Help choosing 1/2" VGA and chipset block

[menacingbob]

Hi there.

Iv recently installed a Gigabyte 3D galaxy cooling system and am very happy with it. I now also want to include my GPU (to overclock) and Northbridge (because its noisy) into the setup.

The problem Im having is finding Blocks that have 1/2" connectors. I would like to connect them in series with the current system so moving down in size (to 3/8 for example) is not really an option as it restricts flow. I also considered using splitters and going down to 2 1/2" inch paths for GPU and Chpiset but I thing my case will be overwhelmed with connectors and Y pices.

I was wondering if anyone who has built a half inch system has come up with a solution. (I have looked at dangerden but they ae a bit on the pricy side).

By the way its a 7900GT and an ECS Nforce4 a939 mother board.

Thanks very much

 

[chuckshissle]

If you can don't include the northbridge and the gpu in your water cooling loop. You just increase the temps with all those components in your water cooling system, for I don't think the Gigabyte 3D Galaxy could handle it. Besides you'll be spending more money for it. Do it like mine, a low-noise low rpm 80mm fan will cool down the northbridge really well. The Zalman VF900 will give you a low-noise cooling performance.

Check out my setup:



With it you can cool the cpu itself and allows you to overclock it more. As you can see I even placed a 90mm fan blowing down on my rams. Chipset block will cost you about $40 and gpu block will cost you $40-$60 as VF900 will cost you $30. Not just VF900 is cheaper but it will cool your graphics card well, around 60c-70c which is fine for the graphics card.

For my temps: (at 28c room temperature)

CPU: 840 3.9Ghz @ 1.45vcore 30c idle 35c-38c full load.
GPU: Stock setting 55c idle and 65c full load. Cooler at medium setting with slightly audible sound. Much better than the stock cooler.
Northbridge: 45c
DDR2: 40c
HD: 28c



As you can see with the cpu cooled down alone it can go low-temp as if I were to include my northbridge and gpus it will heat the water.

 

[phreejak]

For an entry level kit, the Galaxy did surprise me with its pump as I did nto expect it to have any sort of power. It's not up to par with the likes of the MCP655 or MCP355 but at 400lph/104gph its not without its own power. That being said, wanting to replace the northbridge HSF with a waterblock for the sake of noise reduction isn't really necessary. You would do well just getting a different HSF combo. The reason I mention this is because while the pump that came with your kit isn't weak by any standards, it isn't quiet that powerful either. To take advantage of watercooling involves alot of factors, one of which is water flow. Adding a NB waterblock would increase the flow restrictions and lessen the potential of your cooling loop. If you had a more powerful pump the difference might be negligible. But, with the idea that your CPU and GPU have priority, it might be in your best interest to try just adding the GPU waterblock first and seeing how your kit responds to it. If I am not mistaken, the kit comes with one 120mm rad. Adding too many components will overwhelms its heat exchanging ability as well.

Take a look at the 1/2 ID GPU water blocks on this page and see if any are to your liking:

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g30/c87/s145/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Water_Blocks_VGA-12_VGA-Page1.html

As a side not: Finding water blocks with G1/4 screw threads allow you to interchange the connectors from 1/4ID, 3/8ID, 1/2ID and so on. This way, if you changed the tubing diameter that you used from one size to a different one, all you would have to do is buy the actual connector and screw them into the threads.

Adding a second water block to a system that is using just one 120mm rad is going to tax it - especially since the GPU is fast becoming the single greatest source of heat over the CPU with the interoduction of the R600 and G80 GPUs from ATI and Nvidia. You might consider adding a second rad or, at least, getting a dual 120mm rad.

 

[menacingbob]

Thanks for the advice

I dont think that the 3d galaxy would have a problem with dicipating more heat, I have seen reviews where its has disapated over 400W of heat and out performed more expensive systems. (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/16watercooling.html)

I think I will take you advice on the chipset cooling solution but still get a VGA block. I've seen a themal take CL0038 Aquarius ii that has 1/2" connectors. I will also need Ram coolers to use with this.

In reference to the chipset block, the current fan/heatsink combo is attached with sort of sting mechanism. Does anyone know if I can bolt on a standard fit hetsink or will I have to contrapt something myself?

 

[menacingbob]

Thanks again

I have just taken removed the fan from my northbridge and pointed one of my 80mm xilence fans at it instead. Much quieter and only 48C under load (FSB of 295MHz) I think is acceptable. Now the VGA cooling solution is between the Swifttech MCW60 plummed in with my 3d galaxy, or The Thermaltake Tidewater
http://www.thermaltake.com/product/Liguid/All-In-One/cl-w0052/cl-w0052.asp

The tidewater would be a seperate loop, and Looks quite good value. Cons are the size and possibly the noise of the thing.

The MCW60 is far cheaper and can be plummed into any system but for the time being would increase the cpu heat.

Anyone familiar with any of these products?

 

[phreejak]

The MCW60 is a supreme GPU Waterblock and, I am sure, would produce far superior results when compared to the Tidewater. It's one of the best GPU waterblocks made. But, since you will be adding a second waterblock and it is to a component that will, at least in future upgrades, produce more heat than a CPU, you might consider adding a second rad. I understand your concern and it is a valid one. One of your components will have to deal with the heat from the other in a loop - there really is no way around that when using a single rad.

If you'll look at my sig you'll see that in one of my loops I have 2 rads. The way I have them arranged is:

reservoir - pump - CPU water block - rad - GPU water block - rad - back to reservoir.

 

[chuckshissle]

Okay glad to know you got the 80mm fan on your n/b. You can overclock as much as you can and rest assure your n/b will not overheat. I see you really need to water cool your gpu. Are you planning to overclock your 7900GT?

 

[menacingbob]

Its already at 540/767 was hoping for more.

I thought I could lessen the dammage of adding heat to the sytem by going:

Resevoir-Pump-GPU-Rad-CPU-Resevoir

At least some heat will get dicipated when It hits the mass of water within the resevoir. I feel I can still get better perfomance out of my 3dgalaxy by adding more fans, removing the rad case and replacing some dubios looking hose bends with elbows.

Well lets see how it goes and I'll keep you posted

 

[phreejak]

Good luck and let us know how it works out...