To pelt or not to pelt?

[nucl3arboNg]

I'm gonna be getting a water cooler soon to put in a modded lian-li pc75 case, and am having some second thoughts about my decision. I was going to get a Dangerden kit with blocks for the cpu, chipset, and vga, but am now wondering if going with the swiftech blocks with built in pelts will be better. I'm using air now on my 2100+ running 2388/2.05v with my temps 15/29 as I type this. My room is kept very cold and i'm looking for the best overclocking set-up for my cpu and the 9700 pro that will be set up with tweakmonster ramsinks as well as the block. If I use the blocks w/pelts, do I need to get anything additional to go with it? Thanks in advance for any help.

[Random Nonsense]

a PSU the size of a small nuclear power station TEC's suck up HUGE amounts of power. The wattage rating is actually just the amount of heat one will shift I believe. The power consumption Is a LOT higher. Swiftech have a dedicated TEC psu if you really want to go that route. To be honest though, you will notice a big difference just moving over to regular water. Its a lot less fuss too, no condensation problems! And with "normal" water, you can always install a water chiller at a later date to get sub ambient core temps!

[Staz]

Yep the rating is the amount of heat it will pump. The power needed to run it is about 1.5x the rating.

The PSU that swiftech sells is not the best option. It is only 12v and way overpriced. Check out EBay and EBay Motors. Look in radio equipment for PSUs for powering CBs and HAM radios, they typically run 13.8v but you can find some that are 15v with an adjustment for +-10%. Or look for a converter for an RV. These have huge wattage rattings (they are for converting 120v at campsites to 13.8v that the RV runs everything except microwave on) and are ussually between $50 & $100

[Invalid]

Originally posted by Random Nonsense
you can always install a water chiller at a later date to get sub ambient core temps!

were do u get these water chillers, Random Nonsense...and how much are they?

Thanks

Ross

[Random Nonsense]

Well, I plan to build my own from an old freezer. You can find ready made chillers on ebay, most of them are in fact TEC based anyway, but are a lot easier to work with than a "normal" TEC based system. There are several types, the industrial or medical ones can cool a very high volume of water rapidly, but cost a lot more, the cheapest route would be one of those water dispenser type ones.. Im sure you have seen them in offices etc, just a great bit waterbottle inverrted on a colums with little taps. Many of these actually chill the water as it flows out. This would be the best bet I'd think.

[Holst]

Originally posted by Random Nonsense
Well, I plan to build my own from an old freezer. You can find ready made chillers on ebay, most of them are in fact TEC based anyway, but are a lot easier to work with than a "normal" TEC based system. There are several types, the industrial or medical ones can cool a very high volume of water rapidly, but cost a lot more, the cheapest route would be one of those water dispenser type ones.. Im sure you have seen them in offices etc, just a great bit waterbottle inverrted on a colums with little taps. Many of these actually chill the water as it flows out. This would be the best bet I'd think.

TEC based waterchillers DONT WORK at all.
Unless you have several KW of TEC power behind them, but thats loads more trouble than a TEC on your CPU.

The only people who I have seen with working waterchillers have used phase change to chill there water. A phase change waterchiller is a very good idea and can be made failry cheaply from an old freezer.

I wouldt go with a TEC straight away.

Buy a waterblock that can take a TEC but still work without it, then once your happy with your watercooling you can buy a TEC and PSU and add them to your system.

[Random Nonsense]

Hmmm hadnt thought of that holst, your right! the power needed in a tec based chiller would be HUGE!

[Invalid]

hmmm...i dont have an old freezer nockin about...but i can get my hand on a fridge for about 40 quid...that any good?

Ross

[Random Nonsense]

It could work yes if you are prepared to modify it a little!

[Invalid]

i could rip the pump out i suppose, but i hear that they have pressurised liquid in them and i would have to drain it somehow...or i could just fill the fridge up with water and then use it as a reserviour

Ross

[Holst]

Originally posted by Invalid
i could rip the pump out i suppose, but i hear that they have pressurised liquid in them and i would have to drain it somehow...or i could just fill the fridge up with water and then use it as a reserviour

Ross

People generally rip out the internals then use the evaporator coils of the fridge to cool there res, this is very effective if you have a powerfull enough fridge.

If you search around the net there are allot of articles on this stuff.

There isnt a "pump" in there that you can use with water, it has a compressor. If the fridge is working then it will be much better to use it as a chiller.

[Invalid]

hmm...so how big are the coils?

[Random Nonsense]

depends on the fridge. with luck it will have a stamped steel plate as the evaporator. it can just be plonked in the reservoir, and all is good!

[Invalid]

sounds good to me...what kind of temps will that achive with the Maze 3 waterblock do u think?

Ross

[Random Nonsense]

Depends on the fridges capability! only one way to find out really!

[Invalid]

good point, ill rip it out tonight and see what i can do with it...

[Random Nonsense]

just make sure you dont puncture any of the pipes! see where it does into the fridge at the back, and where the evaporator coils are, cut around them and then remove.

[Invalid]

right, thanks for your help, Random Nonsense...ill give it a shot tonight

Ross