Swiftech H20 APEX User Manual

These instructions are updated on a regular basis. Please visit our web site at

http://www.swiftnets.com

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 1 of 20

Packing List

QTY ITEM

STORM water-block, including hold-down plate, various

1

processors mounting systems, and (2) hose clamps
MCP655 pump, including mounting hardware and (2) hose

1

clamps
MCRES-Micro, including mounting hardware, ½” hose-barb

1

fittings, and (2) hose clamps
MCR220 Radiator assembly, including (2) pre-installed 120mm

1

fans with fan guards, mounting hardware, ½” black nylon hose
barb fittings, (2) 12v to 7v adapters, (2) 12v to 5v 3-pin to 4-pin
Molex adapters, and (2) hose clamps
And
Pre-installed MCB-120 Radbox, with mounting hardware
Feet 7/16” industrial grade PCV tubing

8

Length (40”) Coolsleeves 625 clear

1

2 Oz. Bottle of HydrX concentrated coolant

1

Syringe of Arctic Céramique thermal compound

1

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 2 of 20

TTAABBLLEE OOFF CCOONNTTEENNTTSS

I. PLANNING..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

1. General Guidelines....................................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Tube Routing ................................................................................................................................................................4

II. INSTALLATION OF THE COOLING COMPONENTS .................................................................................................. 5

1. MCR220 Radiator installation...................................................................................................................................... 6

 Installation.................................................................................................................................................................... 6

2. STORM Water-block installation................................................................................................................................. 8

 Installation overview ....................................................................................................................................................8

 Individual installation schematics ................................................................................................................................ 8

Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket 478 .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket LGA 775................................................................................................................................ 10

Intel® Xeon™ Socket 603/604........................................................................................................................................ 11

AMD® socket 462 – Athlon®, Duron®, MP, XP.............................................................................................................. 12

AMD® 64, Opteron® - Socket 754, 939, 940.................................................................................................................. 13

3. Re-installing the motherboard .................................................................................................................................. 14

4. Pump installation........................................................................................................................................................ 14

 General Use...............................................................................................................................................................14

 Physical installation ................................................................................................................................................... 14

 Pump operating precautions:.....................................................................................................................................14

 Permanent installation to the chassis, and exploded view........................................................................................ 15

5. Preparing the tubing .................................................................................................................................................. 16

6. MCRES-Micro reservoir Installation ......................................................................................................................... 17

 Installation.................................................................................................................................................................. 17

 Preparing the coolant ................................................................................................................................................ 18

 Re-installing your power-supply ................................................................................................................................18

 Filling-up the circuit....................................................................................................................................................18

7. Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................................................... 20

8. Draining the system ................................................................................................................................................... 20

9. Periodic Maintenance.................................................................................................................................................20

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 3 of 20

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of a Swiftech™ H20-APEX liquid cooling system!

This kit has been designed to facilitate the installation of the components with a minimum of case modifications. While all
attempts have been made to make the installation of this system user friendly, please note that this system is intended for
users that are well versed in installing computer components.

While all efforts have been made to provide the most comprehensive tutorial possible, Swiftech assumes no liability expressed or implied for any
damage(s) occurring to your components as a result of using Swiftech cooling products, either due to mistake or omission on our part in the above
instructions, or due to failure or defect in the Swiftech™ cooling products.

In addition, Swiftech assumes no liability, expressed or implied, for the use of this product, and more specifically for any, and all damages caused by
the use of this product to any other device in a personal computer, whether due to product failure, leak, electrical short, and or electro-magnetic
emissions.

Our products are guaranteed for 12 months from the date of delivery to the final user against defects in materials or workmanship. During this period,
they will be repaired or have parts replaced provided that: (I) the product is returned to the agent from which it was purchased; (II) the product has
been purchased by the end user and not used for hire purposes; (III) the product has not been misused, handled carelessly, or other than in
accordance with any instructions provided with respect to its use. This guarantee does not confer rights other than those expressly set out above and
does not cover any claims for consequential loss or damage. This guarantee is offered as an extra benefit and does not affect your statutory rights as
a consumer.

DISCLAIMER

WARRANTY

I. Planning

1. GENERAL GUIDELINES

 Please read this guide carefully and entirely before you start this installation. Plan your installation ahead. Observe the relative

position of the components for possible interference with other components.

 Never work with electricity connected to the computer while work is in progress.
 Because some work is necessary that will require cutting holes in the case, it is strongly recommended to remove all the

components from the case prior to begin with this installation.

 After the metal work has been completed, carefully clean the case to remove all metal debris.
 Once the time has come to re-install the motherboard and complete the liquid-cooling circuit, the motherboard should be

disconnected from the power-supply at all times during the entire mock-up phase of the installation. In case of a spill or leak on the
motherboard, do not panic! As long as the motherboard is not electrically connected, no harm is done. You must however
thoroughly dry the exposed area, using a hair dryer for example, and wait a minimum of 6 to 8 hours prior to re-connecting the
motherboard to its power source.

 The reservoir should preferably be installed at the highest point of the cooling circuit (top 5 ¼” tray), although this is not absolutely

necessary if all the other components are self-purging.

 Think about the airflow inside your chassis. In liquid-cooling environments, it is always better to draw fresh air from the outside

through the radiator, as opposed to using the warm air from inside the computer.

 Make sure to dry-fit all components before making final connections and filling the water-cooling system.

2. TUBE ROUTING

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

 The tubing for the water-cooling system must be routed to form a complete loop that includes all elements of the system. When

daisy-chaining components, the simplest and most natural route is usually the best. Always avoid sharp bends that would kink the
tubing!

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 4 of 20

 The following table contains examples on how to establish connections between the different elements of a cooling circuit based on

multiple possible configurations. These are guidelines only, and may change depending on the relative position of the components
inside your chassis.

 From a performance standpoint there is very little performance to be gained from strictly controlling the component sequence: the

maximum delta T (difference in temperature) between any two points of the liquid cooling circuit does not exceed 1ºC. Whenever
possible, performance oriented users will typically want to route the radiator discharge(s) tube(s) to the inlet of the CPU cooler, since
the fluid exiting the radiators is always the coolest.

Devices:  (1) CPU cooler + (1) Radiator + Pump-reservoir assembly

Connect:  Pump discharge to radiator inlet

 Radiator discharge to CPU cooler inlet
 CPU cooler discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

Alternatively,
Connect  Pump discharge to CPU cooler inlet

 CPU cooler discharge to radiator inlet
 Radiator discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

Devices  (1) CPU cooler + (1) VGA cooler + (1) Radiator + Pump-reservoir assembly

Connect:  Pump discharge to VGA Cooler inlet

 VGA cooler discharge to radiator inlet
 Radiator discharge to CPU cooler inlet
 CPU cooler discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

Alternatively,
Connect:  Pump discharge to CPU cooler inlet

 CPU cooler discharge to VGA cooler inlet
 VGA cooler discharge to radiator inlet
 Radiator discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

Devices:  (1) CPU cooler + (1) VGA Cooler + (1) chipset Cooler + (1) Radiator + Pump-reservoir assembly

Connect:  Pump discharge to chipset cooler inlet

 Chipset cooler discharge to VGA cooler inlet
 VGA cooler discharge to radiator inlet
 Radiator discharge to CPU cooler inlet
 CPU cooler discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

Alternatively,
Connect:  Pump discharge to CPU cooler inlet

 CPU cooler discharge to chipset cooler inlet
 Chipset cooler discharge to VGA cooler inlet
 VGA cooler discharge to radiator inlet
 Radiator discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

Devices:  Dual CPU cooler and VGA cooler (SLI) configurations

Connect:  CPU coolers in series: CPU cooler (1) discharge to CPU cooler (2) inlet

 VGA coolers in series: VGA cooler (1) discharge to VGA cooler (2) inlet

Devices:  Dual Radiators: A second radiator can be added anywhere in the loop in series with the other components,

for example

Connect  Pump discharge to radiator (1) inlet

 Radiator (1) discharge to VGA cooler inlet
 VGA Cooler discharge to chipset cooler inlet
 Chipset cooler discharge to radiator (2) inlet
 Radiator (2) discharge to CPU cooler inlet
 CPU cooler discharge to reservoir inlet
 Reservoir discharge to pump inlet – MANDATORY!

II. Installation of the cooling components

Warning! Placement of the cooling components may vary depending on your chassis and motherboard configurations. A mock-up

installation is thus necessary to estimate the length of the different sections of tubing that will be required between each component.

The following is the recommended sequence of components installation.

1. Radiator and fan

2. Water-block(s)

3. Pump

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 5 of 20

4. Reservoir

1. MCR220 RADIATOR INST ALLATION

Preamble:

The MCR220 dual 120mm radiator ships with the fans and the Radbox chassis already pre-assembled to the radiator. It is assumed in effect that
users will take advantage of our Radbox concept (external radiator installation) due to the benefits it provides and ease of installation. In such context,
the following installation guide describes this type of installation. We also recognize that due to various considerations (cosmetics, space, or simply
user preference) a number of users will wish to install the MR220 radiator internally. Because of the large size of the radiator, it is most likely that an
internal installation will require extensive modifications in most computer cases. Because these modifications depend on the structure and dimensions
of each individual chassis, we simply cannot provide precise installation instructions to this effect. Here are some general guidelines that advanced
“case-modders” should take into consideration:

Radiator installation, general considerations:

For optimum performance radiators require an unobstructed source of cool air. This dictates either an external mounting or one on/in the case where
the radiator will draw cool air from the exterior. The second consideration is the placement of the inlet and outlet connections; at least one connection
should be at the ‘top’ of the radiator to make it self-purging.

An external mounting can be effected by means of the RadBox affixed to the backside of the case and the tubing routed through holes drilled in the
case underneath the power-supply. This places the connections at the top of the radiator and it will preclude the accumulation of air in the radiator.

Single 120mm fan radiators can be mounted over appropriately sized openings in a variety of cases; conversely, mounting a dual 120mm radiator is
considerably more difficult and generally results in placing the radiator ‘inverted’ at the top, or ‘right side up’ at the bottom. Note that the ‘inverted’
mounting places the inlet and outlet facing down; this mounting will accumulate air over time. Placing the radiator ‘right side up’ in the case bottom will
make the radiator self-purging, but it will gather dust VERY quickly if adjacent to the floor. In any case, mounting a dual 120mm radiator inside a case
will require some extensive case modifications for the air inlet.

 Installation

 Place the radiator assembly on the back of the computer to roughly estimate where it will fit best.
 You need to consider the following clearance issues:

 Securing the base plate at the desired location.

 Exit cables and connectors from various PCI devices: the Radbox base plate can be moved in both vertical and horizontal

directions to allow clearance for the cables

 Opening the side panel once the Radbox is installed: the Radbox is supplied with various nylon spacers to separate the

base plate from the surface of the back-panel and to provide clearance for opening of the side-panel.

 Note that a chassis with 80mm fan opening(s) is likely to provide a very good range of adjustments. Conversely, a chassis

featuring a single 120mm fan opening the base-plate is a direct bolt on, but offers no adjustments, which may or may not
suit our installation for the purpose of positioning the radiator. In that case, it will be become necessary to drill (4) mounting
holes of 0.150” (~3.5mm) in diameter to install the base plate at the desired location.

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 6 of 20

TIP: In the package of assorted hardware coming with your Radbox,
locate the 4 little nylon retaining washers looking like this:

to the computer back-panel. This will hold the screws in place while you

Use these to secure the screws and nylon spacers

adjust the Radbox back-plate.

 Once satisfied with the position, bolt down the Radbox

back-plate with the provided nylon nuts.

 Next, you will need to mark the location of the holes that

must be drilled to allow routing of the tubes through the
computer back-panel. You can cut two small pieces of the
provided PVC tubing and install these to the radiator hose
barbs, then temporarily mount the radiator assembly onto
the back-plate. The tubing will provide a convenient way
to mark the position of the holes as shown below:

 Once the two holes are cut, de-burr the edges, and install the

grommets.

 Install your radiator assembly onto the back plate.

Once the tubes are connected to the radiator,

the final results will look like so:

 Remove the radiator assembly from the back-plate and

mark the center of the circle.

 Two rubber grommets are provided with your kit so that

you can route the tube though the case without damaging
the tubing with the sharp edges of the hole. The required
hole diameter for the grommet is 7/8” (23mm).

 To cut the holes, use a heavy-duty Bimetal hole saw of

7/8” in diameter:

 Finally, you need to route the fan wires through the back-

panel. This can be done easily with the provided PCI adapter
plate featuring a hole and grommet for protection of the wire.

Your MCR220 Radiator is now installed!

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com

Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28

th

Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail] PAGE 7 of 20

2. STORM WATER-BLOCK INSTALLATION

If you followed our general guidelines listed on page 5, your motherboard should have been removed from the case, and it is now time to
install the STORM water-block. Please follow the installation procedures described below, and listed per class of processor.

Exploded View

Swiftech’s Storm water-block ships with all the necessary hardware to install with the following processors: Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket
478, and socket LGA 775, Xeon™ (socket 603/604), AMD® socket 462, 754, 939, and 940. Removal of the motherboard is necessary to
install the mounting posts in all cases, except for AMD® socket 754, 939 and 940.

Two sets of barb fittings are supplied to accommodate high-performance circuits: 3/8” barbs, and ½” barb. For installation with the H20­APEX liquid cooling kit, you will need to use the ½” barb fittings.

 Installation overview

 Individual installation schematics

Preamble: The provided mounting hardware is common to Intel® Pentium® 4 socket 478, socket LGA775, and AMD® socket 462.
AMD® socket 754, 939, 940 mounting hardware is different, and identified separately as such.

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

 Install the fittings with their o-rings into the water-block.
 Remove the existing heatsink from your motherboard.
 Apply the provided Arctic Céramique thermal compound to the CPU following the comprehensive installation

instructions provided here: http://www.arcticsilver.com/ceramique_instructions.htm

 Install the Storm water-block following the individual instructions provided for each type of CPU socket described

hereafter.

PAGE 8 of 20

ITEM #QTY. PART NO. DESCRIPTION

A 1 S478 Intel Pentium 4 socket 478 motherboard and processor

B 1 storm-assy2
C 1 STORM-HOLD-DOWN-R1 Storm Universal hold-down plate
D 2 1-4-straightx3-8-barb 1/4" NPSM Barb fitting

E 2 O-RING-9557K473 1-4'" NPSM barb fitting O-Ring

F 4 6-32-Acorn-nut

G 4 SPRING6 70927compressed-to-0337

H 8 12SWS0444 NYLON SHOULDER WASHER

I 4 6-32-nut 6-32 nut

J 4 LOCK-WASHER#6

K 8 FW140X250X0215FB BLK black fiber washer

L 4 6-32X1.750 6-32 x 1 3-4" philips screw

D

F

H

G

E

H

B

I

C

A

J

K

L

K

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 9 of 20

ITEM #QTY. PART NO. DESCRIPTION

A 1 LPGA 775 Prescott Socket T Representation

B 1 storm-assy2
C 1 STORM-HOLD-DOWN-R1Storm Universal hold-down plate
D 2 1-4-straightx3-8-barb 1/4" NPSM Barb fitting - 3/8" & 1/2" supplied

E 2 O-RING-9557K473 1-4'" NPSM barb fitting O-Ring

F 4 6-32-Acorn-nut

G 4 SPRING6 70927compressed-to-0337

H 8 12SWS0444 NYLON SHOULDER WASHER

I 4 6-32-nut 6-32 nut

J 4 LOCK-WASHER#6

K 8 FW140X250X0215FB BLKblack fiber washer

L 4 6-32X1.750 6-32 x 1 3-4" philips screw

D

F

H

G

E

H

C

B

I

J

A

K

K

L

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 10 of 20

Use all parts from “common parts pack” except Philips screws: replace with the enclosed 6-32 1 7/8” long screws, instead of the 1 ¾”
long supplied in the common parts pack.
The following parts are only compatible with Xeon processors operating at 533Mhz and below, and are not compatible with Intel Xeon
“Nocona” class processors (800Mhz Front Side Bus) which require a different retention mechanism available in option.

ITEM #QTY. PART NO. DESCRIPTION

A 1 Socket-603-604-dual

B 1 storm-assy2
C 1 STORM-HOLD-DOWN-R1Storm Universal hold-down plate
D 2 1-4-straightx3-8-barb 1/4" NPSM Barb fitting

E 2 O-RING-9557K473 1-4'" NPSM barb fitting O-Ring
F 4 92949A151 6-32 x 3/4" button socket head screw

G 4 6-32-Acorn-nut

H 4 SPRING6 70927compressed-to-0337

I 8 12SWS0444 NYLON SHOULDER WASHER

J 4 6-32-nut 6-32 nut

K 4 LOCK-WASHER#6

L 8 FW140X250X0215FB BLKblack fiber washer

M 4 6-32x1.7-8-philips

D

G

I

E

H

B

F

C

I

J

K

L

A

L

M

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 11 of 20

It is necessary to remove the pre-installed hold-down plate prior to installation. Simply unscrew the 4 button head screws holding the
assembly together using the provided 5/64 Allen wrench, remove the hold-down plate, and re-install the screws with the provided nylon
washers instead as shown below.

ITEM #QTY. PART NO. DESCRIPTION

A1socket462

B 1 storm-assy2

C 2 1-4-straightx3-8-barb 1/4" NPSM Barb fitting

D 2 O-RING-9557K473 1-4'" NPSM barb fitting O-Ring

E 4 92949A151 6-32 x 3/4" button socket head screw

M 8 16FW006062 .31x.14x.06 nylon washer

F 4 6-32-Acorn-nut

G 4 SPRING6 70927compressed-to-0337

H 8 12SWS0444 NYLON SHOULDER WASHER

I 4 6-32-nut 6-32 nut

J 4 LOCK-WASHER#6

K 8 FW140X250X0215FB BLK black fiber washer

L 4 6-32X1.750 6-32 x 1 3-4" philips screw

C

D

F

E

H

M

B

A

G

H

M

I

J

K

K

L

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 12 of 20

ITEM # QTY. PART NO. DESCRIPTION

A 1 counter-plate Back plate AJ00264

B 1 motherboard
C 1 retention-frame Retention frame AJ00172
D 1 storm-assy2

E 1 STORM-HOLD-DOWN-R1 Storm Universal hold-down plate

F 2 1-4-straightx3-8-barb 1/4" NPSM Barb fitting

G 2 O-RING-9557K473 1-4'" NPSM barb fitting O-Ring

H 2 93286A041-WASHER zinc plated washer

I 2 885 spring

J 2 6-32x2.25-philips 6-32 x 2 1/4" philips screw

K 2 spacer-205x140x773 tension limiter

L 2 13RS031214 Nylon spacer 0.312X0.14X0.281

J

F

G

D

C - provided

with motherboard

H

K

I

E

L

B - Motherboard

A - provided

with motherboard

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 13 of 20

3. RE-INSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD

Now that the STORM water-block is securely fastened to the motherboard, go-ahead and install the motherboard into the chassis,
following the instructions provided in your motherboard installation guide.

4. PUMP INSTALLATION

 General Use

The MCP655 pump is a magnetically driven
centrifugal pump featuring a 12 V DC motor. It
requires no maintenance when used with de­mineralized water and the appropriate anti-fungal
additives. We recommend using 5% Swiftech’s
HydrX as an additive. The pump is designed to be
connected to your computer power supply using the
standard Molex 4 pin connectors.

The MCP655 pump is neither submersible, nor self­priming. The inlet needs to be continuously
supplied with fluid for the pump to operate properly.

 Physical installation

 Determine the best location for your pump by

observing how the tubing will be routed to the
rest of the circuit. Sharp bends in the tubing
should always be avoided to prevent kinks,
which will reduce or completely prevent flow of
the cooling fluid.

 In general, we recommend installation of the

pump at the bottom of the chassis.

 The base of the pump features a soft

neoprene pad coated with strong adhesive
material. Once the final location for the pump
has been determined, simply peel-off the
pad’s protective paper, and press the pump
against the chassis surface. The surface
should be clean, and non greasy. Thru-bolts
are also provided for permanent installation,
and require drilling holes in the chassis.

 The back of the pump features a

potentiometer to allow users to vary the pump
speed from 1800 to 4800 rpm. Full speed is
suggested for maximum performance. When
reducing the pump speed, the operating noise
will also decrease proportionally, but so will
the performance. A flow rate chart is provided
below

 Pump operating

precautions:

The MCP655 pump should never be run dry,
even for a quick test. You should always prime

the pump with fluid before you start operating it
(see warranty note *).

Use of coloring die or fluorescent additives

containing particulate fillers will cause excessive
wear to the pump’s impeller bearing (see warranty
note **).

Note: Always make sure to directly connect the RESERVOIR DISCHARGE to
the PUMP INLET.

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 14 of 20

 Permanent installation to the chassis, and exploded view

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 15 of 20

p

5. PREPARING THE TUBING

Now that your radiator, water-block and pump are in place, it is time
to cut segments of tubing and connect the devices together.

Your kit also comes with a 40” length of Coolsleeves

extended is a sufficient length to cover 6 feet of tubing. Use of these coils
is mandatory in order to prevent kinking and flattening of the tube over
time.

coils which, when

 Start by wrapping the included Coolsleeves coil around the 4-

foot piece of tube. Leave yourself enough Coolsleeves to wrap
the water-block(s) pre-installed tubing.

Wrap the Coolsleeves coils around the tubing

 Then, with one end of a tube connected to a startup

component such as the water-block for example, roughly
estimate the length that you will need to the next
component, and cut the tube and coil squarely with a pair of
scissors. Work your way through the entire circuit in the
same fashion, until you are satisfied with the tube routing.

TIP! Verify that each cooler will ‘hang’ naturally in
very close to its mounted position. If the stiffness
of the tubing, or the tight radius of the necessary
bend, will not permit such, then it may be
necessary to externally support the tubing:
typically some strategically placed cable ties will
facilitate this restraint. This precaution is
particularly important with AMD® K7 class

rocessors, but less so with Intel® Pentium® 4,

 Secure all the connections of tube to hose barbs with the

provided hose-clamps:

Gather the Coolsleeves coils

pull on the ends of the tubing. This will allow the coils to expand to their
natural pitch.
Tight radii sections require that coils be close to each other (1/8” spacing
coil to coil). In straight sections, coils can be spaced up to ¼” or more, coil
to coil

towards the center of the tubing, and then

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 16 of 20

6. MCRES-MICRO RESERVOIR INSTALLATION

ITEM

NO.

PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION QTY.

1 MCRES-MICRO Reservoir 1

2

1-4“ NPSM x 3-8“ and 1-2“barb

Barb fitting

3 O-RING-9557K473 Barb fitting O-Ring 2

4pg7-o-ring

Fill-cap o-ring

5 pg7-plug Pg7 Fill-cap 1

6 MOUNTING HARDWARE 3

6a

6b

6c

6d

90272A152-6-32x0500philips 6-32 x 7/8" (22mm) Philips screw 1

90760A007

washer-91007A614

6-32 Nut 1

Lock Washer

WASHER-RUBBER-437X150X092 Rubber Washer 1

7 panel 1

2 pairs
each

1

1

 Installation

• The MCRES-MICRO can be installed in any suitable location meeting its form factor requirements. For filling and
bleeding purposes, it is preferable to hold or to install the MCRES-MICRO at the highest point of the liquid cooling
loop. However, once filled and hermetically closed, the reservoir can be installed practically anywhere as long as it is
kept upright as shown in figure 1. Also, to facilitate the filling and bleeding operations, you might want to wait until the
circuit has been filled-up before you fasten the reservoir permanently to the chassis.

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 17 of 20

• Fastening the device to the case: two mounting methods can be used

 Permanent mount with the provided mounting hardware as shown in figure 1. Three holes will need to be

drilled for a permanent mount. Simply use the reservoir as a template to mark the hole locations, and use a

0.150” (4mm) drill bit to drill the holes. Make sure to clean up any metal shavings from the case once you are
done.

 Easy mount, with the provided Velcro strips. This is a fairly secure mount, as we use extra strong Velcro.

However, if your computer is to travel often (LAN parties for example), a permanent mount remains more suited
for a more reliable fastening of the device.

• The only critical precaution to take when installing the reservoir is to make sure that the discharge line is
directly connected to the inlet of the pump. In other words, the pump (inlet) should be the first device connected

to the reservoir discharge. Using a different routing will make the filling and bleeding of the circuit difficult, and may
prevent the pump to prime properly.

• Once you have found a suitable location for the reservoir, go ahead and connect the tubing to the reservoir fittings,
then secure them with the provided hose clamps.

 Preparing the coolant

• Your kit comes with a 2 Oz (60ml) bottle of Swiftech’s specially formulated HydrX concentrated coolant. The
product should be mixed with distilled water only
plastic bottle, and complete filling with distilled water. Your coolant is now ready. Note: a 5% mix might still allow
some algae formation over prolonged usage if your system is continuously exposed to daylight (such as a clear
acrylic case for example). Under such circumstances, we would suggest using a 10% mix.

• Use of alcohols (Alcohol Allyl, Amyl, Benzyl, Ethyl (Ethanol), Isopropyl, Methyl (Methanol), n-Butyl) or
antifreeze products containing the listed alcohols is prohibited as it will result in deterioration of the
reservoir over-time, and will void your warranty. Resistance to Ethylene and Methylene glycol used in antifreeze

products is excellent.

• Minimum Operating Level is situated at the Swiftech Logo (approximately ½” of the reservoir). The reservoir should
not be operated below this level, which could result in degradation of the system cooling.

 Re-installing your power-supply

• Prior to fill-up the circuit, you will need to re-install your power-supply in order to start-up the pump during the fill
procedure. You must be able to start the PSU without it being connected to the motherboard. While the Internet
contains numerous references on how to use a paper-clip to short-out pin 13 and 14 of the 20 pin ATX connector as
shown below, we nonetheless recommend instead using a power-supply tester. A wide variety of these common
devices are available on the Internet (Google key word: “PSU tester”), and among Swiftech resellers
(www.frozencpu.com, www.Directron.com, www.newegg.com, etc.).

. Simply empty the concentrated coolant into a 33 fl oz (1 liter)

13

14

 Filling-up the circuit

• Simply pour the coolant that you prepared into the reservoir – carefully to avoid spills, allowing the circuit to fill-up

by simple gravity. Note: for the gravity to take effect the reservoir should be placed or held at the highest point of the
cooling circuit. Once the reservoir is full, seal the fill port back with its cap in order to avoid any spills, and start-up the
pump. The reservoir will quickly (within 1 second) empty itself. Immediately turn off the pump, top-off the fluid to the
maximum level, and restart the pump. You need to repeat this operation 2 to 3 times, until the circuit is finally full of
coolant. Then, allow the system to run 10 minutes uninterrupted to clear all the micro-bubbles and foam, and finally top-off
the level one last time. Your liquid cooling circuit is now ready, and you may permanently install the reservoir.

• Allow the system to run for (3) hours, and frequently inspect all your connections for possible leaks before

you reconnect and re-install all your components (motherboard, hard drives, etc.)

CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR INSTALLATION IS NOW COMPLETE!

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 18 of 20

Example of installation (including the MCW55 VGA cooler)

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 19 of 20

7. TROUBLESHOOTING

 Air keeps circulating into the circuit, long after the pump has primed:

 The pump does not prime.

 The Coolant is filled with debris of some sort:

8. DRAINING THE SYSTEM

o There is a significant pocket of air trapped into the circuit. In most cases this will be due to the fact that the radiator

and or the water-block where installed upside down. Temporarily dismount the device and re-orient right side-up until
all the air has escaped back into the circuit.

o The fluid level is too low: top-off the reservoir to the appropriate level.
o One of the components connections is loose, or improperly tightened: Inspect each connection for traces of

moisture, and tighten all worm-drive clamps, and various connections in the circuit.

o It is likely that the circuit is not installed correctly. Please check that the reservoir discharge is duly connected to the

pump inlet. Reminder: do not let the pump run dry.

Despite our best efforts, such as lengthy ultrasonic cleaning of the radiator, and careful inspection and cleaning of all the parts
we manufacture, it is always possible that debris or some sort may be contaminating your circuit. When this happens it will
significantly affect the performance of the STORM water-block, which mini-jets can be easily obstructed due to their small size.
The circuit should then be completely flushed (see draining procedure below), and the STORM water-block should be
disassembled for inspection and cleaning.

 Open up the fill-cap from the MCRES-Micro
 Then, you will need to disconnect a line from one of the lowermost components. Typically, this would be the pump. You

need to procure a bucket large enough to receive approximately 1 liter of fluid, and place the bucket underneath the
connection that you intend to “break”. Disconnect the line, and place both ends into the bucket, until all the liquid is
drained from the system.

9. PERIODIC MAINTENANCE

 Every 6 months: dust off the radiator fins and fan. You can use a can of compressed air for example, available

in most electronic supply stores. If you live in a very dusty area, you should perform this task at closer intervals.
It is essential to maintain the optimum performance of your cooling system.

 Inspect the liquid level inside the reservoir, and refill if necessary (no refills are normally necessary for 18

months of continuous usage). Evaporation in this closed circuit is extremely limited, but still present due to
some permeability in the vinyl lines.

Copyright Swiftech 2005 – All rights reserved – Last revision date: 4-16-05 - Information subject to change without notice – URL: http://www.swiftnets.com
Rouchon Industries, Inc., dba Swiftech – 1703 E. 28th Street, Signal Hill, CA 90755 – Tel. [phone] – Fax [phone] - E Mail: [e-mail]

PAGE 20 of 20