• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Water cooling concerns

S

shadowbreaker513

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,410
I've always been curious about watercooling, and now that I'm more into overclocking and have good RAM I'm even more interest. To me the attraction is in the reduced noise (retail heatsink, 4 80mm fans, 1 90mm slot fan, 2 additional psu fans currenty) both by eliminating the processor heatsink, and by being able to tone down the amount of case fans. I also like the way water cooling looks in a system, and the improved cooling it offers. I have always been a bit hesitant about it for one reason. I'm not really a lucky person, and so I am especially concerned about something breaking and ruining my entire computer. I know as long as you install it right, there is very little risk, but I mean actual hardware failures. Something along the lines of a tube developing a crack or another part developing a leak. If something like that happens are you basically screwed? I couldn't handle the finanial burden of replacing almost everything. I'm looking into overhauling my system around my birthday with a bigger case, DFI Lanparty motherboard, and watercooling for my processor (no video card cooling yet) is one thing I am considering adding. Can anybody calm my fears and/or tell me what happens in the event of a hardware failure? Thanks.
 
One of the hardest parts of putting your first wc rig together is getting over the fact that your putting water in close proximity of your comp. Something you've always been taught is a no-no. Don't worry bro. Hang out in these forums, do your research, ask some questions, and you'll be fine. You will also be addicted, but it's a goooood addiction. :D

Have fun putting it together and keep us posted on how it goes.
 
I will. From what I've read, it seems regularly changed distilled water has the lowest conductivity and isn't 100% garanteed to fry your computer should it have the misfortune of being on in the event of a leak.

On a side note, is it possible to build a quality water cooling setup for around $130 for a single processor? I may be able to push that price higher, but I'm also planning on a new motherboard and a new case around the same time; probably a chemning/chieftec.
 
130$ is easily do able.

Get an aquarium pump, common choices are an eheim or hydor, i hear people like the via aqua 1300 as well. You can get one of those for less than 40$ easy.

Get a chevette or a 77 bonneville heatercore (first is 1x120mm second is 2x120mm) from the autoparts store for like 25$, borrow the tools to modify it to work in watercooling, might have to spend a few dollars on some correctly sized barbs if you want, so say 35$ for the heatercore.

Get some tubing and hose clamps from home depot, that'll cost about 10$.

Now you have about 50-60$ to buy a waterblock which is right around where most waterblocks cost, so it is certainly do-able.
 
Would that be able to fit inside the case? I was hoping for an internal one so I could still lug the thing to LAN parties. Also, are resevoirs optional?
 
if you want to take it to lan parties might I suggest you not do watercooling? It sounds cool...but what you will quickly find out is that water is HEAVY :)

But yes, if you use the single 120mm radiator it is quite easy to make it all fit inside a case.

and yes you dont need a resevoir, if you dont get a resevoir all you need is a T-line, have some tubing coming off the t-line, this is what you will use to fill the system, you can get something like the DD Fillport to stick at the end of that tubing, but you dont need it, you just need to clamp the tubing securely shut or use a ball valve or something to close it off when you are done
 
I lot of my friends go to LAN Parties with watercooling. They just count it as their weekly workout (one even has it all packed in a steel case. My arms would pop off lifting that thing). I'll look into configuring a setup later tonight with case and water cooling. I have a bunch of old aquarium stuff, so I'll see if I have a pump that could work. Also is it easier to do a resevior or a T-Line? I was looking at some of the resevoirs that mount in a fan slot, or in extra hard drive bays. Recommend them if I do go with a resevior?

Also are kits just overpriced, recommended for somebody who doesn't have much watercooling experience, or a combination of both.
 
Hate to bring back a dead thread but I have just one last question.

If something breaks while the computer is on sometime down the road. Are you basically screwed?
 
i think you're allowed to bump back your own thread. :p

if you have all your watercooling equipment in your pc then you increase chances of damaging it by a leak. You can be a bit paranoid and seal everything with RTV or aquarium sealant....

If you loose all your water thru a leak, here's what can happen:
Anything that got wet while the unit is on has a good chance of dying. Number one component is your videocard, sitting so happily directly below your PC. :) Consider it gone. You may get lucky.


I have an external unit I built myself because I don't want all that junk crammed into my case... external units cool easier. And it's safer.

IMG_4616.jpg


Rest of pics: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/kevinb70/H2OCool (I am designing another box!)

Here I am using what was formerly a cool air blowhole directly to my CPU. Now thru this big hole I can insert my waterblock while still attached to my external cooilng system. I can remove teh waterblock without ever opening up any hoses. Not that I ever have to, but I could yank the side cover off any PC, and throw in my waterblock and start cooling. My design is more foolproof in that any leak will be outside the PC - the only thing in my pc is two hoses and the waterblock. Would be very rare for that to leak. If I got a leak it would be within my external cooling box. The worse that could happen to me is I loose all my coolant and my athlon CPU burn up.

With internal cooling the worse that could happen is: water leaks onto the motherboard, then smoke then fire then your house burns down.

As far as LAN parties (which I dont do) then may I consider just rigging yoru unit for portablity? How about a cute cart with pneumatic tires to easily cart around your PC?

Might I recommend is that you have a submerged pump.... I am using my pump inline and it is loud, I know if it were submerged it would dampen the noise greatly. My next box is going to be hardwood with acrylic box inside to act as reservoir and sound damper for the pump.

So your concerns: you may get lucky and catch it in time if you have a cooling failure. Or you may burn down your house :)
 
kevinb70 said:
i think you're allowed to bump back your own thread. :p

if you have all your watercooling equipment in your pc then you increase chances of damaging it by a leak. You can be a bit paranoid and seal everything with RTV or aquarium sealant....

If you loose all your water thru a leak, here's what can happen:
Anything that got wet while the unit is on has a good chance of dying. Number one component is your videocard, sitting so happily directly below your PC. :) Consider it gone. You may get lucky.


I have an external unit I built myself because I don't want all that junk crammed into my case... external units cool easier. And it's safer.

Here I am using what was formerly a cool air blowhole directly to my CPU. Now thru this big hole I can insert my waterblock while still attached to my external cooilng system. I can remove teh waterblock without ever opening up any hoses. Not that I ever have to, but I could yank the side cover off any PC, and throw in my waterblock and start cooling. My design is more foolproof in that any leak will be outside the PC - the only thing in my pc is two hoses and the waterblock. Would be very rare for that to leak. If I got a leak it would be within my external cooling box. The worse that could happen to me is I loose all my coolant and my athlon CPU burn up.

With internal cooling the worse that could happen is: water leaks onto the motherboard, then smoke then fire then your house burns down.

As far as LAN parties (which I dont do) then may I consider just rigging yoru unit for portablity? How about a cute cart with pneumatic tires to easily cart around your PC?

Might I recommend is that you have a submerged pump.... I am using my pump inline and it is loud, I know if it were submerged it would dampen the noise greatly. My next box is going to be hardwood with acrylic box inside to act as reservoir and sound damper for the pump.

So your concerns: you may get lucky and catch it in time if you have a cooling failure. Or you may burn down your house :)
Click to expand...

First off, just because you have an external box does not make it in any way shape or form safer than having everything enclosed. If you are transporting the system, you have to be careful and either disconnect the external box, which means taking off the internal waterblock, which is just another step where something can get bumped and stuff leak out...or you leave the external solution attached, but if the external box were to fall while transporting the case or twist in such a manner to put stress on the tubing you could also have a leak. Fact of the matter is, there is no advantage or disadvantage safety wise towards making an external solution.

Secondly, DO NOT run a submerged pump. First of all most submersible pumps are incredibly weak and not the best suited for watercooling a PC. That being said, you may dampen the sound some, but you are also forcing a lot more heat into the water, normally the pump dissipates a lot of heat into the air, by using a submerged pump all of the heat is put into the water. There are plenty of very quiet pumps out there, there should be no need to get a submersible pump due to noise.

If you do transport the case around, just make sure all the parts, pump etc... are securely fastened and that you have good hoseclamps on, and everything should be fine. If you have everything fastened you could tilt your case every which way and even give it some decent bumps and nothing would come loose.
 
Thanks for the info. I actually have half decided to something to get, which I posted a thread on. Would it be a good idea to build some kind of water shield to protect my video card? Possibly a sheet of metal with a slot cover on the end to plug into the open slot above my video card where my firewires go?
 
shadowbreaker513 said:
Thanks for the info. I actually have half decided to something to get, which I posted a thread on. Would it be a good idea to build some kind of water shield to protect my video card? Possibly a sheet of metal with a slot cover on the end to plug into the open slot above my video card where my firewires go?
Click to expand...

I think I have actually seen someone do that before. It is not really that big of a concern (waterblock leaking that is). If you set up everything properly you should not have a problem with it at all. However, if you have the space for it, and the wherewithall to complete such a task it would be pretty cool...and if designed properly protect your graphics card to boot! :)
 
I'm not so concerned about a leaking waterblock as I am a pipe developing a crack. I am one of those people who's things always somehow find a way to break. Also, I like the Thermaltake, but I've heard TT isn't so great for watercooling, and I don't have spot that fan on the back of my current case. That would have to wait,
 
Erasmus354 said:
if you want to take it to lan parties might I suggest you not do watercooling? It sounds cool...but what you will quickly find out is that water is HEAVY :)
Click to expand...


Heavy water is, but in the SMALL quantities that the average water cooled system takes, that small amount of weight is neglible.

1 gallon of water = ~8.35lbs


My cooling system holds about a pint... = ~1lb (not much weight to worry about...)
 
But then you add the weight of a nice big radiator.... and maybee the pump (depending on the pump)...

But, if your like me and put your stuff in an aluminum case, then lans are easier to goto than it was with my Sttel Cheiftek dragon air-cooled.

But I'm sure that my rents think i'm strange for buckling up my computer in the front seat while I make my friends ride in the back seat....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top