DD NV68 water block

[HardWarrior]

I'm looking to cool my GT with a DangerDen NV68. Of the reviews I've read it seems that cooling is great, but build quality is a bit off (needs to be deburred and the contact surface is rough to the touch) which is a surprise coming from DD. DD tech says they're aware of the deburring issue and will step up QC, but that the contact surface is fine as is and a polishing job with 1200 grit is something I'd have to do myself. What I'd like to know from someone who has one (before I order) is if it's a good block and worth ordering at $125 a pop?

Thanks in advance.

 

[gotensan01]

I think you should get it and tell us how it is . After the holidays if the price of the 6800 drops, I'll probably end up getting one and also pick up this water block. I really like how it cools the BGA ram.

 

[HardWarrior]

I got DD to say that not deburring the block was a QC oversight and would be corrected ASAP, and I can take some 1200 grit an polish the contact surface if I think it needs it, which tech says it doesn't. For gaming the GT is a fine card. It cuts through D3 and Farcry easily, with all the candy turned all the way up. You'll love it. Yeah, the RAM cooling is what caught my eye. The NV68 has three different levels on the contact surface just to keep it lined up with the different components. I'll have one in about a week. Soon as I see how it is I'll post something.

 

[iamtrout]

I didn't get the dangerden for the single reason that after the 6800 series, it'll most likely be incompatible with all future cards. I would rather (and did) get a single GPU waterblock that should fit future GPUs without a problem, and just mount heatsinks on the RAM and plop a low RPM 120mm beside it.

Besides, the 6800 series DDR3 doesn't get that hot. It's the core you have to worry about.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: iamtrout
I didn't get the dangerden for the single reason that after the 6800 series, it'll most likely be incompatible with all future cards. I would rather (and did) get a single GPU waterblock that should fit future GPUs without a problem, and just mount heatsinks on the RAM and plop a low RPM 120mm beside it.

Besides, the 6800 series DDR3 doesn't get that hot. It's the core you have to worry about.

I factor in the price of a new block with the cost of a new video card, or CPU for that matter. I don't expect to be able to reuse them in my gaming rig, though it's nice if I can. DDR3 is cooler running yes (did you include the therms created by a hard overclock?), but the 6800 PCB acts as a dissipation surface as well. Without active RAM cooling, which was supplied with my card, the entire board becomes warm and brings up the ambient of the case interior.

Also, and this is strange, if the RAM isn't an issue for you why add RAMsinks?

 

[iamtrout]

Oh, no. The RAM is an issue for me. I was just saying that it's not THAT MUCH of an issue that it needs to be watercooled, even when overclocked. Also consider that watercooling the RAM will just add heat to the water, possibly lowering the water's ability to cool the GPU as well as if it had only the GPU, and not the RAM, to cool. I don't mind a high case temperature that much because my chipset, CPU, and GPU are all watercooled, and the water runs out to a heatercore outside of the case.

 

[HardWarrior]

Since only half of the available chips get cooled prior to hitting the GPU, thermal migration doesn't seem to much of an issue to me. Being that all my components are internal, and that I've come to appreciate stable performance with any ambient (its been as hot as 100 degrees in my computer room), I prefer to water-cool as much as reasonably possible without having to move any of my loop external, or start to chop-out my case. If I may ask, what's your idle temp at a comfortable ambient?

The way things are looking, I'm glad I didn't plumb for a chipset block since the next-gen CPU's are going to have the memory controllers on die. Also, how's your loop plumbed? Pump->Core->CPU->Chipset->GPU? T-line?

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
... I'm glad I didn't plumb for a chipset block since the next-gen CPU's are going to have the memory controllers on die...

You don't have your nb water cooled?

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: gotensan01

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
... I'm glad I didn't plumb for a chipset block since the next-gen CPU's are going to have the memory controllers on die...

You don't have your nb water cooled?

Nope, passive with a 120mm door fan voted in it's general direction. A review I read prior to buying this board said the NB wasn't a a major heat source, even overclocked. So far that's been true.

 

[iamtrout]

Looks like we have some very different climates between you and I. My ambient is usually around 28C, and my CPU temp at idle is around 42C overclocked with the 2x120mmfans on low and near silent. This may seem high for watercooling, but keep in mind that even under load for hours the highest my load temp has gotten is 45C.

I had to move my watercooling external because I have a reasonably small case and there was simply no way that my fedco 2-342 was going to fit anywhere inside. My loop is currently pump>up to heatercore>down to CPU>down to video card>down to southbridge>down to t-line>pump

I've got an nForce3 250GB and the southbridge gets reasonably hot.

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: iamtrout
Looks like we have some very different climates between you and I. My ambient is usually around 28C, and my CPU temp at idle is around 42C overclocked with the 2x120mmfans on low and near silent. This may seem high for watercooling, but keep in mind that even under load for hours the highest my load temp has gotten is 45C.

I had to move my watercooling external because I have a reasonably small case and there was simply no way that my fedco 2-342 was going to fit anywhere inside. My loop is currently pump>up to heatercore>down to CPU>down to video card>down to southbridge>down to t-line>pump

I've got an nForce3 250GB and the southbridge gets reasonably hot.

So you water cool your southbridge but not your northbridge? I didn't think that the sb got hotter than the nb...ever.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: iamtrout
Looks like we have some very different climates between you and I. My ambient is usually around 28C, and my CPU temp at idle is around 42C overclocked with the 2x120mmfans on low and near silent. This may seem high for watercooling, but keep in mind that even under load for hours the highest my load temp has gotten is 45C.

I had to move my watercooling external because I have a reasonably small case and there was simply no way that my fedco 2-342 was going to fit anywhere inside. My loop is currently pump>up to heatercore>down to CPU>down to video card>down to southbridge>down to t-line>pump

I've got an nForce3 250GB and the southbridge gets reasonably hot.

Maybe, I stay 30-miles west of Chicago. Weather here is extreme. That's not high at all considering the overclock and low-volted fans. Plus since you don't come near your CPU's trip temp I'd say you're doing fine. I lucked out in the assumption that a large res fed by a thoroughly blown rad would keep my loop very cool. With a decent overclock on my CPU and a video block, I hovered around 32c idle, 38c extended load (with something like Farcry running) at a comfortable ambient. Then again, I don't have the thermal load on my loop that you have. I run (against orthodoxy) pump->CPU->GPU-GDDR3(soon)->rad->res->pump. I can't wait to see how my loop handles the extra load from the NV68.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: gotensan01

Originally posted by: iamtrout
Looks like we have some very different climates between you and I. My ambient is usually around 28C, and my CPU temp at idle is around 42C overclocked with the 2x120mmfans on low and near silent. This may seem high for watercooling, but keep in mind that even under load for hours the highest my load temp has gotten is 45C.

I had to move my watercooling external because I have a reasonably small case and there was simply no way that my fedco 2-342 was going to fit anywhere inside. My loop is currently pump>up to heatercore>down to CPU>down to video card>down to southbridge>down to t-line>pump

I've got an nForce3 250GB and the southbridge gets reasonably hot.

So you water cool your southbridge but not your northbridge? I didn't think that the sb got hotter than the nb...ever.

That's interesting. I never heard of anyone cooling their SB before.

 

[iamtrout]

There is no "northbridge" on a Nforce3 250GB. I'm refering to the chip just "south" of the AGP slot. It's some messed up jargon considering that nForce's don't really have north or south bridges. But yeah, when I refer to southbridge I mean the chip below the AGP.

 

[iamtrout]

Here's a linky to pics of my system because apparently I suck at English and saying things with words

linky

 

[HardWarrior]

Swiftech blocks with push-on fittings? Man, I just love that BIG look you get from 1/2 inch tube.

 

[iamtrout]

Yeah, definitely not using quick connect with 1/2'", 1/8"-walled tubing. Big tubing is definitely a pain though when you're trying to get from the video card to the mobo chipset on a 250GB. Have to put a couple of 90 degree bends in there. Thanks, big look is good

But back to your topic. If ambient is too hot to cool your DDR3 with heatsinks affectively, and you don't have that much thermal load on your loop to start out with, and you don't mind replacing the waterblock each time you upgrade to a new vid card, and you don't mind the price, then by all means, go for the DD.

 

[HardWarrior]

Ambient isn't really an issue. Since I don't mind fan noise (to a point) my big case is well ventilated. I could probably run "okay" with the stock cooler. Water on my GT's GPU just makes sense, and if I'm going to do that then slapping water to the GDDR3 makes sense by extension. No, I don't mind any of those things. And thank you for blessing my purchase!

I'll post some pics of my baby when I can figure out SBC's DAMNED "briefcase" system.

 

[iamtrout]

Hmm... never heard of "SBC's DAMNED "briefcase" system," although I have heard of briefcase-modded systems in general.

:camera:?

To tell you the truth, if I had the money to invest in a complete water solution of my video card, and then replace it when new stuff comes out, I definitely would

 

[remagavon]

If you are concerned with the card getting hot and warming up your case, you should have gotten the innovatek block.. the DD block doens't cool the heatsink on the (I think) power regulating chips (the small black one that comes just after the normal one) and it was designed to receive airflow from the fan that blows air outward towards the end of the card, look at a pic of a reference 6800 and you'll see what I mean. That get scorching hot when you watercool the card because it has no airflow.

GL though and post results

 

[Ackmed]

I have the Innovatek block, and like it very much. The DD block was out of the question, it just wouldnt fit. I dont like how gaudy it looks either. Pics are in my sig.

 

[remagavon]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
I have the Innovatek block, and like it very much. The DD block was out of the question, it just wouldnt fit. I dont like how gaudy it looks either. Pics are in my sig.

Yeah I'd definitely get one if it had larger fittings, I know for sure the DD block will not fit between two SLI'd 6800 cards, but I think the aquacomputer one may due to the very small backplate (DD uses an entire block of plexi to hold it on, and it's mounted only in 4 spots; which means you have to layer on the paste for the RAM)

Have you overclocked the card/system yet? I think I saw your case on

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
I have the Innovatek block, and like it very much. The DD block was out of the question, it just wouldnt fit. I dont like how gaudy it looks either. Pics are in my sig.

Nice euro-looks on that case Ackmed. I can appreciate that extreme tech look. Yeah, I can see why you'd think that the NV68 looks gaudy. Does anyone know where I can find an Innovatek 6800 block with 90 degree 1/2inch fittings? This one looks interesting too, but why aluminum construction?

 

[Ackmed]

Yes I have overclocked the card, it does 440/1.9 100% stable. But if I go past 440, it hard locks. If I go past 1.9, I get artifacts. I have yet to see anyone go past 440 core without a flash to add more volts, from the default 1.3. People who have upped the volts to say 1.4, have gotten about 10c higher temps, but speed of up to 460. Im happy with 440, but I game at 435. I like to be just a "tick" under a full overclock, just for peace of mind. I have it setup to auto go to that speed in 3D, it has never locked up on me.

The reason I got it was because its so slim. The DD block would not even come close to fitting. If you look at my pics, the chipset block and GPU block are very close. In fact I had to dremel about 1/8" of the chipset block down from the left corner for it to even fit. The DD block is MUCH thicker and wouldnt have even come close. And also like you said, in SLI the DD block wouldnt work.

I wanted the Aqua block more, but it wasnt announced when I got this one. It was about a week later, sigh. Yes it is aluminum, but I dont think it will alter temps much. The Innovatek one is as well, but has a copper GPU core section. Over at the Aqua forums, temps seems to be very good with it. I would like to see an exploded version of it though, just for my own curiosity.