Cooling a duallie rig - loop set up?
 

Hey everyone

A friend of mine has come to me asking for some advice about w/cing a dual A MP rig.

Hes willing to spend a bit of cash, so thats no issue. The main question is loop set up...

His idea was this - <see attached image>

My reply was to run each 'loop' in series (ie, no split between cpu & gpu etc) and run each pump directly off the res...

My main concern was the flow rate through the radiator - I said that perhaps 2x120mm rads (one for each seperate loop) was probably the better way to go, then to loop it up to the common res... Im assuming (depending on the rad) that the flow would be cut pretty low by that restriction?

Alternatively, I was thinking of modifying a camry core (see 'The challenge rig parts thread') to have two inlets and two outlets, straight into the headers... would this be better than a Y fitting, where restriction is concerned, or would it be similar to a Y fitting? I think 2x120mm rads might be a bit of a space issue, and a tubing issue...

Any tips? cheers guys

Heres his loop idea -

Ignoreing that theres no way in hell to ever fit that in a case, I'd switch the GPU and NB lines to be in series. Otherwise you're just wasteing a lot of the pressure provided by the dual pump setup (which i assume was the point of having two pumps?)

Yeah, thats what im doing already; as i said above

My main question was junctioning the heatercore into a double, or having two singular ones. I see no reason why it wouldnt fit in a case; it'll be a tight fit, but theres been worse done.

My other Q is - using say a D4, and having a four block loop and having it as a single loop, how much pressure drop would there be? id be inclinded to say shitloads, but I have sfa idea...

Are you using a T or Y to split flow at the inlet of those pumps? Dont do that :)

Will your wbs all be DIY or off the shelf? I might have a suggestion or two...

That was his version of the loop -
Attached is mine

Single res, two in, two out

DIY cpu blocks (well, I DIY, he uses, lol) and off the shelf gfx and nb blocks

The 3rd option ive asked him to consider was this - (not the attachment!)

Loop 1 - D4/MC650 > cpu1 > cpu2 > rad > common res
Loop 2 - Smaller 12v pump > gfx > nb > rad > common res

The first loop using 1/2", the second using 3/8ths or even possibly smaller

Any help would be appreciated! :)

also, hes an avid modder, so doing some work doesn't worry him in the slightest...

The blocks are impingment based, so flow rates are pretty important, but they will be a lot less restrictive than my normal blocks internally

In my opinion your loop should be like this:

rad > t-line/res (res not always necessary) > MCP650 > cpu1 > cpu2 > gpu >>>

I hope you mean all 1/2"... Its not absolutely necessary to cool the nb, they that "avid modder" to put a big low rpm fan on the side of his case, it will cool the nb just fine (and will be quiter than the pump), and other components on the motherboard.

Yeah, i was looking at doing a lower restriction path, but your right when you look at it that way. Im not a fan of nb watercooling either, lots of effort for next to no gain.

The thing is, with 1 block, 2x 1.6m 800lph pumps only get around 1.8gpm through the single block... adding two more is going to kill flow, surely? Not sure what the gfx card block is yet, but something low restriction more than likely; maze4 or similar.

If DIY, I would consider making one 2 barb CPU wb (CPU1) and one 3 barb CPU wb (CPU2). Then go res -> pump(s) -> rad -> CPU1->CPU2-> one outlet to NB and one to GFX. Just put 2 inlets into your res for those parallel loops and you're golden. I'd either run the pumps in series or just size the pump for the loop in the first place

That sounds like a great plan pH, actually; im going to talk it over with him and see what he thinks