cooling: optimal airflow ?

[VJ]

I've been thinking about the noise levels... Is it that much more silent to opt for watercooling ?

Consider this setup:
2 80mm intake fans (behind which 2 10K drives are mounted).
1 PSU fan
2 80mm outtake fans at the back
2 CPU-coolers

In water cooling, this would become:
2 80mm intake fans (unless I watercool the drives)
1 PSU fan
1 or 2 outtake fans at the back, for cooling the radiator.
1 waterpump

As I don't intend to overclock, I'm starting to think that going for very good, quiet CPU-coolers might result in an approx. equal noise level... (the loudest components are the harddrives, but some cpu-coolers make a whining noise, which I find more annoying)

True, false, other comments ?

Jörg

[Paddy]

You have essentially the same case as me.
The intake fans for the drive bay have a resistor attached. If you turn the fans onto 'low' the noise they make is minimal. There is more than enough airflow to cool my 4 SCSI disks.

The watercooling kit should be noiseless. I would insulate the pump though to minimise vibration. The 'outtake' fan could be a large 120mm fan running at 7v. They are nearly noisless. If the rad was large enough/external, then you could risk not having a fan attached... although i wouldn't risk it with my dual XP1800s

[VJ]

Ok, thanks !
I do get the impression that watercooling, even with the kits, still requires quite some DIY on the case (to mount the radiator - I was hoping to find a radiotor that could be placed above the PSU, with the 2 80mm fans, thus not having to cut this rear plate - and the pump). So I'm beginning to think I'd better stick to "normal" cooling for now...


Jörg

[Paddy]

I am going to do what SCompRacer has done and make a new mounting plate for the PSU. You could buy a sheet of metal from a car dealer for a few quid (so i hear). I would then turn the PSU upside down, and mount the Rad ontop.

*edit* The little birdie corrected me, oops!

[Greebe]

The small pumps normally do not have nearly the vibration that fans do. Mine when on cannot be heard over the noise generated by 2/ 80mm el cheapo (read: quiet/low cfm) case fans used to cool my radiator.

Actually if I power the system down and leave the pump running you can barely tell it's on

[Greebe]

Also see...

http://forums.murc.ws/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29645

All is mounted at the bottom cept what could not be (waterjacket) to prevent any possibility of accidental leakage from getting on anything and drawing air up from the floor gets the coolest air to the most needed part first. By this design I also have excellent PCI card cooling in addition to reducing the need for extra fans to cool the HD's

[VJ]

Paddy:
Yes, I'm with you on the buying-the-plate-thing. But then I'd still need to cut it...
I was hoping to find a radiator approx. a bit larger than 160 mmx80 mm, so that I could use the 2 standard 80mm fan-holes (above the PSU) and mount the radiator there. But most radiators are bigger.


Jörg

[Paddy]

that's an odd shape... I think you are gonna have to find one custom made for PC's... I doubt that you'd find a car rad with those dimensions.

[Paddy]

Nice design Greebe!
I am going to have to think of a way to cool those PCI cards too...
I'd prefer not to mount a fan on the case side due to that blasted perspex window

[SCompRacer]

Originally posted by VJ
.... I was hoping to find a radiotor that could be placed above the PSU, with the 2 80mm fans, thus not having to cut this rear plate ....

You could still use a BIX but you'd have to get creative with mounting and ducting to the 80mm fans. And you don't need to be a tin smith to do ducts. In my first water cooled case I used aluminum for ducting. Now I use thin acrylic instead. Like the stuff you find in inexpensive picture frames. It is inexpensive and easy to work with. Make your pattern out of posterboard and tape it together to check the fit. Take it apart and transfer it to the acrylic, score with a utility knife and snap it off against the edge of a bench. Use an acrylic cement to glue it together.

[VJ]

Here is mention of a possible radiator:

http://forums.murc.ws/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29645

Direct link:

http://www.infinipro.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ITIS&Product_Code=SR

Although I doubt this one is big enough for a dual AMD, but I think it ought to be possible to mount 2 of those next to each other (I think the case has enough room above the standard fanholes to allow for the tubes, but I should check first).


Jörg

[Greebe]

Take a look at the Black Ice Extreme radiator here http://becooling.safeshopper.com/17/cat17.htm?529

The "Dual Radiator" (bottom right) is almost identical to the one I'm using (mine came with built in mounting brackets)