IceManCooler pump/res combo

FischOderAal

Average Stuffer
Apr 15, 2020
73
77
Hey guys. This looks very interesting but I really wonder why it only states compatability with V4 to V6. I have a Kickstarter V1 but from the changelog I cannot see why it should not fit.

Anyone got more info on that?
 

Epos7

Trash Compacter
Aug 24, 2019
45
13
Does anyone know if the IceMan res is still available?

I tried ordering from AliExpress here:

IceManCooler Ncase DDC Reservoir ,Small Water Tank for Ncase M1 Cabinet V4 V5 V6,Support 8cm 9cm Fan Holes Mount ICE NC PR|Fluid DIY Cooling| - AliExpress

edit - looks like it has now shipped. Still curious about the pumps:

Assuming it's still being produced, what pumps can I use with the res? I thought all Laing pumps would be the same, so I just ordered the cheapest PWM model I could find which was the "Alphacool Laing DDC-Pumpe 12V DDC-1T Plus PWM". My understanding was the pump would be removed from its housing and installed in the IceMan res, but reading above it seems like I might be mistaken.
 
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rickster

Chassis Packer
Oct 24, 2020
18
8
Does anyone know if the IceMan res is still available?

I tried ordering from AliExpress here:

IceManCooler Ncase DDC Reservoir ,Small Water Tank for Ncase M1 Cabinet V4 V5 V6,Support 8cm 9cm Fan Holes Mount ICE NC PR|Fluid DIY Cooling| - AliExpress

edit - looks like it has now shipped. Still curious about the pumps:

Assuming it's still being produced, what pumps can I use with the res? I thought all Laing pumps would be the same, so I just ordered the cheapest PWM model I could find which was the "Alphacool Laing DDC-Pumpe 12V DDC-1T Plus PWM". My understanding was the pump would be removed from its housing and installed in the IceMan res, but reading above it seems like I might be mistaken.
I'm pretty sure any DDC pump would work. Pump pictures don't show the pump taken apart, you'll have to do that to get it to fit in the reservoir.

Mine just cleared customs and is in Indiana, I'm located in California. The tracking says it'll get to me by December 10-30th.

I bought the cheap pump the iceman comes with, as it was only $20 extra, and the super expensive EK pump, just to have a back up and to see if this is really worth the cost. Though it might be more helpful if I had a $50 DDC pump to compare it to, as that'll be useful to more people.

I don't have all the parts to my build yet so I don't know when i'll be able to test stuff. I want to get a 3080 but the choices are slim that'll fit in this case.
 

Epos7

Trash Compacter
Aug 24, 2019
45
13
I'm pretty sure any DDC pump would work. Pump pictures don't show the pump taken apart, you'll have to do that to get it to fit in the reservoir.

Mine just cleared customs and is in Indiana, I'm located in California. The tracking says it'll get to me by December 10-30th.

I bought the cheap pump the iceman comes with, as it was only $20 extra, and the super expensive EK pump, just to have a back up and to see if this is really worth the cost. Though it might be more helpful if I had a $50 DDC pump to compare it to, as that'll be useful to more people.

I don't have all the parts to my build yet so I don't know when i'll be able to test stuff. I want to get a 3080 but the choices are slim that'll fit in this case.

Sounds like mine is about a week behind yours 😀

Did you get the IceMan res with the pump included? I read in a couple places that version is different than the version w/o the pump, and the version w/ pump is not compatible with Liang DDC pumps. I think the product has gone through some revision, so I'm not sure if that's still the case. I believe Optimum Tech bought the version with the pump, and he made no mention of compatibility issues when swapped out for a different one. Maybe it's been updated?

As far as the pumps go, I'm thinking I might need to purchase a "pump top" for my Alphacool in order for it to fit the IceMan res. Kinda seems like the various DDC pumps offered by EK et all are the same Liang pump just with a different pump top. I'm not positive though, it's hard to find good info on the subject.
 

rickster

Chassis Packer
Oct 24, 2020
18
8
Sounds like mine is about a week behind yours 😀

Did you get the IceMan res with the pump included? I read in a couple places that version is different than the version w/o the pump, and the version w/ pump is not compatible with Liang DDC pumps. I think the product has gone through some revision, so I'm not sure if that's still the case. I believe Optimum Tech bought the version with the pump, and he made no mention of compatibility issues when swapped out for a different one. Maybe it's been updated?

As far as the pumps go, I'm thinking I might need to purchase a "pump top" for my Alphacool in order for it to fit the IceMan res. Kinda seems like the various DDC pumps offered by EK et all are the same Liang pump just with a different pump top. I'm not positive though, it's hard to find good info on the subject.
Yeah I bought the res with the P5 pump. Well that's going to suck if I have to order another res and wait another month.

It's shocking how hard it is to find detailed information on pumps. I've read dozens of posts from the people who built dual loops in the Ncase M1 and i'm still not that confident in what i'm doing. Also there's insane hero worship around OT which is unfortunate as that guy is mostly flash and little substance. Though to be fair that's most of youtube.

I'm tempted to post a build log here when i get all my parts, but i'm kind of lazy.

edit 12/8/2020

I ordered this on November 20th and got it on December 8th. I believe I choose the cheapest shipping. I don't have hex screw driver, so I either need to buy an ifixit kit or bum it off my dad. It's the same dimensions and the EK block will not be flush with the ice man pump, but i'll create a new post once I open it up and verify if the EK pump fits.

Currently waiting on my ncase m1, a deal for 32 gbs of ram, the gpu (3080), and maybe a cpu (5600x) but i may just reuse my 3700x. I don't have a gpu that fits, so that's going to be the bottle neck in completing the build for a while.
 
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Epos7

Trash Compacter
Aug 24, 2019
45
13
Glad to hear you got it. I ordered on November 24 and it shipped on December 3. Looks like it made it through customs in the US so I might get it next week. I'll post some pictures once it shows up, maybe we can figure out if the res/pump top is the same.
 

Epos7

Trash Compacter
Aug 24, 2019
45
13
Nice, I’m waiting for mine (no pump included), still in transit. May I ask which pump is that ?
It's the "Alphacool Laing DDC-Pump 12V DDC-1T Plus PWM" and the Bitspower heatsink.

I'm a little concerned I may have received a used pump, as there was already some water inside it when disassembled, as shown in one of the pictures. Hopefully that's just some residual from a QC test in the factory or something, and I didn't receive a used one.

update 12/21 - I heard back from Performance PC that this happens every once in a while due to testing in the factory, according to their rep. This assuages most of my concerns about received a used pump.
 
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rickster

Chassis Packer
Oct 24, 2020
18
8
Well i got some bad news, the iceman p5 pump reservoir combo does not support DDC pumps. Here are some pictures. The inlet/outlet is a slightly difference size. The EK ddc pump won't fit.

The P5 pump is the white one with the red o-ring.

I ordered the another one, this time without the pump and it says ddc in the title. I'm still missing a 3080 for my build so this isn't that bad of a setback. It seems like the only way I can get a 3080 in the near future is to wait in line at microcenter for 12 hours (hopefully only once, and hopefully the have the right models available).
 
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Epos7

Trash Compacter
Aug 24, 2019
45
13
Well i got some bad news, the iceman p5 pump reservoir combo does not support DDC pumps. Here are some pictures. The inlet/outlet is a slightly difference size. The EK ddc pump won't fit.
That sucks. Hopefully it helps someone else in the future. Thanks for posting pics.
It seems like the only way I can get a 3080 in the near future is to wait in line at microcenter for 12 hours
Have you signed up for any of the EVGA lists? Guess you'd be at the back of the line now but they are slowly trickling through. Not a bad idea to have as a backup plan.
 

MultiDoc

Airflow Optimizer
Feb 2, 2018
304
197
I’m waiting for the iceman to arrive any day now (hopefully), anyone have any suggestion which pump ideally is better suited for it for a dual rad loop ? The EK vtx or Swiftech mcp35x ?
Couldn’t find a comparison of these two
 

paulesko

Master of Cramming
Jul 31, 2019
415
322
I believe both of them will work perfectly fine. I use an EK ddc pump, and see no differences in temperatures while changing the pump rpm, so flow doesn´t impact temps as much as one can think. Take the more silent one, which I guess it will be the vtx one.

BTW I´d like to hear your opinion on this VTX pump vs the swiftech one, since the thing I´m not happy with on my loop is the pump noise wise, too much "hum" even at low rpm. It would be great if you post them here :)
 
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MultiDoc

Airflow Optimizer
Feb 2, 2018
304
197
I believe both of them will work perfectly fine. I use an EK ddc pump, and see no differences in temperatures while changing the pump rpm, so flow doesn´t impact temps as much as one can think. Take the more silent one, which I guess it will be the vtx one.

BTW I´d like to hear your opinion on this VTX pump vs the swiftech one, since the thing I´m not happy with on my loop is the pump noise wise, too much "hum" even at low rpm. It would be great if you post them here :)
Thanks 🙏 I’ll post as soon as I receive the last few remaining parts for the build (iceman and a barrow combo block). I’m leaning towards using the vtx on the iceman and if possible coupled with the barrow little lcd screen that shows pump rpm etc, or if that fails, I’ll put on the vtx with an EK heatsink
 

Epos7

Trash Compacter
Aug 24, 2019
45
13
Does anyone know the thread size for the torx screws attaching the stainless steel backplate to the acetal? Mine is missing one and the shop on AliExpress doesn't know the thread size.

edit - they are torx T9 head screws, still haven't figured out thread size
edit #2 - these are very unique screws and I can't find them anywhere

  • thread diameter 2.9mm (probably M3 fine thread)
  • length 7.9mm
  • flat head, diameter 3.84mm; much smaller than typical M3 flat head which is ~6mm
 
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MultiDoc

Airflow Optimizer
Feb 2, 2018
304
197
Just received the Iceman reservoir, I can confirm that the EK VTX pump fits nicely and also the EK DDC heatsink on top. Now I need a couple more parts to arrive and building can (finally) start. I’ll try installing a ball valve on the bottom port of the iceman for drain (or a quick disconnect).
As soon as the system is running I’ll try and swap between the EK VTX and the Swiftech mcp35x and see if theres a difference in performance and noise.