Testing components before assembling loop, building on a bench, and other tips

Joined
Sep 11, 2022
Messages
3
Hi. I was wondering if you stress test or boot your components (mobo + ram + cpu + supply) to make sure that it POSTs before you start putting waterblocks or your loop together. If so, do you get an air cooler just for testing purposes? Also, do you ever build on a bench before putting it in a case? Finally, I was wondering if you could recommend any other tips for entering a watercooled build. For example, have a good table, have some buckets, extra tubing and fittings, etc. My first water build was successful but very frustrating. I want to be more peaceful and Zen this time and be more prepared.
 
Whoops. I wrote this whole thing misreading your post. I thought you meant stress testing the water cooling components.

If I have to modify anything that will make it a pain to RMA if something is bad (like taking the air cooler off of a GPU) then I will test the GPU in another system first just to make sure it is good, before I start messing with it. I don't usually bother pre-testing CPU's, as in the grand scheme of things, removing a water block is pretty easy, at least if you use soft tubes. It's more of a pain in the ass with hard tubes.


My original post follows:

I don't necessarily stress test them, but I do flush them to clean them, and get any machining oils out of the blocks and flux out of the radiators.

In this process, if there are any apparent leaks you should see them.

Most of the time, unless you are buying sketchy shit, the components themselves are solid and you shouldn't need to worry about them leaking. Leaks are more common at the user connections, so fittings, bends etc, and unfortunately you can't really test these before you assemble everything. Even if you test it out of the system, you need to disassemble it and reassemble it to get it into the system, which means you have re-assembled these user connections, and any testing you did before is pretty useless.

Usually what I do is assemble the whole thing, strategically place paper towels under all the user connections, and on top of all sensitive parts, and then rig a power supply to power up (google shorting the green and black wire, or buy a power supply power on device) or use a separate 12V power brick) and run the pump only without powering the system up.

This is pretty safe because distilled water - when fresh - is ion free, and as such is non-conductive. That, and the system is powered off, so even if the water were conductive, there is nothing there to short, and by shorting damage it.

Then I stand there closely monitoring it as it runs for several minutes looking for leaks. If I don't see any evidence of the thing immediately having any serious leaks, then I walk away and let it run for an extended period of time, periodically checking in and looking for leaks. If I don't encounter any, I generally feel pretty good about the loop.

If you do have a leak (which happens to the best of us sometimes, don't feel bad if it happens) it is usually a very slow drip. Shut everything down, do whatever you have to do to fix the leak (replace a part, tighten something, etc.) and just make sure you dry it out completely before powering the system on.

It helps being in a room with low humidity, so things dry more easily. Blowers like a DataVac to help dry things out are also a really good investment (you'll also never need to buy canned air again). The datavac nozzle can also be shoved into tubing and help blow coolant out of the loop, to aid with draining. It is a very useful tool to have. After discovering it, I wish I had bought mine years earlier.

To reduce stress, just remember that even if things go very bad, and you get something very wet, without electricity in the component, it is not going to get damaged by water, even if conductive, as long as you thoroughly and completely dry it before use. it's not the water that damages things, it is the electricity jumping through the water and winding up places it doesn't belong that damages things. That, and fresh coolants and distilled water are all very negligibly conductive at that.

Worst that will happen is that you have to disassemble stuff in order to dry it thoroughly, as water surface tension can trap water in places you may not see it. Annoying, yes, and it will delay your build as you dry and blow the component out and then set it on top of a dehumidifier or AC with air blowing over it for a day or two to make sure it is thoroughly dry, but it is not the end of the world.

Good luck!
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I normally don't test before assembling a custom loop rig. It either works or it doesn't.

I often assemble my rigs and loops in the kitchen. Makes it easier to clean parts, flush out things before assembly, and if there's a leak I don't make a huge mess where it shouldn't be.

Mixing bowls, funnels and pyrex measuring glasses are my go to things for filling and flushing. And gallon jugs of one's preferred coolant.
 
I only test my gpu prior to building my own rigs.
I picked up one of these a few years ago
https://modmymods.com/aquacomputer-dr-drop-pressure-tester-includes-air-pump-34087.html
so I can avoid leak testing as well. I still paper towel my connections for a day out of habit but I haven't found a leak since getting the air tester. I have a workbench in my office that I build on now but in the past, the dining room table and bath towels did the trick.
Have fun with the new rig!
 
Back
Top