Last stop before H2O

Hardware Hub Cooling
1

I've been looking at parts and researching for a while now and I think that I may have finally figured out what all parts I need for a custom loop. Currently I'm sitting at this for the part list
XSPC EX 360mm
XSPC raystorm
Swiftech mpc355
res
tubing
barbs/fittings

My questions come in with the pump and fittings. For the pump, do I need a custom top? I see plenty of people using custom tops with the pump, but will it work fine without a custom top for a while? I plan on upgrading the loop as budget permits but right now I'm trying to get started at the same time I'm moving to school, so money is tight. As for fittings/barbs, can I "get away" with barbs and zip ties/clamp ties for now? I do plan on moving to compression fittings since they look much better in my opinion, but for now since that seems like it would be cheaper will barbs be fine?

2

Barbs are fine, I use them with worm clamps. You can pick up worm clamps from the hardware store for cheap if you don't want to order those from the internet.

3

honestly that's where I was planning on getting the tubing too, so I'll probably just grab some of those when I get the tubing

4

Some of the best advice I have is stay away from Tygon - some types are fine but i dont know which variety it is- as it leaches plasticiser and ends up clouding your tubing and even staining blocks or reservoirs.

5

I believe there are types of Tygon that are food-grade and won't leach plasticiser. Most brewery supply stores should have them.

6

Food grade will probably do better than lab grade E-3603 but it generally carries a fairly high price compared to the more mainstream tubing.

I meant to address this in my previous post but I forgot about it. Pump tops are a nice to have and generally will improve pump flow and/or head pressure but are not required. I personally have a XSPC single 5.25 bay res (built in top) with DDC 3.2 and in a CPU only loop it had too much flow and the noise was bothersome until I re-pinned the molex to give 7V. However for GPU, CPU with 240mm and 280mm rad the pump at 12v is nice and quiet. If you are able to fit it a D5 with variable speed may be a better option unless you spring for PWM control.

Plan and build in a way to drain and refill the loop easily. if it means a vertical tube res with a couple extra top ports for a breather or a filler cap installed through top of the case. and near the bottom of the loop a simple T with a cap to one of fancier ball valve arrangements. it is a huge pain to drain and service otherwise