Does order matter in a watercooling setup?

[SourceQuench]

Hi All,

I'm sorry if this sounds like a bit of a noob question, but I am going to try and swap my cases over for my main watercooled PC (from a teeny Lian-Li to a new TJ09). This'll give me a chance to clean the block and radiator as well (got that vinegar handy hehe).

Anyway, I was trying to think of the best order to put the loop in since I have my radiator outside my case, whereas the pump and the resovoir will be in the case.

Currently, I have it set up with:

Radiator -> CPU -> Resovoir -> Pump ->

However, I've read around on this and it seems that everyone has a different opinion on the order of the components.

Is Pump -> CPU better than RAD -> CPU?

I'd love to hear any opinions on what's better and whether anyone has any practical experience of this?

Thank you very much for any opinions that you'd care to share.

SQ

[Supershanks]

don't think it makes much difference have read the same as you.

I'm >-Res,pump,cpu,nb,gfx,rad->

It really depends on where your components are relative to each other. My mobo is inverted atx (upside down gfx on top cpu on bottom. That's what's really dictated the order of my loop.

My rad's external on top of my case, res in 51/4" bay pump in bottom.

[s_kinton]

As you say, there are different theories.

You say your current setup is:
Radiator -> CPU -> Resovoir -> Pump ->

The problem with that is the CPU block heats up the water, which goes straight to the reservoir and heats all the water in there. The heated water in your loop is going round the entire loop before being cooled at the radiator.

If you had CPU -> Radiator then all this heat would be taken out of the loop immediately, rather than travelling round the loop, heating the whole thing up before being dissipated.

I would say Pump -> CPU -> Radiator -> Reservoir would be the most efficient. The water travels through the CPU at maximum speed taking the heat away, which then goes straight to the radiator to ditch the heat, sending cooler water to the reservoir and round again.

Thats how I had my loop setup when I had water cooling. I sold it all about 6 months ago and went back to high end (120mm fan) air cooling.

[Lucio]

It shouldn't make a blind bit of difference as long as you're not pumping into your reservoir. Thermodynamics states that a system will tend towards an even balance of temperature

[fat jez]

It shouldn't make a blind bit of difference as long as you're not pumping into your reservoir. Thermodynamics states that a system will tend towards an even balance of temperature

Correct, it only makes a difference in an open loop. A closed loop (as is found in a watercooled PC) will tend to equilibrium. The only hard fast rule I followed was to make sure my res was above my pump so that gravity assisted the feed. The rest of the order was dictated by the component locations. In my case I have res->pump->rad (mounted on back of case)->gfx card->cpu->res

Cheers,
Stephen

[Re-Invented]

As stated before tried many ways all very close on temp, just go for whats easiest to fit in case.

I had Res>Pump>Rad>CPU>GFX>Res

Lee

[redlight]

Just to be different
Res->Pump->CPU->Rad(1x120mm)->GPU->Rad(2x120mm)->Res

[Hasnath]

don't think it makes much difference have read the same as you.

I'm >-Res,pump,cpu,nb,gfx,rad->

It really depends on where your components are relative to each other. My mobo is inverted atx (upside down gfx on top cpu on bottom. That's what's really dictated the order of my loop.

My rad's external on top of my case, res in 51/4" bay pump in bottom.

thats how i had mine only without a reservoir, depends what kind of block your using also

[Supershanks]

Not sure how type of block effect it, as i said it's more where the components are:-



got a decent drop from res to pump