New Water Rig

[Adam217]

Looking for suggestions.

I am going to build a water cooling system for my AMD AXP2100+@2300mhz w/loud Volcano 9 on an Epox 8RDA+.

I think I would like to use the Antec SX835II case, a Dtek heater core w/shroud and an Eheim 1250 pump.

I am planning on cooling the CPU and Northbridge; from what I have read I do believe I want it to be 1/2inch throughout.

What blocks would the experenced water coolers out there suggest?

I was thinking to get either a Dtek Spiral or a Whitewater for the cpu, and a Z-chip block for the northbridge from DangerDen.

I am trying to make this an efficient system yet quiet.

What fans work well and are quiet? I am trying to get away from this annoyingly loud Volcano 9.

Any suggestions would be helpfull, I have not built a watercooling system from scratch before and I am realy just guessing at the parts based on what I have read in these forums. I don't mind spending the money, I have set away plenty for this task.

Other things: Tygon tubbing or clearflex? What hose clamps work well and aren't to bulky? Was thinking Bay-Res Reservoir, yes/no, what would be better? I would like the entire system to be inside the case(portable). I also plan on make a few windows and putting UV sensitve dye in the water and a UV CCL.

[zippyc]

Adam 217: Looks like you have a good start on your plan. Here are a couple of suggestions.

1) Northbridge Cooling: In my experience the northbridge chipset does not benefit from watercoolng like the CPU or GPU will. It was important to keep it less than 50C for stability, but personally I have not benefited from getting it down to 10C vs. 50C (from an overclocking standpoint), as my first bottlenecks seem to be the CPU and a divider limitation on my MB. When I added the northbridge cooler (Gemini, z-type) to the system, I managed to heat my water more than just a couple of degrees for little return on my water-cooling investment. (This is vs. just cooling the CPU/GPU).

So I re-routed my hoses and used a smaller diameter hose with less flow on the Northbridge, so it stays cool enough but I am not introducing what I consider unnecessary heat into my system by cooling it super efficiently.

2) Flow Route: Although it is more difficult and not as pretty, I recommend you route your flow in a parallel manner, especially if you are planning to cool you GPU (which you did not mention?) This means the water does not get first heated by the CPU, and then suddenly you have warmer water (than necessary) running by the next block in the system, and then warmer to the next, and so forth….Won’t make a big difference, but every degree lower yields some advantage, especially on GPU’s and CPU’s.

3) Blocks: If you have the scratch, the whitewater block is the way to go. It’s not highly polished, but looks good anyway, and, more importantly, when I installed mine it lowered my CPU temps another 3-5C vs. a good high-flow spiral from Gemini.

4) Internal VS. External: Be sure to clamp all your hose connections tightly and check them carefully EVERY TIME you move your system. A ride in the trunk or backseat is sometimes enough to jostle a connection. I went with an external radiator/heat exchange design so that all I do is unhook the two hoses to the back of my system and drain the little water that is left in the computer loop. (I use a butt connector to attach the two free hoses from the watercooler so it retains its’ fluids.) My system primes very quickly so that is not an issue, and when I take my machine for a ride there is no water in it to leak or expand in the heat of a car.

It is a fact that the fewer hose connections you have to make inside your case, the less opportunity there is for leaks in your case…a very good thing in my opinion. Pumps will eventually die, reservoirs and radiators will eventually leak (maybe in 1, 10, or 100 years, it all varies.), hose connections eventually leak. The point is that leaks happen, and going external with the pump and radiator and fans is a risk-avoidance decision for me. I can also set the Techcool six feet away so when the fans are on high while benching or gaming, I can’t hear them at all (I noticed you wanted quiet).

5) Clamps: I use zip-ties, two per connection, with directions opposing. They are reliable when installed correctly, strong, inexpensive, come in all colors, and are low profile. Next to those I would use the plastic self-locking clamps ($$$). I would stay away from steel hose clamps, they can over tighten and break plastic fittings, and are U G LY.

6) Fans: If you are going for quiet, you might want to hook your remaining case fans up to a fan controller like digidoc or something similar that has fan speed control. Running them at half-speed reduces the noise factor by appx. 4x. Of course, my GPU is watercooled, so all that GPU heat is already carried out of my case and is no longer a heat source to warm the air in there so I don’t require much airflow….

7) Tubing: Personally I use the cheap vinyl tubing from Home Depot within my system. I get in here and fiddle once every three months or so, and my pocketbook does not take a hickie each time I cut hoses to re-route or test a new waterblock. I hear clearflex is more economical than tygon and performs just as well from a leak/permeability perspective.

8) Reservior: Not familiar with the reservoir you are looking at, but resivoir-based systems usually prime much faster and are quiter if the pump is submerged in them. This also keeps the waterpump cooler, extending it's lifecycle a little. With a good radiator in the loop after the pump, the additional heat the pump introduces into your system is negligable.

I hope this is helpful, and good luck!

[wymjym]

"when I installed mine it lowered my CPU temps another 3-5C vs. a good high-flow spiral from Gemini"

Then I think you had some thing else going on!

wj

[zippyc]

Yes, 3 to 5 degrees was a lot to see as an improvement, but the fittings on the Cathar block were 1/2 ID and the Gemini was 3/8, so I am sure I got better flow rates too. That could account for it.

[wymjym]

okay, I'll buy that! and you didn't change anything else at that time?
wj

[Adam217]

Thanks for the reply, you got the wheels turning a little faster and have given alot more to think about.

[texuspete00]

I'd believe it from just the change to CAthar's block(3 to 5). Hell, thats what everyone's been saying!!! =)