is the base of my block too thick?
 

I recently got the copper for my block milled at a local CNC machiner. unfortunately the thickness i wanted for the block was not availiable, so i went for a thicker size. This has left my block with a 11mm thick base( 11mm of copper between the CPU and the bottom of the channel).

I am going to be cooling a p4 with it.

will it affect performance by having such a thick base, or should i get it made thiner. And if so, how?

here is a pic of the channel design (the block is the size of the P4 stock cooler)

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mujaj/waterblock.JPG

thanks

Woot! another aussie! /waves

yea for a p4 3-4mm is heaps, probably best to get the base machined thinner, trying anything else to thin it is only going to end in pain...

I mean it'll probably still perform allright as is, it's not like you'll be 20 degrees higher or anything, mabie 3 or 4 degrees higher worst case.

Either the milling machine or another one I can't recall the name of would be able to thin the base fairly easily.

Have the bottom machined or ground, OR just have them cut the channels even deeper.

i think i might try it as it is, and if it has problems, i will get it machined lower.

thanks

/smacks forhead, why didn't I think of that?:cry: good call,that's by far the best option:)

hmmm, suppose it wont cost too much to get the channel milled deeper. I would have got it done in the first place, but my dad got the copper and got it milled while i was at school so i didnt know it would end up so thick :(

will it matter if the channels are alot thicker than the rest of the piping though the system?

i just realised, its actually only 7 mm thick base.

currently the Piping (electrical conduit, im going for the tidy look, very little actual hose) has a 123mm² area, and the waterblock channels are 132mm². if i got them deepened(so that the base is 4 mm) they would be 178mm² so the flow would be slow thru the block.


maybe if i got the channels milled deeper, and then put in copper turbulators ?

It would be a bit slower thru the block(at the same flow rate), but there would deffinately be less restriction thru the block as well, meaning more flow thru the system. You *might* get equal speed, or possibly higher, due to the less restriction/more flow. I'm not quite sure on that.

If the shop would do it, you could get them to add turbulators of some sort, perhaps by using a smaller bit & cutting shallow channels (like the Maze 3, i think??).

But if they have the choice between milling the channel, or just machining the base, they would most likely machine the base down as it would be easier.

just try it out, then remove 1mm of the base, and see what happens, then another 1mm, and so on, until you eventually get to your minimum temperature

i like your idea of taking it down slowly brad, but that would cost me a heap to get done, as they would charge me for each time.

and for turbulators i was thinking along the lines of these type:

http://dtekcustoms.safeshopper.com/images/bk1f8o55.jpg