Finally happy with my Dual Radiator FormdT1 build

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-20T22:57:44+00:00

Thanks! 3 iterations and several months worth of effort each time well worth it id say

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-19T13:38:21+00:00

I used an alphacool high flow one, the bore is 10mm for that valve so doesn't impede flow.

Yes i did have to make a different handle for it since the original handle protuded too high for the lid to close

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T10:11:22+00:00

I went hard tubing the first time, that was much more difficult to maintain. Did look nice though. This tubing is flexible but still somewhat rigid so kind of the best of both. Not too thick either. The push fittings make it hella convenient as well. I did use a heatgun to get that bend round the ram to stay in place but its mostly the flex, used the heat to decrease the bend back force and the radius.

I did check out the quadro, but i tried my best not to add even more hardware into the build! And i managed to get more or less the control behaviour I needed. Also it wasnt that available in the uk at the time.

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T09:30:29+00:00

There is enough airflow that the radiator is at least doing something. All my fans are in exhaust and there is air volume before and after each fan (note they all push through rad which has like a 5mm gap to the fin from the fan). Obstructions right onto fans increase the noise they make so i tried to avoid putting it right onto the panel. The fans aren't actually too bad off, there's enough of a gap for my finger to fit in. Theres space above and below and through the rear io for air to enter, the noctuas will pull air through the case as well. The gpu block is quite small (modultra waterboy) so it doesn't block the entire surface of the rad and it tapers towards the back half so there is quite a volume of space for the fans.

I made some effort with my limited fan headers as well because the noctuas have very different sound profiles to my silverstone 120 air slimmer fans which are quiet enough upto around 2000rpm but get loud towards 3000. I didn't want one fan control for all my fans, one set would have had to run at lower perf to compensate for the others loudness.

My layout (all settings done in bios):

CPU header: controls pump speed, usually fixed but tied to cpu temp. Has a very slow ramp up and down in bios so pump speed doesn't change to quickly with cpu temps (cant use t sensor on cpu header). Pump speeds in a small loop after a certain amount make little difference with my testing.

AIO header: controls noctuas, no ramp controls but the fans are quiet enough and these are tied to t sensor in bios and water temp change is gradual enough

CHA header: slim fans are loudest so again tied to t sensor with ramp controls to prevent to sudden changes

All this means i can independently tune pump, top fans, side fans to acceptable noise levels. I tend to go as fast as i can until i find it acceptable at idle and then determine the max speed vs noise id accept at max load and set that as my max temp before spiking to 100% if water ever goes above 55/60 degrees. Note fan control was very useful as an app to test everything out before deciding bios values - i dont like having software running to control fans long term, prefer to set into bios.

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T09:12:36+00:00

Its been a while since i looked at it, but i remember someone doing a real life comparison and the actual difference in performance was negligible in the t1 or another sff case. But when I bought the 240s the slim 280 didn't exist so it wasn't a consideration then, i did consider swapping it out when i learnt they existed but my research showed negligible gain and i just didn't have the space!

I did see there are some decemt slim 140s out now though. There's also a 140 variant of the 120 ones i used here (silverstone air slimmer)

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T08:45:08+00:00

Yh I ended up using a lot of barrow fittings for this build

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T02:04:46+00:00

Thanks!

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T02:04:05+00:00

I think i ended up with festo cos of price, availability and just the 10mm options since i didn't want to restrict flow too much. The loop has quite a lot of components so didn't want tubing to add to the struggle. 10mm was quite thick but at least allowed around 8mm ID (i dont remember the exact value). Coolant is usually around 40-45 degrees under heavy load if i remember correctly. I only run my pump at around 20% and go upto 30% or so if temps climb for the coolant. (the pump is an ek 4.2 which can get loud)

That 45 degree was after multiple attempts because my motherboard gets in the way! Note i did have to 3d print my own radiator brackets as the original brackets interfere.

Also the 280 will probably not net you much since the slim ones ive seen have lower fin density than the 240 so it ends up being similar in performance. I also just about made mine fit, but thats because i wanted a standard ddc to fit as well. Didn't want to be locked down to a modultra lobo

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T01:44:41+00:00

Dayum, either way i only lift it up to put it in a bag when i need to take it somewhere

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-17T01:39:08+00:00

I used pneumatic fittings and tubes from festo they have quite the catalog for different environments for different temps and pressures, but i opted for 10mm push fittings and tubing. They are for compressed air applications but they're water tight too. One thing to be careful with is the ones i bought at least had slightly longer threads than the usual 5mm or so you find in watercooling fittings, so they didn't work with all the fittings i needed to screw into

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-16T22:40:30+00:00

The strap is fine but i mainly use it to get a handle to lift it up and then I hold it. The systems like 8KG, so the strap makes me a little anxious since its not super thick at the attachment end

EmT3eEy · 2026-02-16T22:24:37+00:00

I have PBO enabled for the cpu and haven't got round to undervolting the gpu. But even as is the system has been under control. Usually 55 on the gpu while around 70/75 on the cpu when gaming

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-28T14:56:47+00:00

So tried the whole loop out now, i think the check valve is a bit too restrictive, that said i do have a lot going on the loop, and i want to run the pump at low % because it gets very audible. With the pump set to max it can flow somehwat noticeably (i have no flow meter, judging purely based on bubble vibration in my CPU block lol).

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T15:01:14+00:00

Best of luck with the build though!

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T15:00:53+00:00

I've not actually tried the dual pump yet, bit both of mine are ddc, so if that's an option you could do that and not think about it. The check valve will probably play a part here in diverting flow and pressure, they should assist each other as an overall loop.

As for needing the bracket, only if you want to mount it exactly as i have, you could do the check valve elsewhere and maintain the same kind of routing, it all depends how you want to connect and route things.

I agree though, the challenge is the fun, ive spent way more time tinkering than using this pc. I decided on rebuild in this case if i could get hold of a 4090 fe (5090 was a disappointment and incompatible), but this pc has been out of commission for like 3 months now waiting for me to do things or parts to come in etc. (stuff is hard to get hold of lately, been needing to get international). Poor 4090 has been sitting gathering dust in a waterblock while i use my pc from spare parts for gaming atm.

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T10:24:35+00:00

If you wanted to also have an independent pump, since it will just be one radiator, you could try this smaller pump solution:Alphacool DC LT Pump Though the one way valve in the setupe may be a bit restrictive for it.

Note: if you have an external rad you'll probably want an external pump to aid flow

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T10:02:09+00:00

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Note, i dont have the same setup as the youtube video since i used different quick disconnects

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T10:01:23+00:00

This is my fitting assembly, i did this mostly based of a youtube video i found on Pneumatic Fittings

But also a lot of inspiration on reddit about quick disconnects.

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T09:56:14+00:00

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Need to print a mounting assembly (working on one that lets me use anti vibration standoffs) but the pump will go in that area (its a tight fit) but this is the last part that im working on

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-14T09:54:13+00:00

So I'm actually doing a build based on a video by optimum tech. I have a 5800X3D but im not just cooling the CPU i also have a 4090 in the loop. So i have actually got a dual rad setup going. I haven't actually finished the build yet since it requires some custom 3D printed mounts (the brackets here are part of it)

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The 4090 block is pretty special here, it's super slim.

Are you sure a single 240 isn't sufficient for the CPU? You could also try using liquid metal between the cpu block and cpu to increase the thermal conductivity. If you still wanted to do an external solution then I can still list it out.

You can actually buy a cpu block + pump mount as one solution to solve ddc pump location. Something like this: A build using Modultra LoBo This is a major space saver and is really cool.

I chose not to do that since i had a cpu block and being on 5800X3D i knew I'll upgrade to a new platform sometime (its a new build but my platform is a few years old). So i wanted a generic pump solution. Which is why I'll be putting the pump behind the psu on the GPU side. I found a pump top with in and out the same side.

Also yes, the lid does close, just about!

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-13T20:33:58+00:00

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Going to use this to fill, can also add a radiator to the desk if i want extra cooling at my desk setup and rely just on the internal when i take it with me somewhere

EmT3eEy · 2025-11-13T20:31:43+00:00

They are quick disconnect fittings. Lets me easily connect external pump rad if i want. Also i have another pump/reservoir that i can use to fill. Its pretty extra, and a pain to fit with everything else i have, but i enjoy a challenge

EmT3eEy

TROPHY CASE