Creating a Case (Air Flow and Water Cooling)

BodieM · 08-03-2005, 12:43 AM

Hello, this is my first post here at the procooling.com forums. I'm pretty new to modding but have done quite a bit of reading and research. I'm planning on building a new case out of acrylic to house my new water cooled setup. I would like to create a case a little reminiscient of the Shuttle.

For the radiator of my system, I went to a scrap yard a picked up a couple heater cores. The one I used in my design was the larger one, about 12" by 5". I have one that's a little smaller, and didn't know if I would be gaining much by using the larger radiator. If I used the smaller radiator I think I could design a much more compact case. I thought I would cool this with two Panaflo L1A 120mm fans. These fans of course would pull air through the radiator and into the case, and a fan in the back would pull air out the back.

However, I'm wondering if by attempting to put a watercooled system in such a cramped case is reducing a lot of the cooling potential? With the heated air coming off the radiator and blowing over the motherboard, am I increasing temps by a significant amount? As follows are sketchs of the case I'm considering making.

Components for my sketches were graciously provided by the following people from theThe Sketchup Component Collection: ATX PSU by Pjotr; ATX Mobo by CandyKing; Standard GPU by metku; 5.2'' Optical Drive by - Unknown -; Standard HDD by Pjotr; Standard 120mm Fan by CandyKing; Hex Mesh by ouija; Eheim 1048 by JungleGorilla; D-TEK White Water Poly-top by BagUd; Black Ice I & II by Brubacker; Aquatube by kaZuo;

Anyway, your insight on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Risky · 08-03-2005, 02:52 AM

Well you're rulling out using the PCI slots which you might regret later. Consider mount the PSU horizontally where the pump is and using a smaller pump like a DDC or CSP-Mag.

JamesAvery22 · 08-03-2005, 07:44 AM

If you are building from scratch I'd like to try a compartmentalized setup if it was me. So the radiator would have a straight-through airpath and doesnt blow over any other components. Would make the case bigger. Don't have any proof whether or not it would be worth it. Never made a case before =) thought about it though. Just always imagined something along the lines of the apple G5 case.

Ruiner · 08-03-2005, 08:57 AM

Very pretty sketches.

Since you have the freedom of putting things where you want, I would consider mounting the PSU such that it's intake faces the side of the case, with a blowhole. Hot case air will make a PSU fan ramp up loudly. Giving it fresh air avoids that.

How about using laptop size HDD and optical drives?

I'm assuming you're planning on 3/8" ID hose in a case that size....that makes the DDC a better choice.

BIP cores are thinner than most heatercores, and can get by with quieter fans.

Do you really need a reservoir or will a T-line do?

I'd avoid a dual outlet block like the whitewater in a case that size....plumbing would be a pain, but I assume you just used it for your sketch.

08-03-2005, 12:43 AM	#1
BodieM Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1	Creating a Case (Air Flow and Water Cooling) Hello, this is my first post here at the procooling.com forums. I'm pretty new to modding but have done quite a bit of reading and research. I'm planning on building a new case out of acrylic to house my new water cooled setup. I would like to create a case a little reminiscient of the Shuttle. For the radiator of my system, I went to a scrap yard a picked up a couple heater cores. The one I used in my design was the larger one, about 12" by 5". I have one that's a little smaller, and didn't know if I would be gaining much by using the larger radiator. If I used the smaller radiator I think I could design a much more compact case. I thought I would cool this with two Panaflo L1A 120mm fans. These fans of course would pull air through the radiator and into the case, and a fan in the back would pull air out the back. However, I'm wondering if by attempting to put a watercooled system in such a cramped case is reducing a lot of the cooling potential? With the heated air coming off the radiator and blowing over the motherboard, am I increasing temps by a significant amount? As follows are sketchs of the case I'm considering making. Components for my sketches were graciously provided by the following people from theThe Sketchup Component Collection: ATX PSU by Pjotr; ATX Mobo by CandyKing; Standard GPU by metku; 5.2'' Optical Drive by - Unknown -; Standard HDD by Pjotr; Standard 120mm Fan by CandyKing; Hex Mesh by ouija; Eheim 1048 by JungleGorilla; D-TEK White Water Poly-top by BagUd; Black Ice I & II by Brubacker; Aquatube by kaZuo; Anyway, your insight on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Last edited by BodieM; 08-03-2005 at 12:57 AM.

08-03-2005, 07:44 AM	#3
JamesAvery22 Cooling Savant Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 383	If you are building from scratch I'd like to try a compartmentalized setup if it was me. So the radiator would have a straight-through airpath and doesnt blow over any other components. Would make the case bigger. Don't have any proof whether or not it would be worth it. Never made a case before =) thought about it though. Just always imagined something along the lines of the apple G5 case. __________________ Stabbing. My Heatware

08-03-2005, 02:52 AM	#2
Risky Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London Posts: 96	Well you're rulling out using the PCI slots which you might regret later. Consider mount the PSU horizontally where the pump is and using a smaller pump like a DDC or CSP-Mag.

08-03-2005, 08:57 AM	#4
Ruiner Cooling Savant Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Smyrna, FL Posts: 258	Very pretty sketches. Since you have the freedom of putting things where you want, I would consider mounting the PSU such that it's intake faces the side of the case, with a blowhole. Hot case air will make a PSU fan ramp up loudly. Giving it fresh air avoids that. How about using laptop size HDD and optical drives? I'm assuming you're planning on 3/8" ID hose in a case that size....that makes the DDC a better choice. BIP cores are thinner than most heatercores, and can get by with quieter fans. Do you really need a reservoir or will a T-line do? I'd avoid a dual outlet block like the whitewater in a case that size....plumbing would be a pain, but I assume you just used it for your sketch.

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