Just got my PA120.3 Radiator

[lifecatcher32]

And it had a few dents in it.. Thought I would take a few snapshots via my webcam (Not that great quality but better than my drawing would be. Just wondering if it will perform less because of the dents.

It was actualy a little worst when I first got it out of the box but I bent a few back into place.

The dents are small but there ><

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55032&stc=1&d=1169580803

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55033&stc=1&d=1169580803

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55034&stc=1&d=1169580803

[Solarfall]

don't worry those dents wont hurt the performance. actually you got it in fearly good condition mine had far more sevire dents in it, those fins can be easilly sraightened.

[SparkyJJO]

Is this like a common problem with getting the PA's, they come dented a lot? If so something tells me that thermochill needs to pack them better if the dents happen from shipping...

[lifecatcher32]

Oh-Thanks Solarfall.

Glad to hear. Since I am here I will ask another newbish question.

Fan Grills. Do they help performance, or are they just something shiny and pretty to look at?

[SparkyJJO]

fan grills just look cool and keep fingers out of the blades ;) They do restrict airflow a little, some more than others depending on design.

[IanY]

Also helps with preventing stuff from hitting the radiator proper and thus prevents the fins from further denting.

[lifecatcher32]

Thanks SparkyJJO. Thats pretty much along the lines of what I thought,lol.

Last question (Or at least last newbish question..... On this topic,lol). Radboxes are used to connect radiators externally. Are shrouds the same thing? (They kind of looked the same to me).

[Solarfall]

Thanks SparkyJJO. Thats pretty much along the lines of what I thought,lol.

Last question (Or at least last newbish question..... On this topic,lol). Radboxes are used to connect radiators externally. Are shrouds the same thing? (They kind of looked the same to me).

well the rad box is basicly a rad mounting divice.
and sroud will help to direct the air flow. it seals the space between the rad and the fans.

[halo112358]

Shrouds are used to space the fans out ~1-2" from a radiator (or heatsink). This prevents the usual dead zones in airflow, like directly under the fan motor, and allows for more even air pressure over the entire surface of the rad or heatsink.

Radboxes are just fancy looking mounts to hang a rad off the back of your case :D

edit: d'oh, scooped

[lifecatcher32]

I see I see... So.. If I want to mount my radiator outside of my case I should be buying a radbox, then?

Or radbox and shroud?

Dang.. I thought I was done asking newbish questions. Sorry guys!

[Solarfall]

you don't need a sroud if you have the rad yout side the case.
i tryed that with my setup a while pack and didn'tnotice any drastic temp chance. actually there was no chainces at all in temps. they looks nice though.

hey don't apologise for your newbish questions, cos that's what we are here to do.. help each other out. and share experienses and knowledge.

[SparkyJJO]

Radbox to mount outside the case.

Shroud if you want to space the fans away from the rad a little to help reduce the dead spots, but not necessary.

And my question in my first post in this thread, is getting a dented PA rad common, and how common compared to a black ice or swifty rad?

[halo112358]

Radbox to mount outside the case.

Shroud if you want to space the fans away from the rad a little to help reduce the dead spots, but not necessary.

And my question in my first post in this thread, is getting a dented PA rad common, and how common compared to a black ice or swifty rad?

My PA120.3 showed up with dented fins also - someone at Mountain Mods explained this. When Thermochill ships the rads from the UK they put them all in flimsy cardboard boxes and then stack them up in the shipping box/crate - there isn't much (if any) padding used.

[Solarfall]

Radbox to mount outside the case.

Shroud if you want to space the fans away from the rad a little to help reduce the dead spots, but not necessary.

And my question in my first post in this thread, is getting a dented PA rad common, and how common compared to a black ice or swifty rad?

there was a poll about that a while pack. i think it depends a lot from were you are ordering/buying it.

[danks]

I may have just been lucky but I ordered a PA120.3 and a PA120.2 from PPC and only my 120.3 had 2 fins slightly bent. Other than that it was perfect...

[Doubage]

UPS just dropped my 2 PA120.3's from PPC and no problems at all. I was expecting the worst but all is well. Now I will see for myself what the difference is between these and the Swifty's that I have now.

[Duh]

If I were to receive mine with dents I´ll RMA it. It´s not a cheap rad, so why should accept it that way?

[Pete]

Marci is the man ehere you wana have a word with! Flat hea small screw drive does the job nicely and only took me 15 mins to to both side all the way throuh my rad

[lifecatcher32]

Oh-One last question on this topic (Maybe,lol).

If the radiator is on the outside do you still need fans all over it? If so, how many is recomended?

[Nicksterr]

Dents on a $130 Radiator? :rolleyes:

[Digz]

ghetto-parcel

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=114389

Dented PA radiator?

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=128136

[serialk11r]

What? Thats not a dent... grab a tweezer and straighten lol.

[Ambro]

Ppl - what can I say but ...
PA120.2 & PA160 ordered and delivered dent free to Australia in under a week.

order direct is my call. expense vs. end result - your call.



(now only if my other gear came under 2 months ... so why does my sig say what it does, hey ?...... :stick: , I have to say though it was listed as 'out of stock' but)

[daheri]

Mine had a couple of dents as well. I actually ordered directly from Thermochill and when I got it I automaticly assumed it was dented due to the rather thin packing. Of course i was right. I'm not going to RMA mine because then I will have to spend like $20 on shipping and im not paying that just to get a dent-free one.
What bothered me more was the fact that they forgot to send the shroud. But now thats all straightened out.

Dent:
http://www.inner-game.com/Quiet-cool/thermodent.jpg

[Rimmer]

Mine came from the Over-clock.co.uk and had a few dented fins, though the outside is perfectly fine. I can see how the fins get dented they're extremely soft, the slightest pressure can bend them back, but it should affect it at all as far as I can see.

[Ambro]

Mine had a couple of dents as well. I actually ordered directly from Thermochill and when I got it I automaticly assumed it was dented due to the rather thin packing. Of course i was right. I'm not going to RMA mine because then I will have to spend like $20 on shipping and im not paying that just to get a dent-free one.
What bothered me more was the fact that they forgot to send the shroud. But now thats all straightened out.

Dent:
http://www.inner-game.com/Quiet-cool/thermodent.jpg


O.K - ordering direct and you received that??

It ain't even sprayed well ......

Really - that is poor - now I looked into it. Why would the workshop let that out with the poorest of sprays I've seen. Really - no bad blood; but I'm glad I've lucked out compared to you ....


CAVEAT - who knows what the end user has done (flame alert) - dunking it in 20 hrs of vinegar might hold the answer for the paint job.... looks 'used' the paint job IMHO....

[Nicksterr]

This is rather sad for such an expensive product. I definitely won't be ordering a Thermochill...

[Levish]

not sure how you guys gaze into the rad fins especially with fans on top, if anything you'd want the fins bare for better heat transfer.

[daheri]

O.K - ordering direct and you received that??

It ain't even sprayed well ......

Really - that is poor - now I looked into it. Why would the workshop let that out with the poorest of sprays I've seen. Really - no bad blood; but I'm glad I've lucked out compared to you ....


CAVEAT - who knows what the end user has done (flame alert) - dunking it in 20 hrs of vinegar might hold the answer for the paint job.... looks 'used' the paint job IMHO....

The picture isn't telling the whole truth. The paint job is actually not that bad, its a combination of dust settled on the radiator, poor lighting, and light reflection into the camera.
Of course the painting could have been better, but when looked at with the naked eye it looks ok and ten times better than the picture. Allthough the dent looks even worse with the naked eye.

I'm far from impressed, but I have now ordered so many WC-parts and things from different brands and stores and I must say the speed of delivery and quality of the items received is shocking throughout. IMO Thermochill just confirms that this a general problem.

I could ofcourse RMA all the below-par items but then I would probably never get to complete my WC-project. I would be stuck in a never ending RMA loop.