Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Tom's Guide to Water Cooling

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bring-your-umbrella dept.

Aaron Cherrington writes "Tom's Hardware Guide has a pretty impressive rundown on how to setup a fairly sophisticated water-cooling system for your ever-growing heat problem in your proc/foundry. The guide even includes a movie! Funny how computers are beginning to develop like the early automobile industry."

4 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Pre-made water cooled cases by outz · · Score: 4, Informative

    Heres a site where you can purchase some pretty nice water cooled cases.
    http://www.overclockershideout.com/
    CompU SA also has some.. atleast the ones here do.

    --
    What was your username again? -BOFH
  2. Since someone is going to say something about... by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 3, Informative

    Since someone is going to say something about running water through your system and how you don't trust it, etc. etc. etc.. There are alternatives out there such as flourinert that have similar thermal properties but don't carry charges well. More expensive then water + wetting solution, but gives MUCH more peace of mind if you happen to be a paranoid person. Here's a link to an OC forum with a story or two on how the product behaves as well. A better article on watercooling (to the insane extreme) can be found here.

    --
    The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
  3. Dishwashing liquid?! by Skreech · · Score: 3, Informative

    After the tubing has been installed and the cooling circuit has been closed, turn the pump on, then pour the distilled water into the header tank until the entire system is filled with water. In order to break the surface tension of the water and prevent air bubbles from forming, add a drop of dishwashing liquid.

    original page

    I can think of something better to use than dishwashing liquid. Red Line Oil makes something called Water Wetter which does the same thing; Its primary function is to lessen water's surface tension in cooling systems in cars. From Red Line's webpage on the product (with advantages relating only to vehicles removed):

    BENEFIT SUMMARY

    • Doubles the wetting ability of water
    • Improves heat transfer
    • Reduces rust, corrosion and electrolysis of all metals
    • Provides long term corrosion protection
    • Cleans and lubricates water pump seals
    • Prevents foaming
    • Complexes with hard water to reduce scale

    You can get a bottle of this, put a little bit in with your tiny computer cooling system, the rest in your car's, and you'll have better cooling all around. And this stuff prevents foaming, rather than promoting it like dishwasher liquid.

  4. Koolance... by RandomCoil · · Score: 3, Informative

    Koolance has been building this type of system for quite a while now. The parts are almost identical except Koolance incorporates the radiator at the top of the case with with 'blowhole' fans moving the air and a digital temperature readout. Their more recent designs are modified Antec/Chieftec/Alienware tower cases (you can even get them with a window... geez...). The original cases were somewhat more impressive as they incorporated a liquid-cooled power supply as well. One amusing 'coming soon' product on their website is a liquid-cooled 1U case. I keep imagining a whole rack of these units and one word springs to mind: waterfall.