my summer watercooling project worklog

[Giblet Plus!]

I was getting a little bored with my current setup so I decided to redo it over the summer.

I've ordered a Laing D4 12V pump from dangerden, and my new Chieftec steel matrix case just came.

Here's some pictures to start things off


heatercore and some tubing

Laing D4 pump (should be coming soon)

Chieftec Matrix case, will be painted purple on the outside and white on the inside following this guide (northwestern university colors)

Heatercore will be mounted like so with dual shrouds and four 120x38mm Delta fans

Removing the tubing from the heatercore so I can add my own connections

started hacking up the case to hold the heatercore

 

[Giblet Plus!]

What I will be making my shroud system with

 

[alphaone]

What are you soaking your DD heatercore in and why are you doing it?

Looks nice. I, myself am watercooling my comp as my summer project.

 

[supz]

Very cool... Seeing this makes me wish that I had kept a work log of my computer, which has gone through so many revisions, I cannot remember.

What kind of hardware are you going to put in there? The rad looks like it will be taking up quite a bit of space, not leaving much for the likes of a hard drive or floppy drive, but it will definitely do some good cooling

 

[Giblet Plus!]

What are you soaking your DD heatercore in and why are you doing it?

It is not a "danger den" heatercore. It is a Fedco 2-342 single pass heatercore purchased from www.rockauto.com

It was in water because the water prevents the solder on the fins of the core from melting when I removed the tubing from the end tanks.

What kind of hardware are you going to put in there? The rad looks like it will be taking up quite a bit of space, not leaving much for the likes of a hard drive or floppy drive, but it will definitely do some good cooling

NF7
2100+ (currently at 2.5 ghz in my red setup)
2x256mb of buffalo bh-5 pc3700
MSI ti4200 (to be replaced at some point later)
IBM 15,000 rpm 18.4 gb scsi drive
Maxtor 5,400 rpm 40 gb ide drive

The drives sit on converters in the top two bays. I don't use a floppy drive.

 

[Giblet Plus!]

Some more pictures from what I did today:

The steel sheet piece will have a matching slot for the other side of the heatercore. I will cut up other pieces that will make it into shrouds with individual chambers for each fan, and use some sort of curved foam to make the transition the fans to the heatercore smoother.

 

[Giblet Plus!]

gah, dangerden lost my pump order. I guess I'll have to order again.

I also plan on adding a plate to the rear of the case to replace the two 80mm fans with one ducted 120mm. My current setup has two 92mm fans in that location.

 

[OldM3ta]

gah, dangerden lost my pump order. I guess I'll have to order again.

I also plan on adding a plate to the rear of the case to replace the two 80mm fans with one ducted 120mm. My current setup has two 92mm fans in that location.

Great thread. Very interesting. I am also doing a shroud in the same location but with a different idea... quick question: Have any links to guides on how to bend metal correctly? I want to create a metal box....

Thanks...

 

[kronchev]

this is gonna be good..keep it up

 

[Giblet Plus!]

Have any links to guides on how to bend metal correctly? I want to create a metal box....

I think doing it "correctly" would involve using a tool such as a metal brake. Doing it my way (clamping it, bending it, and hammering it) is quite easy but won't make quite as nice of bends.

this is gonna be good..keep it up

Thanks! I think I'll work on it some more after work today (I'm on lunch break right now)

 

[Giblet Plus!]

got back to working, some fans more fans and tubing came in the mail

 

[Giblet Plus!]

made some bottom pieces to hold the heatercore and function as part of the shroud

 

[rogue_jedi]

nice work so far. i'm looking at doing something similar with my heatercore. i haven't decided yet tho. keep it up.

 

[qbert95]

Thats a very ingenious setup you are doing there. It looks like it going to be a winner

 

[V0ltage]

looks cool, nice way of mounting the rad..
and my summer project is modding a comp and wcing it also..

 

[s10010001]

Use the rivit gun, USE IT! ....come on you know you want to.....everybody is doing it.....Do it now wile its still cool..........


drool....... nice setup dude keep up the work log...

 

[Giblet Plus!]

I forgot about this thread, I'll copy over my updates from genmay (had been getting more responses there)

got some goodies yesterday, gonna work on it some tomorrow after work

Heatercore with fittings soldered on

Pump with 3/4" ID tubing on inlet

priming the heatercore

So this is what my purple paint will look like (it's over a layer of unsanded primer)

My plan was to paint the whole outside of the case this color, should I go for it?


test fitting the heatercore, need to finish the shroud system and cut 4 120mm holes in the sides of the case

testing fitment of my santa cruz with the pump and an old ECS board:

working on the shroud system still:

cut out a little more of the front:

Rivets are cool:

Putting some more primer on part of the shroud system:

 

[paulmofyourhand]

ima follow this log

 

[s10010001]

looking good dude, but do you think a 12v pump was a wise choice considering the amount of outlets and size of RAD? I would think this that size system i would want at least 250+ GPH

 

[Giblet Plus!]

looking good dude, but do you think a 12v pump was a wise choice considering the amount of outlets and size of RAD? I would think this that size system i would want at least 250+ GPH

That pump is the most powerful mainstream watercooling pump out right now. The gph isn't as much of a factor as the head height (pumping pressure), which is where it excels.

The multiple fittings on the top of the core are for the two returns from my white water so I don't need a Y fitting, and for a fill/drain line.

 

[s10010001]

Head height or pressure, is none existent in a closed loop environment... I still prefer a nice danner mag3-5 or 1250 300+gph.... but I do like the idea of dual inputs on the rad, I did that my self on a tank, had 2 inputs down the side, and I use a Y adapter after the pump….

Its works really good like that…

 

[Giblet Plus!]

Head height or pressure, is none existent in a closed loop environment... I still prefer a nice danner mag3-5 or 1250 300+gph.... but I do like the idea of dual inputs on the rad, I did that my self on a tank, had 2 inputs down the side, and I use a Y adapter after the pump….

Its works really good like that…

Nope, you're wrong, head height plays a large role in flowrate in watercooling systems. The flowrate of a pump is different at different levels of restriction (head height).

I actually am running a 500 gph danner mag 5 right now, and the 12V pump will perform better due to:

1. more head height
2. a more efficient design that uses less power

 

[Giblet Plus!]

measured some stuff, drilled some holes, started cutting out fan holes

 

[s10010001]

Nope, you're wrong, head height plays a large role in flowrate in watercooling systems. The flowrate of a pump is different at different levels of restriction (head height).

I actually am running a 500 gph danner mag 5 right now, and the 12V pump will perform better due to:

1. more head height
2. a more efficient design that uses less power

well, im not going to tread jack this, so ill stop here, but reading a bit on google tells me headheight is elimated when useing the pump in a closed loop because the other side is helping suck water thru the tube....elimateing presure either way...

Damm 500Gph, that one hell of a pump! me wants......

 

[Giblet Plus!]

well, im not going to tread jack this, so ill stop here, but reading a bit on google tells me headheight is elimated when useing the pump in a closed loop because the other side is helping suck water thru the tube....elimateing presure either way...

Damm 500Gph, that one hell of a pump! me wants......

several years of hobbyist research and experience> 30 sec on google

in a closed loop there still is restriction, head height is just one way of measuring restriction.

on this chart, the Mag 5 will perform similiarily to the Mag 3, and my D4 12V pump will be similar (but a little better) than the MCP600

 

[zer0signal667]

well, im not going to tread jack this, so ill stop here, but reading a bit on google tells me headheight is elimated when useing the pump in a closed loop because the other side is helping suck water thru the tube....elimateing presure either way...

Damm 500Gph, that one hell of a pump! me wants......

Think of maximum head height as maximum pressure... true, you don't have vertical head height opposed by gravity, but instead the flow is opposed by waterblocks, tubing, etc...

 

[Giblet Plus!]

testing a few more things

 

[diredesire]

testing a few more things

<snip pic>
<snip pic>

As always, very impressed by your work.

Very clean. And impressive hole cuts... is that by dremel? I had a hell of a time getting mine that clean w/o a holesaw

and i agree, head is important in a water loop because it gives an idea of how much water can be pushed through the restrictions of the block/rad(s)

 

[Deadlierchair]

I really like what you've done with your heater core, that's a great way to get cool air in, then send it straight out. Won't those 4 fans be a little loud though? Or do you plan on turning them down a little? With an efficient design like that I'd think you wouldn't need 4 full speed 120 Delta's...

Great work though, keep it up.

 

[Giblet Plus!]

I really like what you've done with your heater core, that's a great way to get cool air in, then send it straight out. Won't those 4 fans be a little loud though? Or do you plan on turning them down a little? With an efficient design like that I'd think you wouldn't need 4 full speed 120 Delta's...

They aren't that loud, they are about 75 cfm, I have two on my heatercore in my current setup.


painting fan grills is a very effective way to waste paint

I found a less poopey purple to use

my window plans

 

[OldM3ta]

It's so funny how when you think you've made up an idea, someone comes and steals it from you unknowingly. This is great work Gibet, however, its funny to note that I, a complete stranger whose never seen this thread before I thought of doing the same idea on my case. However, I wanted things more modular so I went about building an internal aluminum box that will house the core and pump. I'll have to post it when it comes up.


keep up the great work and picture documentation!

 

[Giblet Plus!]

It's so funny how when you think you've made up an idea, someone comes and steals it from you unknowingly. This is great work Gibet, however, its funny to note that I, a complete stranger whose never seen this thread before I thought of doing the same idea on my case.

The idea is not new. I've seen it done several times before, and I personally had considered doing something similar on my first setup (but it had a side window which interfered) several years ago

 

[Giblet Plus!]

finished my window hole

started wet sanding the side panels with 600 grit

removing the orange peel from the stock paint was enough to get a little reflection

primered up

 

[maxxo]

looks great so far . i want to see how this turns out.

 

[v3rt1g0]

Creative positioning of the heatercore, I like it

 

[pumpkinlad]

Very clean. And impressive hole cuts... is that by dremel? I had a hell of a time getting mine that clean w/o a holesaw

Same thing I want to know as they look very clean.

 

[Giblet Plus!]

Same thing I want to know as they look very clean.

I just make a lot of very small cuts, and never completely go up to the line that I am cutting to.

 

[pumpkinlad]

I just make a lot of very small cuts, and never completely go up to the line that I am cutting to.

And then sand down the rest by dremel? I do pretty much the same thing, but mine are jagged or uneven in places.

Maybe it is just practice and patience.

 

[Giblet Plus!]

And then sand down the rest by dremel? I do pretty much the same thing, but mine are jagged or uneven in places.

Maybe it is just practice and patience.

I used a file afterwards, but that was mainly to deburr the edges. You just need to go really slow.

 

[Bio-Hazard]

Cutting 120mm holes with a dremel isn't all that hard.............. I did the ones on my rad shroud the same way and they came out pretty good also........