Make Me Go Water

I have been thinking about going water for a while now... i need some convincing though. I would probably only spend about 150$ on it.. 50$ or so on the block then whatever else, maybe the cheap Via 1300 pump and 1/2 inch tubing. One thing I don't care about is noise.. I haven't seen much to impress me from watercooling unless it's chilled water.. How much better than a SLK-900 and a 92mm Tornado will it be if any? If it's not much better or not better than that i will probably just forget about it and waste 150$ on a sweet looking case or something.

Thanks

WC will handle more heat. Temps probably won't be much lower but it'll be a lot quieter and silence is golden... but you probably can't hear anymore due to that tornado

I posted a similar thread about a week ago. Maybe there will be some help in it to justify it for you.http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=212790

BTW, along with my never ending need to tinker, they convinced me to go water.

Pyros

well, one thing about water is that load temps to not go up as much. my no load/full load temps are only 3 degrees apart. Also, wc seems to handle upping of voltages better.

Of course, im chillin my water, so thats a bit differet. However, the my chillin was only about $150- so it may be in range for you.

search for refrigerated water baths on ebay in the industrial/lab/heating and cooling section.

mostly, watercooling is fun to mess around with.

The switch for me was coming... like a storm.
But i took it in moderation.

$150. ya thats about right. basic sys. (what i spent)
Check the classifieds for stuff too.

It's much quieter & runs cooler.

Just don't run an Air system next to a H20 one.
You'll never hear how quiet the H20 one is !

Make you?

You either want/need it or you don't.

Want:
Do you want something that "some" people think is cool and outragous?

Need:
Do you need a somewhat quiet means of cooling that surpasses some heatsinks?

Want:
Do you want to be able to overclock higher than a standard heatsink will allow?

Need:
Do you really need convincing? I mean...you're here...you're asking about it...I think the question is already answered.

Just do it; everybody's doing it (pusher).

Really, it's very very quite if build the right setup.

I've been researching myself and one question about the heater cores. I can get a used one for around $15 or would the D Tek heater core be best solution for a noob. I'm a little worried about the corrosion in the used and the barbs are different sizes which would require some modding.

You can go to any auto parts store and get a brand new chevette core for like 23.45 dollars.

Unless you spend a lot of cash, water won't cool much better than an slk-900. If you buy a cheap kit, water could perform more poorly.
Water's strength is silence and capacity for heat. If you want a really quiet system that cools as good as an expensive, noisy heatsink, water is the way to do it. If you want to use peltiers for supercooling, you cool the hot side with water.

If you're essentially deaf, then the SLK-900 with a tornado is the way to go.

Hmmm.. If i do go water i will order it tomorrow.. here is what i would order. All from Dtek.

TC-4 Rev 2 Waterblock
Pro-Combo -Black Radiator (do i need the shroud really?)
Via 1300 Pump (370GPH)
1/2" ClearFlex tubing (8 feet?)
Nylon Hose Clamp (10- pack)
T-Fitting
SuperCool (4oz)
120mm Fan

Is this everything i need? Also.. do you guys really think an SLK-900 and 92mm Tornado will cool better than this or practically the same?

Thanks

One thing I would DEFINITELY change: use steel hose clamps or none at all

I haven't tried a Via pump yet......but many have and like them.
I have a Maxi Jet rated about the same as an Eheim 1250 but it performs more like my Eheim 1048: good, but not as good as the 1250. I do have both of those Eheims- I think they are worth the premium so far...although next time I buy one I think I will try a Hydor (I still have a couple of computers air cooled so you KNOW I will be needing more pumps eventually )

YES- you do need a shroud! Shrouds make the radiator/fan work quite a lot better. Two fans and two shrouds (Push-Pull) is best but just one of each will work.

I do not have an SLK-900, but I do have an SLK-800- it is about the same as my worst performing water cooled rig except it makes more noise .

I am not sure how well the TC4 performs or how much it costs, but I do have an opinion on the best blocks:
Cascade- simply the best. The extra few degrees will be expensive though......
White Water- Second best and third place is far behind. For a pure performance system I would consider no other blocks.

To save money so you can get a WW or Cascade, by a chevette heater core and make your own shrouds.

rogerdugans said:

To save money so you can get a WW or Cascade, buy a chevette heater core and make your own shrouds.

Click to expand...

Wise words

Check here. The C/W for the waterblocks is about .21-.23. The C/W for an slk-900 with the SLK-900 and a tornado fan is about .22.

I still like the idea of a nice, quiet, watercooled system, though.

caffinehog, those numbers arent 100% correct. Those kits and the heatsinks are mostly correct, but those are cheap kits for th emost part. with a WW, I wonder what a good system would do on joes test bed.

I would stay away from the via aqua pumps. They specifically state in the manual to NOT run inline.

I personally love the danner mag#3, Its gotta be the best pump I have used, All it needs is a little sealing and some hosebarbs.


Jon

A clarification on C/W numbers and their accuracy:

Those numbers are actually quite accurate- for the parts they test.

In a water cooling system you do add complexity with a larger number of parts, but you also add a number of different ways to improve efficiency:

With a well designed system using a high flow pump with plenty of head capacity, a large heater core and minimal tubing of 1/2" or larger size I would expect to get the WW's C/W down a good bit. Add LOUD fans and it will come down still more.

When I crank my fan voltages up to 12v my C/W is around .08.
(NOTE that MY numbers can not be accurately compared to those done with any other system or a die simulator- my temp readings may be off and my figures for overclocked watts are almost certainly off )

But the point still remains: with a heatsink there are few ways to improve C/W- lapping, thermal compound and faster fans are it.
With water cooling you can improve: pump, tubing, radiator, fans, lapping and thermal compound.

All the ways to improve the system BESIDES THE CPU's HEAT REMOVAL DEVICE make it possible for the cooling system to have a considerably lower C/W than the water block does.

Hey, I even have a system with a Koolance block that gets a C/W around .18, lol. And that block is pretty....poor

I don't mean to say those numbers are dead on for any particular system. I'm just saying that, dollar for dollar, you get the most from the SLK-900... as long as you don't mind noise. And an SLK-900 and a tornado can do better than many of the water kits and components out there.
If quiet is your thing, then water is the way to go. You can get silent cooling that's similar to noisy air cooling for not too much more. It's also the way to get the best cooling if you have a single 1 week paycheck to spend and want the best cooling that money can buy.

Me? I want a solid overclock and to be able to sleep in the same room with that computer. I'm set for a long time with a water cooled dual and a vapochill. I consider that an investment, because, when will I need/want better cooling than that? And I can fold while I sleep.