(^10) FIT RESERVOIR AND
PSU COVER
The Corsair iCUE 5000X RGB includes a
replacement panel for the front section
to seal the PSU cover and smarten up
this end of the case. Fit this first and then
install the reservoir in one of the front fan
mounts using the included adaptors.
(^11) PLAN YOUR TUBING
The tube routes are down to personal
preference, but there’s logic in using as little
tubing as possible. We ended up having the
coolant come into the top of the reservoir and
having the outlet pointing at the GPU rather
than what you see pictured, which ended
up trailing tubing up to the roof radiator.
(^12) CUT AND FIT TUBING
Connect the tubing to your fittings and run it
to the next fitting, marking the cutting point
where the end of the tube should reach
onto the fitting barb. You can then use tube
cutters to create a straight cut. Using flexible
tubing can still look great and is a massive
time and money-saver too. It doesn’t matter
on the order of components. Just connect
them in the most efficient way to use the
least tubing. The coolant temperature tends
to even out around the loop, so there’s
little to no benefit having a radiator before
your CPU waterblock, for example.
(^13) ADD ANGLED PIPE FITTINGS
Connecting two nearby radiators can be
a challenge, but using angled rotating
fittings can mean you avoid kinks and save
connecting them to other components
instead, wasting tubing and making the route
less efficient.
It’s worth a few minutes of tinkering to
connect them to each other. Even if you’re
using use rigid tubing, it’s easier to use flexible
tubing in out of sight areas like this.
(^14) CHECK FOR UNUSED PORTS
Once you’ve connected your fittings, do a
check of all components for spare ports that
need to be plugged. The graphics card has at
least two, and the pump and radiators might
do as well. Most waterblocks and reservoirs
come with blanking plugs to cap off any
unused ports like this.
(^15) CONDUCT A LEAK TEST
Of course, if you do miss one, or haven’t
tightened a fitting properly, then you’ll find out
at this step. A leak tester is an essential bit of
kit for a water-cooling system, as it can find
leaks before you even add a drop of coolant.
Connect it to a spare port, for example on
the graphics card, and aim for 0.3bar if you’re
testing an entire loop. From here, cap off
the tester and leave it for ten minutes. If the
pressure gauge remains constant then you’re
good to go. If not, tighten all your fittings and
try again.
15
13
10
11
12 14
WE’VE USED A PCI-E RISER CABLE TO MOUNT
OUR GRAPHICS CARD VERTICALLY, SO IT’S
VISIBLE THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW
FEATURE / CUSTOMISATION
antfer
(Antfer)
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