Just how cheap could a DIY Watercooling setup cost?

Quattro · Apr 7, 2004

Just how cheap could a DIY Watercooling setup cost?

I am interested in playing with watercooling on my second rig, a 1.4Ghz Thunderbird.

Whats the cheapest is can be done. I don't mind buying the some parts, but I will happily modify bits or make bits. Don't know if it helps but I can get access to car parts do perhaps I could use a cooling pump from there, but I think they run off the timing belt.
Any ideas or suggestions?

noxipoo · Apr 7, 2004

$25 block, dtek spiral or something, some tubes, via aqua pump, 86 chevy chevette heater core. thats the cheapest and easy for cpu only

Quattro · Apr 7, 2004

I can get a pump from a garden feature or something like that, I can get pipes/hozes from a car. I live in UK, we don't have corvettes (NOOOOOOOOOO). I could spend I get up too £50 ($110). So I could buy some stuff. I don't care if it is crap.

slater3333uk · Apr 7, 2004

Hi im in uk too

The best place to find a good heatercore is in a Vauxhall. Astra,Nova and Corsa are all good.
You relly need to spend a bit of money on good tubing and a good pump to make it worth while tho.

The blocks can be made if you have some aluminium/copper and a drill press + dremel.
Try http://www.coolercases.co.uk/home.htm for bits. oh and ebay is always good

Edit: also try http://www.over-clock.co.uk/acatalog/Water_Cooling.html
With a budget of £50 your very limited.

noxipoo · Apr 7, 2004

the Chevette is not a corvette. corvette cores are $40-$50, chevette is $20, but if you are in the UK, i'd would just get a small cars heater core.

Seven · Apr 7, 2004

Look around. I'm sure if you go to a junkyard you can find a heatercore, you can definately tear a pump out of a garden feature, blocks you can DIY. The only things you'll have to buy/find are shrouds, tubing, and fans.

That shouldn't cost you that much.

Good luck.

ares350 · Apr 7, 2004

DIY block? that seems a bit aggresive and I dare say that a 30$ heatsink and fan would outperform most any cheap *** water cooling system. thats just my thoughts. but I think its true.

unless your really wanting silence, youd have better luck on air.

ls7corvete · Apr 7, 2004

ok these are for USA but I thought I would give it a try anyways(they ship international but i bet the shipping cost would kill ya)

Absolute cheapest:

block 15$
http://www.aquastealth.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=14

Pump: 12$
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...tid=8164&Ne=40000&R=13617&Nao=18&N=2004+22788

Hose: .31$x6 feet=1.86
Home depot

fedco 2-342 heater core(go for the best

):17.99

Put it all together with a reservoir you made yourself out of some old container and you got a WC system for 46.83. Shipping not included, shiping will get ya lol. dont forget antifreeze or some other anti corrosive...

Throw in a 26$ d-tek tc-4 from cooltechnica.com and you have a top performing system. Fans can get pricey too but if your looking into WCing you already have a system so im sure you have some kinda fan that you can throw on there.

ares350 · Apr 7, 2004

and can it outperform a simple vantec volcano and nice sized copper heatsink....

Maximus_OC · Apr 7, 2004

This is my setup. THis is about as cheap as I could have went.

ViaAqua 1300 Pump (marinedepot.com) $17
D Tek TC-4 Rev 2 (dtekcustoms.com) $32
12 ft Clearflex 60 ( mcmaster.com) $8
Chevettere Heater core (Napa) $21
Generic Aluminum Case (Storage) Free

Total: $78
with shipping $105

Still Need:
Fittings $5
2 120mm Fans $20 +
Artic Silver 5 $8

grand total $138 came in 13 bucks over budget

fletch · Apr 7, 2004

Believe my setup was:

$20 for pump
$30 for block
$25 for radiator
$ 5 for misc. hose / reservoir
_____
$80 for me (about)

Definitely could go cheaper on the block, and you could probably loot a radiator from somewhere for free.

Quattro · Apr 7, 2004

Okay. thanks for the help guys.
I am gonna start searching, know any good UK sites that I can find this stuff from?

slater3333uk · Apr 7, 2004

http://www.coolercases.co.uk/home.htm

http://www.over-clock.co.uk/acatalog/Water_Cooling.html

We are pretty dam limited here in the uk! We cant just go out and buy that perfect heatercore for £10 like you guys can

We can order from d-tek/dangerden but shipping is far from cheap!

Quattro · Apr 7, 2004

AIn't that the truth slater3333uk.

Which of your 3 rigs have watercooling? At a guess I would have said the thoroughbred?

slater3333uk · Apr 7, 2004

None at present cous i am working on a special project for the tbred. Check the WWW link at he bottom of my post

but yeh the tbred is normaly

edit: oh an for a cheap 120mm fan look here :http://www.thecoolingshop.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=16 - what i use

greenman100 · Apr 7, 2004

Maximus_OC said:
ViaAqua 1300 Pump (marinedepot.com) $17

$15 shipped from drsfostersmith.com.

Quattro · Apr 7, 2004

What this I've found...

I found something that looks good, although I don't really know what I am looking for.

Would someone please take a look at this for me.

Look what I found!

If it is pretty crap, would there be room for improvment, like could I get it and get a new block new pump etc down the line?

Thanks.

slater3333uk · Apr 7, 2004

Your right its crap and i think you would probably have alot of trouble trying to upgrade a thing like that aswell

Quattro · Apr 7, 2004

oh the the Q-Tec is has been confirmed..
CRAP.

Well best keep searching. Maybe I should just buy it in stages.
I have decided that if I buy in bits maybe I could spend up to £80 over 2 - 3 months?

What sort of equipment could I get then?

slater3333uk · Apr 7, 2004

Well figure £20 for tubing + fittings, Say £30 for a hydor L30 pump, Pull a heater core from an old nova say £10, And try and find a second hand block

Attualy second hand everything would be great. Try at Bit-Tech for good secondhand stuff http://forums.bit-tech.net/forumdisplay.php?f=5
I guarentee if you watch ebay and bit-tech for a few weeks you could pick up parts for a desent system for well under £80

Just how cheap could a DIY Watercooling setup cost?

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