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Custom water cooling?

D

darthvadar

n00b
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
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I have 2 XFX core edition HD7770s, only one is currently installed and temps are just about ok (with max. fans). however when i put to in the temps will go too high because they are quite close together.
So I have a few questions regarding custom water cooling:

Are there currently and water blocks for low end gpus like the HD7770 and where would i find them?

I can get copper pipe pretty cheap, would running copper pipes over the gpu with water pumped through potentially work?


I would like to make this a project, but i wanted to ask around first to check if someone had any good ideas or more efficient ways to do it.
I dont really have enough money for full water cooling and since its just for my GPUS i dont really want pre-assembled water cooling loop.

Heres the plan for the home-made water cooling system:

Buy copper tubing (6mm), sheet of copper, windscreen spray pump, aluminium sheet, aluminium rod, find something that can act as a reservoir.

1. Get the sheet of copper the same size as the graphics card, measure/mark where the gpu and vram are and make sure the copper touches them when placed (denting the sheet might work?)
2. Run the copper pipe up and down the copper sheet, with as many tight bends as possible to get full coverage of the copper sheet. Flatten the length of copper pipe and solder to the copper sheet (getting as smaller amount of solder between the pipe and the sheet as possible.
3. Cut the aluminium into fins (drill a ~6mm hole in the centre of each)and lay them standing up (like dominos) attach them together by running a rod through all of them at each corner.
4. run a length of copper pipe through the home-made radiator and attach a fan onto it.
5.attach the copper plate to the graphics card using the pre-exhisting holes it has for the air cooler and after applying heat sink paste to the gpu and the vram.
6. run a coolant pipe from the gpu water block to the radiator, then run the radiator to the reservoir then to the pump which then goes to the other end of the copper pipe on the gpu water block.

sorry for the long read

let me know what you think and any improvements you would make,

thanks in advance
 
Just a few thoughts after reading through your post:

1) Why do you think the temps are "too high?" Are your cards crashing or throttling? Are you getting artifacts?

2) You could try using a GPU-only block and a cheaper custom kit to start-off, although the 7770's generate very little heat so there's really little point. You can also try zip-tying an all-in-one cooler to the GPU if it will fit (google is your friend here).

3) If you still want make something just for the project, I'd advise against using copper pipe unless you're an experienced plumber. Saying "soldering copper pipe is a PITA" is a gross understatement, and unless you have the very expensive tools to do it properly, you'll most likely not do it safely or with the properly low tolerances to get something somewhat functional. Practice first just to see how difficult it can be.
 
only one is in the PC at the moment and it reaches about 70 degrees which is kind of ok but i think when i add the second one it will get hotter than it should.

the universal gpu blocks are still about £50 where as all the materials and the pump ects. only comes to £19 with materials to spare. there are currently no all in one water block available for the HD7770 and if there was they'd still be far too expensive for me.

I was doing this as a project, i will practice it on an older PC first to make sure it works then if i'm confident with it i may put it on my PC. The working with copper part is not a problem, i have the tools and i have experience with copper pipe.

is there anything you would change in my design, the materials? is aluminium a good choice for making the fins on the radiator?

thanks for your reply
 
70 C is definitely not too hot for a 7770, or any AMD GPU for that matter. Chances are your fan probably hasn't even started spinning up yet.

Aluminum is fine for the fins, as long as it's not touching any water.

Make sure to also get some silver or PT Nuke to kill off any algae growth.
 
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