Need help figuring out how to calculate ratiator dissipation capacity

faxon

Platinum Member
May 23, 2008
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I'm looking at building a number of loops for high heat systems comprised of 3-4x R290 cards each plus the CPU, all running 24/7 full load (im mining litecoins). I've been out of the water game for a while and a few new radiators have launched that have some massive capacity, along with probably the best purpose built radbox stacking system ever in the coolermaster stacker line of cases, so space to mount multiple 80mm 3x120mm rads isn't an issue. The issue at hand though is budgeting for this whole thing at the beginning. Obviously i'm doing this to make money in the long run on the coins but i have to pay for it up front somehow and my concern is that i'm overbuying on radiator capacity. Aigomorla used to have a rule of thumb for watercooling radiators that a certain thickness at X fin density usually dissipated X watts equal to the card's TDP of heat. Keeping this in mind, and the fact that at full load with an air intake blowing into my case with 28f air, and all 3 cards locked at 100% fan, my top two cards are still at 73c and 82c. Yes, these cards are running that hot with freezing cold winter air entering the case. it's dissipating so much heat that even though im pumping freezing air into the room the temperature is still staying fairly stable all in all (though i need to sleep in pajamas).

So, i have two dangerden Black Ice Extreme GT2s (sitting unused) and a swiftech MCR320 (in use) currently that can be mounted, but I was looking at getting a pair of Alphacool NexXxoS Monsta 3x120 80mm thick units if needed because they're the thickest 3x120 on the market. Also, assuming 3-4 cards + cpu plus rads to cool it all, would a D5 be enough by itself using the stock head? i can look into getting a new head for it and I could use a new res so will look into flow increasing head/rad combos. ill list the parts i have to work with in detail bellow
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...20mm_Radiator_-_80mm_Thick.html?tl=g30c95s161


Current loop in action is in my sig and the parts in it are included in this list

2x D5 pumps stock head
2x Black Ice Extreme GT2 2x120mm rad
1x Swiftech MCR320QP
2x Swiftech Apogee XT blocks
2x old universal dangerden copper/acrylic CPU block. will be used for non-CPU OC builds for CPU stability, and is CPU socket universal. Probably what I'll be using for now since i have an AMD board that needs to get a system built into it and it came with a koolance EX2 unit im giving away since it's also attached to the GTX580's only cooling source and i'm selling the card as well. managed to sell that loop + card and 3 other cards to one person which is how i can afford this upgrade right now lol.


Until i know how much radiator i need to cool say a single overclocked card i can't begin setting up the cases and running the loop either, which I'd like to have ready once i find a buyer for my 7950s so i can do the install/switch in a single day since all the cooling will be in place already.
 
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