Multiple Comptuers with a single Rad?

dantheman · 09-18-2002, 01:08 AM

Ok, I did some searching, and I couldn't find a post on this yet. If there was one, please forgive me.

The room I am in has 2 watercooled computers and a sgi box, and they all pump out a ton of heat. Of course, this heats up the room quite a bit. The SGI will be made watercooled somehow later this year. I am curious if anyone has made it so several comptuers have run through a single large rad, and it was placed someplace else, like outside.

I was thinking that all of the comptuers could keep their pumps and such, and if I needed to take them someplace, just switch over the fittings. (simple valve or something) Instead of pumping into the rad though, it would push the warm water into a hot tank. All of the comptuers would push into the hot tank. A second pump would pull the water from the hot tank and into the large rad that is outside or in the atic or something. Then it would go to the cool tank. The comptuers would then pull from the cool tank and cool the cpu's.

I know this is not the most proformance ideal situation, but I am looking for heat removal and silence, not extream proformance. I am up for any ideas on stuff such as radiator ideas and other layouts. THanks for the help guys and gals.

bigben2k · 09-18-2002, 07:08 AM

There was one guy that ran a radiator externally, but for a single comp.

The multiple comp idea has been hacked at, a couple of times, to conclude that it might be better for each unit to have it's own little pump, instead of one big one (cost?).

I don't believe anyone ever tackled using a single large external radiator for multiple comps. You could use a car radiator, instead of a heatercore.

Something to keep in mind though, is that as the weather (seasons) changes, your coolant temps will change too, so this is not an option for extreme performance.

As for movinf a PC around, the best option (although not the cheapest) is to use self-shutting quick disconnects. Your valve idea would be cheaper and easier to implement.

aabtek · 09-18-2002, 09:29 AM

the pump that is used to pump from the warm tank to the cold tank through the rad must match the flow of the loop cooling the computers, otherwise you are going to overflow one of the tanks ....

I would drop the hot tank, and just have the radiator on the same loop as the rest, pumping into the cold tank at the end ...

dantheman · 09-18-2002, 10:27 AM

what if you put a tube between the two tanks to they where equil, with a one way valve between the two, so only cold water could bet int othe hot tank?

aabtek · 09-18-2002, 11:48 AM

you don't need the valve if you make sure that the flow through the radiator always is more than the flow through the computers ... the water that flows over is getting another tour through the rad, so it's not all bad

jtroutma · 09-18-2002, 11:56 AM

I agree... the overflow line from the cold to the hot tank should not hurt anything. Might actually product slightly lower overal coolant temps becuase the coolant could take multiple trips throught the radiator......

Brad · 09-19-2002, 03:22 AM

it's just a matter of finding a radiator that can disipitate that much heat without a 150cfm+ fan.

If you want to run a centralised loop there is nothing wrong with using multiple radiators, or multiple pumps

bigben2k · 09-19-2002, 09:38 AM

...but if the rad is outside, who cares if it's 150 or even 300 cfm?

dantheman · 09-19-2002, 09:41 AM

Actually, I am looking at put it next to the attic fan.

it is right above the computer room. I am thinking that possibly a car radiator could handle 4 computers, with one being risc based, and would still handle others if needed. I am only worried that it won't cool it enough. If i hook it up to the exaust fan in the attic, and set it to run all the time. . . that might work. I would just need to run a few water temp probes to see how it is doing.

09-18-2002, 01:08 AM	#1
dantheman Cooling Savant Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 152	Multiple Comptuers with a single Rad? Ok, I did some searching, and I couldn't find a post on this yet. If there was one, please forgive me. The room I am in has 2 watercooled computers and a sgi box, and they all pump out a ton of heat. Of course, this heats up the room quite a bit. The SGI will be made watercooled somehow later this year. I am curious if anyone has made it so several comptuers have run through a single large rad, and it was placed someplace else, like outside. I was thinking that all of the comptuers could keep their pumps and such, and if I needed to take them someplace, just switch over the fittings. (simple valve or something) Instead of pumping into the rad though, it would push the warm water into a hot tank. All of the comptuers would push into the hot tank. A second pump would pull the water from the hot tank and into the large rad that is outside or in the atic or something. Then it would go to the cool tank. The comptuers would then pull from the cool tank and cool the cpu's. I know this is not the most proformance ideal situation, but I am looking for heat removal and silence, not extream proformance. I am up for any ideas on stuff such as radiator ideas and other layouts. THanks for the help guys and gals.

09-18-2002, 07:08 AM	#2
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	There was one guy that ran a radiator externally, but for a single comp. The multiple comp idea has been hacked at, a couple of times, to conclude that it might be better for each unit to have it's own little pump, instead of one big one (cost?). I don't believe anyone ever tackled using a single large external radiator for multiple comps. You could use a car radiator, instead of a heatercore. Something to keep in mind though, is that as the weather (seasons) changes, your coolant temps will change too, so this is not an option for extreme performance. As for movinf a PC around, the best option (although not the cheapest) is to use self-shutting quick disconnects. Your valve idea would be cheaper and easier to implement. __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

09-18-2002, 09:29 AM	#3
aabtek Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: aalborg.dk Posts: 19	the pump that is used to pump from the warm tank to the cold tank through the rad must match the flow of the loop cooling the computers, otherwise you are going to overflow one of the tanks .... I would drop the hot tank, and just have the radiator on the same loop as the rest, pumping into the cold tank at the end ... __________________ --- eheim 1048, innovarad dual, innovacool rev3, tank-o-matic xp1900@1750 on a7v333

09-18-2002, 11:48 AM	#5
aabtek Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: aalborg.dk Posts: 19	you don't need the valve if you make sure that the flow through the radiator always is more than the flow through the computers ... the water that flows over is getting another tour through the rad, so it's not all bad __________________ --- eheim 1048, innovarad dual, innovacool rev3, tank-o-matic xp1900@1750 on a7v333

09-18-2002, 11:56 AM	#6
jtroutma Cooling Savant Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: SLO, CA Posts: 837	I agree... the overflow line from the cold to the hot tank should not hurt anything. Might actually product slightly lower overal coolant temps becuase the coolant could take multiple trips throught the radiator...... __________________ Athlon64 X2 4200+ @ 2.5Ghz (250FSB x 10) OCZ VX 1GB 4000 @ 250FSB (6-2-2-2 timmings) DFI LANParty nForce4 Ultra-D SCSI Raid 5 x (3) Cheetah 15K HDDs LSI Express 500 (128MB cache) OCZ PowerStream 520W PSU ATI X850XT PE (Stock) DTEK WhiteWater + DTEK Custom Radiator Eheim 1250

09-18-2002, 10:27 AM	#4
dantheman Cooling Savant Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 152	what if you put a tube between the two tanks to they where equil, with a one way valve between the two, so only cold water could bet int othe hot tank?

09-19-2002, 03:22 AM	#7
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	it's just a matter of finding a radiator that can disipitate that much heat without a 150cfm+ fan. If you want to run a centralised loop there is nothing wrong with using multiple radiators, or multiple pumps __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

09-19-2002, 09:38 AM	#8
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	...but if the rad is outside, who cares if it's 150 or even 300 cfm? __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

09-19-2002, 09:41 AM	#9
dantheman Cooling Savant Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 152	Actually, I am looking at put it next to the attic fan. it is right above the computer room. I am thinking that possibly a car radiator could handle 4 computers, with one being risc based, and would still handle others if needed. I am only worried that it won't cool it enough. If i hook it up to the exaust fan in the attic, and set it to run all the time. . . that might work. I would just need to run a few water temp probes to see how it is doing.

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