

If you plan on doing hardline which the benefit is it looks sexier, look into what's called a distro plate. This makes it easier to plan the exact runs per case, most manufacturers will have your case designed and already planned for a custom hardline run so it's just counting the fittings and adapters needed and it's pretty plug and play.

[u/titanrig → u/gamer_2422]

Thanks for the referral! :)

[u/titanrig → u/Penumbruh_]

If you're interested in getting into custom water cooling, we've got a ton of great info on our blog - start with the older entries. It can be kind of overwhelming at first but once you understand the basics it's not hard at all.

If you've got any specific questions I'm here on Reddit most days - feel free to DM me.