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1/2? 3/8? 5/8??? fittings barbs??

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hahajung

New Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Hello guys,
this is my first post here! :soda:
I was at tom's hardware when a person recommended this site for cooling questions.
my question is..
I have K9ND-speedster with two quad cores, and Sapphire HD 4890 that I want to water-cool.
I have Cathar's Storm G4s, and Laing DCC 12v pump.
I'm trying to user Heater Core 399083. I heard heater cores are better and cheaper than radiators. the heater core has inlet size of 5/8in. and outlet of 3/4in.
the cpu block, gfx block, and the pump i believe in 1/2 tubing.
there must be a converter that i can use to get 5/8 into 1/2 and same for 3/4.
could someone tell me where to get the adapters/converters?

I hope one heater core is good enough to get the system running cooled..I'm only going to oc the graphics card.
thanks.
 
I think we would need a little more info here bud. Your system specs? Why do you want to cool the GPU and not the CPU? Also could you post a direct link to your heater core because da Google shows me different makes of the "Heater Core 399083".
 
go to your local home depot or hardware store and in the plumbing section you should see (or ask) brass barbs with threading and different sizes with adaptors for them.
 
i always used air cooling but seeing how loud it gets when i play games.. i decided to go water.
would 1 heater core be okay? or any recommendation for better solution?
thanks.
 
heater cores are not the way to go if your after silence.

they have a high FPI (fins per inch) and require high pressure high speed fans for optimal performance.

for low noise rads/fans look at XSPC RX series, or black ice SR-1 Series.

if those are to pricey then even a swiftech would be lower noise then the heat core.

for what you want to cool i would go for no less then a triple 120mm rad, ideally a quad.
 
ic..
i searched around for heater cores and found something big.. 2-342!!
I really dont want to pay a lot for a quad radiator..
the heater core will cost me probably the half of the price of radiator.
i guess the noise is something that i can deal with.
 
Get accurate dimensions of that heater core. Amazon's description says 10.2" x 8" x 7.2". Amazon's product descriptions aren't always accurate. Make sure it's all copper/brass (no aluminum). How much cheaper is really gonna be by the time you get done spending $ on adapters, paint, mods, mounting the fans, possible leaks, headaches, etc.? You'll probably find that it's not that much cheaper in the end.
 
ic..
i searched around for heater cores and found something big.. 2-342!!
I really dont want to pay a lot for a quad radiator..
the heater core will cost me probably the half of the price of radiator.
i guess the noise is something that i can deal with.
If you're going to run a heater core get the 2-302 heater core (HC) that's in my sig. Go to your local autoparts store and order one for a 1977 Bonneville 400 cid engine with A/C (aka the "Bonnie Heatercore"). Fittings for that heater core are not needed when using 1/2" ID tubing but you will need to cut off the extra bends coming out from the HC (from the HC cut as close to the first bend as possible on both pipes). When you do that you'll have 1/2" copper pipe and can, with a little effort, slide the ends of the 1/2" tubing right over the pipe. It sometimes helps to dip the ends of the tubing in hot water for a few minutes before pushing it over the pipe - and be sure to slide the tubing up against the HC. I would also look into a shroud of some kind, though it's not absolutely required, especially for low-speed fans. I can provide ideas for that as well, if needed. ;)

While you're at the autoparts store also pick up a couple of stainless steel and brass screw clamps to fit 5/8-7/8" OD. The "and brass" assures you get really good clamps instead of those cheap things they sell. I love heater cores over rads for the same reasons you do - and if I decide I need more cooling I buy a bigger fan instead of tearing the whole system apart, buying another rad, and replacing an existing one. :)


Look at this rad. Better than a heater core and will cool more.

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/swmcqupo3xbl.html

It will cost less than all the hassles your talking about.
More hassles, yes. "Better than a heater core"? I'll let you and Skinnee decide that. ;)

Bottom line, if you have the skills/time to do a little handy work and fabricate your own barbs and your own shroud, the heatercore is an exceptional value and an impressive performer with high speed fans. Overall it performs somewhere in between a double and triple slim radiator with lower speed fans and on par or better than a slim triple radiator with high speed fans.
(Edited is shown - The barbs aren't needed with 1/2" tubing. Also, emphasis added.)

Admittedly the HC has a shroud and the others don't (at least not a 30mm deep one) but I don't see where low-speed fans make a big difference, though I admit the HC isn't as far ahead at lower speeds. In case nobody's noticed, all computer rads have a shroud - it's just very short. HC's, having no frame to them, don't have a shroud of any kind unless you build one.

BTW
Here are the reference links ...
http://martin.skinneelabs.com/XSPC-RS240-Radiator-Review.html
http://martin.skinneelabs.com/SwiftechMCR220-Review.html
http://martin.skinneelabs.com/Bonnie-Heatercore-Review.html

Edited to put all graphs together (should have done that in the first place) ...
 

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hmm.. I think i might add Hydor L30II pump to the mcp655 OR just use 1 iwaki md-30rz.
I plan on using another heater core, because I dont think 1 might be enough for 2 CPU/1 GPU - and i might add in ram coolers or w/e.
if i do get two HCs, one iwaki should be able to drive it, yes?

oh forgot to mention that i will of course OC the graphics card, but not the CPUs.

If 1 HC with high setting fan can drive this settings, I would rather save myself from buying the iwaki pump lol

and thanks QuietIce, since you use used it before, I might as well go with that you said and get the clamps as well.
 
I would be willing to bet one HC is NOT enough without some really noisy, monster fans. If you check my sig I'm running two CPUs and a GPU off one HC but the fans are very, very loud.

Considering the restriction of my CPU blocks compared to the ones you're considering I'd say one MCP-655 (or Vario, as some sites call it - NOT the MCP-655B fixed speed) will be enough for 2x CPUs, 1x GPU, and two HC's. My previous loop was 2x HC's, a restrictive CPU, and a GPU (MCW-60), which I could run with a P4 setting (out of 5) and my current loop has similar requirements needing P4.1. That should leave plenty of extra pump power at P5 for the added HC in your loop. I run dual pumps on this loop for the same reason people have RAID1 HDDs. I run my systems 24/7/365 so having a fail-safe in case one pump goes down seemed like a good idea for my main rig. In short, I wouldn't worry about that second pump unless you want one for redundancy.
((Note that the P-settings I quoted are for a single pump and that the unpowered pump is still in the loop, which adds some restriction, too.))


Edit:
It also won't hurt if you leave the bends in there but you will need to cut the over-sized end off one pipe to get back to 1/2".
 
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I agree 110% QuietIce. Your right about what Skinnee shows in tests.

I look at the proper setup of a HC as part of the cost. Fans, mounting, shrouds, noise etc.

Maybe I should of said less hassle, but some really enjoy the hard work and the benefit of the final result.
 
the higher the pressure in the block, the cooler the chip. Big pump, big tubing, small block is a killer combo. It's all about how fast you can remove the heat from the block and into the radiator. so small tubing with a huge pump, or big tubing (w/ a cool case) and a small pump. If you've got a Heater Core, you could use small tubing and a huge pump. look into lanscaping fountain pumps, or small hot tub pumps. If you're thinking PC pumps, bigger tubing is better.
 
I look at the proper setup of a HC as part of the cost. Fans, mounting, shrouds, noise etc.

Maybe I should of said less hassle, but some really enjoy the hard work and the benefit of the final result.
I'll attest to that! :) HC's can be a royal pain when first learning them and for anyone wanting any kind of bling it becomes even harder. For most an off-the-shelf rad is the better answer even if the performance is slightly less simply because of the work involved in mounting the HC to the case and the fans to the HC - not to mention the "plain Jane" look of a raw HC in all it's shades of brass & copper glory.


the higher the pressure in the block, the cooler the chip.
Well, that's kind of misleading. Pressure in a loop is not directly responsible for cooling, but the pressure the pump can deliver is a big factor in what the flow rate in a given loop will be. If pump A results in a flow rate of 1.0 GPM and you replace it with pump B, which has a higher pressure spec, then the flow rate in the loop will likely increase, which in turn increases the cooling.

Big pump, big tubing, small block is a killer combo. It's all about how fast you can remove the heat from the block and into the radiator. so small tubing with a huge pump, or big tubing (w/ a cool case) and a small pump. If you've got a Heater Core, you could use small tubing and a huge pump. look into lanscaping fountain pumps, or small hot tub pumps. If you're thinking PC pumps, bigger tubing is better.
Tubing size, other than the restriction it imposes on the loop, has little to do with flow rate and cooling. For most of the common pumps we use and the total length of tubing in the loop there's very little difference between 3/8" and 1/2", though there is some - mostly because of the fittings, not the tubing itself. If you have very long runs (as I do) then 1/2" or bigger tubing is a must to keep tubing restriction at a minimum in those long runs.

A pump's physical size does not matter as a quick comparison of the MCP-655 and the MCP-355 (DDC1+) will attest. Both pumps are very good pumps yet the MCP-355 is less than half the size of the MCP-655. It's the PQ curves of a pump you need to look at, not it's physical size. ;)

Using a fountain as a model doesn't always work. Water cooling loops are closed loops (not open to the air) so what works for a WC loop may not work for a fountain. For example, in a WC loop you could have an external rad 4' away from the case but whether that rad is on the floor, on the ceiling, or on the same tabletop doesn't matter. Height has no place in a typical WC loop because it's a closed loop ...
 

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the higher the pressure in the block, the cooler the chip. Big pump, big tubing, small block is a killer combo. It's all about how fast you can remove the heat from the block and into the radiator. so small tubing with a huge pump, or big tubing (w/ a cool case) and a small pump. If you've got a Heater Core, you could use small tubing and a huge pump. look into lanscaping fountain pumps, or small hot tub pumps. If you're thinking PC pumps, bigger tubing is better.

Not sure what your getting at, But Quiet gets a big +1 to help set the record straight.
 
thinking about getting Tygon R3603 7/16ID 5/8OD. i hear that tygon is the best tube there is. since this is my first time, just want to make sure that im getting the right one for right performance.
 
thinking about getting Tygon R3603 7/16ID 5/8OD. i hear that tygon is the best tube there is. since this is my first time, just want to make sure that im getting the right one for right performance.
The tubing size really doesn't matter much for short loop performance but it will be much harder putting 7/16" tubing over the MCP-655 pump inlet & outlet and the 1/2" copper pipe of the heater core(s). Not only that, you usually have to cut 7/16" tubing off the barbs once it's on. With this being your first loop I'd allow for the error factor and go for 1/2" ID tubing instead - it will make things a lot easier.

MasterKleer is excellent tubing and isn't real expensive. Tygon is also excellent tubing but not cheap. Sidewinder's has Tygon of all kinds and McMasterCarr carries everything ...
 
ooo darn.. they had 1/2ID tygon for $1.80 and I missed it!
I got a Hydor Seltz L30ll pump for 15 bucks shipped.. should I use this and return the Laing?
I could only find one or two review about Hydor but it seems like a good pump!
 
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