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-   -   1/2ID vs OD (http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=8261)

DickNervous 10-31-2003 03:07 PM

1/2ID vs OD
 
Some buddies and I have been having a discsussion on which tubing size performs better: 1/2" ID or 1/2"OD.

All other things staying the same, does anyone have any real-world experience of it making a difference?

I run 2 water cooling setups, both with Clearflex 1/2" ID tubing. One has a Eheim 120, Dual 120 BIX Rad, PolarFlo SF CPU block, Swiftech MCW50 Gpu block, and right now a Danger Den Res.

The other has a Via Aqua 1300, Swiftech MCW5002, Chrome BIX, and Typhoon Dual Bay Res.

Both have 1/2" ID tubing and I am wondering if moving to 1/2" OD would improve performance.

Thanks!


PS: If this is discussed somewhere, just piont me over there and smack me upside the head for not finding it when I searched. :D

winewood 10-31-2003 03:13 PM

It really depends. Just because you have a larger diameter going into a block doesnt make the flow increase. You must consider the flow throught the loop. If you can increase the diameter of everything in the loop, you will be better, all things considering because you have better flow.

It is relatively safe to say that larger flow the larger the gains in performance on almost any block.

If you keep the same tubing and just stretch it over the newer and bigger fitting, I doubt you will see any difference. The same volume of water is going in and coming out.

Could be wrong, but this is my understanding.

dacooltech 11-01-2003 05:30 PM

1/2"OD? so what's the ID?
 
Quote:

Some buddies and I have been having a discsussion on which tubing size performs better: 1/2" ID or 1/2"OD.
What's the ID of 1/2"OD tubing?
OD = outside diameter
ID = inside diameter

Are you talking about 1/2"ID vs 3/8"ID?
for example if the 1/2"Outside Diameter tubing that you're talking about has 1/16"WALL then it's 3/8" inside diameter tubing...

Quote:

ll other things staying the same, does anyone have any real-world experience of it making a difference?

I run 2 water cooling setups, both with Clearflex 1/2" ID tubing. One has a Eheim 120, Dual 120 BIX Rad, PolarFlo SF CPU block, Swiftech MCW50 Gpu block, and right now a Danger Den Res.

The other has a Via Aqua 1300, Swiftech MCW5002, Chrome BIX, and Typhoon Dual Bay Res.

Both have 1/2" ID tubing and I am wondering if moving to 1/2" OD would improve performance.
OK, FOA let's make this one thing clear... 1/2"ID tubing is larger than 1/2"OD tubing.
If you have 1/2"ID ClearFlex 60 tubing and if it's 1/8"WALL, then it's 3/4"OD tubing.

Guess you're trying to ask if 3/8"ID tubing over 1/2"OD barbed fittings performs as good as 1/2"ID tubing over
1/2"OD barbed fittings... right?

Bruce

redleader 11-01-2003 07:09 PM

1/2 OD = 3/8 inch tubing (tube is generally measured by ID, not OD).

Smaller tube will never improve performance. It may not hurt it, but it will not improve it. Just keep what you have unless you're having problems with it.

dacooltech 11-02-2003 12:53 AM

Quote:

1/2 OD = 3/8 inch tubing (tube is generally measured by ID, not OD).
Redleader i'm not sure what you mean by
1/2"OD = 3/8"ID ...

that's not correct... 1/2"OD tube doesn't always have 3/8"ID... it depends...

Yes the outside diameter of 3/8"ID, 1/16"WALL tubing is 1/2"OD...

but how about 1/8"WALL 1/2"OD tubing?...
outside diameter of 1/4"ID, 1/8"WALL tubing is also 1/2".

Bruce

DickNervous 11-02-2003 10:41 AM

Ok.. I'll clear up what I meant :D

I meant 1/2ID vs 3/8ID (which with ClearFlex 60 would be 1/2OD).

Now that that's cleared up....

The real question, I guess, is which is better to have:

Water moving faster through the system, which all other things the same, you should get with the smaller tubing.

OR

More volume of water, though at a slower speed, which is what you should get with larger tubing.

And if the answer is "It depends on the complete system" then that's fine.

I would assume that blocks made for high flow systems like the Cascade, PolarFLO, MCW5002 work better with the 1/2ID tubing and that blocks designed for lower flow like the Asetek WaterChiller, Culpex Evo, Zalman WB, etc would work better with 3/8ID tubing.

But that is just the assumption of someone who has been doing water cooling for 6 months now and wants to make sure he knows what he is doing, not just *thinks* he knows :D

dacooltech 11-02-2003 03:59 PM

OK... Actually you can barely see any performance difference between 1/2"ID and 3/8"ID tubing over 1/2"OD barbed fittings.
That's because the inside diameter of 1/2"OD barbed fittings is 3/8"ID.
So in other words the restriction is mainly caused by the inside diameter of the fittings itself...

The advantage of using 1/2"ID tubing is less back pressure on the pump due to more volume.

The advantage of 3/8"ID tubing over 1/2"OD barbed fittings is neater looks :)

So if you want to use 3/8"ID tubing over 1/2"OD barbs, i highly recommend you to go with 3/8"ID x 5/8"OD x 1/8"Wall tubing... 'cause 1/16" Wall tubing kinks pretty easily...

oh and also you may need to heat up the ends of 3/8"ID tubing a bit, so that you can easily insert them over larger 1/2"OD barbs... using a hair dryer @ low setting or inserting the ends in to hot boiled water will do the trick ;)

Bruce

DickNervous 11-02-2003 07:55 PM

So, to net it all out. If you have 1/2ID barbs, the only benefit to 3/8ID tubing is cosmetics.


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