Budget Water Cooling Help?

[earlmred]

Hello all. I am completely new to watercooling, and I am mostly interested in it as I have a great chip (P3 700, runs semi-stable @ 138MHz w/ 1.85V, POSTS @ 142MHz) that at the moment is cooled only by an Alpha PEP66. I generally run it @ 133MHz @ 1.75V, and it's rock solid. I'd like to try and push it to atleast 142MHz (which would give me 1008MHz of processing power), and would really like to get it into the 150MHz range.

My question is, what is the cheapest, yet safest and most effective way to go about doing this? I'd like to buy my parts online or at stores, but I'd like new parts, not used car radiators and the like. I want it to look decent, not with like a peanut butter jar as my resevoir. If possible, I'd like to spend less than 100 dollars. Any help would be /greatly/ appreciated. Thanks.

[Kevin]

For your radiator, go to an autoparts store and buy a quality heatercore for like $40. Then mod it for 3/8" fittings. Buy a low-cost 200 gph pump. Then buy a dangerden maze1 waterblock. If you have money left, grab an 80w peltier for your chip.
-kev

[earlmred]

Okay, I found this pump on petsmart.com, so I'm guessing they'll have it at my local store. It's a 348GPH pump, and costs 32 dollars. Is it decent to use, or not? http://www.petsmart.com/fish/shoppin...%5F22300.shtml
Also, will I need some fans on the heater core?? The dangerden block that I selected costs $38, and comes with a cold plate and a hold down for it ... the heatercore I've been looking for on www.heatercore4u.com ... is there a size that I need that is best, or what?

[GuyBFF]

Like kevin said, use a heater core from the auto parts store, probably a '87 chevy chevette, as there nearly identical to the big momma / d-tek. I'd solder on 1/2" barbs, as a little extra flow without any extra heat is always a bargain (also if your real cheap, you could get one from a wrecker, just make sure to clean very well and verify for leaks).

The pump you show looks submersible, which requires you make a resevoir, adds heat to the water, and as I haven't heard of anyone using it, you'll be the guinea pig to see if it just stops working (this happens).

Get a danner Mag-Drive 250 from petsmart or your local retailer. There reliable (usually just get noisy before maintenence, but keep pumping), fairly cheap and if you look back there was a recent thread for $10.00 off your first order at petsmart. Also get one male and one female 1/2" NPT to 1/2" barb fittings. Use some teflon tape, and DON'T overtighten the intake barb (or you'll split the pump). Some people say the Mag-Drive can leak around the head, this is caused be the hoses leveraging and warping the head if there to stiff. Be careful of this, and if you have a problem, you can fix the hoses, or add silicon sealant to the o-ring.

For waterblocks I'd get the new "upgrade" Danger Den Maze 2, it's 42.00, but comes with a 4 corner mount setup, which once you add up the pieces you'll need to mount the other blocks, isn't much different, many also consider this the best waterblock, and it flows very well, so you won't need a stupidly oversized pump, the 250 Danner is probably more than enough for a 1/2" system with a heater core and this block, all very high flow.

Find some good 1/2" ID flexible tubing (Danger Den sells Silicon, but it's pricey). You need to watch the pump intake to make sure it doesn't suck the hose flat if it's to flexible, and make sure not to use anything thats so stiff it leverages the waterblock (holding it on edge, making poor contact). In a pinch home depot has clear vinyl, real cheap, just watch you don't kink, and the pump doesn't vacuum it flat (you can sometimes stop this be placing zip-ties every inch for the first turn before the pump). I'd also use some sort of clamp (either gear clamp or those plastic snap together clamps). Not totally necessary but for the "just in case" factor.

Oh Ya, get a 1/2"x1/2"x1/2" T-Fitting and place on the highest point above the pump outlet (most bubbles will collect in the pump, so when you shut off they will rise to the fill tube). Put a length of hose on it and plug it some how. This will remove bubbles from you system, and perform as a fill hose.

Good Luck

[g0fvt]

Hi,
I live in the little third world country known as England so Chevy parts are a bit scarce here...

My cooling system uses a Ford Transit Heater Matrix and a tiny submersible pump...

I guess we have all got our own theories but you can use very small bore pipes, mine is a dual cpu machine, the common pipe work is 1/2" id but the runs to the individual cpu coolers are just 1/4". The water exiting my cooling jackets is still within 2 degrees c of ambient...

I made my own coolers, having said that I realise you may be inclined to go for commercial ones... those copper "mazeblocks" look like works of art, I wouldn't use aluminium.

Good Luck either way...

[g0fvt]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the advice about the filling/vent pipe was very good..

[Spinoza]

Guy... I don't think the Maze 2 would go over too well with a Pentium III chip. There are no mounting wholes on any/most PIII boards. That block is designed for Socket A. He was right in saying he needs a Maze 1.

[earlmred]

Wow, you guys are GREAT help. Well, I went to autozone.com and searched for that heater core, and ends up, it's dirt cheap! $17.00! $25 dollars shipped, they don't have it at the local autozone in stock, so I'll probably just order it online with my next paycheck. Also, these 1/2" barbs that I'm supposed to solder on, where do I get these? Home Depot? The mag-drive pump is $42 shipped, so we're up to $67 dollars for the pump and heatercore. Then the maze waterblock, thats another 38 dollars, so we're at $105. Plus the cost of these 1/2" barbs and 1/2" tubing from home depot. Also, I see that the mag-drive can be used as an in-line pump, so should I use it as such, or should I get a resevoir (adding cost to my setup, but probably running cooler??). Is there anything else that I have missed that I need? Oh, the 1/2"x1/2"x1/2" T-fitting, and an .. NPT 1/2" male to 1/2" barb and a female ? I have no idea what these are ... =)

[GuyBFF]

First,sorry about the poor recommendation on the maze 2. I actually have never owned an intel, so I wasn't aware that they didn't fit.

As for the heater core, ask the sales rep if it's copper, just in case, although it should be.

The NPT male and female 1/2" x 1/2" barb fittings are to adapt the Mag-Drive to barbs so you can put hose on it. It's just threaded in the box. I got mine at Home Depot, and usually a 1/2" male barb fitting (threads outside, smooth inside) will fit over the heater cose pipe. It's tight, but makes soldering easier. Just cut down the pipe, flux and solder the fitting on.

The T-Fitting is a simple three way barbed 1/2" T to connect a piece of hose to, so you can fill the system in a closed loop setup. If you choose resevoir (which has advantages and disadvantages, I like closed loop) you won't need this.