Alphacool Watercooling Starter Kit - bit-tech.net Forums

The_Pope · 29th Mar 2006, 11:43

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...ter_Kit/1.html

monkeyville · 29th Mar 2006, 13:05

Great article

I seem to stil be a complete n00b when it comes to water even after years of reading stuff about them. I think i must blank out whenever it gets mentioned so its good to see there are kits out there for the total n00bie. I do however think that if i was loking to buy this kit and read that review i would definatly not buy it. The fact that there wasnt enough liquid in the bottle would be an added expense and i wouldnt just have it lying around.

[The 'buy it here' link on the last page is also broken]

Fly · 29th Mar 2006, 13:20

external link fixed.

chemo · 29th Mar 2006, 13:39

nice review there, its filled in a few holes i had about WC'ing. im thinking about a kit like this and it certainly looks better than the coolermaster kit thing

jezmck · 29th Mar 2006, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyville

Great article

I seem to stil be a complete n00b when it comes to water even after years of reading stuff about them. I think i must blank out whenever it gets mentioned so its good to see there are kits out there for the total n00bie....

Ditto to all that.

The insufficient coolant seems like a big mistake - perhaps it should be diluted?

I got scared by the last line:

Quote:

leaks out of the box

Also a small typo:

Quote:

Originally Posted by p4 para 6

if you out it together incorrectly.

UPDATE Fixed by moderator - thanks[b]

sandys · 29th Mar 2006, 15:06

I'd imagine it can be diluted though I wonder how much pipework you have used, I bought an alphacool kit, a ready2go one ( pretty much same stuff but preinstalled in a CM Stacker with 3x120mm rad in top, prefilled, £235 specialtech ), even better for beginners as its prefilled and you just have to put all your stuff in the new case and switch it on, although I didn't do that I drained it, added two gpu coolers to it plus some mosfet coolers and filled it with the same 500mm Alphacool bottle, it may be that your resevior is larger, mine is square and looks smaller.

Anyway seems like a good bit of kit

Dr. Strangelove · 29th Mar 2006, 15:08

Nice review, still don't have the guts to stuff water into my computer tho

I was however very impressed with the new Zalman heatsink!!

Guido · 29th Mar 2006, 15:43

Hmm, I'd love to watercool, but the thing holding me back is my socket A motherboard without mounting holes. It seems that hardly anyone makes a bracket that mounts to the socket tabs. It looks like this kit might use the tabs for a socket A. Would the BT staff be willing to verify that?

unrealhippie · 29th Mar 2006, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guido

Hmm, I'd love to watercool, but the thing holding me back is my socket A motherboard without mounting holes. It seems that hardly anyone makes a bracket that mounts to the socket tabs. It looks like this kit might use the tabs for a socket A. Would the BT staff be willing to verify that?

Your money would be better spent upgrading hardware before moving to watercooling. £100 could buy a very cheap A64 solution which would improve performance more than what I cheap watercooling kit would.

kickarse · 29th Mar 2006, 16:25

The copper heatsink did pretty well considering the load. I wonder how much overclocking even more would have shown?

ozstrike · 29th Mar 2006, 18:29

Good review. It's great how companies are trying to get more people into WC. I'd love to try it, but I don't have enough money.

It would have been nice to see how well it performs when pitched against a proper, custom built WC setup, just to see how close you can get to it for the money.

Darv · 29th Mar 2006, 19:44

How much liquid did you need in the end. I have a similar loop with an extra 3 blocks but an Aquatube in place of the submerged pump and it's completey filled with around 300ml.

I like Alphacool kit recently. It's very good value for very good performance.

speedfreek · 29th Mar 2006, 21:03

It looks good for someone just starting out but if I would go to water I would want to do everything, CPU, GPU, northbridge. And the manual issue wouldnt bother me much, hardly read the things anyway unless somthings missing.

Risky · 29th Mar 2006, 23:11

Minor point is that the you can still install it if you don't have a PCI slot free as it isn't actually using PCI, you just need somehere to stick that PCB

Major point is that it can be upgraded and expanded with part form a big range of suppliers - this doesn't tie you into one range of parts.

Fly · 29th Mar 2006, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risky

Minor point is that the you can still install it if you don't have a PCI slot free as it isn't actually using PCI, you just need somehere to stick that PCB

It is an option, but with the bare PCB I would highly recommend you don't unless you fully insulate it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risky

Major point is that it can be upgraded and expanded with part form a big range of suppliers - this doesn't tie you into one range of parts.

Yep, as mentioned.

I'll answer all other questions tomorrow when I have another play with it.

Xen0phobiak · 5th Apr 2006, 12:41

Don't be afraid of leaks, my watercooling setup has leaked twice, both times all over the graphics card (1st time a 9700np, 2nd time a 6800le), because I didn't seal the thread on the barbs on my TDX. Both times I dried it out and everything worked fine afterwards. The Irony is that I sealed everything else and assumed the waterblock would be ok

. My system seems to take around a litre, possibly a little more. eheim 1250, TDX, BIX120.1, and several feet of 1/2" ID tubing.

The Bart Man · 10th Apr 2006, 20:37

Nice review. Good starting kit
Have also a nice kit laying around only the bloks fore gpu and NB leak because the screws are over tightend. So almost fineshed with building new cover out of aluminium so within some time I will install it in a Antec Sonata. But also thinking of buying a lianl li case. just a simple one with enough room.

29th Mar 2006, 11:43	#1
The_Pope Geoff Richards Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: UK Posts: 2,089	Alphacool Watercooling Starter Kit http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...ter_Kit/1.html

29th Mar 2006, 13:05	#2
monkeyville Evilish Monkey ++; Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Surbiton - SW London Posts: 1,794	Great article I seem to stil be a complete n00b when it comes to water even after years of reading stuff about them. I think i must blank out whenever it gets mentioned so its good to see there are kits out there for the total n00bie. I do however think that if i was loking to buy this kit and read that review i would definatly not buy it. The fact that there wasnt enough liquid in the bottle would be an added expense and i wouldnt just have it lying around. [The 'buy it here' link on the last page is also broken] __________________ \|eBay\| Because monkeys never hurt anyone. \|Hexus\| -=\|For Sale Thread\|=- -------- -=\|My Site\|=- "If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?" [atrack]monkeyville[/atrack]

29th Mar 2006, 13:20	#3
Fly inter arma silent leges Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: London, UK Posts: 3,741	external link fixed. __________________ "Flying is simple; push on the stick and the houses become bigger, pull back on the stick and houses become smaller, unless you keep pulling in which case the houses will become bigger again..." Disce quasi semper victurus; vive quasi cras moriturus.

29th Mar 2006, 13:39	#4
chemo True Jungle Brother Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,639	nice review there, its filled in a few holes i had about WC'ing. im thinking about a kit like this and it certainly looks better than the coolermaster kit thing __________________ Don't hate the Geek, Hate the code!

29th Mar 2006, 15:06	#6
sandys Hypermodder Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, UK Posts: 914	I'd imagine it can be diluted though I wonder how much pipework you have used, I bought an alphacool kit, a ready2go one ( pretty much same stuff but preinstalled in a CM Stacker with 3x120mm rad in top, prefilled, £235 specialtech ), even better for beginners as its prefilled and you just have to put all your stuff in the new case and switch it on, although I didn't do that I drained it, added two gpu coolers to it plus some mosfet coolers and filled it with the same 500mm Alphacool bottle, it may be that your resevior is larger, mine is square and looks smaller. Anyway seems like a good bit of kit __________________ Into Gaming and around Bristol, UK, Click Here Last edited by sandys; 29th Mar 2006 at 15:25.

29th Mar 2006, 15:08	#7
Dr. Strangelove Supermodder Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dundee Posts: 306	Nice review, still don't have the guts to stuff water into my computer tho I was however very impressed with the new Zalman heatsink!! __________________ If it isn’t broken, fix it. If it is broken, mod it till it looks like it's meant to be broken.

29th Mar 2006, 15:43	#8
Guido Multimodder Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Where the oil rigs drill Posts: 243	Hmm, I'd love to watercool, but the thing holding me back is my socket A motherboard without mounting holes. It seems that hardly anyone makes a bracket that mounts to the socket tabs. It looks like this kit might use the tabs for a socket A. Would the BT staff be willing to verify that? __________________ New and improved Jibberish! Now with 20% less coherency! Mods & Creations: Black Energy, AL-rylik

29th Mar 2006, 16:25	#10
kickarse Ultramodder Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Holyoke, MA Posts: 1,281	The copper heatsink did pretty well considering the load. I wonder how much overclocking even more would have shown? __________________ Top 5 Listening to Now - A Second To Last - Dying Against Your Will Rock Kills Kid - Paralyzed Zero State Reflex - I'm Splintering Hot Hot Heat - Middle of No Where - www.nerges.net

29th Mar 2006, 18:29	#11
ozstrike yip yip yip yip Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lake District, UK Posts: 2,921	Good review. It's great how companies are trying to get more people into WC. I'd love to try it, but I don't have enough money. It would have been nice to see how well it performs when pitched against a proper, custom built WC setup, just to see how close you can get to it for the money. __________________ Last.FM \| Flickr \| Enter the POTM! \| Blog

29th Mar 2006, 19:44	#12
Darv Bling!! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: St Albans, UK Posts: 1,666	How much liquid did you need in the end. I have a similar loop with an extra 3 blocks but an Aquatube in place of the submerged pump and it's completey filled with around 300ml. I like Alphacool kit recently. It's very good value for very good performance.

29th Mar 2006, 21:03	#13
speedfreek Ultramodder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: SE Wisconsin (us) Posts: 1,439	It looks good for someone just starting out but if I would go to water I would want to do everything, CPU, GPU, northbridge. And the manual issue wouldnt bother me much, hardly read the things anyway unless somthings missing. __________________ New Rig, Quad Core and 8800 baby! Now with 6gb of RAM and a nice even 2tb now my server\|Athlon 64 3700(2.64ghz)\|7800gs\|2gb XMS 2-3-3-6\|2tb+ total HD space... In raid\|I have a problem. New Laptop: HP EliteBook, its fast!

29th Mar 2006, 23:11	#14
Risky Mod Master Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Wiltshire....for a few days more Posts: 2,276	Minor point is that the you can still install it if you don't have a PCI slot free as it isn't actually using PCI, you just need somehere to stick that PCB Major point is that it can be upgraded and expanded with part form a big range of suppliers - this doesn't tie you into one range of parts. __________________ As a rule watercooling can be simple, affordable and effective... I guess I just like to break the rules.

10th Apr 2006, 20:37	#17
The Bart Man Modder Join Date: May 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 52	Nice review. Good starting kit Have also a nice kit laying around only the bloks fore gpu and NB leak because the screws are over tightend. So almost fineshed with building new cover out of aluminium so within some time I will install it in a Antec Sonata. But also thinking of buying a lianl li case. just a simple one with enough room.