is watercooling overrated???

D

DivineUnknown

New member
ive been wanting to buy a watercooling system for some time now and since summer is knocking at my door (92F today!) i need some extra help to keep my overclocks stable. but i've read a few reviews where people say that their cpu temps were equal with their hsf temps and that the only benefit to watercooling is the lack of noise.. my initial impressiong is that these people making these claims are judging by their idle temps and not the full load temps. can anyone vouge for the performance of their watercooling system or lack there of?? any particular systems that are known lemons?
 
If you can deal with the higher cost, complexity of installation and upgrading, higher maintenance, and potential for disaster (can never rule out a leak happening) water-cooling is well worth it.

But just like air coolers, not every water-cooling system is equal.

If you really want to see great potential get this as a minimum:

Strong yet quiet pump (preferably 12v to run right off your PSU)
Resevior at least the size of a 5.25" drive bay
Radiator no smaller than to support a single 120mm fan
Fan Shroud (this makes a fairly big difference in how air is pulled through the radiator)
Tubing size 1/2" (preferably vapor resistant)
Premium water block

Also:

Use distilled water mixed with something like Swiftech's HydrX to prevent corrosion over time and to extend service span timeline.
Add additional radiators for more stable temps under load.
Connect the 120mm radiator fans to a good fan controller to further control sound.

I think if you can stand the extra effort, water-cooling is worth it. I did it for awhile and realized that it just wasn't for me despite the excellent results I got.
 
Also don't mix metals!!!

No aluminum should be used in a system with copper and vice versa. Anodized Al still reacts with Cu and turns your system into a battery and basically rots your blocks.

So those Koolance blocks with aluminum ram coolers and copper gpu cooler are in fact a very very bad idea.
 
the only lemons are the cheap kits,these are almost token sets that u should stay clear of. if u stick with the good stuff like what ristogod suggested then you should see a great improvement, but ur gonna have to do ur research, things like algea and mixing metals can turn watercooling into a nightmare.
ive been watercooling for over 3years and i love the stable temps and low noise and also it looks so dam good. ive had no leaks but u do indeed have to think about those risks
 
gamefoo21 said:
Also don't mix metals!!!

No aluminum should be used in a system with copper and vice versa. Anodized Al still reacts with Cu and turns your system into a battery and basically rots your blocks.

So those Koolance blocks with aluminum ram coolers and copper gpu cooler are in fact a very very bad idea.
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Somewhat difficult to avoid considering almost all the radiators available are made of aluminum and the only true effective waterblocks are copper. But that is why you mix the water with something like antifreeze (or already available HydrX or some other similar product for those not wanting to figure out their own solutions). Your car does the same thing in that your engine is composed of cast iron, aluminum, copper and the radiator is usually aluminum or copper. That is why you have to flush your coolant system on your car every so often because it become acidic and creates that battery effect that gamefoo21 was talking about. So even antifreeze type products can't protect forever, they simply delay the enevitable.

So yes, using like metals is desirable, but not always feasable. Also even if you could use all copper, the effect would still arise in time as not all copper is created equal. One part may simply be a different grade of copper than another part. However using all copper would definetely slow down the effect.
 
DivineUnknown said:
what do you guys think of the reserator by zalman??
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No direct experience with it. I believe it's designed for quiet operation more than overclocking. I believe floppydonkeydick has one. You could ask him about it. I've never been much of a fan of external cooling units though. I would think it would make difficult for transporting.
 
gamefoo21 said:
Also don't mix metals!!!

No aluminum should be used in a system with copper and vice versa. Anodized Al still reacts with Cu and turns your system into a battery and basically rots your blocks.
Click to expand...
Good advice here by Gamefoo21 as it's completely true. Every person new to water cooling needs to know this esp if they're building their own system.

gamefoo21 said:
So those Koolance blocks with aluminum ram coolers and copper gpu cooler are in fact a very very bad idea.
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On the other hand this is completely false. Koolance gold plates their cooper water blocks on the inside because of their use of Aluminum radiators. Koolance systems are quite well thought out, effective, and easy to use.
 
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ristogod said:
Custom DIY
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right on man, i actually was thinking of making something untill i can afford to fork out some cash. i have a old pump from a granit saw i use for work, and i was thinking about mounting a reservoir inside the air conditioner i have in the window above my pc. it would be some seriouse cooling but would look pretty rough
 
DivineUnknown said:
right on man, i actually was thinking of making something untill i can afford to fork out some cash. i have a old pump from a granit saw i use for work, and i was thinking about mounting a reservoir inside the air conditioner i have in the window above my pc. it would be some seriouse cooling but would look pretty rough
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Well Custom DIY can still involve purchasing parts designed specifically for PC watercooling. It's just that if you buy the parts each on their own, you'll probably be able to put together something more effective than a kit.

And yeah, I would avoid going external if at all possible. Eye sores usually fill oneself with regret. ;)
 
DivineUnknown said:
right on man, i actually was thinking of making something untill i can afford to fork out some cash. i have a old pump from a granit saw i use for work, and i was thinking about mounting a reservoir inside the air conditioner i have in the window above my pc. it would be some seriouse cooling but would look pretty rough
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Dont see many ACs round here being the cold ole UK and all but i would be wary of doing that particular setup.
As soon as u go below ambient room temperature ur getting closer to the 'dew point', for example take a glass of cold water and place it on your desk, prolly within moments you'll have a build up condensation on the outside of the glass. the same might happen with ur watercooling pipes all the way into ur PC which might drip, not sure if that might happen in your case cos of the complexities of the 'dew point',but something to bear in mind(condensation played a big part in me ditching my T.E.C project).

im guessing what ristogod ment by DIY was that it consisted of PC waterblocks, coupled together with construction sourced pipes,pumped with a 110/230v fish tank pump and ran through maybe a car radiator.
Things have changed slightly since then, same water blocks but more user friendly 12v pumps can be had for the same price as with specifically built rads that can be bought to fit your case.

i think u guys are over-playin the mixing of metals problem(galvanic corrosion) since the WC market has matured, true alot of water block bases are made of copper but the tops are mostly made of alloy but its anodised, effectively sealin it.
i thought most rads were brass? e.g. BIX and thermochill
anyhow, heres a good link with some sexy pictures of rust,water addatives to fix those problems and general advice in this area. http://discuss.futuremark.com/forum...131084&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=1
 
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mishy said:
Dont see many ACs round here being the cold ole UK and all but i would be wary of doing that particular setup.
As soon as u go below ambient room temperature ur getting closer to the 'dew point', for example take a glass of cold water and place it on your desk, prolly within moments you'll have a build up condensation on the outside of the glass. the same might happen with ur watercooling pipes all the way into ur PC which might drip, not sure if that might happen in your case cos of the complexities of the 'dew point',but something to bear in mind(condensation played a big part in me ditching my T.E.C project).

im guessing what ristogod ment by DIY was that it consisted of PC waterblocks, coupled together with construction sourced pipes,pumped with a 110/230v fish tank pump and ran through maybe a car radiator.
Things have changed slightly since then, same water blocks but more user friendly 12v pumps can be had for the same price as with specifically built rads that can be bought to fit your case.

i think u guys are over-playin the mixing of metals problem(galvanic corrosion) since the WC market has matured, true alot of water block bases are made of copper but the tops are mostly made of alloy but its anodised, effectively sealin it.
i thought most rads were brass? e.g. BIX and thermochill
anyhow, heres a good link with some sexy pictures of rust,water addatives to fix those problems and general advice in this area. http://discuss.futuremark.com/forum/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=techmodding&
Number=2131084&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=1
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yes thanks for warning:) ive been worried about dew since the day i put an AC in my room (its right above my pc) i will deffinetly do some more reaserach and experimineting before i put anything liquide in my box, i wouldnt want to ruin 1500 dollars for a few degrees
 
Watercooling is only a smart option if you are tech savy enough to take care of a water cooled system.

Can you figure how to take the blocks on and off and how to change the blocks when time comes to upgrade videocards? Can you change the fluid? Do you feel secure tinkering around in your case in general?

If you awnsered NO to any of these questions then just go with a good air cooled system. Its cheaper and easier... trust me, this is coming from a guy who OWNS a water cooled system. They can be a pain if you are new to them.

Only people who know how to handle the hardware need apply in other words.
 
FX-Overclocking said:
Watercooling is only a smart option if you are tech savy enough to take care of a water cooled system.

Can you figure how to take the blocks on and off and how to change the blocks when time comes to upgrade videocards? Can you change the fluid? Do you feel secure tinkering around in your case in general?

If you awnsered NO to any of these questions then just go with a good air cooled system. Its cheaper and easier... trust me, this is coming from a guy who OWNS a water cooled system. They can be a pain if you are new to them.

Only people who know how to handle the hardware need apply in other words.
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well considering i like tinkering around with me system more than i actually like playing games i'de have to say that watercooling is def for me.
 
I'm thinking about running a dual loop in my next system.

Loop 1:

A single 120mm aluminum rad, hooked to the ram, the NB, and possibly the harddrives. Running off a single 5 1/4 rez/centrifuge pump.

Loop 2:

A dual 120mm copper rad, hooked to the cpu, then to the gfx, and off to a bay rez and a larger pump eg. D50.

I've been planning my water cooling rig for awhile, I'm just waiting for Conroe and R600, to build it. Dual loops have alot of advantages over single loops... but one disadvantage is complexity. Advantages are basically it tends to run cooler because your not dumping alot of heat into a limited amount of water, you double the water and you half the heat basically, you can also keep the dissimilar metals alot more seperated this way, and the last main advantage is aestetics you can run multiple colours of water in the system. But its not a system for a first timer because you add alot of complexity with routing hoses and flow paths and air flow and oi... Lots of planning involved to make it work right. 8)
 
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complex indeed, i think u will find it pretty hard to fit two loops of 1/2" tubing around ur mobo business areas even with a large case.
my ideal setup is to have 2loops,but slightly different.

one high flow rate circuit:
CPU>GPU>GPU2>NB>RES>pump

slowersecond loop:
Tripple RAD>RES>pump
however, they share the same RES,
first loop gets it cold water intake and the coolin loop removes the heat.hence avoidin any overlaping large bored hose.improved optimum flow rates for the coolin process due to the restrictive rads being on a diff cuircuit.
But im unlikely to change from what i have as its done me proud for over 3years.only thing ive cahnged is the hydor pump that died after 1 and half years.
 
I want to chime in and say water cooling is worth the extra work involved if you plan to do any serious overclocking. Water really shines when you crank up the voltage. I ran it for 2.5 years until I upgraded my platform. One thing I want to caution you on: make sure the water loop is air tight. In my case, I had the pump pulling water from the reservoir causing low pressure. (Lower atmospheric pressure = lower boiling point) Because of this, I had a problem with Water Wetter evaporating into my bedroom.
 
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