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Watercooling Many watercooling questions

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by IvanLV, 4 Apr 2012.

  1. IvanLV

    IvanLV What's a Dremel?

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    Seems like a simple enough question. I was wondering if this topic had been brought up before. Does anyone have any links to some data?

    I believe push/pull would be best if your case can handle the room req. If your case can only handle push or pull... is push better?

    Discuss

    Can a water pump be 'mounted' anywhere in a case? I'm interested in the DD 12v D5 pump by Laing. The 'base' of the pump, where you screw it into your case, seems to be horizontal. This would put the inlet at a 90 degree turn to my rez. Can I mount the radiator on a side of my case and 'turn' the pump so its a direct shot form rez to pump?

    I'm building a new rig atm and had a few questions.

    I'm interested in a good fan speed controller. I have heard good things about NZXT (and bad things about their battery). Do you fellow geeks have any recommendations?

    Do most Fan controllers have temp sensors aswell? Where do you put the sensors for a liquid cooled rig? In the air flow? The tubing post cooling block? Between the block and cpu/gpu?

    Do you recommend flow monitors? Would it just restrict the system / cause more oppertunity for leaks to occur?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 4 Apr 2012
  2. Blogins

    Blogins Panda have Guns

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  3. asura

    asura jack of all trades

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    It's a bit of a read, but here's Martins most recent data on push/pull/shroud

    Laing pumps (and most others used in PC watercooling) are not self priming pumps. As long as the inlet is not pointing down, and has sufficient water to draw, you can mount it any way you want; including from rubber bands to isolate vibration.

    Fan speed controllers vary widely, from simple in-line rheostats (effective) like Zalmans most basic model, up to fully automated controllers like the Aquaero5. It all depends on what degree of control, automation, cost, information, and response you want.

    Obviously the simpler controllers won't include temperature sensors, anything from about the level of the Kaze units up do. Included sensors tend to be simple analogue thermistors and generally come uncalibrated (and in may instances uncalibratable) these are good for relative measurements. More complex systems allow calibration of the sensors; generally ice water at sea level is the chosen method; and there are charts for working out the absolute temperature of ice water at various altitudes if you're at high level in land.

    Where you put your sensors again depends on what you want to know and how accurately you want to know it. At the very least I'd advise an ambient air sensor, and a water temperature sensor; this way you can compare your air to water delta, and your water to core delta - using the on-chip thermal diode for core temperatures. Added to that you could measure your radiators waste heat, this allows you to work out how much work your radiators are doing. An internal temperature to keep an eye on your non watercooled components. And that's about it, unless you want to start doing crazy things, like milling a channel in your IHS to stick a sensor between your cores and your waterblock.

    As to where to put a water sensor, it doesn't particularly matter, over a given period of time with a steady load and ample flow, you'll find the least of differences in temperature throughout the loop. With rapidly changing loads and a lower flow you might get as much as 3C difference between the hottest and coldest part of your loop, but that's the exception, not the rule.

    Flow monitors don't add very much restriction, and while it's another pair of connections, so potentially another two possible points of failure (three if you count the sensor it's self) it has the added benefit of sensing and reporting pump failure or a catastrophic leak and (with the right monitoring system) shutting down your system.
     

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