I've been doing a lot of thinking about waterblocks and building them and such and I'm thinking I may want to mass produce some waterblocks. I was thinking maybe I'd do a batch of cpu blocks (like 1000) and selling them for $20 a piece and shipping. Then if they sold doing modular CPU blocks like the one that was reviewed recently. I averaged out the cost of doing this and it would be around $5 of cost to me for each waterblock. Add in packaging time and how long it takes to sell I'd probably break even with a few extra waterblocks for myself. Also if I maded the VGA blocks the cost would be the same and I could make the modular ram coolers and stuff for next to nothing. So take the poll. I'd like to know if anyone would be interested in this product.
Primary consideration is performance; but looks do play into my equation of WB selection (as well as price of course).
If you made a sick block w/ 775 mounting hardware included for $20 I would definitely be interested. Maybe even for more money. And a cheap 8800 block for sure. Those DD blocks are far too expensive.
This is pretty much the entire point. As far as I can tell you can't get a full coverage block for less than $100 unless it sucks or is designed for a slightly "dated card". Also add in the fact that every card release requires a new waterblock. The Blastflow siberian ( http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/09/01/blastflow_siberian_modular_vga_waterblock/1 ) is a step in the right direction but is still far to expensive if you ask me. I feel I could probably make Danger Den blocks for around $20 and sell them for $30 which would keep me in business. In fact I know I could. The only thing I'm worried about is the $10,000 investment involved with setting this up.
Another thing. Does it matter if it is copper or aluminum? All of my pricing is based on aluminum with thoughts of copper blocks adjusting for the price difference.
Yes it does, most wouldn't want alu in their loop if they had another copper block because of galvanic corrosion. Also aluminium has significantly lower thermal conductivity than copper. Another point would be how difficult it would actually be to design/produce a block that comes close to the performance of a recent swiftech/d-tek product. I couldn't imagine you being able to buy the metals and plastics, and then manufacture the thing for about 20 a piece. What were you thinking design wise, a simple maze style block?
mm on my view, Hell no, Because the cheap ones are bad.. even if they paint it with gold.. It still bad, do you risk with 800$ GPU with 20$ Block! It's not good thing really.. I think that if some one think to get water cooling, HE must get well known brand and expansive one.. Exactly same the PSU! This is my thinking! Take care.
CK makes a very good point, but hopefully you can provide some numbers about your blocks to show that they are effective and have good heat transfer.
Its gotta be copper. If it performs only stightly worse than say a D-TeK FuZion and cost less/ looks nicer ect. then I'd be interested.
Stick with copper for sure. Price doesn't always reflect performance/quality. Before buying any waterblock I research performance; if I can find a better performer for less I'll go for it.
Yes modular attachments that look good! As long as it didn't leak and looked decent (try the EK look) I would buy it. Now if they only made pumps cheaper
ship internationally aswell and it would open up a whole new market for you and probably more profitability.
Wow. I wasn't thinking that this many people cared about performance. Alright then, copper it is. For the design I was thinking of doing some nozzle work for the CPU. The kind with a pressure plate like a shower head. And for the GPU I think I would want to keep it simple, allowing for different sized dies and the ability to add a ram cooler for full coverage. To be honest though I think the price will spike significantly with copper. When I went to the metal shop by my house it was mentioned that "copper ain't cheap". Well I'm not trying to cut corners here and make the absolute cheapest waterblock on the planet. I'm just thinking that if I sold my waterblocks at cost + $5 I could sell a lot more and get more people into watercooling. Part of the reason I want to do this is because I don't believe people are happy with the high price tag that comes with purchasing a brand new Videocard, or two, and $300 worth of brand new waterblocks every time a new Graphics card comes out Well I'd for sure send a set to Bit-tech for review : ) My thoughts Exactly
That's kinda hard to do without losing performance. Then there's the issue of Manufacturers redesigning mounting/location of ram, vreg etc, how do you plan for that? Impossible with a FC block, you could probably do it with core only though. So something a la the Storm for cpu... interesting. One idea would be to do both a copper and aluminium series of blocks.
I'd buy one just for a back up block incase my main block crapped out. I wouldn't worry too much about packaging BTW what is a modular CPU blocks??? go with copper so people won't have to deal with corrosion
Yes I could do that as well. What if I added some corrosion inhibitor into the packaging so that people wouldn't have to worry about it? The full coverage block would really be a two part block, a core block and a bolt on Ram cooling part. I also would like to make both aluminum and copper blocks. The problem would be that I would be taking even MORE risk if this whole investment plummets. Modular cpu blocks would basically be what we have available now, which is swappable mounting plates or a mounting system that can work no watter what holes are on your motherboard.
i would buy one for sure if you made one thats lga775 btx compatible, lol. but it sounds like a good idea, and how most business's start. and if they were 30-45 for copper blocks i wouldnt mind that either
Fozzy if u do this and the blocks dont corode or watever and they have good performance, they are affordable, and they look stylin, and u make them for like the main cpus sockets types and current and brand new video cards, and or ram, chipsets etc.... I will love u i will buy some from u just get a site up or something and i am there i am adding u as a friend add me! Cant wait to see how this turns out!!! I hope its cold like where i am!!! keep it up Sincerly Ace
Fozzy, I've been doing the same thing, though I have fullcover designs, chipset, mosfet, you name it designs sitting, but I'm gonna make a mill and do it that way. I plan on nothing less than dead soft copper, and I hope to satin silverplate them when I'm done, at least for a few of them... silver being biocidal (looked at my loop just now, OMGWTFBBQ>>>) as well as more nonreactive, so it's metal agnostic at least on that front. Do you have designs that you know will stand up to current heat loads? What about retention mechanisms? Planning to bow it for 775 owners? Any other products in the pipe for you? Lots of questions, but I've been sorting my issues literally for years, learning all the while, and I'm finally able to say I have a block that can stand up to anything. Including pelt usage. I was just quoted 1000+ to tool up to make my block bases only, that's with me scroll sawing my tops and doing all assembly myself. Then, cost of blocks were 65 for CPU and 40 for chipset EACH, so then I have to factor in top materials, barbs, mounting hardware and packaging. It's rape, and that's if I DON'T silverplate it... PLEASE do not let this dissuade you. I will not give up, and neither should you. The market needs more players. And I have an Al topped block that's months old that's corroded through. PLEASE do not use AL unless you're gonna sell Koolance rads too.