Does the Resevoir Size Matter

I currently have this tiny reseviour http://www.asetek.com/default.asp?s...=sideid&myvalue=14&contentSection=2&menuID=-1
Would it be better if I get a larger Bay Res? Would the performance be better?

A) Link does not work.

B) I dont think it matters, since most reservoirs are made out of plastic and hence dont transfer heat well.

C) It maybe easier to fill a larger res, although I may be wrong on that.

From what I've seen, a larger reseviour might actually hurt temps. Many don't run one at all, and just run a T-line.

hmm thanks always wanted to know

From what I remember reading, a larger res only makes a difference in temps if you have like a 1000 gallon res or something very large like that.

it all depends on the design

i have a 2 liter res that improves performance of my system by 1C consistently but i dont buy resivoirs i make them my self
generaly most reseviors only help for fill and bleed and are not necessary and personaly i think he bay res looks kinda tacky in a lot of systems( not all though)

One other side effect of using a resivoir is that it take your cooling system longer to reach a state of equalibrium due to larger amount of coolant mass in the system.

frodoski said:

One other side effect of using a resivoir is that it take your cooling system longer to reach a state of equalibrium due to larger amount of coolant mass in the system.

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Yep other than that and that the loop is easier to fill the res makes no difference to your temps.(except perhaps for slight conduction inthe case and a small convection current that will begoing above it- practically unnoticable unless the res is specifically built to take advantage of this ie. the resorator)

A res also lowers you flow rates too.

frodoski said:

One other side effect of using a resivoir is that it take your cooling system longer to reach a state of equalibrium due to larger amount of coolant mass in the system.

Click to expand...

That would be a good thing. right??

Dicecca112, a res is fine. If you ARE going to have one though, have it be worth it (make bleeding and filling easier). I doubt your tiny res is helping much with bleeding. How many bubbles get recirculated due to lack of space?
Dont get a bay res, I agree with Thorilan that they just look odd and somethimes leak.
A: If you DO get a res the only way it will really help your flow or perfomance is if you allow the pump to feed off of the res without restriction. That is the one thing I would get a res for If I was to do so. NOt many people have this happening though. Rather they have a body of water sitting somewhere in their loop, which hurts flow slightly.
B: Unless your gonna let your pump feed directly off of the body of water in the res (would need to be larger than yours even then), just get a T line. It will take longer to bleed and fill but hey its not bulky wont hurt flow significantly and can be easily hidden from sight. (and it wont cost ya $20)
just my opinions

SenC.

Senater_Cache said:

That would be a good thing. right??

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Sure if you turned you pc off reguarly for extended periods of time. But if its on all the time it makes no difference.

Or if you have a 3000 litre res or something rediculous like that. Especially if its buried deep in the ground.

thansk for clarifying that .

Bios24 said:

From what I've seen, a larger reseviour might actually hurt temps. Many don't run one at all, and just run a T-line.

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I have a large res and I idle at 32c. Many people run res's as opposed to T's. I've yet to have anyone explain to me why having more coolant in a loop is automatically bad. The argument always amounts to: "I use a T, so anything else is bad!"

RedViper said:

I have a large res and I idle at 32c. Many people run res's as opposed to T's. I've yet to have anyone explain to me why having more coolant in a loop is automatically bad. The argument always amounts to: "I use a T, so anything else is bad!"

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I think you're glossing over several things in this thread, or else just didn't read. Multiple points have been made that are quite valid:

#1. A res does not provide cooler temps unless specifically designed to do so
#2. A res cuts down on your total flow capacity
#3. A res that's misshapen or too small can actually cause bubbles to continue flowing rather than catch them
#4. The above two items can lead to a res causing MORE heat in your water (pump cavitating due to air bubbles, pump creating more heat due to increased head, rad and block becoming less efficient due to less flow)

There are still pro's to consider, but they come out relatively even:
#1. A properly sized / shaped res can help you bleed the system
#2. A properly sized and placed res can also help keep water continuously in the pump
#3. A very well designed res can assist in lowering temps slightly
#4. A pretty res is nice to look at

A tee gets around basically ALL of the cons, and the only pro you're missing is the prettiness.

thorilan said:

it all depends on the design

i have a 2 liter res that improves performance of my system by 1C consistently but i dont buy resivoirs i make them my self
generaly most reseviors only help for fill and bleed and are not necessary and personaly i think he bay res looks kinda tacky in a lot of systems( not all though)

Click to expand...

How bout a pic o that res
I will be making one soon, and ideas are good...

I made a res out of a 1L Figi water bottle (the square one). Worked great, and the screw cap made is immensly easy to bleed (it was upsidedown), but if you use some container with a screw top, make sure it's a good heavy duty one b/c mine started to crack over time. Never leaked, but i'm sure it would have.

Albuquerque said:

I think you're glossing over several things in this thread, or else just didn't read. Multiple points have been made that are quite valid:

#1. A res does not provide cooler temps unless specifically designed to do so
#2. A res cuts down on your total flow capacity
#3. A res that's misshapen or too small can actually cause bubbles to continue flowing rather than catch them
#4. The above two items can lead to a res causing MORE heat in your water (pump cavitating due to air bubbles, pump creating more heat due to increased head, rad and block becoming less efficient due to less flow)

There are still pro's to consider, but they come out relatively even:
#1. A properly sized / shaped res can help you bleed the system
#2. A properly sized and placed res can also help keep water continuously in the pump
#3. A very well designed res can assist in lowering temps slightly
#4. A pretty res is nice to look at

A tee gets around basically ALL of the cons, and the only pro you're missing is the prettiness.

Click to expand...

I don't need to read every post to have an opinion on a much-talked about aspect of water-cooling, Al.

1. I never said that a res was viewed by me as a way to decrease temps.

2. How may I ask? And are we talking a MAJOR decrease or something insignificant like 2 GPH? As mentioned, my box with a res, and a physically comfortable ambient, hovers around 32c. The highest load I've seen so far was when playing Far Cry (CPU and GPU intensive), and that was 36-38c. These number fall well within my expectations for water. It isn't, or shouldn't, be ALL about beating every last bit of performance out of anything. Water-cooling is a hobby in a hobby, not just a means of thermal management.

3. I have, as mentioned, a large bay-res. The intake and exhaust are 1 1/2 inches below the water-line. I didn't buy it on a lark. Single-bay units even LOOK like they have the potential to suck bubbles into the loop. I've yet to see a commercial res that would have SIGNIFICANT dissipation properties. Being that the trend seems to be towards thicker-walled res's, it doesn't seem like this is much of a consideration in design anyway. Being that most rads/HC's dissipate far more heat than is normally generated, to me, it doesn't really matter. My pump never cavitates, BTW.

4. Yeah it is. I have a red LED cannon pointed at mine. It looks great.

1a. I was amazed at how fast my loop was cleared. Less than 30-seconds.

2a. Yup.

4a. You've made the distinction "well-designed" several times at this point. If you're so inclined, please explain what you're trying to convey? I'm not a DIY person and try only to buy well-reviewed commercial products.

And here we have exactly what I alluded to in my initial post. The idea of one specific approach elevated to the status universal fact. T's are valid, so are F&B kits as well as reservoirs, depending on the requirements (whatever they may be) of the user. If EVERYONE decided that T's were the only way to go, innovation\experimentation would stop. I don't know about you Al, but for me, that would suck. In essence, we should all be able to use whatever means to an end we wish, and still be able to discuss our shared interest without the "My way is better than your way!!!" gymnastics.

Let me make this simple, so that your seemingly narrow mind may comprehend:

You said this:

I've yet to have anyone explain to me why having more coolant in a loop is automatically bad. The argument always amounts to: "I use a T, so anything else is bad!"

Click to expand...

I have shown you four cases where people have explained why without using "I use a T, so anything else is bad!" and all are perfectly valid. I never said you had to agree with them, I simply pointed out that the case had been made.

Reservoirs DO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING:
1. They do not remove heat (with exception to VERY specific models)
2. They DO result in lesser flow (to what extent depends on the design of the res, it's location in your loop, it's size, the barbs you're using, the pump you're using, et al)
3. They DO result in lesser pressure (to what extent exactly follows the criteria in point #2)

Reservoirs optionally impact the following
1. They can increase the number of trapped microbubbles in the system, based on the criteria again stated in point #2 above.

Absolutely none of this is "trivial", it is all easily and repeatably proven. That doesn't mean you have to agree or disagree, that also doesn't mean you are REQUIRED to use a T connection. And in case you were too busy attempting to fling mud at me to notice, I too am using a reservoir in my own system.

Questions?

I will be making one soon, and ideas are good...

Click to expand...

this is not a pic of one of my 2 tiler resses but another res that i will be finishing very soon designed specificaly to improve performance

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=304818

Albuquerque said:

Let me make this simple, so that your seemingly narrow mind may comprehend:

Click to expand...

Don't bother. You've already indicated that you don't have a clue, or the ability to see beyond the tip of your nose.

Thanks, but no thanks.

RedViper said:

Don't bother. You've already indicated that you don't have a clue, or the ability to see beyond the tip of your nose.

Thanks, but no thanks.

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Or more likely, I've quite convincingly proven that your perception of reality is so narrow that you can only see yourself as right and somehow everyone else is persecuting you for no apparent reason.

Welcome to the REST of reality, where people with engineering degrees are allowed and quite well educated enough to disagree with you -- and for good reason. If anyone is missing out, it's quite apparently you.