curious about water cooling

[Connoisseur]

up until now i've only done air cooling but I was interested in doing a water cooling setup for kicks. I was just curious as to how often ppl replace the water in their reservoirs? Daily, weekly, monthly? I've never been able to find the answer to this.

 

[HardWarrior]

This is how I got started when I wanted to learn. Look for enthusiast sites where people who've done it for a while are.

Edit: Here's one.

 

[noxipoo]

ocforums.com are the best for info, read the stickies in the water cooling section.

 

[shohoku]

Is this kit included everything I need to start with?

 

[HardWarrior]

Fan
radiator
resevoir (internal pump?)
CPU water block (mounting HW included for your CPU?)
tubing

It looks fairly complete. You might need hose clamps, thermal paste and water wetter. Ask about those things before you buy.

 

[JTech007]

If you can build a CPU then you can put togeather a H20 system..
Read up at pro-cooling (Link that's above)..Great info there.
I would personally stay away from the kits.. A DIY setup will yield better results for the temps.

Here is the current project I am going to try... This guy has some great designs for fan-less H20 cooling that works well: Link

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: JTech007
I would personally stay away from the kits.. A DIY setup will yield better results for the temps.
[/L]

There's nothing inherently wrong with buying a kit. After all, this isn't the "barn storming" days of 5-years ago and kits from places like dangerden are nothing but stock parts packaged together to make the equipment selection aspect of the process easier.

 

[JTech007]

Hard:

True, and I should have been more clear as to the "kits" I was talking about. Yes DD and others package nice stuff to make the process easier and most of the time those will work just fine. I was referring to the Koolance and other self contained style kits.. Though the work ok they wont reach the temps of better products. I guess it depends on what you have to spend and the ease of install you wish to have. I bought some used parts off of the FS forum here and they work great for a lot less than retail.

Also by reading in some of the forums they might decide to go another route such as evap or TEC's...

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: JTech007
Hard:

True, and I should have been more clear as to the "kits" I was talking about. Yes DD and others package nice stuff to make the process easier and most of the time those will work just fine. I was referring to the Koolance and other self contained style kits.. Though the work ok they wont reach the temps of better products. I guess it depends on what you have to spend and the ease of install you wish to have. I bought some used parts off of the FS forum here and they work great for a lot less than retail.

Also by reading in some of the forums they might decide to go another route such as evap or TEC's...

Understood, but there's an imporatant aspect of the type "kits" you mention above. They're a different order of product than hardcore water systems. Take the Zalman reserator as an example. It's primary demographic are people who're willing to accept less than optimal water-cooling in exchange for less noise. Which is valid in that part of the market wants this sort of functionality.

Indeed, it is possible that some will opt for more exotic cooling after reading what practitioners of these methods have to say. But it's also just as likely that these same people will see water-cooling as what it is, a mid-range solution, firmly centered between forced-air and more exotic (expensive, invasive?) methods like TEC's and evap.