Water flow issues
 

I posted a thread a couple of months ago complaining that I didn't get the cooling performance that I wanted out of my H20 setup. The thread is here:
http://forums.procooling.com/ubbcgi/...c&f=2&t=000563

Here is my setup:

Asus A7V133
TBirdy 1.33 @ 1.507 1.85v
256 MB Mushkin Rev 2
GF2Pro, SB Live!, DLink Nic

H2O setup is: Danner Mag5 to Black Ice with 120MM fan (offset 1 inch with shroud), Maze 2 WB. 1/2 inch hose everywhere except I have a 3/8 compression fitting to 1/2 barb for the BI, and a 1/2 to 3/4 to get to the Mag5.

The issue I was complaining about in the last post was that I maxed out under load at about 51C. In the thread, GuyBFF was very helpful and suggested that it might be flow rate that was the problem.

Well I finally did some testing, and here are the results:

As is, my flow rate was 47GPH
I removed a water pressure gauge and 1 temp probe (I still have one in line) and got 47.5GPH
This was really bothering me so I tried it without the WB and the flow increased a little to 66GPH.
I tried it without the rad and got in the neighborhood of 300GPH.

Needless to say, I am really disappointed with the flow restriction of the BI. Does this seem about right to you all? Any way to improve this situation? Any and all comments /help is appreciated.

DoTheDog
:eek: :eek:

I would suggest that anyone getting into H2O cooling.....Get a heater core.... :cool:

A heater core would be great but I have this in an Enlight 7237 Midi. I have everything inside the case. With a Big Momma or a D-Tek, I wouldn't be able to get it in. :^)

I just saw the post from yesterday about the BI high flowrate mod. Anyone know how well it works?

The blackice is 3/8 internally, right? That probably has something to do with the lower flow.

Still, its a good rad and probably not the only problem if you are getting 50C.

Also, who says you can't fit a heatercore on a midtower?
http://home.earthlink.net/~ggiacomel...re_upright.jpg

[ 10-14-2001: Message edited by: redleader ]

After looking at it, I would guess 5 - 7 percent better, if that.. probably around 5. i have a feeling that if it were a huge number, he'd just make BIs like that. Definitely not the official word on the situation...
I don't think it is 3/8 internally however I could be wrong. If it were, i'm not sure why Chip would sell 1/2" versions.


BTW... that heatercore setup = ghetto :)

Thanks for the replies. Do those flow rates look about right to you? For a 500GPH rated pump 47 seems a bit low. Could this be causing my relatively poor performance? Lower flow = bigger delta?

but it is rated with out your amount of tubeing on it. Yes, I would bet that is a bought right after pushing a 1/2 fitting into a 3/8 fitting. That is a big reduction of size. That is what is killing your flow rate. Talk to Chip at OCW to see what he does to create the 1/2 inch BI rads. You might be able to do just that and gain a increase of flow rate. But. . . I am sure there are other factors, like how your block is connected to your cpu, or just the type of block it is. (or of course, you have one heck of an OC job on the cpu)

dantheman, thanks for the reply, I don't think it is the way I have the wb on the cpu. I lapped it to a mirror finish. The last time I took it off it had a neat impression of the top of the core in the maze2 bottom. I could read the whole thing (backwards of course ;^)

As for the 1/2 inch BI mod, with the increased flow mod it would cost about $30 on top of the $79 I paid for the rad and I would lose the rad for a couple of weeks while it was getting modded. Maybe I will email Chip to see what he suggests.