rad orientation for passive cooling

oneofmanyjoes · 24 Dec 2012 at 00:26

i know this has been addressed, but my situation is a little different

opinions please...

do you think my large rad would be better on its side or upright

as in

not to scale but the 2 side 'reservoirs' are different sizes

this is my rad

breadturbo put his the normal way like this

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/breadturbo/13122010218.jpg

while running at stock, or slightly clocked i hope it will run passive, not sure which will best aid this, i know putting it flat would but i dont have space for that, i have a few spare megaflow 200 mm fans that dont push much air throuh it as its high fpi but you can feel them, my 12" fan is only comeing out when it has to

if the rad is upright i will put them next to each other at the bottom, if its side on, (option 1 in the pic) then i guess i will have them one above the other on that side

my custom block idea stoped when i moved work and had no access to machines for a few months

loop is out of my rad, in to 2x 18w ddc both with xspc tops, in series, into ray storm, back into rad

i have all the bits, apart from a motherboard as scan sent me a faulty one

thats 3 items in 2 orders now..and im waiting on a replacement

OLDPHART · 24 Dec 2012 at 07:48

Hi, at the end of the day the flow really depends on how restrictive your loop is and how good your pump performs. But if it was me l would have the coolent coming in from the top and out the bottom option 2. As it may help the flow through the matrix making gravity work for you, with it being such a big rad.

passey89 · 24 Dec 2012 at 08:21

is that a car radiator?

make sure you got a really good pump to push through tht.

I would side mount it option 1 but i doubt tht it would actualy make much difference.

andyb117 · 24 Dec 2012 at 15:50

Option 2 with the flow connection on bottom and return at the top. The heat will travel up the fins of the rad a lot better this way.

OLDPHART · 25 Dec 2012 at 03:41

andyb117 said:
Option 2 with the flow connection on bottom and return at the top. The heat will travel up the fins of the rad a lot better this way.

I you look at most PC radiators they have both connections at the top inlet + outlet and make large ones for passive cooling. Again if it was me l would go feed in to the top and feed out at the bottom making gravity work for you Opt 2.

Something Else · 25 Dec 2012 at 11:17

why not use one or 2 of these

http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=183

oneofmanyjoes · 25 Dec 2012 at 11:29

I was alwase gona go in at the top and out the bottom

But rads like this are designed to have air moving over all of them equally

Question is virtical or horizonta, if its horizontal the warmer water will gather at the top of each res, if its virtical then it should stay at the top

But I worry that if the only place for hot and cold water to get past each other is in the radthat there wont be the room and the hot water that normally ends up in the top of each res could get pushed down

MonsterMoshi · 25 Dec 2012 at 11:36

I would definitely say vertical as it will allow air to pass upwards through the fins as it is warmed up by the rad. I don't think it will make hardly any difference where you have the inlet as i doubt the temperature difference would significant enough between the inlet and outlet to have any impact.

oneofmanyjoes · 25 Dec 2012 at 12:00

Well heat rises,

Your right about the fins though

I'm thinking virtical

OLDPHART · 25 Dec 2012 at 12:53

Hi again, which ever way you decide to put it, tilt it forward or back abit as you say hot air rises so this would help draw the air through the rad. Don't forget your just cooling a CPU + GPU not a car engine which is boxed in and the engine gives out a hell of a lot more heat

Just a thought a small deskfan on slow would probably be enough to help keep temps down if temps get to much.

OLDPHART · 25 Dec 2012 at 12:55

Somthing Else said:
why not use one or 2 of these

http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=183

At about £170 a POP. :eek:

oneofmanyjoes · 25 Dec 2012 at 13:52

Not even gpu... Just cpu Lol, overkill or what

don't think you can get blocks for quadro cards

And I'm building it like an oversized H100, as in its going in and out the same hole so I don't need to break it to remove it so I can fill it invert it shake it and leak test it before it goes in

Just need to build a stand to hold it, hence, deciding which way round now

Virtical I think

And i have a desk fan

The fun will be in a feW weeks when I'm in the alps and could in theory run the rad out a window in the -20 air to see what kinda clock I could get lol.... But I probably won't do that

andyb117 · 25 Dec 2012 at 16:40

andyb117 said:
Option 2 with the flow connection on bottom and return at the top. The heat will travel up the fins of the rad a lot better this way.

I have thought about my answer and have changed my mind. I would not pick any of the options. The best way to get the heat to dissipate from the radiator would be to lye it on its flat allowing the heat to spread to all of the fins equally.

(Was my dads answer and hes been an AC contract manager for over 25 years aswell as fully qualified plumber)

Hope it helps

but you could always test every option?

oneofmanyjoes · 26 Dec 2012 at 14:18

i agree, but as per post 1, i only have room for these 2 options

i think i have decided on vertical unless a thermodynamic.... errm scientist

tells me to do otherwise

eddyr · 26 Dec 2012 at 21:33

By passive you only mean no fans right? and not no fans or pump - becasue in relation to inlet/outlet and effect of convection, the only situ either of those 2 options are applicable is if your relying on convection for coolant flow.
In the first case which I think is what you are conrcened with, mounted vertically (as in your opening posts 2 options- long or short side) won't make any significant difference to the loops cooling capacity (unless the tubes are angled). As andyb117 said in the above post you want it horizontal (flat).

oneofmanyjoes · 27 Dec 2012 at 13:18

yeah, passive as in no fans lol

as said i cant put it flat, its going virtical

my new motherboard should be here between 2 and 3 pm......... hence siting on here waiting

*Rich* · 27 Dec 2012 at 18:57

I'm gonna keep watching this, will you be posting pictures and results when done?

oneofmanyjoes · 27 Dec 2012 at 19:15

i will do.... infact it would have been done by now but...

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18467716

i did just perform a rudimentary test, i have my hose reducers and endplugs, just need to tap them, but thats not done so my rad is 'sealed' for now, so i filled it with tap water as hot as it would get it... and left it sitting there for 1 min

then pulled the plug and it all ****ed out the bottom

highly scientific i know, but after 1 min the rad was warm all over the water that came out all over my hand was a lot cooler, when i put it in just before hand it was so hot i couldnt put my hand in it

stupid i know as the metal started out could, but i was mostly making sure it had no leaks and i wanted to flush it out a few times

oneofmanyjoes · 29 Dec 2012 at 04:32

well, she is one one peice, although not filled in this picture, she is now full. not run the pumps yet as its bloody 4am and i wanna sleep

spot the error, copper block, thats a copper cored rad

then i went and put bloody ally reducer blocks in it

oops. will this mix corrode the copper or just the ally, if its only the ally i dont mind as its about 8mm thick

ps i went with the theory of if in doubt..... more zip ties lol

mjones1 · 29 Dec 2012 at 11:13

Only thing I would change it setting rid of the 90 degree fittings at the inlet as you are limiting the amount of flow.