My insane custom rig- Thmochll .2 &.3 rads!

[>:() - Tiki Man]

So, this is a thread i started to post my progress with my new custom build. I figured it was a good way to get some feedback incase i head in the wrong direction or something. So the rig: As of now, i have a great pump for my water cooling setup - Gen-x pcx-30. That thing has like 15+' of head and a max flow rate of like 900. I got it for 75 total off ebay . I was planning to put it in the bottom of the case im using, which is the old model coolermaster stacker server case. In order to avoid cavitation in my pump, im planing to build a custom reservoir out of 1/4" acrylic panels and weld it with IPS WELD ON 4. Ive got the acrylic but i just need the adhesive. Anyways, that the pump, the custom res, a cooling duct for the pump, and the 2 120mm fan thermochill rad will be mounted to the bottom of the case on a sheet aluminum base. On the side of the case, i will mount a thermochill triple 120 rad and probably 4 120mm exhaust fans. I will also probably mount a fan uptop also, or maybe just an acrylic window - not quite sure yet. Also, on the small black top of the tower, i already made a simple key switch control panel for 4 sets of cold cathode lights - 2 green, 2 red, 2 uv, 2 blue. I will take pics soon but i have a sketch of the lower base that i am submitting for feedback. There are 2 fans for the pump, which is under an acrylic duct. The tubing is 3/4", the hole at the end of the res is a 1/2" barb and the one in the middle is going to be connected to an other piece of 1/2" tubing that runs to the top of the case and ends with a fill port. All fans are 120mm. If i forgot something and it doesnt make sense, dont hesitate to ask. http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/7533/casebaseqt9.jpg

[>:() - Tiki Man]

Hey, just a little fyi - I just got a practically new thermochill pa120.3 rad for $ 89.01 (SHIPPED!) eBay ftw!!!!

[Mr.Ferrari]

Those Gen-X pumps look like low end Iwaki/Blueline based designs.

1. The Gen-X is actually a poor pump for a watercooling system. It consumes and dissipates 110 watts of heat. Thats like adding another dual core processor to your loop, except it directly touches the water.

2. The barbs are 3/4'' MPT, meaning, you'll be lucky if you could get 1/2'' tubing onto them. IMO 7/16'' tubing not only looks, but performs better, and is a pain to get onto even normal 1/2'' barbs.

3. Its a 110v AC pump, you probably already know this though. So you'll have to connect it to the wall outlet somehow. You'll have to make sure you start it everytime before you start the computer, or you'll toast your components. And 110watts, once again, will add a bit to your electricity bill.

4. It has alot of flow, very true, but flow beyond a certain point can actually be detrimental to temperatures. Its head is decent too, 14ft. BUT a DDC-2 pump has 18FT of head and performs in all the above categories much better.

Designing a res can be tricky work. If you mess up, you can have all sorts of problems with vacuums, air bubbles, and noise. Also if any of the welds are not done properly, you could have a cracked reservoir destroying your components.

Originally Posted by >:() - Tiki Man Hey, just a little fyi - I just got a practically new thermochill pa120.3 rad for $ 89.01 (SHIPPED!) eBay ftw!!!!

Very cool! Just make sure you inspect it for cracks or leaks and rinse it properly before use.

This looks like a GREAT project, best of luck.

[>:() - Tiki Man]

Since its a magnetically driven seal-less pump, the water only touches the impeller (which is in a sealed chamber separate from the actual motor)- and some excess heat must be dissipated through the air b/c the pump has a fan built into it... The pump is known to be one of the coolest running pumps on the market with very low heat transfer... and the two rads should be able to get rid of the extra heat even if it makes it into the loop right?

Also, i dont plan to run 1/2" tubing from the pump, instead i will be using 3/4" to and from the pump. The res will be connected to the pump inlet via a 3/4" barb and 3/4" tubing. I plan to split the 3/4" outlet flow at the top of the case into two 1/2" lines, one for cpu and northbridge, and one for multiple gpu's. I might add more to the loop but those things for sure. All the fittings i plan to use are either brass or that plastic stuff, so i think that should help avoid corrosion. Have you built a res yourself? Or do you know any tips... because what i was planning was basically what was in that little drawing.

Thkns for reply
-Tiki-

BTW- how should i go about cleaning the rad i got?

[Mr.Ferrari]

Originally Posted by >:() - Tiki Man and the two rads should be able to get rid of the extra heat even if it makes it into the loop right?

No doubt, 2 TC radiators are nothing to joke about . And hopefully the heat dissipated into the loop will be at minimum. Im no expert here, its just that i've seen others use such pumps see temp decreases when switching to something like a Laing D5 or DDC. But once again, im no expert, if this pump has a good reputation, go for it.

Originally Posted by >:() - Tiki Man I plan to split the 3/4" outlet flow at the top of the case into two 1/2" lines, one for cpu and northbridge, and one for multiple gpu's.

I hope I understand you correctly(eyes are droopy :P), if not, correct me please. But splitting the outlet flow and going parallel would not be such a good idea. Water takes the path of least resistance. That will mean most of the flow will go to your least restrictive block(s) and the other blocks will starve and you will corrupt the flow of you system. Not to mention you might dramatically reduce the head pressure of your pump.

Originally Posted by >:() - Tiki Man All the fittings i plan to use are either brass or that plastic stuff,

Steel is also another good choice.

Originally Posted by >:() - Tiki Man Have you built a res yourself? Or do you know any tips... because what i was planning was basically what was in that little drawing.

Sorry can't help ya there. Right now the two best designs (IMO) are Swiftech's MCRES-Micro and EK's Cyclone. You can check both out petras. Some (such as the cyclone) would probably require a CNC mill if im not mistaken.

Originally Posted by >:() - Tiki Man BTW- how should i go about cleaning the rad i got?

Just get a few gallons of distilled water and some distilled vinegar. This all depends on how dirty said radiator is. Some TC rads come in tip top shape while others have quite a bit of gunk. I know mine did. Do a few rinses with plain distilled water, then a few with vinegar. Then do one more swosh of vinegar and leave it over night. See how it turns out next morning, if its clean(no color, debris), your good to go. Make sure you rinse it with distilled before running it.

[>:() - Tiki Man]

Ty for the info about the splitting of the 3/4" line, and the cleaning (I had no idea this had to be done...). I will be sure not to split the 3/4" like that then... But do you think I should run the system like this res>pump>cpu>nortbrdg>gpu1>gpu2>rad1>rad2, or lik this res>pump>rad1 (3 fan)>cpu>nortbrdg>rad2 (2 fan)>gpu1>gpu2, or does it even matter

Tnx man
-duh Tiki-

[Mr.Ferrari]

Since its a closed loop it probably wont matter much. But I would opt for the first one myself. Probably lead to better management and better flow.

[>:() - Tiki Man]

http://cgi.ebay.com/OUTDOOR-WOOD-FUR...ayphotohosting

What are your thoughts on using something like this? Do you think it would be too restrictive or not? It definitley seems like it could dissipate alot of heat.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Well those type of heatercores used to be popular back before radiators became so efficient..But I don't think you'll achieve very high performance unless you sacrifice your hearing lol. You'll need to build some sort of shroud to attach fans. It could probably fit 4-5 120mm fans depending on the shroud.

And you'll need high speed, high static pressure 120mm x 38mm fans to reak any real benefits from using low speed, quiet fans, on a thermochill.

Not sure if its worth the noise or effort, its your project though. The 3 row pass system will also be more restrictive. Thermochill PA's are the least restrictive, high performance radiators out there.

[>:() - Tiki Man]

i was thinking, i can get 3 swiftech 220s, all of which would fit on my case's side panel perfectly for a total of $137.03 (~the same as one thermochill 120.2). Do you think that the pump that im using would be able to handle all of that?

tnx
: D Tiki!