Alcohol cooling in traditional water cooling loops

[PsyKhiqZero]

Would it be wise to fill a liquid cooling system entirely with isopropyl alcohol? Isopropyl alcohol always feels colder then water at room temperature which would suggest that it has better thermal transfer properties then water. Also it seems to play nice with the plastic bottle it's kept in. So aside from the "flammable" factor is their any other reason it is not used liquid cooling systems?

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

Thanks much. looked everywhere and I couldn't get a straight answer on the subject. I did stumble across this old post though
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/184338-29-vodka-ocing

 

[Conumdrum]

Yea, water is best. Alcohol ruins acrylic too, the main part in most resiviours, and the top of many blocks.

Distilled water from walgreens at $1 a gallon and two drops of Petras PHN Nuke is all you need.

 

[Conumdrum]

maybe you need some links to steer you. My standard cut n paste to help new folks.

Us guys have done the WC thing, there are basics you gotta know. Take a look, don't take it as a diss on you or a rebuttal, look at as a friend saying "Dude, you gotta know what to say and how to communicate".
.......................................
CPU HS $65
GPU HS and air HS for vram and mosfets $95, full cover block, $100-200
Radiator $60 min, up to $130
Pump $80 +
Resiviour $25
Hose, some barbs and clamps etc (min $25, more like $35)
Fans $15-30

I went top notch and spent close to $600 to cool my CPU and GPU.
First you gotta learn about WC. It's not like walking into Best Buy.
Spend a while (weeks is best for your sanity) at these links.
Look at the hundreds of loops close to your case and components in the stickies, read a couple 50 or so threads over the next week or so, you'll be on the ball to make the right choices and by then know how to put it together.
Not 'Roket Sience', but basic knowledge is required.
And you should spend a few hours on the listed sites reading threads. It's how we learn. Once the goodies show up on your doorstep your on your own.
For your benefit please spend a few days reading a LOT. At the busiest places for WC masters. Guys who have done it for YEARS at OC forums and xtreme forums. It took me a while (I was OCing on air, aftermarket stuff, bios settings, best chipsets etc etc) to learn the language and the tricks to a easy install.

Don't expect miracles or SUPER DOOPER over clocks. What you will get is a quiet system that can handle OC to the max of your hardware IF you buy quality and buy smart. And minor maintenance too, a bonus for the water cooler.

Also while there please read on case mods etc. The radiators are not for small cases, pumps and hose routing, wire management and other things are important. Google your planned case and the word water-cooled in one line. You might get lucky.
............................
Edit: The next paragraph was from 2008. With the advent of the HOT i7 and bigger GPU's, it has changed. A 220 size MIN rad for an i7, you want big overclocks, better go 320 sized rad.
................................

IF you just cool your CPU and your NB if you want, you can get by with a 120.2 sized radiator (RAD). And MAYBE fit in inside depending on your mod skillz. You want to cool your GPU too, you'll need a 120.3 sized rad, and it probably won't fit inside. The rear external rad really works great. No matter what your adding 10lbs to your PC.

Once you got an idea of what is good/bad then start getting your system for WC put together and we'll be glad to help.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/index.php? Not a noob site, but great stickies
http://www.ocforums.com/ My fav, good peeps, know their stuff, less hardcore
http://www.skinneelabs.com/MartinsLiquidLab/
http://www.over-clock.com/ivb/inde [...] opic=20277 A GREAT Europe site
http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/
http://translate.google.com/transl [...] n&ie=UTF-8 Info on rad testing
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=220593 More rad testing
http://skinneelabs.com/
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=282232

Stores
http://www.dangerden.com/index.php [...] e&Itemid=1
http://www.petrastechshop.com/
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/
http://www.jab-tech.com/
http://www.performance-pcs.com

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

thanks conumdrum I am looking to WC for the first time and doing my homework now. you saved me a lot of time by pointing me in a good direction. I will be water cooling mostly to reduce the noise in my system and to keep things a little closer to room temp when it gets hot in my room.

 

[Conumdrum]

Great, the links I posted I have gathered over at least a year. The words are ramblings I have cut n pasted from tons of posts getting peeps on the right track. Hope it helps.

One thing you said tho needs to be corrected sooner the better. Your room will not be any cooler. Your still generating the same amount of heat from the CPU/GPU etc. Watercooling is better at removing the heat right at the component but it has to go somewhere. Into the water and is dissipated into the air by fans on the rad. Just so you know. Peeps do run double pumps to allow longer tubing runs and put the rad in other places/rooms at times. In your reading you'll see a few of those setups. Rare, but it's done.



It will be quieter by a LOT, especially if your relying on high RPM fans.