How hot do radiators get?

Associate
Joined
16 Sep 2009
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Milton Keynes, Bucks
Maybe it's a silly question, but how hot do radiators get when you're watercooling? Specifically, the corsair H50, since it only has a 120mm rad it's probably going to be hotter than a bigger one right?

I'd assume that it's temp is obviously related to many things such as ambient temperature, heat produced by the cpu and therefore clock speed, airflow of case etc.

I'm just wanting a rough estimate because im wondering whether it is a good idea to mount my H50 radiator (which i havent installed yet) onto the sidepanel fanslot which is usually used to cool graphics cards if im not mistaken. If it's very hot i guess i'd have to mount it as an exhaust, since i dont want to be blowing hot air onto my graphics cards... but if im gonna do that i may as well mount it at the back of the case in a push/pull config right?
 
Caporegime
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Your CPU will be putting out around 100W under load, more if overclocked, to give you an idea of how much heat you'd putting into your case. Don't know what the air temperature would be though, but exhausting that heat is always going to be better.
 
Soldato
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I have a temp sensor placed between the fins of my rad and that states it's about 30c idle and upto 40c on load, that will be getting airflow from the fans though so not a true temp as such
 
Soldato
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All i know is not hot enough to burn you, my 120 rad in my swiftech kit is acutully cold/coldish depends on load, to the touch when the fan is on it, if i turn the fan off and stress the comp abit, then it warms up, not to drasticly though.

My rad is outside on the back of my case, swiftech even state in the H20 - 120 kit that its best to have air being pulled in, but from testing myself i get better temps using it as an exhaust, so like most with the corsiars push/pull as an exhaust is probably the way to go.
 
Soldato
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Inline temp sensor/probe connected to a lcd temp readout, or fan controller that can read temps.

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One screws into say a spare port on a res, other u fit 2 barbs on both sides and connect the tubing up.
 
Soldato
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Not familiar with your case or the length of the tubing on the H50, but I would rule out mounting it on your side panel purely because it will mean you won't be able to fully separate the side panel from the pc whenever you take it off to fiddle with your mobo or whatever, it will always have the tubing attached, unless you used quick release couplings but those can reduce flow rate. Just mount it on the back.
 
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