subjective opinion wanted (al/cu for specific system)

NetSapiens · 01-18-2005, 06:06 AM

Ok, so I'm still in the process of building my first WC setup.
I think the answer to this question should be based partly on numbers, but also partly on a very subjective basis, so first, let me explain the setup:

I am building my first WC, and I have so far gotten the pump (Eheim 1002 submersible) and a heatercore (Aluminum, Ford 80+) and some 120mm fans as leftovers from friends.
As you can probably see from the above, it's mostly a "makeshift, DIY" thing, since I am very cost-conscious.
This off course means that I am sacrificing efficiency at the furnace of savings, but this is very much a conscious decision. This whole thing stems from a broken GPU fan, which brought me into the realm of watercooling. It's just as much an experiment in "how cheap" as it is an experiment of "how well", and "how silent".

Now, I've read posts dating back to 2002, and stopped when people started debating the value of copper vs. aluminum in "next gen cpus" (which at that time was the T-Bred.)

When answering the below question, feel free to consider me a cheap bastard with no desire to spend any money whatsoever.
It should also be said that I have access to a professional toolmaker with machines and aluminum at my disposal (free is such a nice word)
also note that my system is an Athlon 2400XP

the question:

Seeing as I have an aluminum heatercore, and I don't plan to heavily overclock (if at all), which should I be more concerned with: cooling ability of block material or possible corrosion issues.
In other words: aluminum or copper for my system and my wallet?

/NetSapiens

Nicepants42 · 01-18-2005, 01:57 PM

Well, if you're not going to overclock, I'd recommend using aluminum - especially if you're going to have your machinist friend machine you one for free. XP2400's are not hot.

Aluminum sucks corrosion-wise, but gets even worse if you mix metals. Make sure that you use a corrosion inhibitor regardless of what you choose.

Here's a useful guide to water-cooling chemistry that includes all the additives that you might want to consider.

01-18-2005, 06:06 AM	#1
NetSapiens Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Denmark Posts: 3	subjective opinion wanted (al/cu for specific system) Ok, so I'm still in the process of building my first WC setup. I think the answer to this question should be based partly on numbers, but also partly on a very subjective basis, so first, let me explain the setup: I am building my first WC, and I have so far gotten the pump (Eheim 1002 submersible) and a heatercore (Aluminum, Ford 80+) and some 120mm fans as leftovers from friends. As you can probably see from the above, it's mostly a "makeshift, DIY" thing, since I am very cost-conscious. This off course means that I am sacrificing efficiency at the furnace of savings, but this is very much a conscious decision. This whole thing stems from a broken GPU fan, which brought me into the realm of watercooling. It's just as much an experiment in "how cheap" as it is an experiment of "how well", and "how silent". Now, I've read posts dating back to 2002, and stopped when people started debating the value of copper vs. aluminum in "next gen cpus" (which at that time was the T-Bred.) When answering the below question, feel free to consider me a cheap bastard with no desire to spend any money whatsoever. It should also be said that I have access to a professional toolmaker with machines and aluminum at my disposal (free is such a nice word) also note that my system is an Athlon 2400XP the question: Seeing as I have an aluminum heatercore, and I don't plan to heavily overclock (if at all), which should I be more concerned with: cooling ability of block material or possible corrosion issues. In other words: aluminum or copper for my system and my wallet? /NetSapiens

01-18-2005, 01:57 PM	#2
Nicepants42 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Beacon, NY Posts: 28	Well, if you're not going to overclock, I'd recommend using aluminum - especially if you're going to have your machinist friend machine you one for free. XP2400's are not hot. Aluminum sucks corrosion-wise, but gets even worse if you mix metals. Make sure that you use a corrosion inhibitor regardless of what you choose. Here's a useful guide to water-cooling chemistry that includes all the additives that you might want to consider.

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