Im trying to decide which block to buy, or whether I should remake my old ones with slightly better design. Can some one post or find an image of the dangerden maze4 gpu blocks. I am mostly interested in the base - i want to know how restrictive it is.. - how deep/wide the channels are etc.. Heres a pic of my cpu block, which is very un-restrictive. I would like the gpu and nb blocks to also be very unrestricive. Im not sure if I will w/c my nb as its a dfi nf4 board and theres not much space. My gpu is a x850xtpe. If I can not find a unrestitive GPU block I may make something like this: This worked very well for my 9700np. Changes thistime would be copper base instead of silver, braized fins or pins and slightly wider base so that I can use TEC's if I ever want to.. This is possibly the easest gpu block to make - taking less than 30 mins. I do have plenty of copper for a proper GPU block, but I dont think I can be bothered as it will require about 10hours of lapping/scraping.
Tbh i wouldn't watercool your chipset, it just gives the loop unnecessary heat. If you do decide to go for a chipset block go for a Maze4, the Z Chipset blocks have been known to be total bottlenecks. IIRC the Maze4 series all use a similar design for the tracks. I imagine it'll be a smaller version of the Maze4 CPU, the top is lucite so if you google some pictures of the chipset block you'll be able to see the insides. As for the Maze4 GPU block, i love them personally, i took some of the inside while i had it off for. Hope it helps
Thanks for your reply As for nb, afaik there are no commercial blocks that would fit this chipset due to the close position to gfx card. this pic shows my diy nb block before it was soldered. I would make another compleatly different.. much less restricive.. Im not sure yet how much point there is in w/c the nb now that the mem controler is on the cpu of amd64's. Z-chipset is possibly oneof the worst designs I have ever seen... Thanks for the maze4 GPU pic. To me it looks VERY restrictive when compared to my cpu blocks. How deep are the channels, and how wide? That is what I want to know mostly. I would probably buy the non-low-profile derlin top one if I did as I dont like alu that much... Also what about other GPU blocks? Mostly want to see the insides, so I can see how restrictive they will be..
I like the look of the new Acetel top Maze4 but it's just the same copper base. It was ages since i had the block apart, but at a guess i'd say they're only a few mm's deep. It might be worth dropping Danger Den a mail, the A8N SLI Maze4 Chipset might fit, if not i'm sure they're developing something to compensate
I'm pretty sure the Maze4 chipset fits the DFI... I'm still looking for the right screws to get my Maze4 chipset on my Chaintech... damn them for reducing the hole size.
I'd suggest you do watercool the chipset, the NF4 runs VERY hot (relative to other chipsets at least) and it should help considerably in overclocking. Like you said, the trick is making it not interfere with the graphics card. Something of similar design could work where the tubing either runs between the cards or right under them (right next to the slot)
Its more a case of the fittings being in the way of the card. Also the card will poke out 1/2way into the block so it would need to be very low profile. sounds like a DIY job if I want to w/c it and the gpu will be first if I go that route. As for GPU, I think the maze 4 will be far more restrictive than my other block.. so I have decided not to bother with it.. even though they are very cheap now (£20) I will remake my old gpu block with the silver base/elbow top as I think that will give more than enough performance for now - as well as being the quickest option - If I can find theoldtop, it would only take 5 minsto resolder today.. so I wouldnt have to wait a weekfor delivery etc.... I might look into doing similar for nb, I think It could be quite easy to make a low profile block this way.
I thinkit is quite possible for a block designed for this mobo.. but I dontthinka commercial block will be able to do that... I know with my DIY nf7-s block,that the new holes would be right in the middle of part of the inlet/outlet bit...
kbn, I have to ask...does that elbow block actually WORK well? I'm building a set of DIY blocks and have no access to a CNC or other equipment. If that functions well for a GPU, I might just borrow the idea since I have all the parts needed for that... My CPU block will already be a copper-cap style ghetto block, so I might as well give it a try!
Yea it works great.. not perfect.. but then it doesnt cost much to make (except maybe your sanity when you try to lap the base lol ) Ive got the parts to make mine.. If you want Ill take some pics to show how easy it is etc... The part you need, is a 22mm x 15mm x 15mm Tee reducer - its much better than a normal 15mm tee for this because the area soldered to the base is much wider, giving less restriction and more internal surface area. Also a good idea if you do this, is to solder two copper elbows on so that the tubing goes over the top of the card instead of length-ways accross the card - makes it bigger but much better and has less torque on the block from tubing. pic Also, there are many simple things you can do with normal piping for watercooling - especially for hard disks. £ lengths of 15mm pipe,two eblows and some flat copper are all you need for a decent hdd block
