Whats the best liquid for water cooling?

[jimbob200521]

I'm looking to replace the liquid in my Exos, and was wondering what the best liquid to use would be? Would plain water suffice (not tap, i know about the impurities), or are their liquids you can buy online that cool better? Or are the differances between liquids minimal/none?

Thanks for any help

 

[alanore]

There no real cooling diffrence but its recommended that you use something like distilled water or as I recommend deionised. This will stop corrution of the metals(water block, rad and pump). Its also recommended you use a water aditive to stop algie etc, such as water wetter.

You'll be able to get deionised water very cheaply from your nearest automotive store.

 

[0roo0roo]

http://www.overclockers.com/articles993/

 

[JAG87]

hey this is a noob question... i want to get water cooling, so im interested in the subject. I need to learn

Wouldn't car radiator coolant be the best liquid for the system? Or is there a problem with it? Too thick maybe for the pump?

And what exactly is in the 30 dollar refill bottle that thermaltake sells you, or any other maker. seems kind of a rip off to me

Lastly, how often do you have to replace the liquid (whatever it is?)

Thanks guys.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: JAG87
hey this is a noob question... i want to get water cooling, so im interested in the subject. I need to learn

Wouldn't car radiator coolant be the best liquid for the system? Or is there a problem with it? Too thick maybe for the pump?

And what exactly is in the 30 dollar refill bottle that thermaltake sells you, or any other maker. seems kind of a rip off to me

Lastly, how often do you have to replace the liquid (whatever it is?)

Thanks guys.

the car liquid is more for preventing boiling than cooling. that's why you mix water into it. It's a piss poor coolant, buit it prevents freezing and boiling to a degree(somewhere near 379f if you mix it very thick 1:1 ratio with water. Usually people mix it 3:1 or so because it just dosent cool all that well due to extremely high viscosity preventing high flow rate as well as not being nearly as efficent at cooling water ounce for ounce as far as heat absorption.

idk about anything els, i do air cooling only.

how well would 90% denatured alcohol mixed with water say 1part alcohol for 4 parts water work? no damn alge or bacterial growth, will exaporate if you spill.

 

[JAG87]

so... car coolant no good in any case im understanding. It doesnt cool, and its just viscous.

By alcohol, you mean ethanol correct? I hear methanol is best, but how do you go about getting that?

 

[ShadowBlade]

Originally posted by: JAG87
so... car coolant no good in any case im understanding. It doesnt cool, and its just viscous.

By alcohol, you mean ethanol correct? I hear methanol is best, but how do you go about getting that?

nope, beer

 

[alanore]

From a pharmasy.
Alcohol with water does lower the chance of alqe growing but it does lower its cooling potential. Some people do run with it, but water adatives such as water wetter are better.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: mwmorph

Originally posted by: JAG87
hey this is a noob question... i want to get water cooling, so im interested in the subject. I need to learn

Wouldn't car radiator coolant be the best liquid for the system? Or is there a problem with it? Too thick maybe for the pump?

And what exactly is in the 30 dollar refill bottle that thermaltake sells you, or any other maker. seems kind of a rip off to me

Lastly, how often do you have to replace the liquid (whatever it is?)

Thanks guys.

the car liquid is more for preventing boiling than cooling. that's why you mix water into it. It's a piss poor coolant, buit it prevents freezing and boiling to a degree(somewhere near 379f if you mix it very thick 1:1 ratio with water. Usually people mix it 3:1 or so because it just dosent cool all that well due to extremely high viscosity preventing high flow rate as well as not being nearly as efficent at cooling water ounce for ounce as far as heat absorption.

idk about anything els, i do air cooling only.

how well would 90% denatured alcohol mixed with water say 1part alcohol for 4 parts water work? no damn alge or bacterial growth, will exaporate if you spill.

car coolant is under pressure to boot, to drive up the boiling point even higher 15psi or so...

 

[0roo0roo]

and there are more articles on this in overclockers.com if you search

 

[RaiderJ]

DI water and water wetter (or its equivalent) works just fine. Anything beyond that isn't worth it as you won't get any real benefit.

 

[tw33ter]

If you're using the same metals, like all copper, then some biocide (available at any pet shop in the aquarium section) + distilled water is all you need. If you are combining metals, aluminum and copper, use some zerex + distilled water instead.

 

[sniperruff]

:beer: would be best.

 

[Zepper]

nitroglycerine, but it's very unstable when it expands - heck it might expand all the way to the outdoors...

but seriouslyy: distilled water with any of the good stabilizer/coolant additives. Even a 10 or 20% solution of Zerex would work fine.

.bh.

 

[grant2]

Mercury.

 

[thecrecarc]

cool aid, if ur ever stuck in the desert with just ur computer (hey, it might happen) u can drink it aswell

 

[hans030390]

When I saw the topic of this thread i said "....wtf...'WATER cooler', duh"

but then I saw that you're asking about specific water or other things...ha.

For now I'd just stick with some good water and then do research on other liquids...but...if you want to be safe, just stick with water, it does a great job anyways.

 

[Jagbot]

i have a question ?
Did anyone ever try to variate the flow. Higher speed of the flow less heat is transfered to the coolant fluid, less speed of the flow higher heat transfer to the coolant fluid.
We see this thing with electric heating and ventilation (because i work in that sector)

give info ?

Thanks

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Jagbot
i have a question ?
Did anyone ever try to variate the flow. Higher speed of the flow less heat is transfered to the coolant fluid, less speed of the flow higher heat transfer to the coolant fluid.
We see this thing with electric heating and ventilation (because i work in that sector)

give info ?

Thanks

Why did you bump a two-month old thread to ask a completely different question?

As for your question: yes, of course. Generally, higher flow rates will increase the cooling capability (since it maintains a more even temperature throughout the water loop; too slow a flow will give 'hot spots' around your components and increase their temperature). I suppose if you got it going fast enough, you could have issues with not being able to dump heat fast enough, but this is rarely if ever a problem.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: ShadowBlade

Originally posted by: JAG87
so... car coolant no good in any case im understanding. It doesnt cool, and its just viscous.

By alcohol, you mean ethanol correct? I hear methanol is best, but how do you go about getting that?

nope, beer

Beer's a bad cooland.