Water cooling materials....

[blueonblack]

Ok, I'm looking into water cooling. I'm currently using the ThermalTake Prowater 850i, but it has a copper block and aluminum radiator. Bad idea, I am told. I'm looking at a passive solution, but the heat exchangers I'm looking at are aluminum. I've looked but can't find anyone that makes aluminum CPU water blocks. ??? I've found aluminum blocks for VGA, chipset and MOSFETs but no CPU blocks. Does anyone have any idea if these even exist? I figure is the entire loop is aluminum, I can avoid the dreaded galvanic corrosion.

[Zephik]

Why not use anti-corrosive fluid?

While you're at it, you should replace your tubing with aluminum flat tubing as well. That'd be awesome! :p (If only it exist, oh well. lol)

Doesn't corrosion usually only happen when you mix metals? I may be just confused there. But if I'm not, then why not just go all copper? Would be easier I would think.

Maybe have one custom machined for you? Isn't there someone here on the forums that does that kind of work? I can't remember who... hey Paul, you have a lathe don't you? :p

[blueonblack]

I could use anti-corrosive fluid, and probably will, but call me an extremist.

And yes it only happens when you mix metals, but the heat exchangers I have in mind only come in aluminum. I may actually end having an aluminum block machined, as crazy as that sounds.

[SXRguyinMA]

I've got an older style TT rad, its got copper piping running through aluminum fins. the tubing is round though, not flat like the newer ones, but it works just fine

[Kayin]

PM me, I have lots of avenues.

For the most part, there aren't really Al CPU blocks. You'd need to use an anticorrosive. I recommend G12 Pentosin, though if you can get it, G48 Glysantin is better-just much rarer.

[Airbozo]

OK Chemistry class is a distant memory, but I thought the only issue with mixing metals is if they actually come in contact with each other.

Like in the mess I just removed from under my house. Where the previous owner replaced galvanized pipe with copper, he just connected it together. When I remodeled my bathroom, I used all copper, but I used isolation connectors to connect into the galvanized pipes. Several months ago I re-plumbed the entire house and taking off the isolation connectors was cake. The copper to galvanized had to be cut out (and was only letting through about 1/3 of the water).

[Spawn-Inc]

i have a good feeling i know which passive rads your talking about, they don't work unless you have a feild of them.

they best way to go about it is getting a low fin count rad such as the XSPC RX**0 series, Black ice SR-1 series, Feser, or thermochill rads.

Triple 120mm
ThermoChill PA 120.3
XSPC RX360
Feser X-Changer Triple 120 mm
Black Ice SR1 360

those will all work well with low speed (and noise) fans and will give you great performance, much better then tt.

but i would also spend the money and redo the loop as well. that block is famous for cracking and the pump for dying prematurely.

and yes you can go mixed metals and use anti-corrosive fluids, but it will never stop the corrosion and why bother with the extra maintenance?

[p0Pe]

i would ditch the whole tt thing. you would get better performance (and sleep better) with proper parts.

whats to be recomended?

laing ddc pump
random tubing (i like tygon)
compression fittings (bitspower is the hottest, but also the most expensive)
cpu block: heatkiller 3.0, d-tek fuzion v.2 or pritty much any "high end" block. you get what you pay for.

and im with spawn... the alu in the loop will fu#k you up eventually.

my experience:
ddc pumps with foam under is practicly silent.
19 mm tubing or 9 mm tubing makes almost no difference, other than 9 mm is way easier to route
destiled water + silver kill coil is great as fluid.

if you want anything else, or need help with putting together a loop, write in this thread, or pm me

[blueonblack]

@ Spawn & Pope: Thanks for the input and suggestions. When it comes to water cooling, you guys are both great at what you do. *But*, we're not trying to do the same thing.

I will never try to squeeze the last possible degree out of a water loop. I will never stress my system to the point that I need it. I'm not competing (with myself or anyone else) on temps. Appearance and style are far more important to me than maximum possible performance. If I can put together the loop I want (and I'm not even certain exactly what that is just yet, still experimenting), I don't care if it offers the best performance. I never overclock, so I really don't even care if it offers average performance. Adequate performance is fine with me. The CPU I have runs hot by default, I know, so I'll need some performance, but as long as the loop keeps the temp out of the danger zone I'll be happy. And I'd like to do it differently than most. If that means I need seven passive coolers somewhere, maybe that's what I'll do, but it's going to be something other than the usual setup.

[billygoat333]

I like your thinking. 7 passive radiators would be pretty sweet if you have the room for them. haha.