Maximum PC - UK (2020-05)

A good waterblock

can really make your build shine.

Fittings

A good rule of thumb is to remember you’ll need at least two basic compression

fittings for each liquid-cooled component. Outside of standard fittings, there’s a

ton of different types out there, so let’s break them down.

Compression

Fittings

Miscellaneous

Fittings

Extension

Fittings

Waterblocks

Angled

Fittings

These are the main fittings for connecting

tubing to hardware. They come in a variety

of sizes, and vary depending on the tubing

type you use. Some are for hard tubing

and some for soft. As standard, on the

male end of a hard tubing compression

fitting comes a G1/4-inch thread and

an o-ring, to stop leakage. Remove the

compression cap on the female end, and

you’ll see another two o-rings inside

the fitting. This is where you’ll push the

chamfered edge of your tube in and past,

before sealing it with the compression

cap, which features an additional o-ring.

Soft tubing compression fittings are very

similar. They still have a G1/4-inch thread,

and an o-ring on the male side, but once

the compression cap is removed, there’s a

metal barb beneath that the tubing slides

over. Once the tubing is on the barb, the

compression fitting secures on its thread

and compresses the tube on to the barb.

There’s also a number of specialist fittings

that you need to know about. Ball valves

are an important one—they enable you to

close and open a valve to allow coolant in

or out (this is ideal for loop maintenance).

Pass-throughs enable you to drill holes

directly through a case panel, and provide

a female G1/4 thread on either side. Plugs

literally just plug a G1/4 port. Meanwhile,

T, Y, and X junctions enable you to move

coolant in multiple directions from a

single point, and quick disconnects give

you the option to disconnect entire lengths

of tubing quickly and easily, and then

rejoin them with minimal coolant loss,

making them perfect for builds where you

need to swap out or test hardware on a

regular basis.

Extension fittings increase the distance

between the liquid-cooling hardware and

the next fitting. They come in all sorts of

lengths, can be daisy-chained, and can

even feature male-to-male connectors to

join two bits of cooling hardware together.

A branch of extension fittings, these

fittings can provide dramatic angle

adjustments in a very tight radius. Most

of these are rotary fittings, too, meaning

they can be adjusted to point in any

360-degree direction. You’ll usually find

33, 45, and 90-degree angled fittings, and

sometimes even twin 45-degree fittings

as well (with two rotary joints to allow for

more flexibility and orientations).

If it produces heat, there’s probably a

waterblock for it. That said, these are

often the simplest part of speccing out

your liquid-cooled build. The only thing you

need to be aware of is compatibility. When

it comes to a graphics card, you’re going

to want to make sure that the waterblock

is compatible with the PCB on the card.

Aftermarket graphics cards typically

have custom PCB designs with different

VRM locations and more, so not all

reference waterblocks will fit them. Most

waterblocks are designed for reference

PCBs, but many manufacturers do offer

additional blocks for bespoke models.

Always double-check for compatibility

before you buy.

The same goes for processors—

although most blocks have mounting

solutions for both Intel and AMD CPUs

included as standard, some don’t. The

big exception is, of course, Threadripper,

because its CPU die is far larger than that

of the average chip.

Motherboard monoblocks, on the other

hand, are a bit more complex. They’re

designed to reduce heat on the CPU’s

VRMs and MOSFETs, while cooling the

processor at the same time. Because

many motherboards feature unique

layouts with regard to power delivery,

these are often only provided for select

mobos within a manufacturer’s range.

maximumpc.com MAY 2020 MAXIMUM PC 25