Where to place a reservoir for water cooling in a compact setup?
Where to place a reservoir for water cooling in a compact setup?
Hi, I made a mistake by adding a water loop to a Cougar QBX, but everything is working well at the moment with a 240mm radiator. The main issue is that I don’t have room for a reservoir. Here are some photos of the situation to help illustrate the problem, and more can be sent if needed.
The only feasible area seems to be near the front where one of the intake fans is located:
But that fan is under half of the radiator housing with the power supply, so removing it would reduce the airflow through the radiator significantly.
I’ll be uploading additional pictures to the album here:
http://imgur.com/a/OWM31
Do you require a reservoir? In theory, if the loop is filled and there are no leakage issues, you won't need one. However, there are also 5.25" bay res options and some compact micro res's available for mounting.
It seems there is sufficient space in the area above the CPU block next to the PSU.
I guess thats up to you and if you have room. If you have a closed loop cooler like a v2 100i corsair than no consult your manufacturer
Do you require a reservoir? In theory, you don’t need one if the loop is fully filled and there are no leakage issues. However, there are some 5.25" bay res options available as well as smaller micro res's that can be mounted. It seems there’s sufficient room above the CPU block next to the PSU? Technically, I don’t think a reservoir is necessary since the system is running smoothly. My main worries are about air bubbles possibly forming somewhere—they do pass through the pump occasionally—and the process of flushing or refilling the loop can be cumbersome without a permanent reservoir (I already have one that doesn’t fit). Regarding space, there isn’t a 5.25" bay. There’s a slim-bay reserved for a laptop CD drive at the front, which is currently occupied. Also, the area right above the motherboard is taken by a fan blowing into the case. I have roughly 1.5" of depth on the right where the tube and cable are running, but I’m not sure if anyone makes something that short. At the bottom, I might be able to shift the pump slightly and push something underneath it.
You could attach a small external mount and run tubing out the back, which would be a straightforward option. Alternatively, it seems like you're dealing with a relatively modest setup. I own a complete loop configuration in a Corsair 250D and considered that a compact build. (link below)
Try Swiftech MCRES Micro reservoir, suitable for creating a 3D paper origami base. The scale can be printed from the Swiftech website.
Unfortunately not even that will fit. On top, the clearance is a little less than 1.5" and there are metal tabs in the way that make it even less. Down below, it's too wide to fit between the fan and the pump regardless of where I move the pump on its mounting area.
However, I might be able to move the pump up enough to get something more rounded between the pump, the bottom, and the fan.
Now there's about 1.25" below the pump, but I should be able to move up about 1/2" or so, which leaves space for about 1.75"x2.5"x5" of something. The side of the pump is about 1" from the side of the fan (and the outlet is on that side). Basically, I can get something about 1.75" diameter in there (sort of) easily. Most of what I've seen starts around 2"-2.5", which probably means I'm SOL regardless.
Did you construct the origami?
Are these concerns resolved?
- external blue ray?
- costly single bay 5.2" reservoir D5 pump combo with fill/drain port?
- GPU water block?
- Rigid tube: PETG+bending kit or brass/borosilicate glass pipe plus angled adapter?
Yes, I used that to verify it doesn't match anywhere.
The case lacks a 5.25" bay, which rules it out.
A pump or reservoir setup could be an option since it would eliminate the need for a pump, though mounting it without drilling holes isn't ideal. Currently, the pump is secured to front vent holes intended for a fan.
I prefer avoiding external modifications because the case shifts frequently.
A GPU waterblock seems suitable; I'd just need to reroute some tubing, but I won't plan that now (the 1060 doesn't require it). If I install a GPU block, fitting the Swiftech reservoir might be possible, though I'd have to recheck dimensions.