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Smallest/cheapest radiator for project?

P

PiratePowWow

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 19, 2003
Messages
450
Well guys don't ask me why, I won't tell you.
I figure somebody here's got to know where I'm coming from with this request

I want to only watercool my video card. (not cpu or anything else)

I want to do this the cheapest way possible.

I saw in the hot deals section a super cheap pump for $7, it is a Via submergeable pump.

It is not necessary for me to be able to overclock a whole lot, I just want the card to run stable stock.

I believe the water block uses 5/16"/ 8mm ID hose.

My current thinking is that I may not require a true radiator, but rather particularly long (coiled maybe?) tubing would suffice since I don't expect a GPU or VPU to produce much heat compared to a CPU. I currently have eight 80mm case fans so I assume I have excellent ventilation.

If I really do need a radiator, I really am after the cheapest possible one preferrably very very small.

Oh lord I'm such a noob, more Q's please answer if you are knowledgeable in this field:

How do I hook up the aquarium pump? Do I have to drill a huge hole in the case to drag the power cord through?

Can I leave the pump running 24/7?


ANy help would be extensively appreciated, thank you in advance.
 
24/7... sure. Big hole? Unless you want to leave the case open 24/7 too.

The Black Ice Micro is tiny, but not cheap. Look at your local car parts dealer for some tiny heater cores. I wish you luck on your project.

But why? :p
 
Aww man, there's hardly any info on the net :confused:

I have two ideas in mind:

Attach two heatsinks back to back and put one heatsink in the water while the other heatsink sits in the air with a fan blowing on it.

OR

Run a cylinder within a cylinder type deal where water enters a cylinder, but is forced to the outside walls because of space taken up by an internal cylinder. Blow a fan on the cylinder.
 
I'll bite.

OK, so you wanna get your GPU wet. You've got a little pump, and you're using 8mm tubing. The tubing may be tricky to come across.

I don't think the idea of running the water through a coiled copper tube is very good, mostly because of the impact it will have on the pump. And automotive heatercores (far more efficient than coiled lengths of Cu tubing) are pretty darned cheap these days. You can probably pick a little one up for around $25. Now, as for how you'll do the tubing...I dunno. I've never worked with such small ID tubing before.

As for the fittings on the pump, that's not a problem. Take the pump to the local hardware store, like Lowe's or Home Depot, and walk along the aisle that has tubing and barbed fittings. Try out the fittings till you find the correct sizes. You may need to use some reducing fittings to take you down to the correct ID for your tubing.

Personally, I think you should strongly consider buying a heatpipe GPU cooler, like one of those Zalman deals. It'd be about as expensive as the watercooling option, and a lot safer.
 
I hear ya, but I'm doing water cooling no matter what.

I believe 8mm is the same as 5/16" which I found today at a local hardware shop for 29 cents a foot.

A guy at work said he'd give me a brand new heater core he bought for a car he doesn't have any more.

Since I now have a heater core for free, I'm considering watercooling the processor as well.

I found a tiny 63 gph pump for $13 at petsmart, and also a small fish tank used to put those fighting fish in that's really small and has a nearly sealed lid. I can use it as a reservoir.

Since I got the gpu block for free and the heater core for free, this project is gonna wind up costing me less than $20 after I buy the fittings! That's cheaper than what I could get a vga silencer for!

YeeHaw!
 
Originally posted by PiratePowWow
I hear ya, but I'm doing water cooling no matter what.
Click to expand...

OK then.

I believe 8mm is the same as 5/16" which I found today at a local hardware shop for 29 cents a foot.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if 8mm ID is a standard fitting size for most CPU waterblocks. Check and see. If it is, then that's fine, assuming you'd want to use an 8mm line in your system. 8mm tubing will be pretty flexible, but the narrow diameter will also mean more strain on your pump, so keep that in mind. How much more strain will depend on the length of tubing, and the designs of the heatercore, GPU block and CPU block.

A guy at work said he'd give me a brand new heater core he bought for a car he doesn't have any more.
Click to expand...

If it's brand new, why is he giving it away? Oh well, doesn't matter. Make sure you clean it out really well with water. If some nasty organic goop bits come floating out, then you may have to consider other cleaning measures, such as a Lysol/Pinesol/water mix.

Since I now have a heater core for free, I'm considering watercooling the processor as well.
Click to expand...

Now you've added a lot more complexity to your system. You'll want to go from CPU to GPU, not the other way around (just so you know).

I found a tiny 63 gph pump for $13 at petsmart, and also a small fish tank used to put those fighting fish in that's really small and has a nearly sealed lid. I can use it as a reservoir.
Click to expand...

I would not advise the use of a 63gph pump, and here's why: 8mm tubing, coupled with a heatercore, a GPU and CPU block, will most likely be beyond the performance range of the pump. If you want to get a pump for cheap, consider a Hydor L20 or L30, or a Danner Mag 3 (which is what a lot of people use).

Since I got the gpu block for free and the heater core for free, this project is gonna wind up costing me less than $20 after I buy the fittings! That's cheaper than what I could get a vga silencer for!
Click to expand...

TANSTAAFL. You'll have to pay a little more than $20, if you want peace of mind.
 
If you're not gonna OC your video card too much, then why even go with H2O? The hum of your pet shop pump will drive you mad inside a week. Also, a 63gph pump ain't gonna cut it if you're gonna cool your cpu as well. You should be looking at something closer to 300gph. Just make sure you use high quality tubing clamps.

Still, if you're gonna go through with the project, let us know how it turns out. But I think that for what you want to do, you should go with the VGA Silencer. It's $19.95 at pctoyland.com.
 
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