advice on watercooling

[CubanlB]

I've been reading a lot of water cooling threads and articles lately and want to get a nice setup for my 1700, but like many, Im on a tight budget.

My first question is how well would a car radiator (just a small one) work as a radiator? My uncle used a small auto radiator to make a simple air conditioning unit at his cabin this summer and it worked fairly well and the radiator was only like $18. The only problem I could think of would be that the leads might be irregular sizes.

Next, the block has to attach to the zif socket, so Im limited in that department. I was thinking a swiftech block or a DD maze 3 with the hold down mechanism.

So other than the block and maybe some tubing, I think I can pick everything up locally and keep the cost down and still have a good setup/block.

my real question is what kind of reservoir should i get/make? If i make one I'll have to get barbs with my block I suppose.

All advice is welcome, so tell me what you think!

Oh, and I'll be modding my Skyhawk 4610 with a 120mm exaust on top to accomodate the radiator.

 

[TRUMPHENT]

A small radiator would have plenty of capacity. You could also look for an automotive heater core. They are plenty big for the job. Cooling a computer isn't going to stress either with temperatures or pressure. If you use a radiator, it might be easier to seal the hose inlet/outlet and install the correct sized fittings where they woulld fit your needs best.

The block you want to order from a reputable supplier. The tubing is a commodity. One thing that Danger Den sells that I want is the 110/220 internal power card. I think they call it "Power Plant". Use that if your pump is inside the computer case and uses 110v current.

 

[CubanlB]

yeah, i saw that, and would help with my family, you know, make sure they turn it on!

Hehe I was cleaning my current heatsink once and me dad came upstairs and said, "where all those cables unpluged from the back of your computer so I wouldnt turn it on?"

and i said "yes, DID YOU!?"

and he did, i had to use a 800mhz duron until he got me a 2100 for that comp, it was nice of him to up my processor, even though he killed it!

EDIT: it was a 1700 pali, and i got a 2100 tbred b, i was relly happy actually!

 

[SuperPickle]

A good article on building reserviors can be found at Overclockers.

Heatercores work great. Have your desired dimentions in mind and go to an autoparts store. Tell them you want a heatercore but don't care for what model vehicle. They'll probably be cool enough to flip through their books and find one the size you need...then pick the cheapest one. You'll probably have to modify the inlets, but a hacksaw, some nylon barbs, and some JB weld do the job nicely.

A big key to your water system is the pump. Higher flow is almost always better. Also, pay special attention to minimizing the flow restrictions in the system to keep the stress on the pump low and the flow high.

Good luck with the water.

 

[klah]

Overclockers Forums > Overclocking > Cooling > Water Cooling

 

[Big Lar]

Being that I have been with overclockers since darn near day 1, and have a couple old reviews there, I can tell you this, 1: You need a minimum of 1 gallon of fluid in your system for every 50 watts you want to cool, unless of course you chill the water.
2:Radiators and the like only make more noise, and thats what Most water coolers are trying to avoid, as the fans to cool the air are loud, due to they have to be close to the rad/ thus creating back pressure/ie noise.
3: The BEST way to cool is natural,ie; a pit in the ground, a sump pit in the basement, or a pit lined in metal in a crawlspace.. just a few thoughts, done babbling now