Radiator outside of case ?

[Takumi]

I'm blessed with a nice big WTX case to build a water cooling setup in. I have four 80mm Pabst fans blowing (silently) out the back and I was thinking of mounting the radiator (probably BlackIce Extreme) on the outside of these fans.

I just keep thinking that it's a good idea to just take all the heat outside the case. What do you think ? Have I lost it ? Am I missing something ?

Drawing of my case:
http://www.addtronics.com/gif/w8500bz.gif

 

[ARGON]

No, you're not missing anything. Getting as much heat as possible out of your case is a good thing! I think the people that put radiators inside only do because 1) It looks nice or 2)It is the only place they can put it.

 

[KathodeFuZion]

I put mine in the front of the case so I get better cooling. When you stick your rad in the back of the case your blowing a lot of HOT air through it. It cools a lot better when you wount the rad infront of the case and pull cool air in from from the front. Another good idea is to cut some kind of hole in the front of your case to get better air flow.

 

[Takumi]

Sadly, I can't put it in the front, I pull off my front panel too much.

And while I can't swear to it, I *think* that once I water cool with the radiator outside my case, then the temp inside my case will be even lower than it is now and it's reasonable now. And the air coming out and into the radiator will be a reasonable temp.


My only remaining question is whether or not the airflow will be enough with the Pabst fans.

 

[DodgeViper]

My rad is inside for one very good reason. I want my computer to look the way it did before I got into water-cooling. Secondly its the look on friends faces when they see the inside of the case.

My next water-cooling setup will be base on a full tower case with the heater core mouted above the power supply. The core will be mounted at the back of the case, but inside. The dual fan shroud arrangement wil be the same as I am using now, but the intake will be from the top of the case and the exhausting air will go out the back. The upper part of the case will be insullated from the motherboard section. No additional heat will be present in and around the CPU. Pump will be mounted in the top as well. The plan is to have a 120mm fan in the lower section of the case as well as a 120mm fan at the back of the case.

 

[Matrix78]

mount it outside, and be creative

 

[masitti]

With 4x 80 fans, you should have room for a heatercore - I'd go with one of those instead. You'll get better performance at abetter price.

Matrix78 --- that looks really cool! Unfortunetly, seems like you have a lot of tubing running around in there. The shorter the tubing is, the faster the water can get to the CPU - the longer the water is exposed in the tubing, the less cool it is. But very creative indeed!

 

[Matrix78]

With 4x 80 fans, you should have room for a heatercore - I'd go with one of those instead. You'll get better performance at abetter price.

Matrix78 --- that looks really cool! Unfortunetly, seems like you have a lot of tubing running around in there. The shorter the tubing is, the faster the water can get to the CPU - the longer the water is exposed in the tubing, the less cool it is. But very creative indeed!

ya think??? i get some pretty good temps i think, check sig below would cutting about i'd say a foot total if it was inside the case accualy drop the temp more than that?

 

[masitti]

Maybe - hard to say. I see na AquaVia 1300, so you are getting ok flow... just that when you shorten the tubing, you get better flow rates, which in turn could lead to better temps.

 

[Matrix78]

Maybe - hard to say. I see na AquaVia 1300, so you are getting ok flow... just that when you shorten the tubing, you get better flow rates, which in turn could lead to better temps.

ahh well maybe when i get a new case i'll see about that

 

[mfpmax]

external radiators look tacky.

But if it does the job better...go for it...

 

[Borgy]

I had mine on the outside cos the rad was too big to fit inside the case 9 x 6 x 2

but now i have a smaller one 61/4 x 6 x 2 which fits nicely at the front

Borgy

 

[Chez]

here's a pic I found on procooling.

Quite a nice job, but still would look better inside IMHO.

 

[HiProfile]

Borgy, where did you get that smaller radiator? What kind is it and how much did it cost? I have a small case, and would have to lay down a Chevette core fo fit, but that 6.25"x6" would fit perfectly [if I remove 2 of the 3 3.5" bays]. To give you an idea, my case has 4 big bays, 3 small bays & is about as high as the bottom of your PSu. I was thinking about having a side-mounted radiator myself [never see that side], but I want all noise inside the case.

 

[Borgy]

well i was a lucky chap LOL
i went to my local auto rad repare centre and the guy gave it to me for free
thats the nd one of got from them
both the 6x9 and 61/4 x6 where free at diffent times
the rad guy just couldnt beleave what and why i wanted it
maybe thats why i got them free ?
that or my English accent LOL

sorry its dosent help you much tho

just one thing ...it dosent hurt to ask LOL


Borgy

 

[HiProfile]

Thanks anyway. I guess I'll just get the bigger rad, mount at 30 degrees & the fan at about 70 degrees [w/shroud].

 

[Silversinksam]

Heres mr.B's case

http://www.overclockers.com/tips1034/

 

[DodgeViper]

My only question is WHY? Why did he mount the rad ouside the case. That case that he has you could mount a chevy chevette core at the top above the p/s with the fans duct out the back and the intake at the top.

 

[masitti]

I read that article, it's an awesome case, however I definitely would have put the rad inside. I really don't see a point in putting a rad outside a full tower case.

 

[redPEPPER]

There's one thing that comes to my mind about putting the rad inside:
- either you're pulling air into the case through the rad, and you'd be cooling your case with warm air
- or even worse, you're blowing air out of the case through the rad, and you'd be using warm air to cool your rad, which will most certainly hurt the performance of the WC system.
With the rad out of the case, both the rad and the case get fresh air.

Actually I just read the article and it's exactly the reason given by Mr. B for "thinking outside the box"