Which GPU block should I get? (Mixing metals)

Connell

Connell

Connell

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I'm in the process of sorting out my first loop and I'm a bit unsure about what GPU block to get for my 980. I recently bought a Thermaltake RL240 kit because it was cheap, but looking at the materials it uses, I'm somewhat confused as to what GPU is ok to use with it as I've heard you're not supposed to mix metals. The CPU block uses nickel plated copper,the radiator seems to use zinc aluminium alloy and the fittings are brass, which I would've thought would count as mixing metals, but I'd also like to think Thermaltake know what they're doing.

I can acquire both of the following blocks quite cheap, so I'd prefer to use one of these if possible:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-water-blocks-ek-fc980-gtx-acetal-wc-652-ek.html

and the EK-FC980 GTX - Nickel (couldn't find it on Overclockers)

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
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Go for a nickel block. Just to keep things simple. There are plenty of options you don't have to get an ek one. What about a aquacomputer block? Not sure about aluminium in a loop though. I'm sure thermaltake will have something in their fluid to stop corrosion
 
Don't mix metals is a simplification. The issue is galvanic corrosion and some combinations of metals create more of a problem than others - there's a table somewhere. Essentially, with the wrong combination you create a battery cell and start removing metal from one part and depositing it on the other.
Anti corrosion agents help stop it within reasonable limits.
 
TerabyteMike said:
Go for a nickel block. Just to keep things simple. There are plenty of options you don't have to get an ek one. What about a aquacomputer block? Not sure about aluminium in a loop though. I'm sure thermaltake will have something in their fluid to stop corrosion
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I'm on a pretty tight budget and I was able to get those 2 quite cheap (£30 for the copper and £45 for the nickel), so I ordered the nickel last night.

Thanks for the advice.
 
andybird123 said:
Zinc is an anti corrosion agent, however thermaltake recommend you use a coolant that also contains anti corrosion additives
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They include a bottle of their coolant 1000 with the kit, but in not much of a fan of the colour. Do you have any recommendations for anti corrosion coolants?

Thanks.
 
Personally I like XSPC's EC6 clear colourless coolant...but that's because I quite like my carpet the colour it is now ;) and because I've scrubbed coolant stains off other people's blocks before now. I'm boring and a coward....but my loop is cool & clean and my carpet only has clear, colourless stains on it :D

Avoid coolants containing ethylene Glycol as they can cause issues with some tubing. Mayhems XT1 is an example of this. However, the confusingly similarly names Mayhems X1 is fine, well respected and comes in a range of colours.
 
Connell said:
They include a bottle of their coolant 1000 with the kit, but in not much of a fan of the colour. Do you have any recommendations for anti corrosion coolants?

Thanks.
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Depending on what colour you want. Aquacomputer do a good anti corrosive fluid but the colours aren't the best. What if you get a clear Coolant that's got a good anti corrosive agent and then use a dye to get the colour you want
 
Cenedd said:
Personally I like XSPC's EC6 clear colourless coolant...but that's because I quite like my carpet the colour it is now ;) and because I've scrubbed coolant stains off other people's blocks before now. I'm boring and a coward....but my loop is cool & clean and my carpet only has clear, colourless stains on it :D

Avoid coolants containing ethylene Glycol as they can cause issues with some tubing. Mayhems XT1 is an example of this. However, the confusingly similarly names Mayhems X1 is fine, well respected and comes in a range of colours.
Click to expand...

I was swaying towards a colourless coolant anyway, so EC6 looks ideal.

A bit of an unrelated question, but do you know if it's usually possible to separate the pump from the reservoir in a pump/res combo, such as the Thermaltake pacific PT40-D5? The res is a bit too tall for my case :/
 
TerabyteMike said:
Depending on what colour you want. Aquacomputer do a good anti corrosive fluid but the colours aren't the best. What if you get a clear Coolant that's got a good anti corrosive agent and then use a dye to get the colour you want
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Don't dyes have a habit of gunking up the loop? I would prefer the look of a coloured coolant, but I'd always thought they came with extra potential risks.
 
Dyes can gunk up the loop and they can stain your tubing - possibly even the acrylic blocks. That said, better quality dyes presumably don't gunk up (the glittery stuff does but it does specify for show use only) and I'm guessing that staining can't be that bad since plenty of people are using coloured coolants - at least some of them must be long-term. I suppose also, that if you keep the same colour coolant, then staining probably matters less as it won't show up.

Some pump/res combos can be split but it depends on the combo. Sometimes they are separate parts that would work individually but linked together. Sometimes the res has been adapted so that it becomes the top of the pump. If it's the latter, you can often scrap the res by buying a top for the pump if that's available. There are some that are built as one unit and can't really be separated (or wouldn't work apart). Not sure where the Thermaltake fits into that lot to be honest, never used one.
 
Connell said:
Don't dyes have a habit of gunking up the loop? I would prefer the look of a coloured coolant, but I'd always thought they came with extra potential risks.
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To be honest I have never used dyes so I wouldn't know. But the block o have running now that I got second hand did have blue Coolant running through ir. I just had to clean it before using and it came up like new
 
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