Advice on watercooling

Gtiracer · 11 Nov 2010 at 21:43

Hello

Is it commonplace or advisable to use a big single rad to cool an i7 and 2 GTX480's with a Y-piece after the radiator so the graphics cards don't get the water that has just passed by the CPU, I don't think I remember seeing anyone do this, but it was a suggestion I heard by someone on another forum.

The only risk I can think of is damage to flow, but I guess connect the tubes back together after they have passed the the Graphics cards with the output tube from the CPU?

And also do you guys recommend full GPU blocks, I have heard they are not very effective? Could someone recommend and good GTX480 watercooled block please

TheCenturion · 11 Nov 2010 at 21:54

What do you mean by single rad? You'd need more than a 120.1 :eek:

GoogalyMoogaly · 11 Nov 2010 at 22:03

By "big single rad" I'd assume he means having 1 480mm, 420mm or 360mm rad.

I would've thought the flow would be an issue. surely if one side of the Y-cable is less restrictive the water would mostly flow through the other side?
I thought full card CPU blocks were supposed to be best. Not sure why, guess it's just that everyone seems to use them.

Squakingcow · 11 Nov 2010 at 22:06

Don't bother with the Y piece, the decrease in flow rates will be much more damaging to performance than the very tiny increase in temperature from passing through the CPU (probably about half a degree).

Gtiracer · 11 Nov 2010 at 22:20

Squakingcow said:
Don't bother with the Y piece, the decrease in flow rates will be much more damaging to performance than the very tiny increase in temperature from passing through the CPU (probably about half a degree).

Googaly is right, I just meant 1 rad instead of 2,

squaking that advice is very helpful thank you, didn't realise it would be that damaging

3t3P · 12 Nov 2010 at 11:33

such a small contained cooling loop in PC's. This whole 'before and after this component etc etc' makes immeasurable difference practicallly.

Just connect everything as cleanly as possible.
I would have thought you would need quad rad at least to get nice temps on all those components you listed.

Gtiracer · 13 Nov 2010 at 15:26

3t3P said:
such a small contained cooling loop in PC's. This whole 'before and after this component etc etc' makes immeasurable difference practicallly.

Just connect everything as cleanly as possible.
I would have thought you would need quad rad at least to get nice temps on all those components you listed.

Best way to externally mount a quad rad on a haf x?

The only other way I could think of doing it is a triple rad at the very top of the case a a single rad somewhere else inside (pretty sure I could find space)

Frozennova · 13 Nov 2010 at 19:48

The GPUs recieving coolant from the CPU won't make a great deal of difference as the water temperature will reach equilibrium quite quickly

Squakingcow · 13 Nov 2010 at 19:54

frozennova said:
The GPUs recieving coolant from the CPU won't make a great deal of difference as the water temperature will reach equilibrium quite quickly

It doesn't reach equilibrium as such, it's just that it takes a lot of energy to raise the temperature of water thanks to its high specific heat capacity, and the fact that the water in contact with the heat source is constantly been changed due to the pump circulating the water. So while there is a temperature difference before and after it has passed through the CPU block it is just very small.