This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:12:04
The video documents the process of building a custom water-cooled gaming PC using copper tubing for aesthetic purposes. The build features the Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic case, an Intel i7-8700K processor, Asus Z370-A Prime motherboard, Corsair's Vengeance RGB Pro RAM, and a GTX 1080 Ti GPU. Specialized components from Barrow and EK, including water blocks and radiators, are used. The creator describes the challenges of working with copper tubing, such as sanding, annealing, and bending it for clean lines. The pipes are finished with Brasso for a brushed look and sealed with brass lacquer to prevent tarnish. Despite some technical difficulties, including a small leak and RAM issues, the final build is successful and well-received. The video ends with a montage of the finished PC and promotional content.
00:00:00
In this segment, the focus is on transitioning to using copper tubing for liquid cooling instead of plastic, highlighting the aesthetic benefits despite the increased difficulty and learning curve. The video acknowledges that copper tubing offers no significant performance advantage over plastic. The build process starts with selecting the Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic case for its aesthetics and ample space. The gaming setup includes an Intel i7-8700K processor on an Asus Z370-A Prime motherboard, Corsair’s Vengeance RGB Pro RAM, and a GTX 1080 Ti graphics card due to availability constraints on the RTX 2080 Ti. Storage choices feature a Samsung 960 Pro SSD and Iron Wolf Pro HDDs. The segment concludes by noting that the water cooling aspect will introduce some unique challenges.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the focus is on using specific water cooling components for a PC build. The manufacturers, particularly Barrow, provide specialized water distribution and reservoir blocks suitable for the PCO11 case, making it an easy choice. EK’s components are also heavily utilized, including the Supremacy Evo CPU block, a full-cover 1080ti GPU block, slim 360mm radiators, and various fittings. However, EK’s lack of 90-degree fittings required custom-painted solutions.
The video also covers the preparation for painting by sanding fittings and radiators for optimal adhesion while ensuring radiator fins are properly masked. The star component, copper tubing, comes in many forms, but the initially considered coiled tubing proved unsuitable due to difficulties in achieving a clean, straight finish. Instead, straight hard half-inch diameter copper pipe (specifically type K) was chosen for its thicker walls and ease of bending, crucial for creating clean, aesthetic water cooling loops. The subsequent process involves estimating and cutting pipe lengths for the build.
00:06:00
In this segment, the video covers the process of preparing and bending copper pipes for a custom water cooling setup. The steps include cutting the pipe, annealing it with a matte gas torch until it is visibly hot, and then quenching it in water. The video advises sanding the pipes before bending them, as it is easier to handle straight pipes. For the bending process, a bender with a large radius is recommended to avoid flat spots. Initially, sand was used inside the pipes to maintain their shape, but later found unnecessary. The segment also includes a time lapse of the bending and fitting process, followed by the installation of various components such as the CPU block, GPU backplate, radiators, and a custom pump top. Due to skipping pre-sanding, all parts had to be disassembled for sanding and polishing, involving steps like using rough and fine-grit sandpaper.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the creator explains their decision to use Brasso to achieve a brushed finish on the copper tubing, preferring it over a high shine polish to better fit the build’s aesthetic and time period. They recommend sealing the tubes with brass lacquer to prevent tarnish. For final assembly, they re-mounted the tubes, used a CableMod Pro cable kit, and connected it to an RM750x power supply. After resolving some RAM issues, the system worked with minimal leakage—only one small leak due to a missing O-ring on a CPU fitting. They then present a montage of the finished build, expressing satisfaction with the outcome and encouraging viewers to attempt similar projects if they wish. The video concludes with a promotion for Dollar Shave Club and calls for viewer engagement, suggesting likes, subscriptions, and visits to their merch store and community forum.