A few questions after reading Maxxxracers guide to watercooling...

[eponymous]

Excellent guide. But I have a few questions. This article was written in early 2005 so I'm wondering if any of these points are still an issue these days.

1.) He mentions you should avoidd full cover GPU blocks due to the fact that you don't need to cool MOSFETs etc. Can this really be done with a GTX 295?

2.) Are many people actually using filter units in their loops?

3.) Is it still neccessary to clean the waterblocks (as mentioned in "1. Cleaning the Radiator and Waterblocks") by tkaing them apart and using vinegar and distilled water?

4.) Do the non-Thermochill rads need to be cleaned as thoroughly as Maxxxracer says?

I had a read through the comments left on that thread but I couldn't see what the general consenus was. :S

[faster3200]

While the guide is excellent it is pretty old.

1) Generally FC blocks should be used for for cards that put out a lot of heat, such as the GTX 295

2) Nope

3) Generally no. people also don't use vinegar any more.

4) The last rads I have owned have been completely clean, but it is always a good idea to flush with some boiling distilled.

[tsukuyomi]

i didn't start water cooling until jan 08 but everything i have ever bought has been sparkling clean, never have i found any of this so mentioned and feared white paste inside any of the 8 Radiators(Swifties) i own.

The guide was good when it was made but a great deal of the statements made there are somewhat inaccurate by today standards( saying that the Fuzion and Fuzion GFX are the most restrictive blocks and should be avoided if possible, not a so true anymore) there are quite a few other things that could mislead someone who is just getting their feet wet with WCing.

well at least that is my 5 cents.

[Prince21]

Whats the latest guides most these guides are few years old, I need a 2008/2009 guide anyone?

[faster3200]

Whats the latest guides most these guides are few years old, I need a 2008/2009 guide anyone?

I don't think there is a new guide. Just follows these boards closely and you should have all the info you need. If you still have questions you can make a thread asking them.

[Conumdrum]

There was one somewhere else that had a TON of uptodate info. I lost the link in a HD issue. It had basic price lists for a CPU loop all the way up to SLI/CPU multi pumps. Someone have it? Love to have that linkie again.

EDIT: Found it, WOOT!!!

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=282232

Anyway, here is one on actually building I wrote a while back, not perfect, but usable.

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=312743

[shazza]

There is a lot of very useful info in the guides, even if they are a few years old. For the latest on components, it's always best to check reviews and the most recent discussion.

The principles don't change, wrt setting up your loop, leak testing, and more.

It seems many people don't read the stickys/guides, so that may be why the author's are not motivated to keep them more current. And, people's needs and budgets vary so much, it's hardly possible to come up with just a few best solutions.

[John Planet]

Guides are a good source of general information on water, but anyone serious about water cooling needs to develop the ability to sort the facts from opinion/preference/agenda. The most efficient way to do this is to jump in and start developing your own ideas about what works for you.