help with water cooling?

Ev!L-aLphA

hey all i was wondering how water cooling works? can it mess up ur pc ? is it easy to set up? does it take alot of space? is it expensive ? does it really do a difference?

and all those other damn questions about that can u ppl help

Optimummind

(1) Water cooling works by transfering the heat produced from your CPU to a waterblock that absorbs the heat and transfers it away via water. The water that cycles through your system is being pumped and cooled by a system of reservoirs, water pumps, internal and external tubings, and a radiator (like a car's).

(2) H20 cooling can mess up your computer if you're not careful and you spill water on your electronics.

(3) Depending on what type of water cooling kit you purchase, it may take a lot or little bit of space. In my case, I own a Koolance Exos Watercooling kit and it does not take up much space. Once installed, the inside of the computer looks something like this:



(4) Watercooling kits, whether they be internal or external, are still relatively more expensive than their air-cooled counterparts. However, they are cheaper and safer than phase-change and LN2 cooling setups.
I bought my kit for $240.00 after tax (It included the CPU waterblock).

(5)Yes, using watercooling makes a big difference. Before I installed the Exos, I was cooling my P4 2.4GHz overclocked to 2.7GHz with an Aerocool Hercules copper CPU HSF (which rated for up to 3.6GHz). My idle temp was about 50C and load close to 60 C!! With the Exos, I get idle between 29-31 and load temperatures of 31-33 C.

There are many external watercooling options out right now--Corsair, Koolance, etc.

I chose the Koolance system cuz they got experience in this field and I believe their kit looks more slick than Corsair's lunch-box look.

Driver 7

Swiftech is the only Kit that I have tried so I do not really have anything to compare it to. But it was easy. I would immagine they all are pretty basic. Well easy set up anyhow. The swiftech cpu block is really cool looking. And it's blue which is a good color for anything. For me anyhow. After buying a basic kit you can upgrade to other types of components and mix and match them. Water is fun. I am having a great time with this. I added an Innovatek Video card water block and a water resivoir to the system last week.
My temps are awesome. @ 1.775 volts my CPU temp's are sitting at 28-29°C.
And as far as leaks go as long as your carefull it wont happen. And I mean carefull like using common sence, taking you time setting it up and reading all the instructions. They are not delicate at all. I can go and pull on the tubes and shake the CPU water block trying to get all the air bubbles out and it wont spring a leak. I expenced 1 leak durring installation because the radiator clamps were not really on properly. But it cant harm anything. As long as it's dry before you turn it on. Hell you man take your motherboard in to the shower with you and then as long as you get all the water off first it will power up again like nothing ever hapened to it.
So if your seriously thinking about it you should do it. You will not regret it for a second and have hell fun doing it.

Ev!L-aLphA

damn 200+ $$ thats alot i bought my new cpu and mobo for that price

ill wait tell they go down to 30 $


but thanks any way

Driver 7

$30.00??? For a pump, CPU water block, tubing, a radiator, and Connectors? Good luck less your gonna make your own. even then a good water block will be more than 30. I paid $100 American for my video card block.

The_Neon_Cowboy

home grown is so much cheaper its not funny and you could end up with a system that better fits you needs...

build your own man! save $$$

or go the premade route $$$ and get ease of setup

Ev!L-aLphA

im just kiding dude ;/ but damn tahts alot ill wait telll the prices drop a bit

The_Neon_Cowboy

you can get a pump radiator and hose for abt $60

blocks for about $30-50

or make you own for about $20 for the copper and a wee bit of time and tools

Driver 7

Very true but I doubt there are many members of driverheaven (though there are a couple I know of [color=darkblue]Neon Cowboy[/color]) that will build there own waterblock. And as far as cooling goes you do not want cheap heatsinks.

Driver 7

So we have just passed th $30.00 budget.
BTW Neon wasent that you who made a NorthBridge cooler for your girlfriends cpu. Did an awesome job.

The_Neon_Cowboy

Cheap doesn’t mean bad... I can make the EXACT same stuff you’d pay $50-100 for but for only a few bucks for the copper and use of tools and time.... and it could even bee a better grade of copper meaning cooler.. lordarse makes his own blocks as I’m planning to do .... but I’m doing a lot of extra research because I’m designing a system that utilizes both water and air cooling on the cpu!!!! if it works i'll be famous....I agess on the will part as for the can part anybody could... but few take the time... many dont even wanna know how.... Like same people buying a premoded case it takes the fun out of it

Actually I could beat that with a home grown block and a water hose running cold water straight from tap then down a drain lol.... But I’d never do it in real life it could be done

Thank you! very much! yup that was me

scobywhru

If you have other questions on watercooling there are websites dedicated to them along with vapor and ln2 cooling like a cascade vapor phase system where the average temps are -50c or better with 100% CPU utilization running all day, www.procooling.com and www.xtremesystems.org and www.phase-change.com

Driver 7

Thanks scoby! I have allready found a couple of good tips off procooling.

The_Neon_Cowboy

it is a good site

i like some of the mods they show

scobywhru

Yeah it is one of the best sites I have found on watercooling but once you get into reading the forums it starts sounding like a technical manual

P.S. Always happy to share knowledge ;-)