Are there any 1/2 inch fitting GPU waterblocks?

[redleader]

My GeForce fan on my silent cool system decided to die and now sounds worse then the entire fan system my watercooling replaced

I looked at getting a decent cooler to replace it, but that means an addition fan. Before you say one fan doesn't matter let me say that I've gone so far as to add resistors to get rid of every extra w/m^3 of sound. Plus many use frag tape to stay on which I dislike. So I figure I may as well pay the extra $20 over the HSF and get a silent, well performing waterblock.

Unfortunately all blocks I've seen are 3/8 inch. That means I need slit my 1/2 inch to 2 3/8 inch just to maintain flow then enlarge it back to 1/2 whent they meet. Thats more complex than I could reasonably fit in my very cramped case.

Also has nvidia standardized on any one type of fitting for their sinks? Most of the Geforces I've seen have the pins slightly offset from opposing corners. If in a year I get a GeForce4 will it still use the same type?

[GuyBFF]

You could also try using a distribution block. BladeRunner is doing awesome things with his GeForce, maybe ask him.

Also from what I've read if you go distribution block the small diversion in flow from your CPU shouldn't affect temperatures, but I'm still just cooling the CPU.

One other option is check with DangerDen. They have waterblocks for the motherboard in 1/2" and I think they may be able to install the larger fittings in the GPU cooler, as they usually use the same 3/8" NPT (don't worry 3/8" NPT is larger than 1/2" hose). Only problem might be that the fittings would be too thick, and not allow mounting of the waterblock (as they are end mounted).

You could always ask them to install 90' angle fittings in the 1/2" motherboard cooler block as long as you have some open slots near your graphics card (MB chipset cooler has fittings on top instead of end), or get two from the hardware store and do it yourself.

www.dangerden.com

[redleader]

Whats NPT?

[GuyBFF]

National Pip Thread, the Danger Den products are all threaded for 3/8" NPT which is the same internal size as a standard 1/2" barb. All the fittings at hardware stores for plumbing are NPT, so if you got either of the units you could easily adapt 1/2" barb or brass elbow barbs depending on the space you have.

[LiquidCool]

I'm pretty sure the DD blocks are threaded for 1/4"NPT.

[GuyBFF]

1/4"NPT won't support a 1/2" barb (it's ID is much smaller), and the chipset cooler is available in 1/2". The Danger Den site clearly says 3/8"NPT though, and my Maze 2 1/2" clearly has 3/8" NPT fittings.

[vfrjim]

I had the 3/8 fittings on my DD Maze2, I emailed them and asked to buy the 1/2 fittings, no problem, 2$ shipped, replaced them in about 5 minutes, same thread size.

Jim

[LiquidCool]

Guess I was wrong then

<EDIT> I looked on the site and couldnt see where it said they had 3/8NPT fittings. From what I was told by dangerden a few weeks ago They use 3/8IDx1/4"NPT fittings int the 2.1 and 2.2 blocks. Comparing the pictures on the site to the fittings I have here looks more like 3/8IDx1/4NPT than 3/8IDx3/8NPT.

If he IS using 3/8IDx3/4NPT I'd like to know because I could sell more fittings then

[BladeRunner]

Not sure what this "American" NPT is but the danger den Chipset and VGA blocks I got were 1/8 BSP thread (British Standard Pipe), You can get a 1/2 barb on a 1/8 bsp thread if you really wanted, but when it has to go down to a 1/8 BSP threaded hole size there seems little point, unless of course you have a single flow through all the blocks. This is not ideal and splitting it in manifolds is the better option. I have consistent coolant temps, (14°C), in my cooling set-up & noticed Zero increase in max CPU temp after fitting the below splitter manifolds. It was originally only going through the CPU block before. The easiest way to test is just crimp your CPU block input flow pipe a little. If your CPU temps remain the same you can have a splitter manifold without problems or higher temps, (as long as your water cooling solution can cope with the extra wattage).

something like this:-



Stealth Cooling

[LiquidCool]

Hey Bladerunner, read the site, really good job! I've got about 10 people in the last week sending me links to your pictures saying "can you make this".

As to the fittings. Thats the same thing DD told me was the original mazes used 1/8NPT and the 2.1 and 2.2 blocks used 1/4NPT. I think NPT and BSP are pretty similar, if not the same thing. All the blocks I make use 3/8NPT.

Thats the whole problem with the maze blocks is if the fitting is to large, then there isn't enough room inside for the maze.

All these guys that run 1/2"ID tubing then try to force the water through a 1/4"ID hole. I dont see it making as much a difference going from 3/8"ID to 1/2"ID, other than hype

[BladeRunner]

Exactly! Everyone's system is different so it would be lame of me to state it as fact, but the easiest "basic" test to see if huge flow rates and drain pipe barbs are worth the effort, is to simply crimp the supply pipe a bit on what you have now, so reducing the inward coolant flow. If the max temps stay exactly the same, more flow is Very unlikely to lead to lower temps and quite possibly the opposite.

I wish I had the ability to make my stuff for others to buy I have just ordered another Asus GF3 that I will water-cool similar to mine, and put the current one up for grabs. Not doing it for the money just want to make a MK 2 really..... so many ideas in my head ATM

[LiquidCool]

Let me restate what I meant

High flow is good, if you have a waterblock and radiator that can take advantage of it.

However the guys that change from 3/8"ID to 1/2"ID on a 1/4"NPT port, dont get any higher of a flow rate. It may go up slightly just because of the added volume in the tube. But other than that not much.

The thing that needs to be done is move to a 3/8"NPT port. The problem is the maze designs that I have seen can't accomidate a 3/8"NPT port.

Also I use(and sell, although this is not meant to be a promotion) Push-in type fittings. These grip the outside of the tube. For example with a 3/8"NPT port and 1/2"OD(outer diameter) tubing, I get a unrestricted 3/8" flow. The guys with 1/2"ID tubing and 1/4"NPT barbs get restricted down to a 1/4" flow.

[BladeRunner]

Yes, you are right. I was just trying to say there's little point having more flow that you need, a balanced system is what counts.

My system will be Brass Pneumatic throughout eventually, much nicer than barbs and like you say easier to get apart. They are also rated at 10 Bar, the only downside is the Nylon pipe being stiffer and not fully transparent. I got a load a few weeks back ...

[GuyBFF]

Ok, from looking at my Danger Den Maze 2 "upgrade" it sure looks like 3/8" NPT, if it is british, or something else please excuse me. However, in the process of trying to figure out if my waterblock was the "upgrade" or older version, I spent a lot of time looking into the barbs. There is no reduction in ID size of the barbs they use. I have brass 1/2" NPT x 1/2" barb on my danner mag-drive, and the ID of these barbs is consistent with that of the maze 2 "upgrade" 1/2". I can only speak for it, but there is no neck down inside this barb. Maybe they upped the barb size for the new block then.

Secondly, once I installed my heater core rad. I really believe that I do not require 350gph, and wish I stuck with the 250! bladeRunner's right, my flow is stupidly fast. Water is moving so fast bubbles go by as a streak. Although I can't see any disadvantage to this, the smaller pump would have created less heat.

[LiquidCool]

Like I said I could be wrong. By upgrade do you mean the one with the new channel design? I havent looked at this one so your probrably right.

With a 3/8"NPT x 1/2"ID you wont see any reduction in the barb. It will be 3/8" all the way through. However I can do the same thing with 3/8"ID(1/2"OD) tubing.

The whole problem with barb fittings, is the barb goes INSIDE the tubing. So your flow is always going to be restricted. With the push-in type fittings, there is nothing inside the tubing to restrict flow.

[BladeRunner]

I've never owned a Danger den CPU water block and I was originally commenting on the topic question but perhaps I wandered a bit like we do . What I was saying is the threaded hole in the danger den video & mobo chipset blocks, (and all others I've come across), are 1/8 Bsp. So you could probably get as much as 1 inch barb to 1/8 BSP if you searched hard enough but whatever the barb size it still has to go through a 1/8 BSP hole at the end of the day.

redleader

If you go here http://www.cool-computers.com/site/default.asp and choose online store, then waterblocks, scroll down and you'll see a GPU block complete with built in tabs that ues the standard pins. All you need to do then is get the right sized barbs. Once you get it, just unscrew the barb and go to an air tool/ compressor shop and order barbs with the same thread size but your barb size. If you do my simple flow rate test first and it passes then it will work fine.

[GuyBFF]

The "upgrade" block I'm refering to is the new spiral style flow pattern. Big fittings.

I re-read the site and I was reading the fact that the motherboard waterblock states 3/8" fittings, but I think like you say this just was the barb size, even though there is a pull down for 1/2" and 3/8". If it's not 3/8" ID sorta defeats the purpose of the larger barb size.

Michael Huck, I definetely understand your comments on the barbs. I'd love to install a full AN system with constant ID, but the costs are the reason I stay barbed. Originally I tried stretching 3/8" hose over all my 1/2" barbs. From what I can tell this flowed the same, yet working with the correct 1/2" hose is just easier to get on and off the fittings.

Lastly if redleader did need to convert a block with a smaller fitting to 1/2" then wouldn't he be better off to use a distribution block? As he would defeat the rest of his systems 1/2" by going threw a smaller (less than 3/8") ID?

[LiquidCool]

I think your getting confused. No offense. The NPT thread size has nothing at all to do with the tubing used. Fittings have 2 sizes the tubing size and thread size. The 3/8" and 1/2" sizes are the tubing inner diameters that fit over the barbs. The other size is the size of the thread. This was originally measured by the size of the hole inside the fitting. Hence a fitting with 1/4"NPT has a 1/4" hole in it. Some companys have made the holes a hair larger.

Now on a 3/8"IDx1/4"NPT fitting, the entire inside diameter is only 1/4" but on a 1/2"IDx1/4"NPT fitting the threaded end will still be 1/4" but the tubing end ID will be 3/8".

What WE are talking about is the threaded end which causes a restriction in the system. The reason we are talking about using distribution blocks is so instead of daisy-chaining the tubing from one component to another, we split them all at once and then recombine them afterwords. This way they all get cool water instead of each component getting steadily warmer water.

After looking at the DD pictures more, I still believe the "upgraded" block still uses 1/4"NPT ports for the fittings. One, because of the picture I can tell the size. And two, because of the center hole in the maze is to small to accept a 3/8"NPT fitting.

[GuyBFF]

I have seven years experiance in hardware stores. I know the difference in NPT sizes. I am positive that the inside of the fittings on my DD Maze 2 "upgrade" 1/2" are 3/8" ID throught. They do not neck down at all! I can tell the difference between 1/4 NPT and 3/8 NPT I assure you. if it's british thread like the other guy says than it is very close to 3/8" NPT.

The reason I pointed out that I have 1/2"NPT x 1/2" barb fittings on my Danner Mag-Drive is to assure you that the 3/8" ID of these fittings once they neck down is identical to constant ID of the Danger Den block!

I can not speak for the chipset or GPU or old maze 2 or maze 1 blocks, only for my "upgrade" maze 2, and a 3/8" drill bit will fit semi-loosley right to the bottom. It does not get smaller at any point!

[LiquidCool]

Whatever you say Guy. The only reason I tried to explain fitting sizes to you was because you mentioned the drop down box with tubing sizes in it, which has NOTHING to do with the thread sizes. I figure you got confused as many people do, I have had people order $100+ in fittings of the wrong size because they thought they knew what they were getting.

[GuyBFF]

I mentioned the drop down box as I wsa confused on the site. I figured that the motheroard and GPU blocks used 3/8" NPT just like my waterblock as they said 3/8" fittings. I figured if they included a drop down box for barb size, then the 3/8" fittings must mean the thread size in NPT. It was a poor assumption.

Sorry if I came off blunt. Like I said, I know what the Maze 2 "upgrade" in 1/2" is. It's the only thing I've actually handled. As for the chipset and the motherboard I said in a couple posts that I wasn't sure, I just saw the 3/8" fittings and I know that's what my waterblock is.

[LiquidCool]

Not to kick a dead horse, but DD just returned my email and they say they use 1/4"NPT in the 2.2... so I dunno...

[redleader]

Back to GPU blocks . . .

I emailed DangerDen about it and they agreed to custom make me a GPU block with 1/2 inch side-mounted fittings for no extra cost. Needless to say I am thrilled as this new block will be over an inch think of Cu to fit the larger barbs on the side.

[GuyBFF]

I'm very, very jelous Redleader!

Michael Huck, are they refering to a maze 2.2 or the newer "upgrade" maze 2 w/ 1/2"? Unless I got a one of I gaurantee that a 3/8" rod will go all the way down to the base of the block! Again, I can't speak for anyting other than what I own.

[ItsSoLARGE]

get it straight mike I ICQed u not emailed u bitch... where the **** are my ram blocks... hehehe