Just an idea I tried.. it's not a build thread.

[Azriel]

I'd like to say it's going well, but it's not. I'm getting heat out of the heater core, but not enough. I'm at stock 2.0 GHZ speed on my 3800 x2 and running 50c.

I think the pump is dumping a lot of heat into the water, being submerged.

The other problem I am having is that a thin film is forming on top of the water in the reservoir. I'm guessing that I don't have enough iodine in it.

With the heat issue of the pump, which I have verified by running the pump with the PC off, I'm thinking about going with the big swiftech pump and running it outside the reservoir. If I do that, i don't have any need for a reservoir as big as the one I am using.

I'm really thinking about making a new reservoir. Smaller, and sealed. Probably a 2 bay, but possibly external, hanging off the side of the box.

I could do a round reservoir with a square end plate and still use 3 bays. It would be safer, with fewer seams. It might actually look better than what I have in there now.

The case isn't a loss, just this pump and reservoir.

[Samuknow]

Try a small fountain pump. i ran one for years and it did fine. Temps were low and almost no heat dump....

[Daniel ~]

Imtimidating in it's splender! (does it always look back at you like that!? ":O}

[Azriel]

As time passes, the temps are dropping. I believe the "new" pump was generating more heat at first, but is now dropping much less heat into the water. I have gone from 48c to 39c at idle in 24 hours.

[Samuknow]

Nice....

Plus I think that TIM has to set in a little.

[Azriel]

Still dropping, 37c under load. (Just a divx movie)

[Azriel]

Even though I got the NZXT psu working again, I'm going to go with the coolmax psu. I mocked this up with a standard size PSU. I didn't realize at the time that the NZXT was oversized. I'd like more than ¾" of space between the PSU and the reservoir.

I'm also taking out the UV CCFL's and not using the 6 leds on the psu, so there will only be 57 lights, not the original 65.

[Azriel]

It's getting difficult to photograph. The CCFL's are not on in these pics.

I still don't have the HDD inside. I'm holding off until I have the fan shroud in. The standard size 500w coolmax PSU is in the case now. I guess the NZXT can stay with the old case.

I took the shroud off the heatsink on my 8800GT. I wanted the 120 below it to blow on it. The fan is still on the heatsink. This card refuses to run if you don't have the fan on it.

[Samuknow]

Holy box of wires batman....

That is a bright blue creation...

[Azriel]

The shroud. I may remake this out of mirror. Not sure if I like how it looks. It's made to stand on the core, not slip over it.

Yes, know I need to clean up the wiring. It's a work in progress.

[Azriel]

.

[Azriel]

I got the gasket made, and the shroud is lightly clamped onto the heater core.

[Azriel]

Ran out of chrome split loom. It's okay, I need some larger than ¼" so I had to order anyway.

[Samuknow]

Now that is frikkin cool.

Are you making the plexi mirrored or do you buy it that way.

I have painted the back side many colores before including chrome paint. Makes a decent mirror.

[Azriel]

The mirrored polycarbonate is clear with an aluminum coating on the back side.

The split loom is actually high temp aluminum coated split loom. The stuff is teflon I think. It is much thicker than the cheap black stuff. The inside is a yellowish white color.

[Samuknow]

It looks great.

Where did you buy the polycarbonate like that?

I have that UFO case and I need to do some mods to get all the water cooling to look right. That stuff may fit the bill.

[Azriel]

You know there's no location left for a HDD, right? Or is there? You are sooo gonna love where I'm putting it. I don't wan to say anything until I know it will work.

The 12" CCFL's are all coming out. They are getting in my way more than anything. I'm adding a light box from directron to the front of the PSU to light up the reservoir. It's a little plastic box with a CCFL lamp in it and a diffuser.

I got almost everything I used in this case from mcmaster.com ( not the leds and things ... the materials. )

[Azriel]

Aww hell. It will work, and I can't keep a secret. It's mounting to the backside of the motherboard tray using 7 otherwise unused holes near the top. I'm mounting it with a sheet of mirror and two pieces of aluminum angle. The case side will have a boxed out window to cover it. I hate bevel cutting plastic, so the construction of the box will be a bit different than the shroud. I got the idea from a cheap external HDD case. the ones with plates and corner posts.

[Azriel]

Originally Posted by Samuknow

It looks great.

Where did you buy the polycarbonate like that?

I have that UFO case and I need to do some mods to get all the water cooling to look right. That stuff may fit the bill.

Sorry I missed the question. I get most everything from mcmaster.com.

There are probably cheaper ways to get it. They are pricey. I buy from them because anything I order before 2pm is here by 11am the next day fedex standard shipping. They do not sit on orders. It's not like when you pay for next day at newegg, and the flakes don't ship it for 3 days.