Reddit reviews Phobya G1/4" Inline Temperature Sensor, 50cm, Nickel

make sure your board has a T_sensor, a 2-pin socket for plugging in the thermal probe's cable

I'm using a Phobya in-line sensor, works just fine. It's just a G1/4 fitting with a sensor attached to it from the outside - it doesn't sit in the water.

Or you could use a Bitspower plug sensor, best placed in a T-fitting or in the res, so that it doesn't impede flow.

Other brands also have their own versions of such sensors.

Additional idea for the sensor thing, go with one of these:
https://amzn.com/B00414VYEC

They are all basically the same design. Its a temp sensor that contacts the metal of the fitting. Just choose the brand/color that matches your other fittings if you can. I've always used the Phobya ones, as the nickel matches the nickel that EK uses. I take off the sleeving though, the wire is very low profile without it.

https://www.amazon.com/Phobya-Inline-Temperature-Sensor-Matte/dp/B00414VYEC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_421_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=BB0N73E995B13MQW9RJ3&th=1

Would you use something like this:

Stop Fitting https://www.amazon.com/Bitspower-Temperature-Sensor-Fitting-Matte/dp/B003U3S0UQ

or an Inline like
https://www.amazon.com/Phobya-Inline-Temperature-Sensor-Nickel/dp/B00414VYEC

Thanks for the tips!

I'll try my hand at hard-line much later down the line when I'm comfortable with watercooling and the maintenance that goes with it.

I'm still thinking about that 140mm rear radiator. I feel like adding that would make for too much clutter/tubing everywhere. I want to make good use of the space I have, but not to the point that it's super tight. Visually, less is more as they say. Besides, would one slim single fan radiator really do much for me? The case has shoddy airflow as it is, so I figured one unobstructed path for air to pass through would be good to have.

Fans are good performance for sure; I was more concerned that I'd have to go with high RPMs because of the bad case airflow, and the industrials can get noisy so I hope low RPMs will work.

This sensor form Phobya is nickel; does that one work as an extender, essentially? Seems like it's broken for some people according to Amazon reviews. The plug sensor I originally linked is chrome so because of that, it won't work with the metals in my loop?

The tubing comes with sys-prep pre-treatment which was part of the reason I wanted that bundle. I'll probably buy regular distilled water anyways (for radiator cleaning) so might as well just mix some with utopia or whatever people recommend. Or is it worth using pre-treatment? If not, I might go with cryofuel and use that but I'll still get distilled water anyways for flushing the radiators.

I'll have RGB lighting in my case so I'm eyeing the onyx black tubing because it seems like it has a bit of a shine to it. Matte tubing from either PrimoChill or EK won't give that same effect, I presume.

Not counting the 12 regular compression fittings, I've got 30+ extra fittings/adapters of all kinds to go with it. I won't use them all, but I just hope I don't run out of a specific kind. I think I have ~4 of each kind that I thought I'd use.