Cooling Best Radiator?

Kookalamans,

While the relative performance of the rads is unchanged (I think), I feel I should point out the updated charts from that article with corrected flow rates. Why they have never been updated on overclockers I don't know, but here they are.

http://www.thermal-management-testing.com/corrected heat dissipation.htm

8-ball

 

Also, no-one can dispute that a heatercore is better than a black ice. Though I should point out that the BIX is quite a bit better than the Black ice tested in BillA's article.

I also seem to remember the last review BillA ever did on the thermochill range of radiators which was put up on overclockers. I seem to remember that he was quite impressed with the thermochill range on the whole.

It all comes down to establishing your priorities.

A heater core involves more work with regard to tailoring the fittings to your requirements and mounting the fans, and they will never look as good as a BIX.

8-ball

 

What "looks best" is very subjective, the best looks is in the eye of the beholder.

One of the very best heater cores, for it's size, is the 69-72 chevy pick up single pass core, Fedco #2-342. Will take dual 12cm fans on both sides if desired, and single pass cores are the lowest resistence to flow, so higher performing.

As already mentioned, heater cores require more effort, but in the end will beat out all the "made for water cooling" rads being sold for best performance. Then a first class paint job + a well made DIY shroud set and => great apperance. I myself always find a well done DIY heater core custom modded and installed with good painting and shrouds to be FAR more interesting than a factory rad.

And if you run a exterior cooling case, then looks don't matter at all, as you don't see the rads anyway in most of those.

 

Aye, it's true, what looks best is in the eye of the beholder. Just with my tools I think the job wouldn't look as good in my opinion as a purchased one - Don't even have a drill up here at the moment!!!

 

havent heard anyone mention this before so hear it goes, a transmition cooler, they sell them in sumit for around 50 dollars for a 7 1/2 X 15 in rad. it has copper tubing and aluminum fins 3/8 in barbs, im getting on and with major reconstructive sergury i can fit it in the top of my case
they also look amazing shinny aluminum

 

Multi pass designs like that transmission cooler are not the most efficient design of radiator; in fact they are far from it. The main advantage they have though is that they can withstand much higher pressures and temps. This is why they're used to cool hydraulic system where the oil can reach high pressures (10s of bars), and the temperatures can get up to water boiling point. You need a much larger area for this design than you would to get the same result with a BIX or heater core design. This is because the wetted surface area compared to volume is poor. Another thing to bear in mind is that multi pass designs have a much higher resistance than single or double pass designs. So, your pump may struggle to give adequate flow. Check the link that 8-BALL put up for the corrected charts for heat dissipation vs flow rate. A few multipass designs are included in there I believe, and they have average or below performance.