Zalman Reserator1 V2 - any good?

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What do people think of this?

I have a
- QX9650 (to be OC'd to 4GHz, at 3.5GHz currently)
- 2 x BFG 8800 GTX OC2
- Striker II Extreme (with a H2O block already fitted - standard)

WC-007-ZA_200.jpg


Basically I want as cool as system I can get, without any annoying wirring sounds from fans. Therefore this fan-less solution looks ideal - but how effective is it - and would it be ok with my system? (avoiding the size answers please - yes I am full it's a tad massive!!:D)

Also I guess i would have to have one loop, as only 1 in/ 1 out on the reserator?
Reserator1 -> cpu -> mobo -> gpu1 -> gpu2 -> Reserator1 ->
would the temps be too high by the time the water gets to the GPU's? Therefore a 2 loop system would be more ideal?

(p.s. I know I would need the blocks etc, but at this time I am just keen to understand how the reservoir / radiator will work.)

thanks!
 
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I don't think that anything could cool two GTXes as well as a chipset and a cpu very effectively. I think you're looking at a dual loop setup for cooling all that.
 
I don't think that anything could cool two GTXes as well as a chipset and a cpu very effectively. I think you're looking at a dual loop setup for cooling all that.

that's what I thought - shame that.

So it's either 2 x reservators :D:D

or a better, but slightly noisier internal system?
 
res for the quad and chipset, with a new cpu block.
Thermalright HR-03-PLUS for the cards - as only need active cooling when gaming (and you'll be using your speaker/headhones then)
psu and 7v modded case fan.

Job done :D

Edit: If you have the space, budget - Cape corra or Konvektomatic passive rads are the way to go for cooling SLI / xFire systems
 
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Buy 2 sets of Cape Cora 6's and run 2 loops - 8 on the CPU and 4 on the graphics/chipset. After that you'll be REALLY annoyed by the sound of your optical drive!
 
PICT0012sm.jpg


Works for me...

E8400 4.45GHz
Northbridge
2 x X1950Pro in CrossfireX

2 x Zalman Reserator V1+ with Baddass mods and submerged D-Tek DB-1 pump.

3/8" Tubing, Zalman Graphics blocks, EK Supreme CPU block, Swiftech chipset block.

It runs warm, certainly, but 100% stable.
 
what are the badass mods?

seems like a heck of a lot of effort and space for a silent system... and I reckon I'd find myself hearing the PSU so that would have to be passive etc etc... or the exhaust fan.

Not convinced myself.

Looks awesome though :)
 
what are the badass mods?

Baddass (you know - the Don) realised that if the water entered at the bottom of the res it would just be pumped straight back out again, so you fix a length of tubing onto the inlet so the hot return water is sent to the top of the res, and the cooler water gets pumped back out.

I know all that stuff about systems achieving equilibrium etc. etc., but this mod drops the return water temperature, so the reserator obviously doesn't know about that...

seems like a heck of a lot of effort and space for a silent system... and I reckon I'd find myself hearing the PSU so that would have to be passive etc etc... or the exhaust fan.

These things are actually very, very cheap second-hand now, and they were designed to handle high-end P4 systems with TDPs way in excess of Core2Duos so they work surprisingly well - much, much better than you'd expect.

Not convinced myself.

Well, someone had to do it. Just because I did it doesn't make it optimal...

Looks awesome though :)

Not as awesome as my new S80B with two Innovatek Konvekt-o-matiks (one on each side) will be....
 
heh, aren't those konvektomatics alu?

anyway, someone's got to do it! Have fun!

Hadn't realise reserators were so cheap, I'd be more than prepared to have one sat next to my HDTV on my HTPC.

If I had a HDTV or a HTPC! :)
 
heh, aren't those konvektomatics alu?

So are the reserators and the Cape Cora's, but actually with the right additives mixing copper and aluminium isn't as big an issue as you would suppose. And I never keep anything long enough to see any issues anyway.:rolleyes:
 
PICT0012sm.jpg


Works for me...

E8400 4.45GHz
Northbridge
2 x X1950Pro in CrossfireX

2 x Zalman Reserator V1+ with Baddass mods and submerged D-Tek DB-1 pump.

3/8" Tubing, Zalman Graphics blocks, EK Supreme CPU block, Swiftech chipset block.

It runs warm, certainly, but 100% stable.

can you post some pic's of the mod's you made to them
been looking into something similar
also what temps are you getting
 
can you post some pic's of the mod's you made to them
been looking into something similar
also what temps are you getting

http://www.baddass.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/reserator/mod1.JPG is the original picture. I just took the pump out of the primary reserator (ie. the one after the PC) and I've replaced the pump on the secondary reserator with a D-Tek DB-1 which is one on the few pumps that are good and will run submerged.

Nothing very clever. Except getting the bases off was a complete bightmare. I don't think of myself as a weakling, but I needed a bench-vise and a really big strap-spanner.
 
for the £300+ you are going to spend on the reserator which are not very good i might add i have had the reserator v1 and the reserator2 you could have
Thermochill PA120.3 120mm Triple Radiator £62.26
Laing DDC 1+ Ultra 18W 12VDC Pump £58.74
D-Tek Fuzion V2 Universal CPU Block £41.11
EK 8800 GTX Full Cover VGA Water Block X2 £115.12
EK Multioption Reservoir 150 £35.24
Masterkleer 7/16" Tubing - 2m £3.50
Total £326.50 inc del
this would be a better watercooling system than the 2 reserators and this was i list i have just thrown together from one website if you shop around i think you could get that to below £300 mate
 
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I think I have succumbed to the fact that a reserator or indeed 2 of them, won't suffice for my spec.
Therefore I'll be looking at a dual loop including a 1.120 rad and a 2.120 rad, as I have no room for anything larger.
 
you dont need a dual loop mate with that Thermochill PA120.3 120mm Triple Radiator it will cool cpu graphics and chipset and you can mount the rad oustside of that RC-1000
of if you want im getting rid of my armor on friday lol if you need a bigger case
 
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