Noob WC question...

Does a WC setup actually cool the water after it passes through the system, or just cool it back to about room temperature?? I would hope that it does more than just circulate warm water through a radiator that merely cools it back to room temperature, but I have never built a WC system, and need to ask some really basic questions.If the WC setup merely circulates warm water and then tries to cool it to room temperature, is there a way to chill that water after it passes,but before making its next pass?

MyButtBurns said:

Does a WC setup actually cool the water after it passes through the system, or just cool it back to about room temperature?? I would hope that it does more than just circulate warm water through a radiator that merely cools it back to room temperature, but I have never built a WC system, and need to ask some really basic questions.If the WC setup merely circulates warm water and then tries to cool it to room temperature, is there a way to chill that water after it passes,but before making its next pass?

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Yes but it probably wouldn't be cost effective. And radiators can only get the temperature as low as ambient. Check out a post somewhere on here about the "bong"

From what I gathered you can get sub ambient temps out of it, although I personally don't know.

Water cooling can only cool your PC down to ambient temps, due to the heat that the radiator and the fan on it will dissipate. Now that is still much better and more efficient compared to air cooling and people have gotten pretty decent results even with water cooling. It is much more cost effective compared to phase change cooling. If you want to cool it down below that, then you are talking about phase change, peltier's, etc which might can give you sub 0 results even depending which sytem you use. They have really good threads on this stuff in the extreme cooling section of the forums. BTW welcome to the forums

Thanks for the replies---and quick replies! Well, that brings up a new question:

Over the weekend I was thinking that a WC setup probably doesnt chill the water as it passes, but surely thats a possibility.I was thinking about one of those miniature fridges that are only like 10 inches high---I'm sure that can be modified to fit your reservoir and chill that water after it passes through your system.Surely someone else has thought of this, but has anyone attempted it? If so, is there a link that can be posted to the article?

I'll look for that mini- fridge and post pics if I can find it.The fridge itself is very small,and can only accomodate 3-4 cans of saoda/beer.I hope someone knows what I am talking about with the fridge.

PS- Thanks for the warm? welcome---or should I say "cool" welcome?

Also---how long until I can upload my avatar? I posted the pic so nobody else takes my avatar!

You will need 100 quality posts in order to be allowed an avatar... As for the mini fridge, do an advance search for the bong and mini fridge as its been talked about many times.

MyButtBurns said:

I was thinking about one of those miniature fridges that are only like 10 inches high---I'm sure that can be modified to fit your reservoir and chill that water after it passes through your system.Surely someone else has thought of this, but has anyone attempted it?

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It wont work.

Anytime the water temperature goes below ambient, condensation forms. You have to insulate everything (foam, grease, etc.) that the water runs through.....way too much work. Plus, if you run a Peltier I have read that alone will raise your electric bill like 50.00 per month.

Daddyjaxx said:

Anytime the water temperature goes below ambient, condensation forms. You have to insulate everything (foam, grease, etc.) that the water runs through.....way too much work. Plus, if you run a Peltier I have read that alone will raise your electric bill like 50.00 per month.

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Yes technically anything below ambient can cause condensation, although it depends on the humidity. If your room is very dry, you can likely go a little below ambient before condensation becomes an issue.

As for $50 a month for a pelt., I dunno if I would go by that number but rest assured its gonna use a lot of energy.

Daddyjaxx said:

Anytime the water temperature goes below ambient, condensation forms. You have to insulate everything (foam, grease, etc.) that the water runs through.....way too much work. Plus, if you run a Peltier I have read that alone will raise your electric bill like 50.00 per month.

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If you were using a peltier the only thing that would get cold would be the CPU and maybe MOBO (one side draws heat to the other). You would only have to insulate the CPU and mobo. The water would be smokin'.

Soong said:

If you were using a peltier the only thing that would get cold would be the CPU and maybe MOBO (one side draws heat to the other). You would only have to insulate the CPU and mobo. The water would be smokin'.

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Yes good point, I didnt catch that. The water will be nowhere near cold.

Hmmm... this is all very interesting. So, it seems like a typical WC'd system just recycles warm water thats attemped to be cooled to room temperature? I would imagine that, over time, that water will eventually become extremely warm, negating any benefit of water cooling.Sure the radiator helps, but if it doesnt actually cool the water above room temperature, then wouldnt that water eventually just cycle through the system as warm water?

MyButtBurns said:

Hmmm... this is all very interesting. So, it seems like a typical WC'd system just recycles warm water thats attemped to be cooled to room temperature? I would imagine that, over time, that water will eventually become extremely warm, negating any benefit of water cooling.Sure the radiator helps, but if it doesnt actually cool the water above room temperature, then wouldnt that water eventually just cycle through the system as warm water?

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Maybe you should go ahead and read the stickies and FAQ's. It should be clear that water cooling has more than marginal benefits that you are not aware of.

What does air cooling do? It recycles the same hot air in your case over and over, over an inefficient heat sink with a high speed, loud, low volume fan. Do you understand that there are typically robust, quiet(er) fans on the radiator to cool it down? No air cooling solution will ever give you load temps (or idle temps) approaching the most modest water cooling system.

RTFM, err FAQ

Soong said:

Maybe you should go ahead and read the stickies and FAQ's. It should be clear that water cooling has more than marginal benefits that you are not aware of.

What does air cooling do? It recycles the same hot air in your case over and over, over an inefficient heat sink with a high speed, loud, low volume fan. Do you understand that there are typically robust, quiet(er) fans on the radiator to cool it down? No air cooling solution will ever give you load temps (or idle temps) approaching the most modest water cooling system.

RTFM, err FAQ

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Oh, sure, I know that WC'ed systems run cooler than air-cooled systems.Not all air-cooled systems recycle warm air,though.I had the side of my case off with a 20 inch fan attached to make sure that the warm air doesnt get trapped inside---and its way quieter than my old HSF( Vantec Tornado-sounded like a hair dryer)but now I am reaady for a more sophisticated design.I'm just very new to WC,and need some help.I have been reading the stickies, but alot of them are old and outdated, and that can be confusing tyo someone who wants to build a WC'ed system today.Alot of those stickies contain information from 3-6+ months ago.With new products available,and advances since these stickies were made, I have become confused.More or less, I get the concept, but the way its applied seems to have changed a little with the advent of newer and better products,which arent always listed within those stickies.To put it one way, its like playing hockey.Sure, the games the same, but there are new rules that werent in effect in the last season played before the strike.So, its not the same game anymore,and thats kind of what those stickes are like----a littel outdated. If you knwo of any really thorough and easy to understand thread(wether on these forums or elsewhere) please post it. I almost considered a pre-built WC system because its my firsttime...but I figured the guys at OCforums are really helpful,and many wouldnt mind giving some advice to someone who is enthusiastic about a WC system.

Please excuse me if I seem a bit hostile, I usually do. It’s just that you made a thread that basically asks how water cooling works on a fundamental level and posited that

I would imagine that, over time, that water will eventually become extremely warm, negating any benefit of water cooling.

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and you said

Sure the radiator helps

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as if the radiator was simply an accessory that didn’t do too much. And that

it doesn’t actually cool the water above room temperature

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(assuming you meant below room temperature); as if it’s no good having your CPU at 30C instead of 60C.

The laws of physics do not change with new water cooling products, nor do the principals upon witch water cooling works. The water acts as a medium to carry heat from the water blocks to the radiator. Water is substantially better and absorbing and dissipating heat than air. The water reaches a stable temperature once the delta in temperature between it and the ambient air reaches a certain point. That delta and the temperature of your water will be lower the more efficient your radiator is.

If you want advice on the latest water cooling products, I would suggest you read sticky “***HOW TO ASK BASIC WATERCOOLING QUESTIONS***”. An excerpt:

In your first post of your thread asking about watercooling here are some things to list.

• List why you want to watercool. Is it noise, preformance, abit of both, or to be the only guy in the retirement home with a watercooled A64.
• List your budget. From small to large, watercooling parts can be selected to fit your budget.
• List what tools you have or have access and how profficient you are with them.
• List what kind of encloser (case) you have. And whether you are willing to cut it up.
• List what computer parts you have (basics like CPU, motherboard) or will be getting for your watercooled monster.

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I might not post any more in this thread. I get upset easily and usually say something I regret, usually something in a sarcastic diminutive tone.