what material should i use for the cold plate?
 

obviously, the best choice is copper, but aluminum is much cheaper and easier to work with. am i really going to notice a difference between copper and aluminum? keep in my mind, cost is a factor, and my source charges three times as much for copper as aluminum. is this difference justifiable?

i'm currently watercooling, so the jump to pelt won't be huge. I'm planning on using a 226w pelt since i already have a 55A @ 12v power supply. it was made to replace car batteries for car shows and showrooms. might as well go all out, right?

w/c specs:
hydor l30
tc-4 rev. 2 alu. topped
BIX (i'm thinking of switching this for something else, suggestions?)
1/2" id clearflex 60

also, do i need conformal coating for the backside of the motherboard? i read i could just smear the back with dielectric grease and cover with 1/8" neoprene.

Yeah, you'll see a difference. Copper is also sturdier than alu, and will serve you better at clamping (but will be more difficult to machine, yes). The real question is; why wouldn't you use copper/ What's the actual price difference here?

It never hurts to coat everything, unless you really don't expect a leak to come behind the board (think... think again... see that little leak shooting upwards and dripping back behind the mobo?) ;)

well, i don't have access to anything more than a harbor freight drillpress, so workability is a bit of an issue.
although, i trust your judgement, so copper it is. this has probably been asked a million times before, but what is a suitable lubricant when drilling/machining copper? wd-40, motor oil etc.

right now, i'm looking at mcmaster carr to order everything, but they don't have the size copper stock i'm looking for. maybe i can call some local machine shops and get some quotes...

p.s. me joining before you = seniority. bow down :evilaugh:

(I respectfuly bow down to you! ;) )

There's an article on the subject... Ah! Here it is:
http://www.overclockers.com/articles305/
(By Bill Adams)

1/4" would be your target.

great article. the stuff should be here tomorrow or the day after.
i just took a closer look at the psu i'll be using. 12v @ 56A. it's a total beast, a friend of mine scored it for me from his workplace. i checked up on pricing, the thing retails for about $750 :drool:
i got it for free :evilaugh: . absolutely amazing...

:eek: That's more than 650 Watts!

Checked your local power company for better rates! ;)

For making cold plates you only really need to drill and maybe tap copper which a drill press and hand tap should be more than adequate for. Copper can be a bit of a pain to drill as it gums up a lot more than brass or alu - I use cutting oil (marketed as just that), it's basically a very light mineral oil, about the viscosity of cooking oil and a similar colour. you should be able to pick some up from any decent tooling shop for a few bucks.