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General Liquid/Water Cooling Discussion For discussion about Full Cooling System kits, or general cooling topics. Keep specific cooling items like pumps, radiators, etc... in their specific forums. |
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04-28-2004, 06:01 PM | #1 |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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Another "New guy to watercooling" thread... But I have done my homework... I think.
Hey all!! I'm new here but have been reading around this forum (and lots of others) alot lately. I originally posted this thread on overclockers.com's forums but wanted to ask you guys as well. Anyways this is another one of those "This is the list of parts I plan on buying for my first watercooling project" threads hehe. So let me know what you think, suggestions are welcome . I've included links to all the parts' manufacturer's sites.
Pump -=- Swiftech MCP600 rev. 2 Unless someone finds a way to change my mind, this is almost definitely the pump I plan on buying. I have read nothing but good reviews about it. CPU Block -=- PolarFLO CPU SF w/ 1/2" Barbs I'm pretty sure that this is the block I'm gonna get. It has gotten very good reviews and looks frickin awesome too. I've even emailed PolarFLO a few times asking some questions and have got replies back (from the head guy himself, Steve!!) fast with detailed answers! None of that yes/no short answer crap. GPU Block -=- PolarFLO GPU/Chipset w/ 1/2" Barbs Again.... very good performer and great looks. One of the questions I asked PolarFLO was if this block would fit on my video card (ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro). They said that I would have to mod the mounting block for it to work. I'm ok with this. Chipset Block -=- PolarFLO GPU/Chipset w/ 1/2" Barbs This part is gonna have to wait due to the fact that this block doesn't have an adapter for Intel's Northbridge HSF hooks. Steve (the PolarFLO guy) said that the adapter should be out soon though . If you have suggetions on other chipset blocks which are good performers that work with the hooks let me know and I'll check it out. Reservoir -=- Innovatek Tank O Matic or maybe Criticool WaterPlant 6" I'm still deciding on this one. That Innovatek res is very nice looking but pricey. In the end though I'll prolly end up with it because I like to go "all out" instead of getting the cheaper version and wishing every day I went with the other lol. I'd have to switch out the fittings on the Innovatek though since I want all 1/2" tubing and it comes with 1/4" to 3/8"(I think?). Radiator or Heatercore -=- Black Ice Xtreme or Black Ice Xtreme II or Appropriately Sized Heatercore This is probably the hardest part for me to decide on. Those Black Ice Xtremes are really expensive but seem to do the job very well. I've done a little research on heatercores but not a whole lot. The main thing is it has to fit inside my case (CoolerMaster ATC-201b). I'm planning on putting the rad or heatercore at the top front of the case and making two blowholes for the fans(*gulp* putting holes in a $180 aluminum case isn't exactly what I do for "fun" lol). The space I have to work with at the top of my case is about 11" L x 5 1/2" W. I would prefer to have a rad or heatercore that will fit 2x120mm fans. Tubing -=- ClearFlex 60 or MasterKleer (To go to the ClearFlex 60 in the link, type "85" in the Find box. For the MasterKleer type "82".) All of it would be 1/2" ID 3/4" OD w/ 1/8" wall. I'd like to get some Tygon R-3603 tubing but c'mon..... $2.65per ft?!? That's crazy. I would really like to know how well that MasterKleer tubing performs compared to Clearflex 60 or Tygon. I've only heard a few "this is great tubing comments" but not enough to make me buy it. So let me know if you have any links to reviews of it or if you have used all 3 of them yourself and have your own opinion about which is best overall. Oh yeah, how much tubing should I get?? I was thinking around 15 ft? Does that sound like a good number when you factor in the mistakes I might make? Two 120mm Fans -=- SilenX 120mm or possibly Evercool Aluminum 120mm Those SilenX fans are sweet but expensive. I really really like how quiet they are though. Additives -=- Dtek Visible Blue UV Dye and Zerex Super Coolant or Super Protector Which of the Zerex products is better for H²O cooling? I've heard the Super Protector is clear (which is nice) but I think the Super Coolant is more popular. Misc -=- Clamps and Shroud and Innovatek Fitting Replacements This post is getting long and I've asked to many questions already so my questions about these will be in another post. _____________________ Well? Did I do my homework?? lol. So there it is, my first watercooling setup. All this good stuff is going in my first PC which I built about 5 months ago. I've been really happy with it except for the noise(stock Intel HSF) and the heat. Right now as I'm typing this(midnight) my CPU has an idle temp of 43c with 28c ambient . This afternoon was really hot and the CPU got up to 50c idle . So watercooling it should take that temp down a bit. I'm getting really excited about buying this stuff (but I'm the patient type lol). Once I get this rig setup I plan on overclocking this badboy but that's another story. Well thank you very much in advance and here are my system spec's (as if this post couldn't get longer hehe)....... Motherboard -=- Asus P4c800 E-Deluxe CPU -=- Intel P4 2.8ghz 800mhz FSB Memory -=- Corsair 1024mb XMS 3200 DDR Video Card -=- ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro PSU -=- Antec TrueBlue 480watt HDD's -=- 120gb Western Digital S-ata 8mb Cache, 120gb Western Digital ATA-100 8mb Cache Sound Card -=- Audigy 2 Speakers -=- Logitech Z-680 5.1 500watt Case -=- CoolerMaster ATC-201b Monitor -=- ViewSonic P95f+b 4 Case Blue LED CoolerMaster Case Fans Aspire Fan Master 609 Rheobus w/ LCD (I'll try and borrow a digicam to show you the system at the moment) |
04-28-2004, 06:53 PM | #2 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Feb 2002
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cool avatar man
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04-28-2004, 07:25 PM | #3 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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04-28-2004, 08:07 PM | #4 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Alberta
Posts: 631
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PolarFLO CPU block: This is a bad performer. http://www.overclockers.com/articles373/wbsum.asp Don't worry about NB cooling, as it offers nothing in either stability or overclock. The Innovatek reservoir (if it's the one I think it is) doesn't have a divider, so there will be lots of turbulence at the outlet, and it has little channels that will only be 3/8" or 1/4". 11*5.5 is plenty of room for a big heater core... Heater cores own the BIX so much it's a little amusing.
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04-28-2004, 11:52 PM | #5 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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Quote:
I've read that quite a few times but my northbridge seems to run really hot. I have a temp probe inside the heatsink fins (not near the die) and it's about 52°C average. Is that normal? Sometimes it's so hot I can't keep my fingers on it. That Tank O Matic (you can click on all my part names for links w/ pic's btw) has two tubes inside it. One is long and one is short. The long one is the inlet so the bubbles etc. are already near the top of the res. The short tube is the outlet so it's near the bottom of the res thus minimizing air going through the system. That's good to know about heatercores. Those BIX's are pretty darn expensive. I'd never heard of heatercores until about a week ago so I haven't done a whole lot of researching on those. Thx for the help Last edited by SnowRider; 04-29-2004 at 12:04 AM. |
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04-28-2004, 11:59 PM | #6 |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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I was able to borrow a digicam so I can post some pictures here of my setup at the moment.
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04-29-2004, 02:31 AM | #7 |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 23
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I would stay away from the polarflo blocks in general in terms of overall quality and cooling performance. Check out the Whitewater from Dtek (www.dtekcustoms.com) or the RBX from Dangerden (www.dangerden.com). Both easilly out perform the polarflo and are of top quality. If you are still interested in chipset cooling, Dangerden just came out with a nice Maze inspired chipset block that would work very well for you. Check it out. I don't have any experience with the polarflo GPU block or mounting on an AIW, so I can't help you much there...
Dtek and Dangerden also sell versions of nice heatercores in the JR-120 from Dtek and the single and dual 120mm heatercores from dangerden. Any one of these heatercores would be a great fit for that pump and the whitewater or RBX block. Where were you planning on putting the radiator in that case? It looks as if things are going to get mighty cramped in there... As for the Zerex, yes the super coolant is the most used, but it does have the nasty habit of turning your water a nice shade of purple, even for a capful in a gallon of distilled water. If you plan on using that visible dye, then the supercoolant isnt for you. I don't know how well the super protector is, but I have rarely seen it used so maybe its not the best. Water wetter is a very popular product that accomplishes the same thing as the zerex, plus it works well with dyes because it adds much less tint to your water. Keep in mind that you only need a couple of ounces of additive per GALLON of water, so mix carefully and dont go dumping a bunch of whatever you decide to use in your loop. Other than that good luck and happy cooling! -OMP
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04-29-2004, 07:21 AM | #8 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: here n there
Posts: 194
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man.. u goto do it the quazimodo way, make it *all*
to add on that i think i spent well over $550 aus on materials etc... and it still isnt built... on 2nd thought just buy what everyone else here says
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04-29-2004, 09:04 AM | #9 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: San Mateo, CA, USA, Earth
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snowrider,
I just ordered two of the evercool aluminum fans you speak of... I'll let you know how quiet they really are... specs on those fans are pretty good... ~80CFM and only 31db or less.
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04-29-2004, 09:36 AM | #10 | |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ
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04-29-2004, 11:20 AM | #11 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA - Boston area
Posts: 798
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Innovatek fittings
The Innovatek gear is threaded for 1/4 BSPT (same diameter and thread pitch as 1/4 NPT but is not tapered.
You can (sort-a) use 1/4 NPT fittings but you won't get really good sealing - and you are more likely to crack whichever item (male or female) is more fragile (for me, it's always the item that's more expensive that breaks). Eldon James makes 1/4 BSPT to 1/2" tubing barb nylon fittings. You can get 'em through McMaster. Bob PS: If you get one of the Innovatek reservoirs, please measure the inside diameter of the tubes leading upwards and let us know. I've seen pictures of the shorter Innovatek reservoir and the passageways inside the block (where the fittings attach) appeared to be more like 1/2" diameter. Oh - and you do realize you don't need a reservoir at all, right? |
04-29-2004, 12:32 PM | #12 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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Quote:
I'll check the spec's of Dtek's rad's and I'm pretty sure that DD is just a retailer of Hardware Labs' Radiators. Maybe I'm wrong :shrug:. And I plan on putting the rad in the top inside my case. I'd have to move the disc drives down all the way and possibly lose the dvd-rom. I'll try and make a diagram at some point. Thx for the help! |
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04-29-2004, 12:39 PM | #13 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
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Quote:
If I do get the res I'll definitely do that and post it here. MMZ_TimeLord I'd appreciate that. 31db might still be to loud for my preferences but we'll see. Let me know what you think. Thx guys. |
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04-29-2004, 01:25 PM | #14 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 23
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Quote:
For the heatercores, they sell nice single and dual 120mm cores for a decent price. You can probably fit that dual heatercore on the top of your case, but you might also need more space than one drive if you dont put the fans outside the case. Just some things to think about. Good luck! -OMP
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.: || P4 2.8 800 @ 3.8 || Gigabyte 8KNXP || 1 Gig Crucial PC3200 || ATI 9800 PRO 128 || 2x WD 250GB RAID 0 || :. .: || Danger Den RBX, Zchip, and Maze4 GPU || Black Ice Xtreme || Eheim 1250 || DD Fillport || :. .: || Antec TrueBlue 480 || Modded Lian-Li PC65 || :. |
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04-29-2004, 04:48 PM | #15 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA - Boston area
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Those fittings - here's the catalog page at mcmaster You want part 53415K212 - and you have to specify in the "comments" when you order that you want BSPT. There doesn't seem to be a 1/4BSPT to 5/8 or 9/16 barb, but the 1/2 should be fine with your 1/2ID tubing - just might need a cable tie or something to secure the tubing.
If you're considering a larger than 120mm, there's a guy over on the PC Perspective Liquid Cooling forum who,s been selling heatercore/shroud/fan combos that he builds. Comments from buyers have all been favorable. He goes by the handle WA2. Then there are the "chevette core" sized heater cores (fins are ~6"x6" - top and bottom tanks add about an inch. There's a pre-made shroud especially for these cores made by CoolingWorks that make mounting a heater core really easy. Guess that's it. I've never used PolarFLO, so I can't comment there (the pictures on their site sure are pretty, though...) Bob |
04-29-2004, 07:23 PM | #16 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Alberta
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Taking the cooler off is worrying more about it than just leaving it there... If you can't understand the graphs, let me simplify it: The PolarFLO is a bd performer.
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04-29-2004, 09:29 PM | #17 |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 10
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Well, having seen this topic elsewhere , I still find myself having to post again here....
I am not really on top of the newer stuff as far as blocks are concerned so I took a look at the graphs and reviews by Joe C. @ Overclockers.com to refresh my memory. Polarflo review as opposed to the first link which goes to the overall comparisons but not a specific review. By that I would have to say that the Polarflo looks pretty decent. I do NOT have any personal experience with it, but I have found Joe's reviews to be on the money for every single piece of hardware he has reviewed that I DO have. Last edited by rogerdugans; 04-30-2004 at 05:14 AM. |
04-29-2004, 11:35 PM | #18 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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04-29-2004, 11:48 PM | #19 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: orlando FL
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Snow just a word of caution, you can read all sorts of BS about watercooling products. Procooling (and its helpful posters) have been by far the most accurate and helpful to me personally. Trust what you hear here rather than whats said on another site.
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04-29-2004, 11:48 PM | #20 |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 10
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I'm everywhere.
But I can make myself invisible. |
04-29-2004, 11:52 PM | #21 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Cali, USA
Posts: 48
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04-29-2004, 11:57 PM | #22 |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: orlando FL
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What I mean is, sometimes people here do give wrong answers, but there are enough people here who are knowledgeable that they wont let it slip. The way people jump on others here for mistakes can seem a little harsh at times, but its for the best. Makes me think twice before replying to anything, I dont want to get roasted by flaming posts for saying something wrong.
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04-30-2004, 01:55 AM | #23 | |
Cooling Savant
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Okotoks, A.B. Canada
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Quote:
have 2x120mm on my BIX rev2 and 4x80mm on my bixmicro2 al in a push/pull setup I think they are still loud but i think it is mostly the air going through teh heater core.. not shure... It is more quite compared to any of the other fans I have played with... I like them enough that I ordered 4 more 120mm fans for my server. want to water cool it.
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04-30-2004, 08:32 AM | #24 | |
Cooling Savant
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Yep, most sites are bullshit. Even overclockers.com has some inaccurate articles.
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04-30-2004, 10:13 AM | #25 | |
Cooling Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Montana
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Want to try?
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Angry... I'll make you a deal... You buy a PolarFLO SF from our site and test it on your system. If you do not get lower temps at idle, load and overclock, i will refund all your money... including shipping. I do not want to come off the wrong way, but you may want to gather your own quantifiable data. I respect your opinion, but here is an opportunity to change your opinion into fact. Let me know. Best Regards, Steve |
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