Water Cooling Guide....v 1.3

[Thasp]

This is somewhat related to watercooling. Since it's 29 degrees outside, I put my radiator in the window. I forgot to turn the fans off when I had the CPU at stock. I hit 5c on the CPU at one point.

 

Is there a minimum temperature for the average CPU to stay under? I haven't had any condensation(yet), but I don't want the CPU failing prime because it's under specced temp.

 

I heard of the cold bug in certain chips, but this is for negative celsius temperatures, which I doubt I'll ever see unless it's 9 degrees outside one day.

[red930]

Is there a minimum temperature for the average CPU to stay under? I haven't had any condensation(yet), but I don't want the CPU failing prime because it's under specced temp.

 

Do you mean stay over? Because of course the Intels are going to be okay out to 80C load (wouldn't recommend that for 24/7 use, but mine was fine when I ran Orthos)...

 

No clue what you should stay over to avoid condensation, probably going to have to do a lot with the humidity in your house. Careful putting the radiator in your window if it's below freezing outside, wouldn't want that sucker seizing up on you. :eek:

 

Theoretically it wouldn't easily freeze since it's under pressure, but if it's real cold out there it'll crack your radiator I'll bet.

[ReelFiles]

Not if he used an antifreeze solution

[red930]

Not if he used an antifreeze solution

 

Fair enough.

 

:angel:

[Curtybob]

I don't have my antifreeze tester here (the little clear plastic thing with the 5 or 6 beads that float), but I do know that those things are kinda picky. If it only floats one of the beads, the coolant is only good down to like 15F or something. And with most people mixing their coolant at 10% antifreeze and 90% water.... consider that a car's antifreeze solution is a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. So just considering the very weak mixture, it may be possible that antifreeze won't be of much help on a real cold day.

 

But, there's also the fact that the coolant is moving... and like technodanvan said, under pressure. Albeit not very much, and possibly negative pressure since the cold fluid will take up less space than room temp or warmer fluid. But, I suspect that would be cancelled out because the air bubbles will cushion the effects of the changes in pressure, at least for the most part, and the amounts of pressure we would experience.

 

OK. Done thinking.... back to my cocktails.

[expresso]

thanks FXed -- i am using my new system now - actually same parts just new Case and DD WC -- i still have to finish tying the wires better - i did take some pictures - and want to take a picture of it at the end once i am done with the wires -

i am busy because of having my apt. painted - so its a mess

but once i am done - i take some more pics and then figure out how to shrink them and how to post them here - which i never done - i did get the Fluid xp green and added a couple of drops of green dye also just to be sure it glows

 

this case is much better than my last - all the air bubbles are gone now - and it glows nice at night - even the day but best at night - but i have to fix another issue now - air flow in the case - since i dont have any now - and the pwmic gets hot if under load - the gpu is cool at 38C at idle

cpu is around 28c -30c idle - the chip is much higher but dosnt seem to move much at full load - around 45c -

 

my loop dosnt look as good as some others i seen on here -

all well - i am not looking to reloop it now - i have the 240mm Rad up in the front standing up - two fans in front 120mm each - thats all the flow going in the case right now - all the rest blowing out - so i will turn the rear 120mm to blow in over the board and see how that works - i am trying not to add more fans in the case to cover the board etc.

i will if this dosnt work and i have to - but want to give this a try first - i keep the fans on low and its nice and guiet now - the loudest part is my hard drives now - i never heard them before - but now i hear them alot - and i have them mounted in the rear top of the TT amor full case -

 

everything went smooth - no leaks - nothing went wrong -

i like it - dont think i go back to air cooled for my main system anyway - cost alot to WC more than one

 

my apt is so hot - i am in shorts in the middle of the winter and window open half way at least - not complaining but not good for the computer - thats why i wanted to WC plus looks cool -

 

i am waiting on my OCZ Ram cooler this week -

 

will take some time for my pics - but i will post them when ready - mostly ask for help on how to size them and post them -

thanks

[politbureau]

Just wanted to mention here that I just got one of the new little MCP355 pumps with the Petra's Tech Shop top preinstalled, and one of HW Labs new 120mm GT Xtreme rads. I must say I am exceptionally happy with the performance improvement over my old D5 + BIX.

 

Quite literally, these two now beat the pants off my old setup. 2 degrees lower at idle and a full 5 at load! This is also with a fan downgrade - from a YL D12SM-12 (70CFM) to the YL D12Sl-12 (50CFM). Not to mention the pump is much quieter as well. Temperatures are now only 5 degrees above ambient at idle, with my Opteron 165 @ 1.5v.

 

Highly reccomended to anyone looking for an upgrade to an existing system or looking at buying new.

 

Based on this experience I've just ordered a GTX 360 and another MCP355 + PTS top for my new Conroe build.

 

Special thanks to Transporter_GW for hooking me up with these at great prices!

[FXed]

I'm going to have to take a look at the specs for the MCP355 myself. I'm getting ready to build another rig, and I want to use my current water cooling system in that build and replace/upgrade what I have in my primary. My Delphi MCP350 is going strong, and I really have no issues with it. The PrimoChill PC-Ice I'd switched to after Fluid XP+ had ruined many parts of my system is still running strong. Unlike Fluid XP+, I'm not seeing tubing stains, major clouding or waxy fouling inside my WB,RAD or reservoir while using PC-Ice. PC-Ice is almost as clear now as when I filled my system with it a few weeks ago. Since my testing revealed this new and improved PC-Ice to actually be less conductive too than Fluid XP+, I'm going to be buying some PC-Ice UV Blue for my next build.

PC-Ice RULES!!! Thanks to Brian of PrimoChill [makers of PC-Ice], for the samples and for making a much better product than [lack of] Integrity-PC does [makers of Fluid XP+]. My full review will be posted soon, after the Xmas holidays. I love this stuff!!! [PC-Ice, that is, and all PrimoChill products I'm using now]

[expresso]

sounds nice - too bad its too late for me - i just did my First WC and i am using Fluid xp - green - which i was told was the best around -- i dont know - everyone says something different - i have mine running for over a month now - so for so good - i hope i dont have any major issues - i was told i wont have to refill it or change anything for years -

and thats what i liked -- i just put my pictures on my computer today - but i am not sure how to post them here and i am sure i have to downsize them somehow -

when i get a chance - i figure it out and try to post them here - i still have the OCZ memory cooler to add and a spot fan - and tie up a few wires - but thats about it -

just dont have the time to do all at once

[FXed]

You should be fine using Fluid XP+ in UV Alien Green. I still have half a bottle and it has far less of the white waxy deposits in it, and remains clearer than the so-called Red [actually pink] or the UV Blue. I'd still use the UV Alien Green Fluid XP+ if I was to use any of their products, and as long as you stick with that and stay away from the other colors you should be good to go. If you read the reviews on Big Bruin or PimpRig, you'll see that those people had better results with Fluid XP+, but since those reviews were written the people at PrimoChill have made some major advances in the PC-Ice formula, and even their UV Red is less conductive, more of a "true" red color and doesn't clog or cloud like Red Flame Fluid XP+ will. As long as you're using the UV Alien Green Fluid XP+, and not the other colors, you should be very happy with the results. Just avoid at all costs the Red or Blue, or you'll see staining, clouding, and clogging that will drive you insane. That stuff cost me a small fortune to replace all my new components, such as tubing and a clogged radiator, plus it was a royal pain to get it out of my water block and reservoir. The green stuff is OK, and I only wish I had bought that instead of the nasty waxy pink Fluid XP+ expecting it to be red. No worries, the UV Alien Green should last you for years, but like all UV coolants some clouding is inevitable. I think you'll be happy with it and it should last a very long time.

[expresso]

thanks - thats good to hear - i would freak out if i had to take it apart again and clean or replace parts because of the fluid - DD told me also that the green was the best one of the colors - it would glow the best etc. - so i went with the green - but like you - i was at first going with the Red

thinking its different and would look cool - but after DD told me the green was the best out of the bunch - i am happy with it so far - my whole system came together pretty nicely - but still need to do a few things - to keep the inside cool - board and chip etc. - and rewire a few fans to run off the power supply - have to get a extension for the fan 3 pin etc.

 

thanks for your input - i feel a bit better now -

now if i can only get vista to work with programs and stop the 30 day count down - i should be better then

[sYstEmATiC]

that was a pretty nice guide, i will definitely be referring back to it when i decide to go WC, which hopefully is in the next month or two.