LianLi PC65 and Possible Watercool Design---your thoughts...
 

I have a LianLi PC65 case with an Abit IC7 mobo.

The case has two 80mm Fans in front right under the drive cage. I think I could easily slip the Black Ice Micro2 into that area attached to those two 80mm fans which would suck cool air from outside the case and blow it through the rad.

If I pop the rivets on the additional drive cage bracket which is attached to the floor-----I have plenty of room for a reservoir/pump combination which I would build out of 1/8 inch plexi.

I'd use a Hydor L20 or L30----or Eheim 1046 or 1048 with rubber feet on----and run the pump submerged in this approx 4 x4 x 6 plexi box.

The Plexi reservoir would be attached to the aluminum floor of the LianLi with heat transfer frag tape-----the idea there is that the tape would help deaden vibration as well as transfer heat from the reservoir to the actual aluminum case----so the aluminum case itself would help act as a heat sink from heated water collecting in the reservoir. The pump/reservoir would sit approx 4 inches from the Rad.

I'd cool the CPU and GPU on an ATI 9800XT----and thus get rid of my two noisiest fans----and probably overclock higher than what I'm doing now.

My problem with this design is the heated air from the rad which would blow across the reservoir pump. Would this be good----or bad??? Is ANY air passing over the reservoir a good thing to help cool it----or will that heated air---actually work cross purposes and heat the reservoir.

Should I consider a deflecting type of heat shield between the pump/reservoir and the Rad to deflect the warm air over the top of the reservoir----or would a flow of air----even warm air----be good flowing over it.

Lastly----With the goal of QUIETER----but still better overclocks than what I do now on air----What's your pump choice? Fitting Size?? Recommended blocks.

Thanks for any help/ideas/suggestions.

John

I shouldn't think the air flow would make a lot of difference to temperature - it will be no more than a few degrees above ambient, and the heat transfer from it to a plexi reservoir will be negligible - unless you're going for massive overclocks you are unlikely to be able to tell the difference.
If you're interested in quietening it down, it might be worth replacing the 80mm fans with quieter ones, depending on how loud the pump is in comparison. Still, I am a quietness freak ;)

Black Ice Micro 2
 

How about the rad----anyone with experience with this radiator???

John

Just cut a blowhole into the top of your case and mount a real radiator. You can even get a blackice extreme2 to fit up there.

A blackice micro 2 will in NO way cool both a cpu and a gpu. It's just not big enough. As it is, it would BARELY handle the heat load of just your GPU.

Lastly, the frag tape is wishful thinking as far as heat transfer goes. Plexi is an insulator. You COULD make a reservoir with a copper bottom and plexi sides... That would aid in cooling.
-Zoson

check out http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=7442 for some ideas.