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Watercooling What FULL COVER BLOCKS are available for a HD7850?!

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Noob?, 10 Oct 2013.

  1. Noob?

    Noob? What's a Dremel?

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    Alright Ladies and Gents?

    Have a Q (pretty sure there'll be more but thats for another time :D), its about what full cover blocks you can get for a reference HD7850?

    So far I've only found the 2 EK models - the Nickel-Plexi and the Nickel-Acetal.

    So, are there any other manufacturers of W/C blocks selling full cover blocks for the HD7850?

    I've only recently decided to go custom watercooling, so have been reading but still got a fair way to go.

    The watercooled build will not be a gaming rig as such, so there's no need for a more powerful GPU, thats overkill if truth be told and I mention it only before someone says to go for a better card/more options? :D

    I may look to Crossfire the HD7850's in future (still to use them :duh:) and currently have 2 EK Nickel-Plexi Full Cover blocks for them but I'm now a bit undecided on them and am leaning towards the Nickel-Acetal variant.

    These are the ones I have IIRC: http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop...--Graphics-Cards--Nickel-Plexi-pid-16854.html

    With this Plexi Bridge:
    http://www.ekwb.com/shop/blocks/vga...parts/ek-fc-bridge-dual-serial-csq-plexi.html

    So, my Q here is, what are the differences between Nickel-Acetal and Nickel-Plexi other than the aesthetics? :D

    What would be your personal preference on the blocks? Plexi or Acetal?


    Thanks, would appreciate any help and love to listen to your views!
     
  2. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    The clue is in the title.

    The top part is made of Acetal instead of Plexiglass.

    Acetal is sometimes harder wearing - old plexi blocks used to be prone to cracking, but the quality is better these days and that's not so much of an issue. The real difference is aesthetics. Personally I'd go with plexi.
     
  3. PocketDemon

    PocketDemon Modder

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    Personally i find the plexi ones easier to use as you can clearly see if you've got any air trapped in them...

    From my experience, it's not so much of a problem if you're refilling a loop after part draining to swapping a block, but i've found cpu, gfx card &, back in the day, northbridge blocks all persistently trapping air in odd corners when they're new.


    Then, i've never had any issue with EK plexi tops cracking, & i've been using them from 2008 onwards (prior to that i was using some other brand's blocks with plexi tops - can't recall the name & don't think they exist now)...

    From recollection on the EK side, i've used 5 different cpu blocks, 5 different gpu blocks & a northbridge block - all of which have been plexis.

    Whatever you use, it's really just about not over tightening the fittings...

    Well, i know it's possible to strip the threads in a rad by going mad with a spanner - when i was first experimenting with w/cing, back in 2002, i ended up having to use plumber's tape to save buying a replacement rad having been slightly over enthusiastic...
     
  4. Noob?

    Noob? What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks for the reply, forgot about the thread (well, not entirely, had things come up).

    LOL, understood the difference in build. :p

    Just wanted to grasp if there was any difference in terms of temps and usage/ease of fitting.

    My main concern was also about durability, thats been alleviated by yourself and PocketDemon (thanks to you both!).

    I'm still unsure on what to go for? keep with the Plexi or go for the Acetal? The Plexi version may not quite fit in with the build I have in mind.

    Saying that I'll probably just keep a hold of one or both in case I decide Plexi's the better option for the build.

    Oh, seen any other brands make HD7850 blocks?

    Thanks again!



    PD, thanks for replying! Sorry for the delay in replying back.

    Never thought of that - the visibility of trapped air in the Plexi being easily noticable! Show's of me being a Noob? :hehe:

    PD, you stress the importance of not over-tightening which is the part that I'm concerned by in general for the WC build.

    How would you say (or for the matter this goes to any other members reading) would one know when enough's enough? This is where my interest in the Acetal version has bias towards, thinking if I happened to over-tighten, the Acetal part won't crack? Would that be right?

    Would finger tight be the option when using Plexi parts?

    Anyway, thanks again on your views and guidance.

    Finally, have you seen any other brands to have HD7850 full cover blocks in their catalogue?



    Many thanks again GUYS! :thumb:
     
  5. PocketDemon

    PocketDemon Modder

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    No worries at all - & sorry that the following's a bit rambling... Not sure where my head is today.


    The visibility of air is simply my rationale for going plexi - esp with new/dry blocks i've always seen air getting trapped in cpu & (back in the day) northbridge ones...

    ...&, esp if you're internally mounting the rad, it's a damn nuisance to be getting air out as you've got to be rotating the whole machine around every axis periodically.

    ***remember to fully tighten the res cap before doing so***

    This is one of the reasons why i moved to external rads on stands some years back as, once the blocks are initially free of air, you can normally just rotate the rad by itself.

    (there's also *much* better temps - both in the case & for what you're cooling with the loop)

    * * * * * * *

    it's certainly more than finger tight - well, using barbs (as that's how i properly started building things & generally reuse as much as possible over builds) then, whilst obviously i start off with fingers, i use an adjustable spanner at the end...

    ...but there's a difference between something being firmly tightened (which is good as you obviously want it to be water tight), & taking it past that point by trying to turn it for all it's worth.

    Yeah, it's just difficult to explain in words - well, how would you tell someone how much to blow a balloon up by typing instructions?

    Having said that, having learnt from my first rad mistake, by taking a bit of care i've never had any further issues.


    Thinking about it, that's probably the way to do it - start with the rad & that'll give you a good guide as to how tight it should feel - plus it's possible to remedy it if you over tighten a bit too much.


    Oh, & it's not just the blocks & rad that you could be needing to tighten fittings into as, unless you buy moulded or preassembled things, the pump &/or res will also need them - & most reservoirs i've used aren't dissimilar to having to tighten a fitting into a plexi top...

    ...so you'll probably need to learn to gauge it anyway - no matter what top the block has.


    * * * * * * *

    Otherwise, as a couple of 'tips of the day', or rather simply as they've crossed my mind -

    1. Whilst the common wisdom is to do all of the air removal (8-16 hours or so) using a cross-wired psu, it's worthwhile noting that the hotter a liquid is, the less dissolved gas (or air) it can carry...

    ...so, having ensured that the loop is nominally full (5 mins or so of rotating stuff), the blocks are completely air free & there's no obvious leaks, i've taken to switching to having the entire machine on at that point, as it speeds things up.

    Typically, i've gotten things to the same state as a 16 hour run would have done in about an hour.


    The major caveat to this is that i always double check any newly attached fittings with kitchen paper (giving the tubing a fair wiggle) prior to this, with the pump running, & only use pre-mix Fesser liquid - which is pretty much non-conductive...

    ...to the level that, with the shonky block (or rather it's damn stupid plastic size adapters) that came with the original Asus Rampage Extreme, liquid dripped down the mobo, over the back of the graphics card & into the psu... & everything survived.

    (i only noticed it d.t. hearing an odd clicking sound - & it had passed a 16 hour test)

    ymmv of course - & i'm not suggesting that anyone deliberately douse their kit in any liquid.


    Obviously, i go straight into the bios to ensure that the cpu temp is sensible, & then into Windows to do the same for the gfx card though (it's worth temporarily disconnecting some rad fans to up the temps somewhat)... But you'd want to do that anyway.

    Naturally you can adapt this to your level of comfort - for example by sticking bunches of kitchen paper under all of the blocks/fittings - but i don't bother as i've confidence in my ability.


    2. &, secondly, as both dissolved air will continue to come out of the liquid & small bubbles will coalesce & collect somewhere (always in the rad from my experience), it's worthwhile re-rotating everything, with the pump running, every couple of days for about a fortnight.

    (again, using external rads - which are the highest point in each loop - i just have to rotate them)
     
  6. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    Mostly good advice, but I thin you are making too big a deal out of getting the air from your loop. Just get a cylinder res, and then run the pump for an hour at full pelt, turn it off and on a few times, and tip the case back and forward once or twice and you are there.

    Also, finger tight for compression fittings is fine. I've never used a spanner or anything industrial like that and never had a leak.
     
  7. PocketDemon

    PocketDemon Modder

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    Well, that 'might' work if the res is the highest point in the loop & the rad was either mounted vertically (w. fittings at the top) or, i guess, at the bottom of the case but, even with the very first kit i had which used one (back when the alt was to use a car radiator/pre-EK & whatnot being available options), bunches of air would always end up in the rad.


    Based on what you've written, i don't think that my method takes longer than what you're suggesting - since you've got an hour at full pelt + turning it on & off x number of times (i assume allowing it to settle) + some rotation (so maybe 1h10m?) -vs- my 5mins using a cross-wired psu (initial filling & rotation), ~55mins (again with rotation during it), & then less than a minute of rotating 5-6 times over a fortnight.

    Then, as i imagine that the OP's going to be keeping a close eye on things as it's the first loop (completely natural paranoia about leaks & all), why not spend the time doing extra rotations to remove more air though?


    i have noted though that we're both suggesting methods that disregard the stupid amount of time that most every guide suggests should be taken for leak testing - so it's not that we're coming from completely different places with it all...

    ...& certainly i accept that i'm probably somewhat unusual in using external rads (there's one for each machine - not hundreds of the things) to aim for the best temps - & removing as much air as is reasonably possible (without spending your whole life on it) is a part of that; the more air in the rad, the less efficient it will be.


    Yeah, once the OP's split fluid all over the floor & rebuilt the loop a couple of times then i'm sure they'll come up with their own variation on the various methods - it's just how i've optimised things over several years to get the best results from the general advice of leak testing for half of ever & whatnot.


    As to compression fittings, since that first pre-built kit (where they came pre-fitted to the blocks) i simply don't use them as i have *much* more faith in barbs & jubilee clips...

    ...esp if, for example, you need to temporarily take a gfx card out of its slot (leaving it dangling from the tube coming down from the cpu) to get to something on the mobo... ...or (depending on the tubing layout) pull the cpu block aside to swap processors & apply tim properly... ...or...

    (compression fittings tend to look nicer if your aim is to sit & admire them, but otherwise...)

    So it 'may' be the case that what you're saying will be completely water-tight with all compression fittings that are out there, but i really can't comment.

    However, the OP's not said which they're looking at using so i guess they can look at both sets of advice & make a value judgment based on which they choose.
     
  8. Big_malc

    Big_malc Minimodder

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    If you feel what your doing with a spanner you will feel the difference between something tightening and something being over tightened. When you start having to pull with resistance stop
     

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