Build a Kick-Ass Liquid Cooling System—6 Simple Steps

Posted 03/24/2010 at 8:19am | by Alex Castle

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Design Your Water-Cooling Layout

Once you’ve picked out the individual components, you’ll need to design the layout of your water-cooling system. For this, it helps to make a simple diagram, showing how you want everything to be hooked up. A simple system has the water passing from the radiator to the CPU, then to the GPU, the reservoir, pump, and finally, back to the radiator. This design works well because then the water passes over the CPU while it’s at its coolest, and also because the CPU and the GPU tend to be physically near each other.

Before we actually start installing anything, have a good long look at your case, and consider where each component will sit. Is there a clear pathway for the tubing to run from one component to the next? When the tubing is in place, will it be difficult to access other hardware, such as hard drives or optical drives? Will you be able to get the sides back on the case? By considering potential hazards like these now, you can save yourself a lot of headaches further down the road.

Finally, it’s time to discuss the actual installation of water-cooling hardware.

1. Mount the CPU Water Block

We recommend starting with the CPU water block, because it usually installs with a mounting backplate, so you’ll need to install it before you can screw the motherboard to the case, and you don’t want to install any other component until the motherboard is securely in place.

Your experience may vary, depending on what CPU block and motherboard you use, but for us the water block was a fairly standard backplate cooler installation. The opening in the motherboard tray on our Corsair 800D case made the process easy.

Connect the tubing to the CPU block before you install it, since it can take some pressure to get the tubing snugly into the fittings, and it’s always best to avoid putting extra pressure on the motherboard if possible. Now, attach the motherboard to the case.

2. Attach the Radiator

Now we can move onto the radiator, the largest component. The radiator can be installed over any fan grate that’s large enough, and most simple radiators are designed with screw holes that have the same dimensions as standard case fans. Thus, if your case has a grate big enough for two fans, you can mount a double fan–size radiator onto it. You can mount a radiator inside or outside of a case, but make sure that the fans blow hot air out of the case and away from your PC’s hardware. If you mount the fans outside the case, make sure you’ve got a plan for how you’re going to plug them into your power supply.

Once the radiator is in place, cut the tubing from the CPU to the right length and connect it to the radiator, making sure not to kink it in the process.

3. Affix the Reservoir

Continuing with the practice of installing largest parts first, it’s time to install the reservoir. There’s a wide variety of reservoirs available to suit your setup. They can be attached inside or outside of the case, to the radiator, or into a drive bay. No matter what style of reservoir you have, take note of the location of the fill port, and have a plan for how to access that port when it comes time to fill your cooling system with liquid.

4. Mount the GPU Block

Finally, we’ll close off the loop by installing the GPU block, assuming you want one. Some of the highest temperatures in your system can be found on your videocard, so there are definite advantages to water cooling it. At the same time, it’s also one of the riskier aspects of liquid cooling, since you have to remove your videocard’s existing cooler, directly exposing its processing cores.

Every GPU block install process is unique, so check the directions that came with the block you purchased. Generally speaking, it will go something like this:

1. Remove the videocard’s built-in cooler by unscrewing it from the board or boards.

2. Clean up leftover thermal paste and reapply paste or thermal material to contact spots, as illustrated on your instruction sheet.

3. Attach the board or boards to the water block, being careful not to apply uneven pressure to the processors.

Since GPU cooling blocks tend to be big, heavy hunks of metal, make sure to secure your videocard tightly to your case after plugging it into one of your PCI-E slots. If you don’t secure it, it can warp your motherboard, which will ruin it. Being careful not to put too much pressure on the card, connect the GPU water block to the CPU block and the reservoir.

5. Add the Pump

The pump should be really easy to install. Most pumps are fairly small and can be attached almost anywhere in your case, using screws or Velcro tape. Next, complete your loop by connecting the output barb of the pump (usually marked with an arrow pointing away from the pump) to the radiator, and the input barb to the reservoir. When you’re cutting tubing, don’t just go with the shortest amount possible—also consider how the tubing will affect how you access your PC hardware. You don’t want to have to dismantle half your water-cooling system just to swap out a hard drive.

6. Get Those Juices Flowing!

Now that your water-cooling loop is completed, it’s time to add the coolant. Give your system one last sanity check, making sure that each fitting is tightly connected, and that all components are hooked up in one continuous loop. Once you’re confident that your system won’t leak, and without plugging anything in, start filling up the reservoir to the manufacturer’s recommended level. Keep an eye on the rest of the water-cooling system, and be ready with a towel in case anything springs a leak.

With the reservoir filled with coolant, you can now fire up the pump. You don’t want to actually turn on your motherboard yet, so you’ll need to trick the power supply into powering the pump. Generally, this is done by shorting the green wire on the power supply’s ATX connector to one of the black wires, although it’s wise to consult the manual for your specific power supply.

As long as nothing is leaking, let the pump run for 10 minutes or so to let air bubbles escape. Slowly rock your case back and forth, to let any air that’s trapped in the water blocks or radiator escape. Once all the air bubbles are out of the liquid (you should be able to see them in the tubes if there are any left), you may need to add more liquid to the reservoir to reach the recommended level.

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