Want to water cool cpu and gpu? custom loop

[jadequeen]

so i'm thinking about getting the ek-kit l240 for cooling my 4790k and my msi gtx 970
here's a link to the product: https://shop.ekwb.com/ek-kit-l240-1

ive never had a custom loop before just aio, currently i'm using the h100i but it's pump is whining so loud!
so if i wanted to expand this kit by cooling my gpu also, what would i need exactly? do i just need a waterblock for the gpu? is the pump going to be enough to pump through the cpu and the gpu?
im completely new to this

 

[getochkn]

I would look at the 360 kit if you case can fit a 360 sized rad as it would give better cooling with a bigger radiator.

Yes you would need a GPU block as well. http://www.ekwb.com/configurator/waterblock/3831109830697 Those are for MSI 970's but it depends on your exact board/revision.


I also moved your thread to overclocking forum as this is where most of the "water" people like to hang and talk, so you might get a few more answers there.

 

[jadequeen]

oh thanks for moving it there
but yeah i cant fit a 360mm in my case its a corsair air 240
so i know which waterblock to get for my card but do i need anything else? where do i connect the pipes? is the pump going to be able to pump cpu and gpu?

 

[getochkn]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ekwb-l-series-water-cooling-kit,29069.html

Intro of there, they say just add a gpu block and go basically. You would need 2 more pieces of tubing and some fitings, then you could go from the CPU to the GPU to the RAD, or xsomething. lol. Not a water cooling guy, hopefully someone else will chime in with more info for you. I don't know if a 240 sized rad is enough for a gpu and cpu, or what.

 

[jadequeen]

that link helped a lot so thanks for that
now i just need to know if my rad is going to be enough for both

 

[rubix_1011]

Right, just to reiterate, you're going to want to ensure your graphics card PCB layout follows reference build or that there is a specific block made for your model's layout (there are a few like this, but most are typically reference PCB). The EK CoolingConfigurator link above is really good for finding if your card is reference or not.

As for radiator space, it really depends on a few things - are you overclocking either CPU or GPU ...or both? What will your loop TDP be?

For that kit - DDC 3.1 pump is good - you'll be set there, but it is a 240 rad - you might want to look into the 360 version of the kit, or pick up an extra 120mm (or even 140mm) rad with 2 additional fittings.

Putting it simply, if you ran your CPU and GPU at stock speeds, you could probably get by on the 240 rad alone. If you are going to overclock, you're probably going to want to go towards a 360 (or similar radiator size).

The watercooling sticky is linked in my sig line below. Also, I put together a spreadsheet that helps you calculate loop TDP to estimate 'what size of radiator(s)' you need to get based on different components. Give that a go; if you have any questions, let me know.

Edit: just adding - I'm testing the EK Predator 240 XLC. It has the same pump, it has a thick 240 rad and you can expand it by adding a graphics card. I haven't got to the higher end of load testing, but EK also has a 360 version of this unit as well - and you can order video card blocks 'filled' with coolant so you can simply connect to this unit with quick disconnects.

https://shop.ekwb.com/ek-xlc-predator-240

https://shop.ekwb.com/ek-xlc-predator-360-incl-qdc

https://shop.ekwb.com/ek-fc970-gtx-tfx-acetal-nickel -- Not sure if this would be the block to fit your MSI, but see middle of page for the 'Predator' pre-fill option if you wanted it.

However, the kit you listed has a reservoir and that is easier to fill and purge air; and this is coming from someone who has already been working with the Predator 240.

 

[jadequeen]

so my intention was to keep my 970 and 4790k at stock speeds so i might just go for the 240 rad that comes with the kit, just throw in a block for my gpu and call it a day. thanks so much
if the 240 isnt enough for both hopefully i can just add a 120 rad like you said. and if the pump isnt powerful enough for all that (fingers crossed it is enough) ill just replace it with a stronger one
thanks guys


quick edit: if i add a gpu block i know i need more pipings but what would the connections be like then?
one pipe from the gpu to the pump and the other to the radiator? really confused on that part

 

[rubix_1011]

That pump is plenty strong for the loop you want. For comparison, I have the same pump in my loop: CPU+GPU+240rad+140rad

You will need the GPU block and 2 fittings (10/16mm - I think that's vey close to 3/8 ID & 5/8 OD) that fit the inside and outside diameter of the tubing being used. Most people run their loops in serial, so you would add the GPU in the loop; order does not matter much since the water will be flowing fast enough that the entire loop will reach equilibrium and run at that water temp. Example: pump -> CPU -> GPU -> radiator -> back to pump.

Depending on how big your case is, you might have enough tubing in the kit they send you to use, which would be good. It says 2 meters of tubing, so you should be pretty good there, it really just depends, but you can always just get more tubing that matches (or find the same size tubing, but in color you might want).

 

[jadequeen]

you just saved my life thanks so much!

 

[rubix_1011]

If you have any other questions, just let us know. There are a handful of us on here regularly - I'm on almost every day.