Question: What's the best waterblock to-date?

[Seven]

Hey OCers,

I was wondering what you guys think is the best waterblock ever made. I was considering purchasing one of Cathar's Silver G5 blocks, but I'm also wondering if there are any commercial blocks that have eclipsed Cathar's in terms of performance.

Thanks!
7

[Perseus]

Multi-block loop: The HK 3.0. CPU only loop: Perhaps the Koolance 350, but only by a bit over the HK, if at all. I don't think the G5-series blocks do too well with anything more than dual cores.

[Spawn-Inc]

Multi-block loop: The HK 3.0. CPU only loop: Perhaps the Koolance 350, but only by a bit over the HK, if at all. I don't think the G5-series blocks do too well with anything more than dual cores.

hey, i was going to say that. i will just resort to +1.

[Perseus]

Well, at least I know I'm right then! :beer:

[thorilan]

the G7 is the ultimate in engineering ;)

[axis01]

the G7 is the ultimate in engineering ;)

But is it worth $300 for an extra ?? of cooling?

Axis

[[BIOS]O.o]

But is it worth $300 for an extra ?? of cooling?

Axis



He didn't say anything about price he asked what the best one is and he got an answer!

[atomic ferret]

Presuming the OP is sane, the HK 3.0 would be the way to go.

I would give this a read:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/Forums/showthread.php?t=224898

[QuietIce]

the G7 is the ultimate in engineering ;) +1 :):thup:


In reality the correct answer depends on the loop and what it's cooling;
dual?
quad?
CPU only?
low restriciton?
... ???

[atomic ferret]

This was just posted today over at XS. It compares basically every block:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/Forums/showthread.php?t=224976

[Seven]

Thanks so much!

This is essentially to help me decide what path I would take if I were to buy a new desktop. Core i7 seems to be the way to go, and waterblock design has come a long way from where I was about 5 years ago when I was watercooling.

7

[thorilan]

more importantly you need to decide on your enclosure. that will effect noise and cooling potential and aesthetics .see the case determines how much room you have for rads.
personally i like to custom design the cases but most people cant shell out that much unless they are veterans already and have understanding wives

so make sure you have the case you want because it effects much more than the benifits of a slightly more efficient block .

btw temps mean nothing. its all about your happyness to OC ratio . and happyness is effected by noise not temps . High OC are effected by temps but most people are waaaay to concerned with a temp number and not really important thing. is your OC rock stable at the noise level you are happy with.

[Conumdrum]

Thorilan is right. The best block isn't a 'get that block', all is perfect. It's the whole system. What you can afford, what you can fit, your tolerance for noise etc.

Balance, be one with your water.

Kinda like the book series "Dune", one of the great sci fi reads. And decent sci fi flicks too.

[Perseus]

Thorilan is right. The best block isn't a 'get that block', all is perfect. It's the whole system. What you can afford, what you can fit, your tolerance for noise etc.

Balance, be one with your water.

Kinda like the book series "Dune", one of the great sci fi reads. And decent sci fi flicks too.

Thorilan has an opinion, Conumdrum. What's "right", in the truest sense of the word, is for us to decide as individuals. While I'm very happy with nearly every aspect of my main rig, I sincerely hope that it DOESN'T meet everyone's ideal of what a modern water cooled computer should be. I, for one, love to see variations on a theme, as well as differences in focus. If someone wants to live in their temps, they should be able to do so and without any sort of ridicule, or second guessing.

Take your bench for example: I wouldn't have considered that sort of configuration before I saw how beautiful yours is. Now I'm thinking of ways to keep my cat from using a bench as a heating pad! :D

[Conumdrum]

I so agree, don't take it wrong. We build what we want to build. Within what we need etc. Limits on budgets, size, wife/husband permissions etc all come into play. I suggest the good stuff, but it's up to the user to decide. All I can do is advise a common setup as you do.

Getiing a HK3.0 and a too small rad isn't balance. Worrying about noise and having high temps is bad too. We all have the happy medium we need to find, and I guess we hope to help fill ours and others that ask to fill those needs. Whats right is right for each person. Thor makes a good point, stable overclocks for your needs, not some guy with 5 mobos and 15 chips waiting to be smoked in lab rat tests. We hope to inform so every PC helped built on OCForums is solid and the OP is happy.

My rig is a nekkid just power looking PC. I don't care what it looks like, it's function before form and easy to work on. It's my balance and glad you understand. I know it's not my camera work, LOL.

[Perseus]

My ma had a saying: "All I can do is advise and recommend." I take that posture quite happily when talking to new water coolers. There's nothing inherently wrong with not having "perfect" amount of surface to justify any particular block. Being that I assume intelligence equal to my own in any exchange, my hope is that after the initial "cheap" phase most learners will adapt and correct shortcummings as they become apparent, if they're so inclined. Balance too is in the eye of the beholder, yes?

I don't see it as my job to in any way make sure that someone has the most efficicent loop possible, because doing so would just replicate what I think is important. To use an analogy, when a person asks me what time it is I don't take it upon myself to tell them how to build a 27-jewel Swiss movement.

You don't care how your rig looks??? Is this you being modest, C? :D

[voigts]

Do make sure to take a look below the charts at Gabe's response regarding the CPU being lapped in this review.

It seems to me that the HK and GTZ are neck and neck performance wise based on Gabe's test, which I do hold to be honest, but the HK seems to be a bit less restrictive.

I however really do like the mounting system on the GTZ, and I really like how the barbs are spaced far apart. This makes it easier in my opinion to run tubing to the block.

more importantly you need to decide on your enclosure. that will effect noise and cooling potential and aesthetics .see the case determines how much room you have for rads.
personally i like to custom design the cases but most people cant shell out that much unless they are veterans already and have understanding wives

so make sure you have the case you want because it effects much more than the benifits of a slightly more efficient block .

btw temps mean nothing. its all about your happyness to OC ratio . and happyness is effected by noise not temps . High OC are effected by temps but most people are waaaay to concerned with a temp number and not really important thing. is your OC rock stable at the noise level you are happy with.

It is a good thing my wife is understanding with my itch for custom cases. I'm in the process of building another one (haven't posted a log yet).

I agree with most of what Thor says here. Some people however really could care less about noise, and tolerance for noise is very subjective.

If you are buying a new block, there is no reason not to get the best performing block that suits your needs. But there is more to a system than just the CPU block.

[Perseus]

The mounting hardware for the GTZ is the best I've ever used. I was really surprised that Watercool didn't try to emulate, or exceed it for the HK 3. Needing to use a caliper to mount a block is very German and all, but geez what a pain my arse! :bang head

[MARCI]

Why would you date a waterblock??? Find a nice girl instead

[Owenator]

Be careful when you read waterblock roundups based on tests in a PC. The differences in CPU, pump, radiator and other system components make them only useful if you use everything exactly the same. You can get a general idea from the XS info but it's not scientific by a long shot.

An example of professional testing from back in the day:
http://www.overclockers.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4008&catid=52:cooling&Itemid=4257