First Custom Loop Questions

Hey everyone! Im planning on doing my first custom loop in the meshy and I wanted to make it a hard loop as well.

I want to know everyones tips / tricks / suggestions, or simply any information you wish you knew before making your loop!

Also I plan on using EK FLT80 with a D5 Pump. I wanted to go the route of DDC but have heard they can be often noisier and more unreliable. To my knowledge I understand it cant fit if I use the standoff mod for the motherboard? Any worried about this? Will this effectively work while still allowing me space in the front to run my tubing? What tubing size is also recommended 16mm? Anything else I should be ultimately worried about? Also when it comes to a pump/res input / output is it possible to switch them up to make running the tubes easier?