Budget Waterblock Questions...

[CoolRunnings]

I've been pricing out a good home-made watercooling setup that will cool my CPU and GPU and I've kinda got a bit of stickershock looking at price of waterblocks like Cascade and Whitewater and such (though I recognise that they are supposed to be the best available)... Can anyone recommend a good $50 (or cheaper) waterblock that is all copper? Would the Maze4 series be a good choice? Are there better for the money? Anyone wanna trade a really good waterblock for an Athlon XP 2100 Tbred B? Any recommendations (preferably from personal experience) would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wannaoc]

Some people say the 19.99 one on sale at Xoxide.com is good, but you get what you pay for... Either the maze3 or 4 or the swiftech would probably be your best best for that price.

 

[=ACID RAIN=]

I have the high-flow Gemini at case-mod.com
http://www.case-mod.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_24_75&products_id=51

Full load temp is 37C. Not bad for 25 bucks

 

[CoolRunnings]

Anyone have any experience with this block?

http://www.dtekcustoms.com/product.asp?0=204&1=209&3=29

 

[Gautam]

It's okay, but from what I hear, putting the $2 extra for the TC-4 really is worth it. It performs slightly better than everything else short of a White Water.

 

[CoolRunnings]

I was thinking this would perform better because the inlet was right over the CPU die...

 

[eh?]

when i first got into water cooling (3 years ago) i used BE coolings jagged edge block. It was a great block, i got temps that were 4 degrees above ambient. And i still have it laying around somewhere..

 

[CoolRunnings]

What was the rest of your system like? Also, were you thinking of trading for that block?

 

[sn_85]

having the inlet over the core is an advantage but it doesnt always tell the whole story. the top $50 blocks are the TC-4, Swiftech MCW5000A, and the BeCooling SlitEdge. although some ppl have a problem w/ Swiftech's mounting mechanism. the Maze3,4 and Spiral designs are probably the most popular designs because of the inlet over the core. but just check out BillA's ratings.

http://www.overclockers.com/articles655/

and

http://www.overclockers.com/articles373/

BeCoolings SlitEdge is the second best performer out of commercial blocks behind the WhiteWater. and the MCW5000A is right behind it. neither of them use the inlet over the core design. the SlitEdge uses macrochannels w/o jet impingment or inlet over the core. MCW5000A uses an open chamber pin configuration w/o inlet over the core. same for the TC-4. it's advantage is because it uses the coil turbulators. i'd also recommend a #rotor block. which is the same thing as the Multi-holed drilled block. neither of these blocks have inlets over the cores and have good C/W ratings.

 

[CoolRunnings]

My primary concern with the TC-4 is that it is a mixed-metal block - part being aluminum, the other part being copper. I was hoping to keep the whole system copper to avoid corrosion. Comments?

 

[rmonster]

It's my understanding that the TC-4 AL-top has been anodized to prevent the dissimilar-metal corrosion effect.

Some of the guys here have had experience with them, surely one may be able to advise one way or the other.

 

[CoolRunnings]

Hmmm, it would seem to me that it makes the reliability of the block dependant on the quality of the anodization... (sp???). Also, for some reason I didn't see that particular block in the article by BillA...

 

[iNSiGMA]

I think that one on xoxide.com is just fine.

 

[OC Noob]

If you want budget go with the Tsunami at www.case-mod.com for $25.

WW = .19 C/W (what is it around $80?)

SlitEdge = .23 C/W (Not sure $50?)

Tsunami = .25 C/W ($25)

Unless the SlitEdge can be found for around the same price I think the Tsunami is clearly the best block for a budget setup.

That block from Xoxide ain't bad either, but I'm not sure how it stacks up against the Tsunami.