Need help with watercooling

[Flintblade]

Ok, so I've always wanted to build a Watercooling unit. Air cooling is good, but not as efficient as watercooling and also no dust. But I've always been confused with how watercooling works and how to determine what parts are better then others. Or how to find out if a part is even reliable or better then air cooling. So I did a little research and i'm a bit more familiar with Watercooling, but I still don't know enough. What I have gathered so far is...

The pump:
The pump is the part of the watercooling kit, that obviously pumps water. The faster it pumps the water, the cooler the cpu or video card will be. So obviously a pump that pushes 90L/H should be better then a pump that pushes 400L/H. But what else is there to know?. Like if two pumps can push the same amount of water per hour, how do you know which pump is better. Also, could it be possible that a pump that pushes 400L/H be better then one that does 600L/H just because of the design etc.

The radiator:
So the radiator draws the heat from the water, and then the fans cool the water down. So, technically speaking, wouldn't a radiator that has 3x 12cm fans be better then a radiator with 1x 12cm fans. Or is it possible to get a radiator that has 1x12cm fan thats better then a 3x12cm fan rad. So how else would you grade a radiator. What else does it have that you can look at to see if its good or crap. Like if the radiator is made from certain material that conducts heat faster or something like that.

The reservoir:
So from what I've read, a reservoir just stores extra water for just in case purposes. So is there anything to really look at with a reservoir. Or does it not matter, and just go with what you can afford or what holds the most water.

The waterblocks:
A waterblock is like a passive cooling heatsink, with the watercooling adjustments. I have no idea on which waterblock to buy, because I don't know what to look for. Is it like a heatsink at all, where copper is better then alluminum, and a clear surface is better then a scratched surface. Is there anything else to look for?

I think that just about covers everything I would like to know. For those of you that take the time to answer my questions, thanks! =D.

P.S: Yes I am a noob, thats why I came to these forums to ask the experts. I've been doing lots of googling already but nothing beats asking a person that knows a ton about the topic =D

 

[Deleted member 134350]

The first step is for you to read the "Sticky" and do searches on the topic. There is a wealth of information here just waiting for you to discover it.

 

[madmat]

I really hate it when someone asks specific questions and gets answers like "Google is ur friend" or "Read the stickies" with no mention made about what was asked. I realize that the OP is new, can benefit from searching but those generally don't answer things like "Is there any difference in res function versus design?" nor will they straighten out the math glitch in thinking a 90lph pump is better than a 400lph pump.

Now as to the questions:

The pump:
The pump is the part of the watercooling kit, that obviously pumps water. The faster it pumps the water, the cooler the cpu or video card will be. So obviously a pump that pushes 90L/H should be better then a pump that pushes 400L/H. But what else is there to know?. Like if two pumps can push the same amount of water per hour, how do you know which pump is better. Also, could it be possible that a pump that pushes 400L/H be better then one that does 600L/H just because of the design etc.

The free flow measurements don't really mean much alone, what you need are the head (how far the pump can push a column of water before it stops moving water) and having a plot of the flow curve can be useful as well, this will tell you if the pump moves a decent amount of water near it's max head or if it's nearly stalled. Pumps vary wildly due to the internal design, the tighter the internal tolerances usually indicates a stronger more robust flow curve as it's harder for the water to bypass the impeller. So, yes a 400lph pump can out perform a 600lph pump depending on the design although most people will steer you towards the pumps in the 1200lph range, namely the Liang D5 series.

The radiator:
So the radiator draws the heat from the water, and then the fans cool the water down. So, technically speaking, wouldn't a radiator that has 3x 12cm fans be better then a radiator with 1x 12cm fans. Or is it possible to get a radiator that has 1x12cm fan thats better then a 3x12cm fan rad. So how else would you grade a radiator. What else does it have that you can look at to see if its good or crap. Like if the radiator is made from certain material that conducts heat faster or something like that.

The radiator is important, generally you won't find many single 120 rads that can compete with a triple 120 rad. The PA160 is the notable exception, it's got enough area that it gives a dual 120 a run for its money although you'll pay nearly as much for the PA160 as you will for many triple 120 rads. The PA160 is also harder to mount in a 120mm fan opening due to it being larger than your normal 120mm rad. The best bet is a Black Ice Pro III on a dollar spent per watt expelled ratio. The close runner up in "Bang for the buck" class is the Swiftech triple 120 rad. BTW, avoid tubular rads and aluminum rads.

The reservoir:
So from what I've read, a reservoir just stores extra water for just in case purposes. So is there anything to really look at with a reservoir. Or does it not matter, and just go with what you can afford or what holds the most water.

You're quite correct, the rad is for storing extra water since your loop will lose some water over time due to osmosis. This is normal and to be expected. No, the design really won't have much bearing on performance but choose a design that won't allow air to be sucked back into your loop. I've heard horror stories from guys with D4's and single 5.25" bay res' that just could not stop air from being pulled through their loop.

The waterblocks:
A waterblock is like a passive cooling heatsink, with the watercooling adjustments. I have no idea on which waterblock to buy, because I don't know what to look for. Is it like a heatsink at all, where copper is better then alluminum, and a clear surface is better then a scratched surface. Is there anything else to look for?

There are primarily 3 types of water blocks with 99% of the ones out there being a variation on one of those types. There's the fin type with water being forced to flow through the fins and exchange heat that way. There's the impingment type that causes the water to spray onto the base of the block and the base is generally machined to cause further interuption to the waterflow. This type uses the spray/machining to break up the boundry layer found in laminar waterflow. In tubing this boundry layer is a good thing as it helps to recuce resistence to flow but in a waterblock it's a negative thing as the boundry layer acts as a blanket holding the heat away from the water molecules. The third type is the labyrinth that causes the water to break up and wander around the block. This slows the water down a bit and helps to insure heat dispersion although the first two types have surplanted the labyrinth block for CPU duties for the most part. As to materials, go for copper or copper/plastic blocks. Avoid the older aluminum/copper designs as you'll have less worries with electrolysis causing the aluminum to react with the copper. Same goes for the res, look for an all plastic design.

P.S: Yes I am a noob, thats why I came to these forums to ask the experts. I've been doing lots of googling already but nothing beats asking a person that knows a ton about the topic =D

I'm by no means an "expert" (Personally I don't believe in experts...X is an unknown factor and spurt is a shot in the dark) but I am an advanced hobbyist and with a bit of study and hand on experience you'll end up one yourself in time.

 

[Bbq]

Ok, so I've always wanted to build a Watercooling unit. Air cooling is good, but not as efficient as watercooling and also no dust. But I've always been confused with how watercooling works and how to determine what parts are better then others. Or how to find out if a part is even reliable or better then air cooling. So I did a little research and i'm a bit more familiar with Watercooling, but I still don't know enough. What I have gathered so far is...

The pump:
The pump is the part of the watercooling kit, that obviously pumps water. The faster it pumps the water, the cooler the cpu or video card will be. So obviously a pump that pushes 90L/H should be better then a pump that pushes 400L/H. But what else is there to know?. Like if two pumps can push the same amount of water per hour, how do you know which pump is better. Also, could it be possible that a pump that pushes 400L/H be better then one that does 600L/H just because of the design etc.

Pump flow isn't the only thing to look for. Head pressure is just as important. Higher = better. You also might wanna go with a slightly weaker pump, if it's quieter, and silence is your goal. Don't forget that more power from a pump also means more heat produced that will make the efficiency of the loop lower. You want something that's powerful, lots of head pressure, and low heatdump. Something like an AquaeXtreme 50Z

The radiator:
So the radiator draws the heat from the water, and then the fans cool the water down. So, technically speaking, wouldn't a radiator that has 3x 12cm fans be better then a radiator with 1x 12cm fans. Or is it possible to get a radiator that has 1x12cm fan thats better then a 3x12cm fan rad. So how else would you grade a radiator. What else does it have that you can look at to see if its good or crap. Like if the radiator is made from certain material that conducts heat faster or something like that.

Correct. The 3x120 is cooler than a 1x120. Look for a Black Ice Pro or GT or Extreme. The Extreme is thicker, more fin density, deisgned for high flow fans. Otherwise, the Pro and GT are better.Look for a radiator that doesn't loop around continuously, with a bazillion 180 degree turns on each side. Avoid those, they create much restriction. Also, Go with a copper. Aluminum will corrode (copper + alu in a loop = corrosion), and copper conducts the heat much better.

The reservoir:
So from what I've read, a reservoir just stores extra water for just in case purposes. So is there anything to really look at with a reservoir. Or does it not matter, and just go with what you can afford or what holds the most water.

That's pretty much it, but you want something that doesn't hold a lot of water. An alternative is a T-Line fitting. It's just a Plastic T that you mount right before your pump. It acts like a reservoir, takes less room, and easier to use.

The waterblocks:
A waterblock is like a passive cooling heatsink, with the watercooling adjustments. I have no idea on which waterblock to buy, because I don't know what to look for. Is it like a heatsink at all, where copper is better then alluminum, and a clear surface is better then a scratched surface. Is there anything else to look for?

You want an Impingment design. You want Copper, and a flat surface, not neccisarily super shiny. Try something like a Swiftech Storm.