Question On Dual vs Triple Fan Radiators

[x800venom]

Hey Everyone,

I was looking about for radiators. This is the model I'm leaning towards http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=200&sort=20a&page=2

my question is that if I have two radiators (the one linked above) one with triple 120mm fans and one with 2 120mm fans, both same exact model both made out of copper, will I notice any difference in temperature when they are running?

[One_Hertz]

depends on what you are cooling :stick:

[x800venom]

processor

[k00lance]

Get BIP3
80 dollars less... same performance.
dangerden store has em for 45.

[skycrane]

or BIX3 for http://www.dangerdenstore.com/product.php?productid=4&cat=13&bestseller

i have one and it works great :)

[Craig]

If you've a very highly clocked P4 Prescott then you may see some meaningfull gain with the 3X rad instead of the 2X.

I've a Thermochill rad & it works well, however I'd urge you to look around for the 160PA rad as well by Thermochill before you buy. The 160 is designed to match the 120.2 but with only one moderate powered fan. A real noise savings and good performance as well.

Another company's rad to look at is Swiftech's newest entry to the market, a 120 x 2 rad also designed for low noise + high peformance.

[k00lance]

or BIX3 for http://www.dangerdenstore.com/product.php?productid=4&cat=13&bestseller

i have one and it works great :)
BIP3 performs near same and 30 bucks less.

[skycrane]

here are the heat transfer rates from DD website:

BIP @1501 BTU/hr
BIP2 @2856 BTU/hr
BIX @3134 BTU/hr
BIX2 @6270 BTU/hr
BIX3 @9702 BTU/hr

looks like the BIX3 outpreforms all others.... ;)

[k00lance]

performance is near same in real time opreation.
I have used both.

[n00b 0f l337]

Skycrane u didnt have the bip3 included in that. And those are with big fans that are noisy or who knows what..

[cartmanea]

BIP3 is 6875 BTU/hr, so here is the full list:

BIP = 1501 BTU/hr
BIP2 = 2856 BTU/hr
BIX = 3134 BTU/hr
BIX2 = 6270 BTU/hr
BIP3 = 6875 BTU/hr
BIX3 = 9702 BTU/hr

These ratings are most likely all with high speed fans. The BIX series is more resistant to airflow than the BIP series, so it would make sense that with lower speed fans the BIP approaches the BIX in performance.

I think if you have the room, a BIP3 for $45 is the way to go, especially if you will be using lower noise fans.

[Psyche911]

How is it the BIP3 dissipates more than twice as much heat than a BIP2?

[IYP]

get a nice heatercore from weapon if your looking for an xtreme solution

[cartmanea]

How is it the BIP3 dissipates more than twice as much heat than a BIP2?

Well, air restriction to fans is roughly the same, so maybe there is a large difference in water flow restriction. Its possible that the numbers they have posted are wrong though too.

[n00b 0f l337]

Overall area is also bigger.. And instead of going right angle into the heatercore, than a U'y real quick, then another right angle out, its got more time for flow....

[Psyche911]

Overall area is 50% more I assume. But it dissipates 240% the heat.
I don't know what you mean about right angles being different between them.

[cartmanea]

He means there are longer straight sections between the tanks so the flow is impeded less. I think the rating system they used may have changed between the two though.

[Psyche911]

Is that accurate about distance between sharp bends having an effect?

[skycrane]

Skycrane u didnt have the bip3 included in that. And those are with big fans that are noisy or who knows what..

Sorry M8 :toast: when i checked DD's website i could not find the BIP3 so i left it out....

note to self....next time remember to state in my post if i cant find anything, next time remember to state in my post if i cant find anything.

[n00b 0f l337]

Well thats all I can think of. And we all like to say 90 elbows hurt... So I geuss 4 90's (2 90's and a 180) suck at the perfromance. Isnt that why the PA160 is so good?

[Bloody_Sorcerer]

theres no way in hell a BIX3 can dissipate ~2 kilowatts.

[cartmanea]

In an hour, sure it can. You have no idea what heat load they were putting though it and what speed fans they used in rating. Ambient air temperature plays a big part in the heat transfer as well. I can guarantee you they were using more than the standard cpu load, probably putting near boiling water though it. Also, super fast fans and cold air. Its possible, granted it won't do nearly that much in a standard watercooling setup, but its possible.

[chinkgai]

so when you guys are sayin bix is better with high cfm fans and bip is better with low cfm fans, what exactly is high cfm and low cfm exactly? i got the bix3 so i dunt want to it to be a waste of money by running "low cfm" fans on there....

[cartmanea]

Well, teh BIP will do well with high cfm fans too, but it has less air restriction than the BIX so there is less performance loss when going to low cfm fans.

With the BIX just get whatever you can stand the noise of. I ran a single BIX with a Panaflo M1A at full speed, which is 86cfm. Some people think that is too loud, but I was going from loud aircooling so I didn't mind it. If you have a rheostat you can always get faster fans and slow them down to where you can stand the noise. With the Panaflow M1A I could stand it at 12v, but if I wanted it quieter I could always rewire the plug to run it at 7v by moving ground to the PSU's 5v rail, then it was almost silent.

[x800venom]

well thanks for the help everyone, much appreciated. I made my desicion to go with a BIX3 and throw on the aluminum fans to help it. Any advice on how to mount these to the side of the case? i need the room inside for other stuff, thanks!

[Bloody_Sorcerer]

In an hour, sure it can. You have no idea what heat load they were putting though it and what speed fans they used in rating. Ambient air temperature plays a big part in the heat transfer as well. I can guarantee you they were using more than the standard cpu load, probably putting near boiling water though it. Also, super fast fans and cold air. Its possible, granted it won't do nearly that much in a standard watercooling setup, but its possible.
watts is joules per SECOND in this instance, so thats 2 kilojoules per second they're claiming it can dissipate. The only way it can dissipate 2 kilowatts is in horribly abnormal circumstances that no real user will EVER be in. Basically, they're putting overinflated numbers up that mean nothing.

[cartmanea]

Double check your conversion there sparky.

1 kW = 3413 BTU

BIP dissipates 6875 BTU/hr = 2.0144 kW/hr.......not per second.

edit: Also, in my last post that you quoted, the circumstances that I suggested are nowhere near what anyone would experience, so I think we agree on that.

[stardust]

Is a triple rad really necessary to cool just a processor? Then again if every degree means something and you don't mind the bulkiness, by all means :D.

[skycrane]

it might not be absolutly necesary, but it will get you closer to ambiant and leave you a bunch of room to expand your WC adventures. ie: dual core, twin SLI, chipset ...

[mouawad]

x800venom - i have a BIX3 mounted externally on top of my lian li v2000.

it's not as pretty as a inside solution, although the black rad on top of the black alu case actually looks pretty cool :), but i get much better temps due to the cleaner air and as i have a digital baybus i can turn the fans down real low so the external noise of the fans aren't a problem. just make sure you raise the rad at least a couple of inches if you are going to go this route so that the rad can pull through.

p.s. i used to have the same setup inside of my stacker case and i gotta say that i prefer the external option alot more. not only are the temps better on my wc parts, overall case temps have dropped quite a bit too.