What is your water block history?

[BugFreak]

After looking at the Voodoo Rufus thread about his old Cathar Storm I started thinking of all the water blocks I've used over the years and figured it would be fun to learn everyone's history. So lets hear it, what is your water block history?

Here is mine as best I can remember it:

Danger Den Maze 3 > Swiftech MCW6000 >Danger Den Maze 4 > D-Tek Whitewater > Some random block I got in trade, think it was a Prometia > long stint of air cooling > XSPC Rasa > XSPC Raystorm.

I'm pretty sure that is it but with my memory I'm sure some editing will be in my future.

 

[Blaylock]

My history isn't as long as yours. I didn't start water cooling until '13-'14. My first block and still my 24/7 daily cooler is an EKWB EVO Supremacy Full-Copper. I picked up a used XSPC RASA (possibly from you) a few years back and have done some cold benching with it on my older socket 939/940 & 775 stuff. It's been a while though.

 

[Owenator]

First I made this one - it worked ok. I later turned it into a chipset block.



Then I made this one - it was simple and cheap but not high performance.



This was the second try at a spiral it worked even better.



This one was the best of all.


And then I bought a Swiftech Apogee

Edit: I forgot one. I made this as a test some time before the apogee. It was ok.



- - - Auto-Merged Double Post - - -

Links to those projects from the homepage
https://www.overclockers.com/tales-of-a-shade-tree-machinist-my-homemade-water-cooled-system/
https://www.overclockers.com/homemade-copper-cap-water-block/
https://www.overclockers.com/tales-...st-revisited-my-homemade-water-block-mark-ii/
https://www.overclockers.com/multi-...-continuing-saga-of-the-shade-tree-machinist/
https://www.overclockers.com/owens-multi-hole-drilled-waterblock/
https://www.overclockers.com/owen-made-jet-impingement-cooling-part-one-the-slot/

 

[Voodoo Rufus]

Oh man, you're going to make me dig out every block I have and post pics.

In chronological order, best to my memory:

Swiftech MCW462 - flat copper base with anodized aluminum cover. Retired.
Swiftech MCW6002-A - full copper with pin matrix. Very good performer.
EK Supremacy HF - used on S775 and S115x. Retired. Also had the mainboard blocks for my Z68 GB UD7 board.
Optimus V1 - Nice block, if you can keep it from clogging.
Optimus V2 - In service.

Blocks I have or had and never used:
2 Storm G5s.
Danger Den universal GPU block. Round robin Secret Santa block.
Swiftech Apogee GTZ - never used but probably would be fine on an S775.

Radiators:

Original Blackice 1 - What a piece of junk. Single row 4 pass.
Blackice Extreme - Better flow, worked fine.
Thermochill PA180 with dual shrouds. The first prime performer I had. Wish I still had it, but I'm trying to source one again.
Thermochill PA120.4 - What a beast. Never could overload it.
HWLabs 280GTX - man, this is a fine rad.
Corsair HWLabs 280GTS knockoff - added to loop for more volume. Works fine.
HWLabs 360GTS - bought it without a real plan. Has some restriction but it'll work well.

 

[BugFreak]

Nice history there. Yea, those Thermochills are great. I was lucky enough to pick up a 3x120 when Sidewinder was clearing out and still use it. Would love to find a 4x120. The only thing I've found that comes close is the Alphacool I use as well.

 

[Nebulous]

I remember having several D-teks, swiftechs, 1 cathar, DangerDens, XSPC, but can't exactly pinpoint which models only that the swiftechs were intels and the others were AMD, with the exception of cathar which was both.

 

[gregmacknass]

I do believe that I still have every block I have ever used minus a few gpu blocks.
cpu blocks
Danger Den (dont remember the model) > EK supreme (used from ebay) > d-tek fusion > another EK > then current

gpu blocks
EK GTX 295 dual board block (still have) > EK GTX 295 single board block > EK GTX 770 block > EK GTX Titan block > EVGA 1080 ti hydrocopper

I have always had a good experience with EK blocks. I know that for a little while they had some issues with their nickel plating. Bu they seem to have that sorted. I never bought any of the internal nickel plated blocks, so it was never an issue. It is amazing how far that water cooling has come over the years. It has become pretty standardized in the computer world. I still find myself chuckling under my breath when people say they have a watercooled computer, then proceed to show me a pic of an all in one then I proceed to show them pics of mine and they are like WTF is that

 

[BugFreak]

Water cooling has come a long way for sure. I always get a kick out of the reactions when I post about the old days when we had to make our radiators from car heater cores and used aquarium pumps. It doesn't usually happen here but on some other so-called overclocking sites they think I'm crazy then begin to explain how there is no way that worked.

 

[Owenator]

PC watercooling has a deep and storied history. Just like overclockers.com!

I'm an engineer by education so I could show them the math but most of the time it was done as a hobbyist.

Water cooling has come a long way for sure. I always get a kick out of the reactions when I post about the old days when we had to make our radiators from car heater cores and used aquarium pumps. It doesn't usually happen here but on some other so-called overclocking sites they think I'm crazy then begin to explain how there is no way that worked.

 

[Voodoo Rufus]

Water cooling has come a long way for sure. I always get a kick out of the reactions when I post about the old days when we had to make our radiators from car heater cores and used aquarium pumps. It doesn't usually happen here but on some other so-called overclocking sites they think I'm crazy then begin to explain how there is no way that worked.

Amateurs!