Liquid Cooling

[Phil Harris]

I have two water cooled computers that run perfectly well. Both are now QX9650's, one started as an E6600 the other as a P4. I built my first one just over 2 years ago.

Currently they are both running 24 hours a day with 100% CPU loads at least 80% of the time, both are clocked at over 4gHz. My temps never go over 60c. Water cooling or better is the only way to achieve this.

In the two years I have been running them I have had no failures and no leaks. I doubt I have had to top up the water more than once a year.

I used Laing D5 pumps which are pretty much silent, 360 black ice radiators and swiftech waterblocks. I use 6 fans in a push/pull configuration on each radiator, which allows for lower fan speeds and less noise.

Swiftech and Dangerden supply about the best water cooling kit, so as long as you avoid the cheaper kits, you shouldn't have problems.

One of the best things about water cooling is that the components are easily adapted to any computer you might build, so if you buy the right kit in the first place it will last you for years.

 

[CMH]

well, I didn't read the whole thing, to be honest

I just saw plastic and closed it XD



And Phil, you seem to have alot of experience with WC.... tell us, would you recommend everyone to get WC, and why?

If not, who won't you recommend it to, and who you would?

 

[Phil Harris]

I would recommend it to anyone who finds themselves on a computer enthusiasts forum inquiring about water cooling.

If you build your own PC's rather than buy them from a manufacturer, and have an interest in computing beyond word processing and web browsing, I would recommend having a look at what it can do.

My own use for these computers is very competitive and extremely demanding on the CPU, so water cooling is a natural choice for me. However I also use one of these comps in an occasional HTPC role, and when I turn the fan's down to 5v, the noise drops to very low levels. I found it possible to run at 4gHz with load temps never going over 66c.

Water cooling is fun to do, and very effective either in performance or noise terms. It needn't be expensive, it's quite possible to assemble all you need from ebay at reasonable prices.

It may be daunting at first, and your first build should always be approached with care, but once you see and hear it running, you will be glad you tried it.

 

[bigworm82]

i'm using a koolance inex-3 tower with thermaltake 1200w power supply..everything even the hard drives is liquid cooled on it.. my question is whats average CPU temp supposed to be when liquid cooled??