Need advice about turning HSF into waterblock

I've just replaced my Swiftech 472 with an XP90 when I moved to my watercooling setup, and I thought it was a waste to leave the Swifty in the bottom of a box. I've been thinking about creating an acrylic shell to cover the top of the heatsink and giving it barbs. I know that the main thing I would have to worry about would be the pressure drop, especially since this particular heatsink is massive. Perhaps cutting down the pins to about a third of their current size would help make it more like a heatsink?

not worth the effort. (IMO)

sell it if you dont want it.

if this is "just for fun"....still not worth the effort.

GOOD LUCK!!
(if you do decide to give it a go)

The idea is sweet and some waterblocks resemble it.

Maybe remove the outer row of pins and cut the rest in half. Should allow you to make an acrilyc cover around it.

you can have excellent results if you choose the right HSF to convert.

http://www.overclockers.com/articles679/

I say go for it, but take care to address some key issues. First off, you will want to channel the flow of water some how. I recommend you look at Swiftechs own waterblock design and incorporate some u shaped guid. Second, you will want to increase the water velocity as it enters the block...impinge the flow some how. Third, you will want to watch corrosion....as those are aluminum fins on a nice copper base

I second the corrosion advice by bad connetion. I would also suggest a flow across the base parallal.

Bryan D.

Corrosion would be my main worry as well.

Lets assuem it's not a problem, you run into the issue of channeling the water. Water is such a good thermal conductor that you don't need that massive of a surface area to pull the heat off the CPU. The large amounts of pins, and the over all size of the surface area SHOULD generate some good tubulance to the water, and also no impact flow all that much. If you figure you're average US WC system runs on 1/2" ID tubing, Its almost liek you would be dumping the coolant into a reservior that happened to have a bunch of pins in it. Allot of volume there. Flow restriction wouldn't be my worry at all. Desingined the block to make good use of that volume would be. Simply jetting the water over the top, and having an outlet, may work, but you may end up with a "dead spot" or two on your block. I think if you went for a three barbed aproach, and used a jet directly over the center, it might work. I would try opening up the middle area bit though, perhaps cutting down the pins in the center to you have less restriction there so the water can hit the basplplate with some force.

Joe Camel is right here, it is not worth the effort and there are too many factors to take into account. Such as the corrosion (copper + aluminum in a loop = no way, copper + aluminum in one block = thats just crazy), the difficulty and then what if it leaks. Have you ever worked with metal before such as connecting two pipes?? And if your answer is no I suggest you forget about this idea and just sell it and get a premade block.