Watercooling 201: The Waterblock - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 28th Jan 2008, 12:00

http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2008..._waterblocks/1

There are very few things about watercooling that are misunderstood more than the waterblock. After all, how does it really work? And what makes a good block? We take a look at the anatomy of a waterblock and even give you some tips for if you want to build your own.

Delphium · 28th Jan 2008, 12:49

Great article!!

I dont think im quite ready to be building my own blocks just yet, but this article certainly helps in choosing (and understanding that decision) the right type of block for ones needs.

Nice work.

WhiskeyAlpha · 28th Jan 2008, 13:13

Absolutely fantastic article Brett!

Informative and very well written.

However, I hate to be the one to point out a flaw but, unless I'm very much mistaken, that isn't the "new" MC-TDX at all. It appears to be the standard TDX instead.

Here's some nice pics of the MC-TDX

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett Thomas

This probably seems pedantic –

naokaji · 28th Jan 2008, 13:21

great article.... but, when i got towards the end and spotted that rebate, wow that just put the article even beyond awesome.

samkiller42 · 28th Jan 2008, 13:33

Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us?

Sam

Bluephoenix · 28th Jan 2008, 13:39

great article

I have my own custom-made water block on my Striker NB, and while I still have no camera, I'll dig up the solidworks designs when I have time after work.

Da Dego · 28th Jan 2008, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by samkiller42

Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us?

Sam

Erk! Hey Sam, I thought I left the word 'five' in there. Originally I intended to add a look into an 'up and coming' in there - but after digging through the best of the best, the fifth block really didn't make the cut. I'd prefer not to slander it without a proper review, so I withheld judgement on it.

And Whiskey, you are correct that this is a standard TDX - I didn't get my MC version in time and forgot to change the references

Sorry bout that! The article is corrected now. Dan wouldn't have been happy for me to feature his "old" block as the new - and I've not tested the MC's performance.

I'm glad you guys like it so far! This has been in my head to do for a while - I've been looking around for watercooling resources and found things particularly lacking. Not so much in "this block good, this block bad," but the why's and the wherefor's.

Mankz · 28th Jan 2008, 14:10

I would have prefered an MC-TDX comparrison, as the TDX is now very much Old-Hat.

mrb_no1 · 28th Jan 2008, 14:11

Nice follow up brett. I'm not in the market for making my own blocks yet but am thinking about a watercooling system when i come into new hardware and now atleast i understand more of what i'm looking at when i sift through pis of waterblocks. Cheers

fatman

Da Dego · 28th Jan 2008, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by '91

I would have prefered an MC-TDX comparrison, as the TDX is now very much Old-Hat.

Hey '91,

I would like to have *also* included the MC - the standard TDX is still one of the best blocks on the market and a good example of excellent design, though. I'm going to do a proper review of the MC- in the near future, though - so no worries.

Mankz · 28th Jan 2008, 14:27

So, are we going to be seeing more water cooling reviews?

Brilliant!

legoman666 · 28th Jan 2008, 14:35

Good to see my beloved TDX in here. I've been using one since my socket 754 days. Went from 754 AMD x64 3000+ to 939 AMD x2 3800+ and now to Intel 775 Q6600.

Hamish · 28th Jan 2008, 15:05

nice article, good job of condensing the huge can of worms that is waterblock design down into an understandable form

samkiller42 · 28th Jan 2008, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Da Dego

Quote:

Originally Posted by samkiller42

Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us?

Sam

Erk! Hey Sam, I thought I left the word 'five' in there. Originally I intended to add a look into an 'up and coming' in there - but after digging through the best of the best, the fifth block really didn't make the cut. I'd prefer not to slander it without a proper review, so I withheld judgement on it.

heh, all is revealed. I thought that maybe the Storm would show up, seems i have the wrong block

Sam

WhiskeyAlpha · 28th Jan 2008, 15:38

Sorry Brett, I'm at it again:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett Thomas,

[Regarding the D-Tek Fuzion] note that there are neither nozzles nor much to induce truly turbulent flow as the water enters the block—it's a straight shot from the hose to the copper

Maybe not in the box but these are available and I found the "Quad nozzle" actually did seem to reduce my temps a bit on the ol' Q6600.

available here

skunkmunkey · 28th Jan 2008, 15:45

Had hoped to see the apogee GTX in there. Got myself one of these blocks and I'm very happy with its performance. Great article tho mate, would be nice to see one including GPU / Mosfet / NB blocks too now

zero0ne · 28th Jan 2008, 15:53

I'm also surprised you didn't have a SINGLE apogee waterblock in that lineup... because if you did, it would trump every block there.

Cather @ www.procooling.com was the original designer of the apogee series, and back in the hayday you could get one similar to the top of the line apogee that was done in 99.9% silver.

my understanding is he then sold the design.

anyway, this block is amazing, go buy it now!

Nexxo · 28th Jan 2008, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunkmunkey

Had hoped to see the apogee GTX in there. Got myself one of these blocks and I'm very happy with its performance. Great article tho mate, would be nice to see one including GPU / Mosfet / NB blocks too now

Quote:

Originally Posted by zero0ne

I'm also surprised you didn't have a SINGLE apogee waterblock in that lineup... because if you did, it would trump every block there.

Cather @ www.procooling.com was the original designer of the apogee series, and back in the hayday you could get one similar to the top of the line apogee that was done in 99.9% silver.

my understanding is he then sold the design.

anyway, this block is amazing, go buy it now!

Brett did not pick the blocks he featured in the article because he thought they were, like, the best performing blocks evar, nor because he has particular favorites (he doesn't). He simply chose them as examples of well-performing blocks functioning along the watercooling principles he wished to illustrate. No particular criticism or depreciation of the Apogee was implied and none should be inferred.

iwog · 28th Jan 2008, 17:09

Do we get one on radiators soon, because that seems to be the most confusing bit to me.

Hamish · 28th Jan 2008, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwog

Do we get one on radiators soon, because that seems to be the most confusing bit to me.

radiators are easy, thermochill PA series as big as you can fit, done

28th Jan 2008, 12:00	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	Watercooling 201: The Waterblock http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2008..._waterblocks/1 There are very few things about watercooling that are misunderstood more than the waterblock. After all, how does it really work? And what makes a good block? We take a look at the anatomy of a waterblock and even give you some tips for if you want to build your own. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

28th Jan 2008, 12:49	#2
Delphium You there computer man fix my pants Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: on teh interwebz Posts: 1,256	Great article!! I dont think im quite ready to be building my own blocks just yet, but this article certainly helps in choosing (and understanding that decision) the right type of block for ones needs. Nice work. __________________ \| Asus P5N32-E SLI \| Q6600 G0 @3.0ghz Watercooled \| 8GB Corsair Dominator PC8500 @1066mhz 5-5-5-15 2T \| XFX GTX285 \| BFG 8800GTS \| XFX 9600GT \| 1x 128GB Crucial M225 SSD \| 5x 500GB Seagate SATA-II \| BFG 800W SLI PSU \| Logitech Z-5500 5.1ch speakers \| 3x Dell S2209W 22"wide TFT's (5760x1080res) \| 1x Panasonic 42"Plasma \| All working on Win7 Ultimate x64 \|

28th Jan 2008, 13:33	#5
samkiller42 KEEP IT CLEAN! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Havant, Hampshire, England Posts: 3,193	Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us? Sam __________________ The Rig: i7 920 D0, Gigabyte EX58-UD5, 12GB DDR3 1600mhz, BFG GTX295, Samsung 64gb SSD, WD 640gb Black, Samsung F2 Eco 1TB, Dell 3007WFP, Windows 7 RC. The Netbook: Samsung NC10 Black, Intel Atom, 2gb DDR2 The Mac: Awaiting Delivery

28th Jan 2008, 14:11	#9
mrb_no1 Pie Eater Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pyrford, England Posts: 365	Nice follow up brett. I'm not in the market for making my own blocks yet but am thinking about a watercooling system when i come into new hardware and now atleast i understand more of what i'm looking at when i sift through pis of waterblocks. Cheers fatman __________________ Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 3600Mhz ¦ Asus Maximus II Formula ¦ ATI Radeon 4890 (1000Mhz Core + 1200Mhz Mem OC) ¦ 2x2G Corsair Dom. PC 8500 @ 1080Mhz ¦ Aquacomputer WC ¦ Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty ¦ 150G Raptor, 2x1500 + 1x750 + 2x500 Seagate (SATA2) ¦ Pioneer DVD burner ¦ Lian Li - PC 73SL Aluminium Silent Server Case ¦ Dell 2007WFP 20" Widescreen ¦ Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Speakers ¦ Sennheiser HD270

28th Jan 2008, 15:45	#16
skunkmunkey Multimodder Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk UK Posts: 140	Had hoped to see the apogee GTX in there. Got myself one of these blocks and I'm very happy with its performance. Great article tho mate, would be nice to see one including GPU / Mosfet / NB blocks too now __________________ Current Project: Blackwing crypt Last project: Atomic Breadbin First project : Cadillac Stacker

28th Jan 2008, 13:39	#6
Bluephoenix Spoon? What spoon? Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 936	great article I have my own custom-made water block on my Striker NB, and while I still have no camera, I'll dig up the solidworks designs when I have time after work.

28th Jan 2008, 14:35	#12
legoman666 Beat to fit, paint to match. Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 786	Good to see my beloved TDX in here. I've been using one since my socket 754 days. Went from 754 AMD x64 3000+ to 939 AMD x2 3800+ and now to Intel 775 Q6600.

28th Jan 2008, 15:05	#13
Hamish I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: London Posts: 3,587	nice article, good job of condensing the huge can of worms that is waterblock design down into an understandable form

28th Jan 2008, 15:53	#17
zero0ne Multimodder Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 112	I'm also surprised you didn't have a SINGLE apogee waterblock in that lineup... because if you did, it would trump every block there. Cather @ www.procooling.com was the original designer of the apogee series, and back in the hayday you could get one similar to the top of the line apogee that was done in 99.9% silver. my understanding is he then sold the design. anyway, this block is amazing, go buy it now!

28th Jan 2008, 17:09	#19
iwog Linux cursed Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: IoW, UK Posts: 712	Do we get one on radiators soon, because that seems to be the most confusing bit to me. __________________ Welcome to bit-tech, watch out for thread drift Things can only get better