Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Full Member

Tuesday, February 13th 2007, 3:10pm

1

Hi, I am currently rebuilding my complete WC setup, and are hoping for suggestions on how to connect my system in order to reduce resistance and to maximize flow. ;D

My layout is seen in the figure;

Suggestions on how to connect the waterblocks are higlly appreciated. I am going to use a ID 3/8" Clearflex tube. Currently I have the following serial flow with PVC tupes:
pump> 4x ram> cpu> gpu > mosfet> nb > sb > 2x aquadrive > radiator > flowmeter > aquatupe > pump, and this is running at 24l/hour with the pump @49Hz, and 36l/hour @74Hz (is this good or bad?).

I hope to increase the flow to 30-35 l/hour @49Hz.

The figure represents the current placement of waterblocks, but I am able to relocate the aqudrives and the pump and watertank.

Also suggestions on where to put my (modified, ID 5,6mm) AC flowmeter and the inline temp sensor are welcommed. I have a second temp sensor i the aquatube, and I want to measure the work done by the WC-loop.

I am also wondering about running the my 4 ram block 2 by 2 in paralell, any comments? :

The whole setup is controlled by aquaero, and is placed in a Tt Kandalf LCS with the radiator outside the case.

So all you experts out there, please give me some quallified advices.

Thanks a LOT!

Steensen

Junior Member

Posts: 15

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Wednesday, February 21st 2007, 3:17pm

2

Hi.
You got a bottleneck several places:
RAM: Put 'en all in parallel, in stead of seriel, since these don't need much cooling, and are quite restrictive.
Mosfets and NB: Same story as RAM, but moe difficult to mut in parallel.

My advice to your loop would be something like this: http://bigup.peecee.dk/index.php?lid=1&a…=2&loadid=29976

To measure the "cooling performance" of the whole system, then use the temp. probe in the Aquatube, and an in-line probe just before the radiator, then you are measuring the temperature difference over the radiator, and the flowsensor registers the flow, and thus the SW kan calculate the total performance of the radiator.

drbo

Full Member

Posts: 99

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Wednesday, February 21st 2007, 3:32pm

3

Thanks a lot.

Since my postings, I have decided to go for 2x AC Ramplex in paralell, instead of my four Tt blocks for RAM cooling

So as it seems now, my flow will be pump> ram> cpu> mosfet> nb> gpu> sb> aquadrives> flowmeter> inline-temp> rad> aqutube> pump

This in order to minimize tubing and other practical issues ...

Steensen

Junior Member

Posts: 15

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Wednesday, February 21st 2007, 4:07pm

4

I thought that was an issue.

As long as you are not OC'ing, then this will function fine, but if you are like me, then the CPU must be first in the loop, to get the best cooling performance on the CPU.
But I've seen in the Aquasuite .NET2.0 threat, that this is not the case, so go for it.
The more places you can put two simular blocks in parallel, the less restriction you'll get in total, and everything else, than CPU and GPU, you can put in parallel, since those blocks (other than CPU and GPU) can mannage with very low flow-rates, to cool those 5-30W the different chips put out.

As you mentioned another place, your flow sensor is one of the worst flow killers.

Edit: You could use a manifold to creating the many parallel strings, and re-connect them, and thus increase your flow quite a lot, in stead of 6-8 blocks in series, then put 'em in parallel, and use thinner hoses for the "small" blocks (RAM, hdd, mosfets and SB), but keep the 3/8" or 1/4" to the NB, since this is a bit more hot, than the other blocks.

drbo

Full Member

Posts: 99

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Wednesday, February 21st 2007, 9:34pm

5

Thanks again, but is disconnecting everything, I found that the combination of AC Alu-block and Tt Green-UV-fluid is a no good, and that a lot of salt (by the look of it some kind of Cu-salt - greenish) was deposited in some of the blocks, especially NB, MOSFET and GPU, but also CPU. This was decreasing the ID of these block quite a bit. >

When remounting, I will be using sterile destiled water together with AC-fluid and Ac clear blue. My hope is that this will solve this problem. This combined with a better hose, and less restriction over the ram bloks, so do the trick. I have also replaced the original 1m hoses to and from the radiator (ID 6 mm) with Clearflex 3/8".

I am not to worried putting the RAM before the CPU, as the ram will not increase the temp of the water much, so my concern in getting the best cooling, is increasing the flow-rate as much as possible ...

All together this should suggest a much better flow. I will inform you about my new flow rates when it is all done ...

Steensen

Junior Member

Posts: 15

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Thursday, February 22nd 2007, 12:15am

6

To save some money, you can use a liquid mix og ~60-75% Demineralised water, and 40-25% Cooling liquid (Glycole) from your car.
Tris wil result in a clear blue liquid, with properties to prevent corrotion between cupper and Aluminium, and still having good cooling capasity, wan't cost a fortune, and doesn't have as high viscosity, as with AC Cool blue.

If you got a dish-washer, use some of the liquid from that, about 1 table spoon pr liter mix (you use three things in a dishwaser: 1: Salt 2: soap and 3: the liquid I speak about, Don't know the english word for it).

This will give you a cheap, and good water coolant, wich has great anti-corroding properties, and doesn't result in high backpreasure with high flowrates. I'm using it my self (have two loops, consuming approx. 5 litres together).

But of course, your cleaning of the inside of every block, and changing of hoses will do magic too, but you cannot clean the inside of your radiator.
BTW, if you got a EVO-type radiator, then that one is a huge bottleneck for the flow in your loop.

J.C.

Full Member

Posts: 128

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Friday, March 30th 2007, 1:03am

7

Hi,

first: be carefull with parallel cooling even with the ram, when those crystals in your system are blocking one you will not get any flow allert at all!
besides i think your idea to connect nothing in parallel besides the ram is a smart idea!

And of course you can clean your radiator, i prefer some vinnegar based cleaning stuff available in germany named 'frosch-essig-reiniger' or some other guy used some vanish product.

As coolant i would suggest 1:4 G11/G12(VW-specs for car-coolant-additive) : water.
after i had problems with ac-fluid and destilled water (boiled at home for sterilization purposes) i am now using BASF glysantene/glysantin G30.

greetz
J.C.

EVGA 7800GTX KO ACS³, ASUS-A8N-SLI Premium, AMD X2 3800(939), 1GBKingston HyperX, samsung sp2004,samsung HD321KJ, BeQuiet BQT P6 Dark Power Pro, in TT Shark-Midi mit Scythe S-Flex SFF21D&E,NOCTUA NF-S12,@AC-WaKü:cuplexPRO3.0,twinplexPRO,aquagraFX,Aquaero,AS,AT,AD-Dual,Airplex240PRO,Tygon11/8

drbo

Full Member

Posts: 99

Re: Complete WC, order of blocks to optimize flow?

Friday, March 30th 2007, 2:37am

8

Thank for all good advices, here is some update of the last months progress.

After I found the greenish salt crystals, I cleaned every water-block in 2,5% vinegar solution ... (diluted a 5% vinegar from the supermarked 1:2 with water) worked like a charm, all Cu and Al block looked like new. As for the rad, I let the vinegar solution circulate the rad alone for 3hours at full pump speed.

After this i remounted. But put everything in series, as I never was satisfied with either the manifold for the security reasons mentioned above.

[img]http://www.diskusjon.no/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=134569[/img]

[img]http://www.diskusjon.no/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=134570[/img]

The flow was now much better, 41 L/h @ 49 Hz, 69 L/h @ 74 Hz.

Temperature-ratings are now stable at normal working conditions at CPU 37-39C (AMD 4400+@2,64GHz), mobo 30-33C. I run my system at 20% OC 24/7, Aquaro controls everything, and fans usually run at 40% (quiet!)

After running this WC set up for a month now without problems, I can by inspection see slight signs of more salt on my NB block and some salt crystals on the bottom of my Aquatube. My hope is that this is residues of the old problem (from the rad?). Thus I will monitor the development, and clean my system again if necessary. But as long as my flow is steady above 40L/h, I dont bother.

EDIT: I now use ACFluid + AC Clear Blue + destilled water. Also the water her in Norway is very low on calcium (lime).