8 / USE A THERMAL PROBE
Thermal probes can be useful to monitor the temperature of your
coolant, and even control your fans if your motherboard has a
temperature probe input. Reservoirs make an ideal place to install
these probes if they have spare ports, but make sure the probe sits far
enough inside the reservoir to access the coolant flow.4 / LOOK FOR FLEXIBLE PORT OPTIONS
When it comes to reservoirs and pumps, models that include plenty of
inlets and outlets can be extremely useful, especially when it comes to
using rigid tubing. If you allow for several options for where you can route
your tubing, you’ll find it easier to create a neat loop.
5 / CONSIDER AESTHETICS
When mounting your reservoir, you’ll probably want it to be visible
through any side panel windows, especially if it has RGB lighting. Most
include brackets to mount them at various angles, or you could consider
mounting it next to your motherboard. Flat reservoirs, such as this one,
can also be mounted so that they face the side panel.
7 / CONSIDER A DRAIN PORT
A drain port offers a useful way to remove the majority of coolant
from your system if you need to change it during maintenance,
upgrades or swapping coolant colours. The reservoir is often the best
place to install one. See p102 for more information on how to install
and use one.6 / REMOVE CASE FEATURES
There may be removable accessories in your case that will make it more
flexible when it comes to mounting water-cooling hardware. Check for
removable drive bays and sections of PSU covers, as removing these
parts can provide loads more room to install your reservoir.
9 / MOUNTING ON RADIATORS
If you have fans in the front of your case blowing through a radiator
then you’ll want to mount reservoirs that use 120mm or 140mm fan
mounts directly on the radiator. Use the short screws included with
your radiator for this job, but always check that the screws aren’t
damaging the radiator core as you do so.