Project Metaversa: LCD goodness (small update 17/07/05)

TINY UPDATE: Leak testing of the cooling circuit started today. A mix of 5% Zerex Racing on 95% de-ionised water is running through the system at astonishing speed. The CM30P7-1 sure is some pump-- quiet, but the flow is so fast that there is a vortex spiralling down the center of all the tubing! No leaks so far, and little restriction, cavitation or foaming, but it will have to run for some time to get all the air out... pics to follow.

I'll keep things spinning for 24 hours or so, and will use a digital temperature probe to measure pump operating temps (27C so far). Watch this space...

 

sounds good - waiting to hear more.

 

wow dude thats really nice. cant wait to see the finished

 

Cant wait to see this thing finished. Such great work.

 

OMG!!! PICTURES!!!! hehe sounds cool though. cant wait to see it

 

Pics you want? Pics you get.

The circuit ready for leak testing (all electronics removed):



The circuit filled with 95% de-ionised water and 5% Zerex Racing coolant:



Dig that purple colour (well, Fuchsia really, but who's nitpicking?). The whole circuit took 525ml precisely.



The pump fired up. Pump motor temps after three hours running: 32C. There is no cavitation, no foaming, no rattling, just a slight whine from the pump. Water, by the way, has cleared up considerably since these pics were taken as air bubbles are slowly resolving...



And the res lid: no turbulence, no foaming.



I am getting some serious flow however! So much so that there are vortices forming in the tubing:







I think this is something to do with the CPU block design: the channels are designed to spin the coolant on exit from the block; presumably to let water from several channels merge and exit smoothly. In any case it shouldn't affect performance. The pump definitely seems to not struggle at all --flow appears very fast and smooth.

Just for the heck of it, I rigged up the res lighting. This is a purple/UV LED. On the digital camera it shows, unfortunately, much bluer than it is. Think UV CCFL for the colour:





And that's the state of play so far. Things are setting down nicely as all air bubbles are being removed from the system. At the moment I can hear only the soft whine from the pump. Watch this space...

 

Shweet... personally I think the vortices in the coolant make for a nice effect.
Mod on! |

 

mmmmmm...water...

Great job nexxo. Too bad you didnt wait till now to buy them MPs

 

Shweet... personally I think the vortices in the coolant make for a nice effect.
Mod on! |

 

Thunk. <---Sound of my jaw hitting the floor.

Simply astonishing. That pump looks amazing in action, especially with those vortexes forming in the middle of the pump. Great effect.

Is zerex better than watter wetter? I'm not really sure, I'm going to be doing this very soon, so I just want some advice. I may have to rethink my decision not to use that Johnson pump...It's looking very very very good. Small too

 

watercooling at its best... I think I'm in love with your case

keep us posted!
/subscribed

 

if that wouldn't cool i will eat my hat (don't even have one)

 

nice... love the case... and love the finish on the block. hope you get all those bubbles out of the system... o and nice temps by the way

 

I noticed a typewriter in the background. Your last computer possibly?

Just kidding, Mod on mate! It's looking just fantastic, and I cant wait to see it done. If you will, can you grab a sound meter (decibel meter), and record how loud that pump is? I'm very interested in it, it'd be a perfect fit with the Lian-Li I plan to watercool eventually.

 

Wow, I am very impressed. I just read through the entire thread and I must say (though it has been said many times before) great attention to all the minute details others overlook. I am really interested in seeing the end result.

 

Actually I did! I have some old 1800 MPs for testing but I intend to buy the 2800 MPs only at the last moment, at the lowest price (currently £320,-- ish for a pair).

@ Fyberwire: Zerex Racing is the daddy. Impossible to get in the UK though --I had to order it from the States. In comparative testing on Watercooling.com against Water Wetter and Purple Ice it came out as the best anti-corrosive. It doesn't foam or smell, colours nicely and you need only small ammounts. It is used in Dragster racing but also by the US Navy, apparently, in their military speedboats they use to pursue drug smugglers with. So I guess it's sort of good.

As for the pump: it does not appear to get as warm as the manufacturer suggested it would (33C after 5 hours). It does have an MTBF of 2500-4000hrs though, which I'm not happy with given its price. Noisewise it is not loud, but not quiet either --think the whine of a fairly powerful 60mm fan. This is a heavy performance pump... Given the stupendous flow, I think I can sacrifice some for longer life and quieter performance, and I am already looking at a virtually identical pump, half the flow, but 15.000+hrs MTBF, with a brushless motor.

Yeah, that Imperial typewriter is my old PC. Getting tired of it though --and of my monitor getting covered in typex every time I need to correct errors when I use Word.

Thanks for all the comments people!

 

Thank you nexxo, I'll be sure to pick up some of that Zerex stuff.

Another couple questions, and I'll be done. I swear .

Now it says 2500-4000hrs. is MTBF. Does MTBF = the lifespen of the pump?
In addition, you say you are looking at a virtually identical pump. What pump, and where can I get it?

Also, where can I get the exact Johnson pump you have, preferably in the states? I looked through the entire thread, because I know you told me earlier, and I couldn't find it.

That pump and flow look fantastic though, great job! I'll save a couple questions for MSN, they're a bit too lengthy to be posted here

Thank you for enlightening us with this fantastic mod project. Can't wait to see more.

 

woah looking good. not a big fan of the water colour but the vortexes are cool

 

i cant wait for the end result here - i have had my eye on this log since the beginning and i absolutely love it!

 

Yeah he did mention it. I found it in the first couple of pages of this thread. He mentions something about another thread here ..... I guess you can only get that pump online through the linked distributors who are located in Denmark. However, you may be lucky enough to find it somewhere through a local plumbing supplier. That is questionable though.

/edit/ ooops. I guess you can get it. I read a little more and found this post.. /end edit/