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Radiator size ??

F

FUBAR

n00b
Joined
Nov 14, 2004
Messages
35
How much is enough? Can I cool a CPU and have room to include the GPU at a later time with a single 120MM heater core?

Is there a significant improvement added with a dual 120MM heatercore?

Current setup:

AMD 64 3200 (Stock HSF)
MSI K8N Neo2 MOBO
2X512 Crucial PC3200 DDR
X800Pro vid (Mildly OC'd at the moment)
Antec NEO 480W PSU


Thanks in advance :)
 
Even a 80mm is enough to cool a cpu and gpu if you have a fan on it. A single 120 mm with fan/shroud is more than enough imho.
 
At stock speeds a 120mm radiator will be enough to keep your video card and your cpu sufficiently cool, and probably with room for a mild overclock. The problem with that however is you will eventually hit a point where it overwhelms your radiator and small increases in clock speed will have larger increases in overall temperature.

If you are looking for watercooling for silence 120mm should work fine, if you are looking for overclocking try and find room for a dual heatercore. (or a dual heatercore with slower moving quieter fans for even more silence :) )
 
Radiators are sort of like breasts in a way................ :p The bigger the better and the more fun you can have with your system................... :eek:
 
It also depends on your flow rate and how power the fans you will be using are.
 
Bio-Hazard said:
Radiators are sort of like breasts in a way................ :p The bigger the better and the more fun you can have with your system................... :eek:
Click to expand...

Yep, but at some point, the increased size just becomes a burden. You have to find that middle ground.
 
That's very true, that's why I just got for the double sized one in both areas............. :D
 
Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

Let me be a bit more specific now. If I wanted to stay at stock speeds, I'd have a decent HSF. My intention is to overclock to the limits of my current hardware. My guess at this point is that the PSU and/or memory will be the limiting factor once the WC system is in place.

As far as the radiator goes, real estate is the prime factor more so than cost. If I can achieve near the same results with a single 120MM fan, then that's my "Yellow Brick Road" :)
However, if a dual 120MM setup will yield far better results, I'm chopping my case all to hell to make that happen. I just got a large air compressor and an air powered cutting tool, and I'm itchin to use it :)
 
With multable blocks you will get better temps with a dual heater core over a single 120 radiator when you start OC'ing the poop out of your system.
 
poop........so that's what that smell is !
You mean if I OC my rig it'll get rid of the smell?? SUPER!

Seriously, thanks again for all the help everyone. Sounds like a double for me...wheeeeeeeee!
 
Well, I'll tell ya this. I had an external dual 120 (77' Bonneville) heater core with shroud and 2 fans on my previous case. I got a new case and decided to go with an internal setup for portability reasons (and aethetics). The dual 120 would not fit without major modifications, and I did not want to cut a hole in the top of the case, or mount it externally.

I am now using a single 120 with 2 fans and 1 shroud, and my temps are about 8 C higher. Keep in mind, however, I am overclocking a 2500+ to 215 x 11 at 1.775 V and a geforce 6800 GT at the speed in my sig.

I may go back to an external setup, but only if I design an elegant box with mirror black finish or something along the lines of that, as I dont like the crude look anymore.

Basically, If you want better temps, go with a dual 120 setup with fans and shroud. Putting it external helps no doubt, as the heat is dissipated outside of the case.
 
You want as big a radiator as you can fit in your system. Some choose smaller radiators for appearance and other use huge rads that must be mounted to the outside of the case. It all depends on personal preference. That being said, I would use the 120mm size as a standard minimum.
 
If you don't have room inside your case, just build a external system like the one in my sig. The case cost nothing except time to build and it's portable. Cools better than a internal system also because it sits on the floor, doesn't heat up the case, and you can finish it in any color or finish you want.
 
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