single loop -> dual loop?

[smokie mcpott]

here is my current setup
specs are in sig
http://tpgclan.sytes.net/pics/smokies%20pc/100_1092_800x600.jpg

i happen to have an extra swiftech H20 120 Premium kit lyin around collecting dust.

what i want to do is split my loop into 2 loops
GPU and CPU
what i need to know is would it be more beneficial to run the GPU on a single 120mm rad and the CPU on the 2x120
or
vice versa

or am i just wasting my time and i should just sell the extra kit?

[CGR]

I would run the GPU on the single 120mm rad/fan. This should be more than adequate to cool your vid card.

Its more important for the system as a whole to have the better cooling on the CPU.

[Suprchargd]

Nice Stacker, I'm looking into possibly getting one. Need to go to a Fry's or something and check it out though, never seen one in real life.

If it was me I'd do the 2x120 on the CPU and the single on the GPU.

[Otter]

I agree. Give the CPU the larger rad. If you connected both loops to the same res, the heat from both blocks would be distributed to both radiators.

[smokie mcpott]

my plan is sep res, pumps, rads everything...i have the complete workings to setup another loop in the system, with plenty of room to spare ;)
thanks for the advice guys...perhaps while its raining this weekend i can get goin on that

[smokie mcpott]

finally got around to doin this yesterday
http://tpgclan.sytes.net/pics/smokies%20pc/100_1253_1024x768.jpg

[thideras]

I personally would have sold the extra kit. You shouldn't see that much of a difference in temps...

But besides that, looks awesome!

[smokie mcpott]

i was going to, then i actually thought it would be a better idea to keep it, since if i had my pump go out on me, i would have a replacement immediately
then the damn thing started callin to me....and i looked around at how much extra watercooling stuff i had lyin in the closet....

i have a need for tinkering with it..as it will never be a complete build

i did notice a small drop in cpu temps last night during the gaming sessions my wife and i have. vid not so much...

im tryin to hold off on changing out that god awful chipset cooler...and just build a new rig instead
for the next build, i am going all out...
lian li v2000b
custom watercooling setup
e6600
hd2900xt

... you get the idea

[natewildes]

There's a problem:
It looks like your single radiator is blowing air out of the case, and your dual-radiator is blowing it in.1 The single radiator is getting air at the approximate temperature of the dual radiator. Meaning, the single radiator will only cool the water to the temperature of the air. In almost all situations, the CPU produces more heat than a GPU (as is the case in your setup), and therefore the GPU may actually be getting warmer than it's hypothetical idle temp.
What this all means: To perform at their best, both radiators need a supply of fresh air. You could have both blowing air out, with a fan at the top/in the drive cages blowing air in (at a higher CFM than all the radiator fans added together, obviously).

Either way, you should see a definite decrease in GPU temps. If it's not that big a deal to you, don't bother, but it's an easy fix for some lower temps ;)

[EmAn]

finally got around to doin this yesterday
http://tpgclan.sytes.net/pics/smokies%20pc/100_1253_1024x768.jpg


again same thing about that but i have had a theory and here is what i was thinking

make an air-duct that goes from your cpu's rad and have that coming out to the side of your case... so in effect

you would be blowing your hot air right out the side of the case

and then have a second one for the intake of your gpu's rad and have it suck in nice ambient temps


but anyways that looks like something youll show off for a while:beer:

[smokie mcpott]

if i would have had room in the front i would have put the single rad in front pullin cold air through...but being in the back the way i have it doesnt seem to be affecting temps one way or the other, since the case flow is good...although, with the improved airflow from the bottom of the case, i have managed to bring my mobo temps down a few degrees

the setup before consisted of pump>gpu>rad>cpu>res
now i see the drop i was looking for in the cpu..by just getting the warm gpu water away from it and shortening the loop

...wish i had enough money for a lian li cube.....18 5.25 bays to do with whatever i wish..mmmmmm lian li

[Isaac MM]

Wheres the pump and reservoir on those pics? Im newb at watercooling, trying to learn a bit :S

[Isaac MM]

Oh, and do you keep your case closed? How the fans on the radiator get cold air to cool the water and where they throw the hot air?

[JeffnWV]

his res and pump are at the end of the tubes ;)

They are in the bottom of the case where the drive bays are.
The case he has, has a hole in the floor under the radiator and you can make out part of the mesh. He's pulling air through the rad into the case from the floor and likely fans in the hard drive bays in front.

I'd reverse the fan on the second rad and pull air in through it also and pull air out with the front fans and or top mounted fans and or side mounted fans :D

[aaronjb]

Nice setup. I was in the same boat, with a spare rad and some tubing sitting around. So, I decided to add the 1x120mm rad to the loop. I can't give a direct before/after comparison, because I added my GPU to the loop in the re-do, but temps are still reasonable. If I had time to do it again, however, I'd go with a single 3x120mm rad.

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=508230

[Isaac MM]

So the fans grab cold air from the floor and throw hot air inside the case?

[aaronjb]

So the fans grab cold air from the floor and throw hot air inside the case?
Nope - they're actually just pulling case air through the rad. Not ideal, I know (especially since the intake air is being pulled through the 1x120 rad). Maybe I should put the fans inside.. but then I'd have to do something with my tubing routing.

Edit - Oh, you weren't talking about my setup. What, this isn't my thread? :)

[smokie mcpott]

So the fans grab cold air from the floor and throw hot air inside the case?
on mine they do... but i wouldnt really call it 'throwing hot air' inside the case...its not much hotter than ambient ... considering what i had before with the GPU being a small furnace... the winter was great for me...had to block the heat coming into the computer room because all it took to warm up in here was 20 minutes with mine and my wifes computers on

[Mycobacteria]

My dual loop share the same res so I couldnt do the green and blue thing...

But I still consider it dual loop.

[Otter]

Nope - they're actually just pulling case air through the rad. Not ideal, I know (especially since the intake air is being pulled through the 1x120 rad). Maybe I should put the fans inside.. but then I'd have to do something with my tubing routing.
Why not leave the fans on the same side but flip them around so they blow the other way?

[aaronjb]

Why not leave the fans on the same side but flip them around so they blow the other way?

I suppose I could do that. I thought that having the fans pull was more efficient, though?

[CGR]

I prefer to pull the case air through the rad. Mostly just a matter of opinion. Feel pulling gets more air through the fins and sucks warm air out of the case at same time.

Pushing tends to give you a backlash affect and doesnt get rid of internal air nearly as well as pulling. Push/pull combo is deemed to be the best, though I have never really seen much diff between pulling and push/pull.

[Otter]

I suppose I could do that. I thought that having the fans pull was more efficient, though?
Pulling usually gives a slightly better cooling to noise ratio. In terms of thermal performance, though, it's a toss up. In some situations, pushing is actually more effective. And either way, the difference will only be a few percent.

If you're concerned about the case air temp and you have an extra drive bay, try leaving the top bay open to act as an exhaust vent.

[t3chHungry]

had to block the heat coming into the computer room because all it took to warm up in here was 20 minutes with mine and my wifes computers on

lol... built my rig, then a rig for the lil' lady and the warm air from both rigs prompted me to install a ceiling fan in the computer room.

[smokie mcpott]

lol... built my rig, then a rig for the lil' lady and the warm air from both rigs prompted me to install a ceiling fan in the computer room.
heh... with my ipcop box, nasbox, ubuntu box, and webserver running 24/7, then both of our main rigs run for a good 8-10 hours a day and our sons rig running about 2 hours a day...i had to bypass the ceiling fan and opt for the window A/C unit