• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

Hands up Dtek WW bad base owners?

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

humdinger

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
I've noticed several threads now about people receiving Dtek WW blocks which either had non flat bases or scratched/not very well lapped bases. How about collecting experiences in here? I must admit when I received my block, it was flat but it sure looked dirty (I lapped it in the end, cleaning with the usual methods didn't help). If this is a fairly common problem, what's up with that Dtek? :)
 
I am also interested in this inconsistancy. I would also like to see some pictures to see what they did wrong.

Jon
 
here's my base after a few polishings with some brass polish. my came with really no nicks or scratches, deep anyway.

blockbase.jpg
 
I'm one of the (un)lucky recipients of a WW with a "not so flat" base. Using a straight-edge and a feeler gage, I determined that mine is concave by 0.003" in the center. This is horrible to be called a 'lapped' finish. Most of the time when you you buy barstock the dimensions are guaranteed to +/-0.003", so DTek's really not improving the finish at all.

As expected, the performance is dismal with this base finish. After 3 installations, I never saw temps better than 43C idle. I have no doubt that this block would perform ok if properly lapped, but right now it's performing worse than an AX-7 heatsink.

I understand that these are based on Cathar's original design, but it's obvious they're not made to the same standards. I think it's a little bit of false advertising for them to be linking to BillA's review @ overclockers.com, inferring that DTek's aluminum and poly topped whitewaters perform the same as Cathar's Australian made, copper topped whitewaters.

When any manufacturer moves their manufacturing facilities, or re-tools an existing facility, special care must be taken to make sure that the product meets the same standards (AKA performs the same) before and after. I fear the proper precautions have not been taken in this case.
 
I too have had my fair share of problems with the stock lapping job. Mine came with 3-4 deep scratches smack dab in the middle which was a pain to take out even with 400 grit sand paper. Anyway, if I were D-Tek id do something about this before they become boycotted from customers who are unhappy after paying near 80 dollars for a highly reputable block. The documentation claims that it is lapped at 600 grit, mine looked more like 200 grit. I'm most likely going to sell this one once I get confirmation of my Cascade.
 
It's a fairly illuminating issue, if one thinks about it. A slightly poor base can really kill a waterblock's performance down to 'unacceptable' mediocre air-cooling levels, despite the block being of a design that can potentially outperform all waterblocks except the Cascade.
This is a serious variance, caused by a relatively small thing. Furthermore, hand lapping seems to be more difficult to do correctly (per BillA's comments) than it looks. Thus, that hand-polished mirror finish may not even do very well temperature-wise.
Additional variance is then also added by different mounting characteristics. The total sum of 'error'-induced variance seems to be uncomfortably high. All this does not even take into account the specifics of the cooling loop itself- water volume, flowrate, airflow, pump functioning etc.
 
The first WW I got from them wasn't that great. It had some decent sized scratches in the center of it. Rather than trying to lap it down, I gave them a call and they said if I sent mine back, they'd send me a replacement. The replacement that I got back wasn't that great either, but it was certainly a lot better than the first one.
 
{BC}Helix said:
speaking of which, anybody know where i can get a lapping kit

Funny you should ask. DTek is selling them on their website. Guess they figured you'd need them. :rolleyes:
 
The main thing that bothers me about the whole Dtek WW mess is the fact that they link BillA's review of CATHAR's whitewater as a 'good review' for their obviously inferior product. Sort of like that one guy trying to sell WW clones on ebay, no? Sure the Dtek design is 'supposedly' identical to Cathar's, but the 'love' factor seems to escape them. I would love to send BillA the NASTY whitewater my brother bought... for a 'real' review. It was curvier than a 19 year old Dolly Parton.

I think Dtek is a fine company but they really should pull that link to the review until they can provide a product that is of the same quality.
 
vonkaar said:
I would love to send BillA the NASTY whitewater my brother bought... for a 'real' review. It was curvier than a 19 year old Dolly Parton.

LOL, ya my WW must be Dolly Parton's lil sister, cuz she's pretty damn curvy herself and she sucks.... pun intended.
 
Back