Modding the Zalman Reserator?

[Karantanec]

I'm in a position to get a Zalman Reserator 1 set at half the usual price (don't ask me how), but I was thinking of modding it to fit my demands for a dual cooling loop for 2 computer with a shared external reservoir with submerged pumps.

I dont know the inner diameter of the Reserator (where the pump lies), but I would submerge 2 Hydor L30 pumps inside on the bottom, make new holes with 1/2" ID fittings on one side of the Reserator and connect the pumps to 2 separated cooling loops with heatercores (also external) and several cooling blocks, that would end by bringing the warm water back into the top part of the Reserator

Would such a system be able to run without fans for 24/7, using multiple blocks for most of the components, not overclocked, and have temperatures well within the safety margins?

[spinky]

i think when you put heatercores along the same lines with the reserator.. the cores will be doing most of the work and the reserator will end up being a pretty reservoir.

and looking at the size i can assure you that the pumps will not fit IN the reserator submerged.

and as a fellow friendly forum member, i advise you to forget the reserator altogether.
PLUS, with your cores, all you got to do is get some REALLY silent fans, like the vantec stealth series, slap it on and maybe 7V it..and it'll still be quieter than the fans on your PSU and give you better cooling performance.

and last but not least, as an advice, this forum only welcomes hardcore watercooling enthusiasts, end users need not apply (i learnt this the hard way). and you better hide before the main troupe visits your thread and gives you the flame of your life. good luck.

[Brians256]

Originally Posted by spinky

and last but not least, as an advice, this forum only welcomes hardcore watercooling enthusiasts, end users need not apply (i learnt this the hard way). and you better hide before the main troupe visits your thread and gives you the flame of your life. good luck.

The locals are certainly not friendly when people believe hearsay and/or defend poor products, that's for sure. But, they are very willing to suggest alternatives if you want to listen.

For example, I would suggest just getting several heatercores and ditching the Zalman reserator idea. It is expensive and pretty. If you don't want fans and don't mind something being less pretty, use several thin radiators with a lot of area (wide and tall but not deep). The depth of a radiator (such as a heatercore) is what makes it need a fan to achieve any performance.

Spinky, sorry you had a bad experience. Not all the people here are abrasive.

[SlaterSpeed]

We like people who have a mind for innvoation and come to us with a new idea. We are not newbe bashers and eaven if you have a bad idea we will still help you out.

What we dont like is when people come along asking us questions that take about 2secs to find the answer to using the search. Were not here to tell you what to do just to help you. So if we can see youve dont a bit of thinking and reserch before hand we will be happy to help.

Back OT tho. The only reason i can see to keep the reserator is for a cool looking res. So if you want to pay that amount for a res then go for it, if not then stick with the heatercore ideas.

slater..

[jaydee]

Even at half price it is what $125USish? Thats a lot of money for a pretty reservoir that not only is fairly useless in that system but also takes up a lot of extra room and is just another restriction in the loop. But if money is not a issue and you like a big blue tower taking up room then have at it. You could easily make a nice reservoir out of PCV pipe that the pumps will fit in and it will cost a fraction of the price and probably take up lessroom.

[Karantanec]

If the pumps don't fit the reserator, then I'd build a plexi stand that houses the 2 submerged pumps and on the stand the Reserator.

I understand that the Reserator itself would then be nothing more than a fancy reservoir, but it's a radiator/reservoir with great looks and just enough efficiency, combined with a heatercore, that I could run it passive...

QUOTE:
only welcomes hardcore watercooling enthusiasts, end users need not apply

And just where does the one end and the other start? I would consider such a project well in the enthusiast zone with a certain goal rather then a beginners mod with compromises and giving out lots of money for ease of use...

A custom made immitation of the Reserator would cost at least twice as much as the original set and like I said - i'm paying half the price of the original set. The spare parts can be sold so in fact I'm paying very little for a well made reservoir/radiator

As for fans:
I cannot understand the point of going normal watercooling, if U cool just a few parts with it and use fans for everything else. I see the main reason for WC in silence and not in OC.
A robust setup, that can passively cool 2 or 3 complete rigs, with nothing inside the cases but the waterblocks and some tubing, with a compact and great looking cooling tower beside it and some heatercores on the wall and with optional OC availability with a large fan on those heatercores...

Compare that with evaporative cooling that needs constant refilling or setups with huge nets of copper tubing or burrying a reservoir 10 feet under ground and so on...

I can use some objective thought why it can or cannot work and the solutions of given problems and I will respect the conclusion that my idea is faulted or just plain stupid.

But to stay silent at, what I think is an innovative mod, with potentially good results is just, cowardly...

I was thinking about a plaxi tube about the same height of the Reserator and a bit wider, but the price tag on such a tube (with holes, caps and everything) is almost 120$, and plexi or PVC doesnt cool the water, while the reserator does...
The fact that the Reserator also cools the water seems to get put aside a lot

As for taking up room, here's a picture what i'm going to cool with it
My 2 bigtowers
Taking up room and easy transport is obviously not a big issue here

[spinky]

Originally Posted by Brians256

The locals are certainly not friendly when people believe hearsay and/or defend poor products, that's for sure. But, they are very willing to suggest alternatives if you want to listen.

For example, I would suggest just getting several heatercores and ditching the Zalman reserator idea. It is expensive and pretty. If you don't want fans and don't mind something being less pretty, use several thin radiators with a lot of area (wide and tall but not deep). The depth of a radiator (such as a heatercore) is what makes it need a fan to achieve any performance.

Spinky, sorry you had a bad experience. Not all the people here are abrasive.

Brian > nods, i know, when i was here when i first registered, people were more helpful and not acting "knowledgble" by constant flaming. and back then i learnt more than now. since out of 10 replies only 2 are really useful.

i believe i started the other reserator thread asking for opinions (and also to improve its performance) it ended up in flames with no explaination whatsoever.

i appreciate if people said "product X sucks because it doesn't work as well for the cash and you can get much better performance and almost similar noise levels with this setup such & such"

if you noticed, the ones bashing it was just that..bashing. they are not constructive. abusive more likely.

SlaterSpeed > i did search before posting the reserator topic, why don't you do a search yourself and see how many returns you get?

general reviews show the reserator as "acceptable", so i came here to see what the pro's think. newbies don't learn anything when you tell them it sucks period. that will turn them into flaming newbs who don't know the "whys" and the "hows" and all they know is to flame. surely i see a trend here

Karantanec > omg i hope it doesnt topple down! and yes those chieftec/antec cases are heavy!

[bobkoure]

Remember that the reserator needs a fairly large differential between room temp and coolant temp.
If you use a heater core with low speed fan you may actually bring your coolant temps down to the point where the reserator is indeed just a reservoir.
Not that lower coolant temps are bad otherwise...

[Karantanec]

I'm planing to cool the CPU, NB, HDD, MOSFETs and maybe the PSU with it (in both PCs) so I think the diferential would be quite high

[bigben2k]

I seriously doubt that an L30 would fit inside the reserator.

Other mod: I mentionned in another thread that you could add a blower, blowing air along the sides of the reserator. The added airflow, which is still critical, would certainly improve performance, albeit maybe not as much as you need.

[satanicoo]

Originally Posted by Karantanec

I'm planing to cool the CPU, NB, HDD, MOSFETs and maybe the PSU with it (in both PCs) so I think the diferential would be quite high

So many things to be cooled, in both PCs, passively?
Thats gonna need a large dissipation area.

Maybe airspirit is better suitable to answer your question, try PMing him.

[SlaterSpeed]

Hey spinky i have nothing against THIS thread i was mearly making the point that we have nothing agains newbes. This thread is a good example of what we like

[Brians256]

Originally Posted by Karantanec

I'm planing to cool the CPU, NB, HDD, MOSFETs and maybe the PSU with it (in both PCs) so I think the diferential would be quite high

If the differential is high, that means your coolant temps are high. That means that your components aren't being kept all that cool.

I think you can get something that works, but I am skeptical of you getting something that is both decent temperature and no-fans without making the Zalman reserator effective only as a reservoir.

[Sandman001]

If you're already planning to get a heatercore along with the reserator, why not just get a couple more heatercore and ditch the zalman all together.

I mean, you'll be dumping like 400 watts into this setup, and that's alot for even a highend passive system to acheive.

[Karantanec]

The plan is to test the configuration (1/2" ID tubing and fittings, low restrictive blocks and 1 or 2 heatercores + reserator per loop) and check out, how much heat such a system can dissipate.

What I dont get is why people think the Reserator itself doesnt dissipate heat well...

The original setup has a small pump, small tubing, even gold-plated blocks that can sufficiently cool the CPU and GPU.
This setup will have a strong pump, 1/2" ID tubing and fittings, custom made copper waterblocks AND added heatercores (lying horizontally to maximize natural convection) to dissipate the heat....
I'm very confident that it will work well enough.

Can anyone tell me the exact inner diameter of the Reserator so I can make sure if the Hydor L30 pump fits?

Sandman: I nedd a reservoir to submerge my pumps. Why? For maximum eficiency of the pumps and to reduce noise and for easy filling/bleeding. And since I have a reservoir, why shouldnt it help cool the water, especially if its a passive system?

[bobkoure]

Originally Posted by Karantanec

What I dont get is why people think the Reserator itself doesnt dissipate heat well...

It's that "weakest link of the chain determines the chain's strength" thing - and many of us (myself included) think the weakest link in the reserator system is the surface in contact with air (not pump or tubes or water block).

[Etacovda]

Originally Posted by spinky

i appreciate if people said "product X sucks because it doesn't work as well for the cash and you can get much better performance and almost similar noise levels with this setup such & such"

But... thats exactly what did happen, and you abused everyone? :shrug: Never the less, lets not make this a flame war.

I think you could do better by getting a cheap set up with 2 heatercores really; 5v fans, and its going to be very quiet. I doubt you'd hear a 5v fan over your harddrives.

WRT to the resorator, you may be able to put a pump in on its end, with a modded barb, but you may have to make a 90deg turn on the outlet, which wouldnt be the best thing.

[Karantanec]

Originally Posted by bobkoure

It's that "weakest link of the chain determines the chain's strength" thing - and many of us (myself included) think the weakest link in the reserator system is the surface in contact with air (not pump or tubes or water block).

I igree with that statement. But to compensate there are aditionall heatercores in series, which have to be used with stronger pumps and that's my idea.

Its the submerged pump/reservoir/radiator concept that is fabulous and i'm trying to stick with it with my project

[bobkoure]

Then you might think about ways to get the coolant as hot as possible in the reserator.
For instance, maybe running through your blocks, to the reserator and then to the heater core - and it might be worth at least trying a tube internal to the res to put the hot water at the top and draw cooler at the bottom.
Beats me if any of this would help, but IMHO it's at least worth thinking about...

[gone_fishin]

Originally Posted by Karantanec

"but it's a radiator/reservoir with great looks and just enough efficiency"

Define "just enough efficiency"

Originally Posted by Karantanec

"even gold-plated blocks"

Are you implying that gold plating somehow improves the actual performance of the blocks?

Originally Posted by Karantanec

"But to stay silent at, what I think is an innovative mod, with potentially good results is just, cowardly..."

Inviting harsh commentary seems to be your goal.


For starters the reserator is barely efficient enough to compare it to stock air cooling....and you want to add... "planing to cool the CPU, NB, HDD, MOSFETs and maybe the PSU with it" over two rigs?

If in fact you do come up with an acceptable solution using two heatercores and semi-silent fans combined with some type of pump and include that overpriced blue tower, the reserator will have nothing to do with your success.

Are you trying to set up some BS example to attribute non-existant properties to the reserator by including it in a traditional watercooling loop?

Oh how easy it is to see through the fog.

[Karantanec]

Gone fishing:
Aren't U the one that hates the Reserator from the bottom from his heart?

By just enough I meant about 50 degrees celsius on load (both CPU and GPU)

No, gold is a worse thermal conductor then copper and the hole line was meant to show that the weakest link in the system wasnt the Reserator itself.

And like I said, I'm not relying on the Reserator for heat dissipateing, but for a housing for the pumps, silencing them and a reservoir for easy filling. The cooling part is just a bonus and I can add 1 to 4 large heatercores per loop if needed but I think that would be an overkill, even for passive cooling.

Bobkoure: The idea IS to put the hot coolant in the top of the reserator and the pumpos and their outlet on the bottom

[satanicoo]

Originally Posted by Karantanec

No, gold is a worse thermal conductor then copper and the hole line was meant to show that the weakest link in the system wasnt the Reserator itself.

Just want to make sure you understand the Reserator IS the weakest link in the whole system.
If possible, check if the pumps can fit in the reserator before you buy it.

Or else, you'll get an expensive paper-weight

[spinky]

Originally Posted by Etacovda

But... thats exactly what did happen, and you abused everyone? :shrug: Never the less, lets not make this a flame war.

i didn't abuse anyone.
you should read EVERYTHING before quoting.

Originally Posted by spinky

since out of 10 replies only 2 are really useful.

Originally Posted by satanicoo

Or else, you'll get an expensive paper-weight

++ very sexy looking too.

[gone_fishin]

Originally Posted by spinky

i didn't abuse anyone.
you should read EVERYTHING before quoting.





++ very sexy looking too.

You could lube that thing up and use it as a giant french tickler, if it really turns you on.

[bobkoure]

Originally Posted by Karantanec

I would submerge 2 Hydor L30 pumps inside on the bottom, make new holes

New holes as in bare unanodized aluminum?
Just noticed this one...

Of course, if you just wanted something that was large and blue and full of water - and that your pumps would fit into - you could use one of these