Poll: Which GPU block?
 

Looking to put a waterblock on my Radeon 9700 Pro. Will be using an old Gateway heatsink to cool memory chips. Which block do you guys think would work the best?

Does it really matter?

I mean, we're not talking about any significant amount of heat here, so I would go with the block that has the smallest flow restriction.

Innovatech block
http://www.innovatek.de/Pics/graph_1.gif

DangerDen
http://www.dangerden.com/images/GF4/geforce4_s.gif

DTeK (GF3?)
http://dtekcustoms.safeshopper.com/images/b90nkz6q.jpg

Yea...



Yea....


And Yea....


:)

I am just in a bind here. Really dont have much money to spend (at all) and so I am wanting to get feed back from everyone else on what they would use. Talk is cheap; mistakes are NOT! (Trust me; I have a kid :D )

I know what you mean: my stepdaughter keeps talking about a car, and she's only 15!

The DD block is $45, the DTek is $36, and the Innovatech is $39.99 .

I'm going to add the DTek Sidewinder, just because it's less restrictive:
http://dtekcustoms.safeshopper.com/images/b90srcct.jpg

It goes for 37.00, but it'd have to be epoxied, because there's no mount.

Speaking of which, one could also get a cheap NB block, and epoxy it to the GPU.

For the ramsinks, I remember reading somewhere about someone cutting his own with a hacksaw, out of 1/2 fittings. Cost: a buck and a half.

well, the swiftech gpu block design seems to be one of the least flow resistance ones. but then you are stuck with their sucky hose clamping method.

anyway. one can hardly judge from the non-plexi topped pix; as u are almost clueless as to how it is designed internally.


what everyone seems to be forgetting:

u want form or function?
i can cool my gforce3ti500 oc 270/590 almost passively with a large retired cpu heatsink + fan at 5V. temps are 40°C when gaming. i don't know however if that method would work for the ti4600 and 9700 hotshots. worth a try before killing some flow and spending some $.

For my last video card (the GF3 that I murdered :) ) I just epoxied a Thermatake Golden Orb on it. That thing OC to 250 and wasnt even warm. However it took up 2 full PCI slots.

I have always wanted to watercool my GPU but I felt it would be a waste of money on a video card that I also had to cool the memory on. NOW I can just cool the core and put passive heatsinks on the memory and call it a day! AND I can always increase the core voltage on the GPU and get extra OC without changing the GPU cooler.

Another point, I dont want to use epoxy on the GPU core because that was how I killed my GF3; tried to get it off and the knife slipped. DOH! :(

I dont mind loosing 1 PCI slot but 2 is pushing it :)

Truth be told, I am leaning towards the DangerDen block. I like Dteks block much better (It uses a HorseShoe design) but I doubt that Danny will ever get those available. The InnovaBlock would work great if it wasnt for those pressure fittings. If Swiftech has a good GPU block, please reference it and give its pros and cons.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

BigBen: You could probaby make a mount for the Dtek sidewinder.... piece of flat steel, angled hose barbs, stainless screws, nylon washers and a few nuts :)

G.L.Amour: I have flow to kill :D The new Sedra pump I installed has a rating of 350Gph @ 8' and right now I only have my TC-4 and heatercore on that loop. Besides, I am trying to move away from fans.........and it looks cool when you can cool your GPU and CPU with the same water system :)

the cool looks are all that matters.

-my gpu vcore is at 1.8V
-temp is 40°C max (won't get alot better from h2o)
-loss of pci is an issue for some, but i got 6 and use 1. so no issue for me
-epoxy can be an issue too (its how i also had to do it)

but don't say u have flow to kill... it hurts me, i can always use some more flow.

n-way

look at the internals of this puppy (MCW50), should tell u more than some reviews...
http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/imag...50-housing.jpg

and
http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/imag...pin-matrix.jpg

w00t?
http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/imag...w50-bottom.jpg

the MCW40 doesn't look too shabby either
http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/imag...40/housing.gif

+
http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/imag...led_plate1.gif

so to sum up why i think swiftech is good.

-u can c that flow resistance is minimum
-baseplate finish is top
-mounting mechanism is very nice

(damn, if someone from swiftech is reading this, they should give me a free block for advertising)

might as well throw the gemini block into the mix 8)
http://www.case-mod.com/store/produc...roducts_id=240

peace.
unloaded

gha... I see the pin-grid-array consept is slowly but surely starting to take over the world of water-cooling...

one problem with the nice swifty block... the open space over the top of all those nice pins.... what a waist.....


why would you guys want the block to be low restiction, have it high restriction, and run it in parrallel, that way not adding heat to the CPU or taking away flow from the CPU... even the least restrictive design still embodies what pretty much can be looked at as a bunch of 90º bends, and we know what those do to flow rate. IMO. anyway...

I'd rather have a low restriction GPU and NB, run them in parallel after the CPU...

I'd ask someone to make you up one ;) ...

PS, OCPC make an Atlantis Radion9000series block now.

don't forget 9700's have a 'proud' lip around the GPU that makes using old GPU blocks impossible without an insert!...

dont forget about the nice offering from new zealand

http://www.pccasegear.com/images/pixelice1.jpg

they look even better with a led chucked in the mix

http://www.thebunker.com.au/images/r...ock/pixel2.jpg

or even with a bit of UV dye

http://www.pccasegear.com/images/uvdye-020bb.jpg

A mount should be fairly esy.

JT: do you mean 350 gph@0 head, and a max head of 8 feet?

Unloaded: Thanks for posting the Gemini. I will defiantely take that one into consideration.

Jamicon: That block almost looks "too simplistic" for my taste :) But everything will be considered.

BigBen: The actaul number that the box says something closer to 500Lph @ 2m of head. I will get my digicam back and take a picture of the box for you ASAP. Max head is 8' though.

As far as the innovec blocks there are fittings available that use barbed ends instead of the compression fitting.
2 routes you can go
1. adapters that convert the theads from bssp to NTP
or
2. fittings like these
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2...y_Code=Fitting

just a little more food for thought
Aardil

jamicon:

Thats probably the most intelligently designed GPU block I've seen. I don't understand why people bother with all these twist and turns to cool a 15w GPU. Make it simple, non restrictive and use those 45 degree barbs so you don't kill flow or block PCI slots.

i agree, thats why for my block im doing a PVC cap with the barbs comming in from the side, with some fins of some type (probably copper wire) sticking up in the middle, works well, low restriction

isn't there a physical restriction to putting a GPU block on the 9700s...like that the core itself is surrounded by a slightly raised area?

Cause I saw pictures of one of the first 9700s to go public and someone modded a Danger Den block to it.

I am now just starting to hear about this sort of limitation.... Wondering just how bad it is......

From all the review sites that I have read up about the 9700, it didnt show any sort of "lip" around the core preventing direct cooling.

I suppose the worst that I would need to do is sandwich a coper plate between the core and the GPU block to act as a conduit for the heat.... just wouldnt be as efficent.

Anyone have any more details about this "lip" in question? Pictures would be even better! :)

Thanks again for all your posts.

I believe that the surrounding RAM chips level off higher than the GPU. We could look at (morphling's ?) videocard block, to check.

http://www.darkcrow.co.kr/image/arti...ro/art01_s.jpg

Here is a picture of what i mean.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread....ight=Water+ATI

Here is the thread that I found the pictures at...

they are gone now looks like.

I think this is the picture though. Not of the core...but of something that looks like a plate that the guy made.

My gf3 design I just made for one guy,fits prefectly of course to 9000 or 9700 cards.
http://www2.arnes.si/~mlivak/Gf3%209...wb/Picture.jpg
http://www2.arnes.si/~mlivak/Gf3%209...ture%20009.jpg
http://www2.arnes.si/~mlivak/Gf3%209...ture%20004.jpg
http://www2.arnes.si/~mlivak/Gf3%209...ture%20001.jpg

Well guess I may as well show off the Atlantis range.
Supprised no one else has posted tbh, as they not exactly new.
Radeon 9x00 version
http://www.overclockedpc.co.uk/image...lantis_lrg.jpg
http://www.overclockedpc.co.uk/image...ntis_lrg_2.jpg
GF3 version ( fits Gf2/3 and Gf4mx)
http://www.overclockedpc.co.uk/image...lantis_lrg.jpg
Finaly GF4
http://www.overclockedpc.co.uk/image...lantis_lrg.jpg

Ahem?!...,:rolleyes: :dome: :D ...
**********************************

-------Originally posted by redleader ---------
jamicon:

Thats probably the most intelligently designed GPU block I've seen. I don't understand why people bother with all these twist and turns to cool a 15w GPU. Make it simple, non restrictive and use those 45 degree barbs so you don't kill flow or block PCI slots.------------------------------------------------

-------Originaly posted by Jamicon-------------
i agree, thats why for my block im doing a PVC cap with the barbs comming in from the side, with some fins of some type (probably copper wire) sticking up in the middle, works well, low restriction.
-------------------------------------------------------

I agree as well, apart from the fact that heat is generated at the very centre of the NB chip, a fact that manufacturers seem to overlook!.
I plan on making a very simple NB&GPU block out of 28mm Cu-pipe end caps, with the barbs made of 13mm inner(same size as silicone tubing I'll use) Cu pipe soldered to the sides. they'll probly have to be O< Vee shaped rather than O= parallel, to allow for room to fit tube&ties/clamps. Could also gloop a perspex/plexi top to it with two/four holes for the mounts, or solder some lugs with holes to the endcap body for a soldered top...

Or use 15/22mm caps and have the inlet going in the top and outlet on the side. the 15mm would be very minimal and quite high flow(comparitivly) like a 90Deg elbow with a flat bottom, again two/four lugs for mounting...

(voted 'other')
As i am European it would be either:
- Aquacomputer Twinplex
or:
- JessFM's atlantis line

I currently own a Twinplex, and i am satisfied with this high-quality product.