If you don't want to read my latest project idea, just go to the bottom of this post where my actual question is written in blue.

After much thought, I've come to the conclusion that it's completely impossible to jam a tri-fan radiator, a res, a pump, and all the necessary tubing for a water cooling system into my PC-7B. Solution? Go f**king insane and rack mount all my computers!

My PC-7B is going bye-bye, and in it's place I'm going to use a cheap 4U server case. The water cooling system is going to be housed in a similar case above the 4U, and I'm going to route the tubing through holes I cut in both cases on the back. I'm not however, going to run moltex cable from one case to the other. I might as well take advantage of the psu bay...

I've also decided to get a rack mount UPS. It'll cut down on the overall footprint of the computing unit, and it'll match the other rack mount stuff.

This is the case I'm planning on using for the PC, and I'll either buy a second one for water cooling components, or a 3U or 2U case that'll work and is cheap. I might have to mod the case to take my P5B, but that's as simple as drilling a few holes for the standoffs.

I'll either build my own rack or get one used. They're crazy expensive when new, but I see them for bloody free on craigslist every so often. I want to get a 36U+ rack, so I have room to expand. And I always see cheap (Like $50), working, dual P3-based servers on craigslist, and I'm sure I could find a use for them. I could install smoothwall on one, use one for a router, linux box, file server (SCSI w00t!), ect. I guess once servers get that old, companies don't have much use for them. In the long run it would be cheaper just to buy new, more powerful, more energy efficient, units instead of keeping the old ones.

I've already re-arranged my room so the rack has a place to stay, and I more or less have the budget together. Although, since I'm at the will of one of my 'rents who is in control of the almighty credit card that enables me to buy all my expensive toys, and I have a bunch of other stuff I'm in the process of doing/planning to do, I've set either an August 27th or September 3 deadline for this project. Whichever one is the start of the 2007-2008 school year in my little corner of the world. So yeah, I'm doing it over the summer. I've allocated $550 for the WC loop, rack mount cases and rack, and various other supplies (i.e. craigslist-bought servers).

My soon to be water cooling loop is going to consume a max of 6a (6 Yate Loons + 1, maybe 2, 18w pumps). I need a seperate PSU for the loop (explained in the crazy idea section...), I just don't know which one to get. Do you think I could run just any no-name, $10 psu? I would rather drink molten lead then use a craptastic psu in my system, but I need to keep this setup as cheap as possible, and since the power consumption is so low for the loop I don't think I could push a crappy psu hard enough for it to fail... Thoughts?

Also, how do I set the psu to turn on when I hit the power button? Since this psu is only going to be powering a couple fans and pumps, It's not going to be hooked up to a mobo. I'm assuming I can just hack off the little mobo header on the switch and solder/jb weld/or other wise attach the two bare ends to a green and black wire on the 20/24 pin connecor. Kinda like the paper clip thing.

Flogging Molly FTW!

just food for thought; see if ya can find a real old computer,(say around 12 yrs old) and salvage the power supply out of one. the ones that have a built in toggle switch(or directly wired from push/flip switch to power supply). I managed too get two just last year alone. use them for projects/experiments. Seems like the old power supplies are hard to kill. Just an idea?

I remember BEFORE the "It is now safe to turn off your computer"! Man, I don't miss DOS AT ALL!

I think a cheapo PSU should be fine as well. If it fails, the pumps and fans stop. Not a big deal, just power down the computer. If it failed while you were away from it I'm sure the thermal controls would power down the computer once the CPU got too hot. Yes, a wire to the ATX20/24 "like the paper clip" would power up/down the PSU with the rest of the computer.

why not buy some fans and a pump that run on 120?, saves you the hassle of getting a PSU and the power loss by converting from one type of voltage to another.