Pump not powerful enough to push water?

[QuickShow]

Hey there!

I'm having some problems setting my my WC system. I have a Zalman Reserator 1 v2 setup for my system. In my system I have one EK HF CPU block and 3 EK full-cover GPU blocks. All components are connected with 8mm/10mm tubes with compression fittings.

The first time I filled the reserator I used all 10 feet of the tube (so that I can move the reserator away from the case to a cooler place). The water just didn't fill up the tube and there were several chunks of air in the tube which could not be push out. So I drained the water, cut the tube into half length, and refilled the reserator. This time those chunks of air were gone. However the CPU block was not fully filled. The water level in the CPU block was only a bit above the inlet and outlet position. (Block installed vertically) Almost half of the block was not filled with water.

So my question is whether the pump in the reserator is powerful enough to push water through all component. Is there anything I should do the make the water flow better?

Pump Specifications:

Coolant Capacity : Max. 2.5ℓ
Integrated Water Pump : 5 W, Qmax 300 ℓ/h
Maximum Lift : 0.5 m

Thanks you for looking!

 

[rubix_1011]

As mentioned before, the Reserator has a very weak pump and also uses aluminium, which isn't something you want if copper is also in the loop (almost all blocks are made from copper). Galvanic corrosion isn't something you want, but you also have to have the pump in order to move the water around to begin with.

 

[QuickShow]

As mentioned before, the Reserator has a very weak pump and also uses aluminium, which isn't something you want if copper is also in the loop (almost all blocks are made from copper). Galvanic corrosion isn't something you want, but you also have to have the pump in order to move the water around to begin with.

Humm, I don't have any copper in my loop, so that should't be a problem? And the weak pump causes the components not fully filled by water?

 

[rubix_1011]

You have air in your loop.

Is your block aluminum?

 

[QuickShow]

You have air in your loop.

Is your block aluminum?

It's nickel block.

Does it also have something to do with tube length?

 

[rubix_1011]

Nickel is plating. I bet there is copper beneath it. Either way, nickel and aluminium can cause corrosion as well.

You have air in your loop...it has nothing else to do with it.

 

[QuickShow]

Nickel is plating. I bet there is copper beneath it. Either way, nickel and aluminium can cause corrosion as well.

You have air in your loop...it has nothing else to do with it.

Yes it's nickel plated.
So the way to solve this problem would be switch to a more powerful pump?

 

[baddad]

http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=858 Look here.

 

[rubix_1011]

Reserator is junk, anyway. I'd toss the whole thing and start over.

 

[QuickShow]

http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=858 Look here.

Thank you for your suggestion!

 

[QuickShow]

Reserator is junk, anyway. I'd toss the whole thing and start over.

Yea I'll start over.

 

[rubix_1011]

I know this might sound harsh, but it's likely the best solution for what you are working with. The Reserator has a lot of aluminum that makes direct contact with water. You can get by if you used corrosion inhibitors, but it's inevitable that corrosion would still take place in a copper+aluminum loop. Plus, it's been very well documented by several reviews that the pump is very weak and pushes a very low flow rate.

If you are happy with only replacing the pump, you'd do well for yourself to consider a DDC pump, if you did so...at least avoiding another Reserator pump would do you well.

 

[QuickShow]

I know this might sound harsh, but it's likely the best solution for what you are working with. The Reserator has a lot of aluminum that makes direct contact with water. You can get by if you used corrosion inhibitors, but it's inevitable that corrosion would still take place in a copper+aluminum loop. Plus, it's been very well documented by several reviews that the pump is very weak and pushes a very low flow rate.

If you are happy with only replacing the pump, you'd do well for yourself to consider a DDC pump, if you did so...at least avoiding another Reserator pump would do you well.

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I'll dump the reserator.

According to your expertise, is it possible to cool my OCed i7 + 3 GTX 570 SC in one loop? What kind of radiator/pump/reservoir (or combo) would you suggest for very limited internal space (I don't mind using external ones and yes they're more preferable to me)?

 

[rubix_1011]

540 watts for GPUs alone, another 100+ depending on CPU OC.

I'd say a quality 360 and 240 in a loop will work fine. You could get by with less, I suppose.

 

[QuickShow]

540 watts for GPUs alone, another 100+ depending on CPU OC.

I'd say a quality 360 and 240 in a loop will work fine. You could get by with less, I suppose.

Sorry but 360 and 240 refers to..?

 

[rubix_1011]

Radiator size.

120mm fan size x 1 = 120, 2 = 240, 3 = 360.

There are also 140 sized rads as well. It's just a simpler way of designating the size of the radiator based on how many of what sized fans fit on it.

 

[QuickShow]

Radiator size.

120mm fan size x 1 = 120, 2 = 240, 3 = 360.

There are also 140 sized rads as well. It's just a simpler way of designating the size of the radiator based on how many of what sized fans fit on it.

Any suggestions on the radiator itself? (like fin density .....)

 

[Guest]

I think we should encourage passive liquid cooling here & not stop people from going green. The problem with people saying all bad things of passive liquid cooling is that this people never really use passive liquid cooling system.

 

[QuickShow]

I think we should encourage passive liquid cooling here & not stop people from going green. The problem with people saying all bad things of passive liquid cooling is that this people never really use passive liquid cooling system.

You mean a system like reserator?

 

[rubix_1011]

Passive doesn't cut it anymore...not with high powered CPUs and GPUs.

 

[Guest]

Nah, unless you're talking Q6600.

It works on some builds.

 

[rubix_1011]

I'm running a Q6600 @3.6.

 

[Guest]

I'm actually joking for I know you're running Q6600 (based on what I saw on your built). It's a very old CPU. I actually still have it but it's now in my drawer.

Listen bro, I'm running Core i7 2600K. Up until about 2 months ago it's the fastest Intel CPU out there. I'm able to overclocked it to 4.8 stable with very minimal heat added. I'm using a very small 120 mm rad to cool it down. This I don't understand why so many people talking BS about no it's not possible to cool the CPU with just a single tiny rad when it's been proven time & time again that it's the contrary. CoolIt & Asetek (major manufacturers of hybrid liquid cooling products) all used 120 mm on several of their CPU cooler so saying that it's not possible is just pure BS.

 

[rubix_1011]

My argument wasn't on CPUs- we all know that newer CPUs run cooler due to lower TDP than older model chips. Your big heat producers are still GPUs which are kicking out 2-3x more heat (each) in watts than a CPU, even when overclocked.

Yeah those Q6600's are old CPUs, but it still runs great. In fact, I'm likely only upgrading GPUs in the next couple weeks and keeping the CPU and rest of the build. The system as a whole performs great on BF3 minus the new eye-candy, and even then, the SLI 260's still do a decent job. I just want more video goodness.

 

[Guest]

My argument wasn't on CPUs- we all know that newer CPUs run cooler due to lower TDP than older model chips. Your big heat producers are still GPUs which are kicking out 2-3x more heat (each) in watts than a CPU, even when overclocked.

Yeah those Q6600's are old CPUs, but it still runs great. In fact, I'm likely only upgrading GPUs in the next couple weeks and keeping the CPU and rest of the build. The system as a whole performs great on BF3 minus the new eye-candy, and even then, the SLI 260's still do a decent job. I just want more video goodness.

Q6600 is a weak CPU. That 6 y.o. CPU is very weak by today's standard. It won't be sitting here in my drawer in I think it's still a viable CPU. The last time I used that CPU was 3 years ago. Back then it's getting weak. Also an SLI 260 can't do a decent job even at medium setting. That's another old video card you're talking about.

Talking of GPU, I'm actually cooling my dual GPU Radeon HD 4870X2 using a 140 mm rad & I got 34 c when idle & around 45 c when gaming. That 4870X2 is one of the hottest CPU out there with long use. Even hotter than the single GPU GTX 580. I can't even run (2) 4870X2 longer than an hour before when I was using an air cooled set up. So you can't say that a 120 mm rad can't cool down a video card + CPU when according to the PNY review, it can..

Here's by the way my Q6600. I used this CPU way back 2007. I know about the CPU. It doesn't produced more heat than later CPUs.