What is the radiator to go for?

Franco_cov

Franco_cov

Franco_cov

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I currently have a q6600 clocked to 3.71 and 2x hd4890 and was thinking a dual rad for cpu and a triple for my crossfire hd4890.

I have a ddc 18w pump with xspc top res.

I am also currently thinking as I will be stripping the pc about getting an i7 so wanted to know what rad would easily handle the i7 and then would easily handle my current q6600. I have been advised to use the Scythe S-FLEX 1600RPM Ultra Quiet 120mm Fan's

Suggestions please as I was thinking of the Black Ice GT Xtreme Radiator or is there a better one to get as I want the "Best" possible solution as I dont want to revisit thisonce its done :)
 
Thermochill are widely considered the best. They've just changed their design after being purchased by xspc, though not in any obviously major way so I'd be inclined to consider the old data on them void.

Feser are the best in my opinion, but there are few graphs and so forth to reinforce this. Take a look through the reviews here as I doubt you'll find more reliable ones anywhere.

Hopefully someone else will run in and be more helpful, but definitely read through that page in the mean time
 
JonJ678 said:
Thermochill are widely considered the best. They've just changed their design after being purchased by xspc, though not in any obviously major way so I'd be inclined to consider the old data on them void.

Feser are the best in my opinion, but there are few graphs and so forth to reinforce this. Take a look through the reviews here as I doubt you'll find more reliable ones anywhere.

Hopefully someone else will run in and be more helpful, but definitely read through that page in the mean time
Click to expand...

Interesting, I guess that explains why they were out of stock for a while.
I still managed to get my 120.3 though and it performs really well. ;)
 
I have meassured my current radiator and according to the dimensions it sounds crap basically lol. This was the original rad i got with the alphcool kit, but since then i have replaced everything apart from the rad and with my overheating since I added the 2 x HD4890 I am now looking in to replacing it and adding etc

its is only 1 inch deep and I just looked at the xspc rad and there 2 inches thick ?

Is the norm 2 inches? as if its deeper does that mean better?
 
Also are these latest rads the same layout as the old one as in the screw holes all match, so that I know when I replace the triple it can be fixed into the same place.
 
Tend to be 50 to 60mm thick for the good ones. My fesers are 60mm, part of which is a built in shroud.

Most radiators have 15mm spacing between holes. The older thermochill range did something different, as did the much older fesers. The current fesers or black ice range will definitely fit, the older thermochill might not.
I'd vote feser, as there are vague rumours of poor quality control on the newer black ice ones, and thermochill have just changed management so we'll have to wait and see how they pan out.

Feser offer very accurate dimensions on their website, so I suggest measuring your case and compare to the engineering drawings.

Deeper generally means better. It'll work much better with lower speed/quieter fans especially. If you strap a delta to the thick one and then to the thin one there won't be very much difference between them, but deltas are mental
 
I would go for one of the new Thermochill PA120.3's with the new 15mm spacing for the fans. In fact i will (hopefully) have mine this week.
 
Nope, its the spacing between the holes drilled for fans. Almost everyone uses 15mm. Thermochill used something different in the past. Themochill also use G3/8" threads rather than G1/4"

I'd avoid the new thermochills myself. Theyve been taken over by xspc, who are changing parts of their radiator design. Removing bleed screw for one thing. I don't trust the 15mm ones to perform as well as the older ones until there are enough on the market to demonstrate that the design hasn't been messed up in the changes. Hopefully they'll still be excellent.
 
I did look at the fesser and was tempted but I have only got 3 inches to play with above the top of my board and therefore limited as I think the fesser are very deep and are longer as well so was unsure if the fan holes would all line up?

As it looks like I may just have to place a fan under and above the rad without shrouds as I simply dont have the space and for the front rad just a fan on the front side pulling, again due to limited room

Suggestions Jon ?
 
The feser has a smallish shroud built in, so using it without shrouds is not fatal. I suggest carefully measuring your case and comparing it with the dimensions listed on fesers website. It'll line up with the mounting holes. They're 60mm thick, more important to check is how much clearance you have beyond the last mounting holes in your case, as the fesers have a tank at one end.

Do you mean literally one fan on a 240 radiator, or two fans both on one side? It might be worth fitting a slim 240 in the front with two fans on instead of a thick one with one fan. Are you still planning on screwing it into the hard drive cage?

I solved the hard drive problem by taking all but one out of my computer. Soon I'll take the optical drive out as well, just to free up space for radiators in the front :)
 
Sorry, yes thats what I meant the front rad will be a black ice and have 2 fans on the front in a pull setup (no shroud)

I can really see me sticking with the Black Ice ones as the dimensions seem more realistic.

Yes I am still fixing it to the drive bay.

not happy that ocuk are out of stock on most stuff I need:(

So will now have to split my parts over 4 suppliers :( wish ocuk had it all!!

I just hope this cools everything as I am spending over £1,000 to upgrade my pc and install this new watercooling :)

Them plastic t junctions are they fairly strong for when attaching tubes to it with jubilee clips ?

And also where is the buyers market on hear, as I have heard about it, but never seen it ?
 
You'll need to email one of the admins to ask for access, then it turns up fairly far down the main page. It's a good place to buy and sell things, most of my water cooling kit is from there.

The slim or the thick black ice ones? The thick ones are significantly better if you can fit them. Perhaps a thick one at the top, and a thin one at the front? 2 fans pulling through the front one will work just fine, shrouds improve things if you can fit them but radiators do work quite well without them.

4 suppliers is a bit mental, I think Ive bought everything in my computer from ocuk and one other place. The other place is not so good, I avoid it as much as possible.

I wouldn't touch a plastic fititng with a stick. Not even a chance, I dislike and mistrust plastic. I'd expect them to crack. At some point I hope to replace the acrylic tops of my water blocks with brass ones. However this is not very rational of me, and a lot of people presumably use them with no problems at all. I'm using an 8mm ID compression fitting T junction, and think I'm quite lucky to have found one. I'll buy a spare next time I place an order at the other place. I take it you're using 1/2" barbs? A metal 1/2" T junction probably exists
 
This is now doing my head in I cant find anywhere to get decent clear tubing and the white anti kink coils or the t junction.

Its really getting stupid now :(
 
Franco_cov said:
This is now doing my head in I cant find anywhere to get decent clear tubing and the white anti kink coils or the t junction.

Its really getting stupid now :(
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there are plenty of place's i am sorry but you just have to look, its a shame that OcUK cant sell more stuff, i am a big Ocuk fan, and i only live 1 mile away, but i have noticed they are stocking less and less just lately
 
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