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CHEAT SHEET

GEFORCE GARAGE RED HARBINGER CROSS DESK SERIES

HOW TO FILL AND LEAK TEST YOUR LIQUID COOLING LOOPFEATURING BRIAN “BODDAKER” CARTER OF BOD MODS AND LEE HARRINGTON

The sixth skill guide in the GeForce Garage Cross Desk Series features Brian Carter, an award-winning case modder who’s been in the biz for over a decade, and Lee Harrington, an eight-year PC veteran featured in CPU magazine and Newegg TV. Working in tandem, these two gents give you an in-depth tutorial on how to fill up your liquid cooling system the right way, and how to check your fittings for leaks.

The amount of water you’ll need depends on the size of your pump, radiators, blocks and reservoirs, the diameter and length of the tubing you’ve run, and how many pieces of hardware your loop connects to. But if you follow the steps in the video and this cheat sheet, you’ll know precisely when to back off the water, and when it’s time to add more. Also, asking a friend to help is a terrific idea—you just never know when you can use an extra set of hands at a moment’s notice.

LEVEL: EXPERTMATERIALS:1 GALLON DISTILLED WATER (NOT TAP WATER!)

WATER ADDITIVE (STOPS MICRO-ORGANISMS FROM GROWING)

(OPTIONAL):FLUID DYE

TOOLS:PAPER TOWELS (AT LEAST ONE FULL ROLL)

24-PIN PSU JUMPER

70ML FILL SYRINGE (OR TWO, IF YOU HAVE A HELPER)

WIDE-MOUTH JAR

FLAT HEAD/HEX SCREWDRIVER (FOR OPENING AND CLOSING RESERVOIR ACCESS POINTS)

(OPTIONAL): THREADED FUNNEL

BLUE SHOP RAGS (THESE CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF PAPER TOWELS)

While PC-destroying spills are rare, your rig’s components can still be damaged by water (even if the fluid is distilled and non-conductive). Be extra slow and careful when filling your

loop, and keep those paper towels within close reach for emergencies. If you notice a leak, unplug your power supply immediately before attempting a fix, even when using a PSU jumper. It’s better to get into the habit of working safely than forgetting to use distilled water and shocking yourself silly.

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STEP 3: Secure the funnel (optional).If you don’t have a threaded funnel, no problem—just head to Step 4 below. If you do have one, go ahead and remove the cap to any reservoir’s access point and attach the funnel. Tighten the threads nice and snug, but don’t over-crank it like a gorilla.

STEP 2: Add water to the jar.Put some space between you and your PC, and pour the distilled water into the wide-mouth jar. There’s no need to fill the jar all the way to the top, as you can always add more if you run out.

STEP 1: Place paper towels under all connections.Take some paper towels and lay them flat under every con-nection point and fitting. Pay close attention, making sure each area is prepped before moving on. If you spot any fluid on a paper towel later, isolate and repair the issue as soon as possible, making sure to wipe up all of the water quickly.

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STEP 4: Begin filling the loop.Use a syringe to draw water out of the jar, and then place the tip of it into either the funnel or your reservoir’s access point. Very slowly, start pushing the syringe’s plunger down, adding water to the system. (Don’t be a spaz and jam the water in! That just leads to a mess.) Wipe up any splashes inside the case as soon as you see them.NOTE: If you have a friend, you can save lots of time here by having one person filling the reservoirs, and the other person drawing water into a spare syringe for hand-off.

STEP 5: Continue filling the loop.After one reservoir looks full, remove the funnel (if applica-ble). Dab away any water that’s filled up into the reservoir’s inner threads, and then close off the access point with the cap. Repeat Steps 4 through 5 until all reservoirs can’t take any more water.

STEP 6: Begin priming the system.Priming means adding fluid to create pressure, which makes the pump work correctly. Take the 24-pin jumper and connect it to the PSU’s 24-pin connec-tor. Connect the PSU to the water pump’s cable ONLY. We can’t emphasize that enough, folks—you don’t want your entire PC powering up during this process. Switch the PSU on for a few seconds, and then turn it off.

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STEP 7A: Check for leaks.Adopt your best Sherlock Holmes posture and examine all those paper towels for moisture. Take your time. Look over all of the connections, peer around blind spots, and then look over all the connec-tions again.

STEP 7B: Repair any leaks (if applicable). If you noticed any water on the paper towels—or more dramatically, spraying into your shirt—check the fittings to see if they’re too tight or too loose, and repeat Steps 6 through 7a. If there’s still a leak, you might have a cut tube, a cracked fitting, or a bad seal. Unfortunately, if you do have a damaged part, you’ll need to drain the entire system before repairing it.

STEP 8: Continue priming, adding more water as needed.After running the pump for a few more seconds, check all your reservoirs’ fluid levels and fill them back up one at a time if there’s room. Don’t let this step worry you—the reason the water levels are going down is because the radiators and blocks are slowly filling up, which pulls fluid away from the reservoirs. Repeat Steps 6 through 8 until all reservoirs stay full.

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GeForce Garage: Cross Desk Series

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

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STEP 9: Put in water additive and colored dye.As preventive maintenance, you’ll want to include some additive to keep those tubes running fresh and clean. This step is thankfully easy; just grab some additive and squeeze a few drops into any reservoir. Then, if you’d like, add some dye in there as well. Naturally, we recommend NVIDIA green. Don’t forget to put the cap back on the reser-voir once you’re done!

STEP 10: Make your system run a marathon.All you have to do now is leave the pump powered on for 24 hours straight. That’s no joke! Circulating the water for an entire day allows the system to push any leftover air out and into the reservoirs. After the 24 hours are up, check the fill levels on the reservoirs again, and top off as needed. You’re all set!