Switech Apogee XT questions

[Odai]

Hello,

I'm looking at purchasing the Swiftech Apogee XT for my new loop, and I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, I've read many times on these forums mixing different metals in a loop is asking for trouble. As the Swiftech uses brass, and my radiator (TFC) has copper fins (from what I remember), would I encounter problems with this combination?

Secondly, are bitspower (5/8" OD) compression fittings compatible with the block when using the factory configuration for the inlet? If not, when the inlet is reversed, is there a significant performance drop?

Thanks!

Odai.

[Huww]

Don't most radiators have brass in them?

[Slowb00st]

Hello,

I'm looking at purchasing the Swiftech Apogee XT for my new loop, and I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, I've read many times on these forums mixing different metals in a loop is asking for trouble. As the Swiftech uses brass, and my radiator (TFC) has copper fins (from what I remember), would I encounter problems with this combination?

Secondly, are bitspower (5/8" OD) compression fittings compatible with the block when using the factory configuration for the inlet? If not, when the inlet is reversed, is there a significant performance drop?

Thanks!

Odai.

The problem starts when aluminum is added to the loop so you will be ok. About the alternate configuration the tests show about a 0.1C raise in temps, in other words not that much worst maybe in the flow department, or you can use stock location with a 45 deg comp fitting.

[BeepBeep2]

Hello,

I'm looking at purchasing the Swiftech Apogee XT for my new loop, and I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, I've read many times on these forums mixing different metals in a loop is asking for trouble. As the Swiftech uses brass, and my radiator (TFC) has copper fins (from what I remember), would I encounter problems with this combination?

Secondly, are bitspower (5/8" OD) compression fittings compatible with the block when using the factory configuration for the inlet? If not, when the inlet is reversed, is there a significant performance drop?

Thanks!

Odai.

Waterblocks are made out of copper/plastic. :up:

[avddreamr]

You're fine.
It's copper+aluminum that you have to worry about.

Strangely enough even copper+steel is ok.

[StAndrew]

Brass is an alloy of Cu and Zn. It has a bit more strength and is more structurally sound than pure Cu. It will not react with other Cu products. As mentioned above, you really want to avoid mixing Cu with Al.

[SoulsCollective]

To be a little more precise - the reason you see all of this about mixing metals is due to the process of galvanic corrosion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrosion#Galvanic_corrosion), where two reactive metals in an electrolyte solution react, with the more reactive metal corroding (and usually plating on the more noble, ie. less reactive metal). Basically, two reactive metals immersed in water (which is fundamentally what watercooling is) equals problems.

Aluminium is a highly reactive metal, copper not so much - so in the classic mixed-metals scenario of both copper and aluminium parts contained within one loop the aluminium will be corroded away and be deposited in a black gunky film on the copper surfaces. Metals such as brass and nickel are so much higher on the galvanic sequence (and closer to copper, resulting in a lesser potential difference and therefore less activity) as to virtually negate any problems - while technically corrosion is still occurring (except this time with the copper parts corroding and being deposited on the brass/nickel) the rate at which it is occurring is so slow that I doubt you'd see any visible evidence within your lifetime.

[Odai]

:D

Thank you very much for your informative replies guys, much appreciated!

[jayhall0315]

Odai - I use two of the Apogee XT blocks and what Souls said is correct:

1 - No worries with your brass/copper radiator.
2 - You will not have a problem with Bitspower compression fittings. I believe with the 5/8", you will not even need to reverse the top plate (only needed for 7/16" and above)
3 - Even if you reversed the top plate, very small flow difference (say in a loop with your CPU and one GPU, perhaps something like 1.42 GPM down to something like 1.38 GPM, as a guesstimate)