i just got watercooling instaled...but my temps are worse than when i had my aircooling in! that doesnt sound right. could it be because i have no shroud? or because i only have 1 rad cooling 3 components? im getting 126F, and i had 118-122F before with my zalman 9500CU. if anyone needs to know, im using the kit spectrum was selling. asetek kit.

all depends on what components you have.... if your running a single 120MM rad and 3 components (IE. CPU, and GPUx2) yeah i would say thats within the realm. If your using a 120mmx240mm radiator i would think it would be lower... If your running a 120mmx360MM beastie radiator i would say you're getting horrible temps and would ask what coolant your using.

A few slightly better specs would help/ link to the kit you bought since i don't know it by heart.

Most likelly your rads to small or theres a restriction in the coolent lines.

If both those are good ,check your waterblocks seating and try reintalling it for better contact

i think its most likely the rad. i only have a 120x120 one, cooler by a fan that doesnt even go that fast, which doesnt have a shroud yet. btw how to you make one?

Yeah i would put the first look at the radiator. to build a shroud... (Which isn't always neccesary) make a plastic box or gut an old fan, so that the box is roughly 1" tall screw one side to fan, screw the other side to the radiator. Fairly simple.

Some pics (even crappy MS paint ones) would really help us troubleshoot - along with slightly more specs on your hardware, tubing size etc...

heres a picture of my setup. im using 3/8 tubing. its spectrums kit, in this thread. i have a MSI 6728
i865PE chipset, with a 2.8ghz pentium 4 processor prescott (i got my laptop and my desktop mixed in my sig) and a 7800GS OC. hope that helps. i know i seated the blocks right btw. no play in the blocks at all.

Do as Disturbedpyro suggested and gut another fan for a cheap shroud.
That will help eliminate the dead spot from the fan center and allow a more even flow of air through the rad.
Im a firm believer in pulling air through a radiator,99% of all commercial cooling systems are built that way!
So otherwise your setup looks pretty good.

Its pretty easy to make one like this from aluminum

PCApex.com // Galleries - aluminum radiator shroud

Also Id suggest getting a better fan,that flows at least 80-120 CFM to help out that small rad.

for mounting a bigger RAD
Swiftech RadBox External Radiator Mount (MCB-120 R2 - Black)
For a shroud if you don't/can't make one and also for a 120x240 or 120x360 rad.
Check www.dangerden.com thier site was down when i tried to grab the shroud link.

Your setup looks clean but one other reason why your temps may be high it looks like your using the RAD fan as an exhaust for the case IE pulling heated air through it... If you can route it so that your pulling ambient through and use another fan for exhaust your temps will improve.

-DP

P.S. Rbieze not a bad looking shroud did you also make a gasket for it? IE line of silicon allowed to dry so you don't have pressure loss when you bolt up the fans?

That Skt 478 Prescott is going to enter quite a bit of heat into the loop by itself, plus that 7800GS OC. (The i865pe was a fairly cool running chipset, compared to the nforce chipsets of it's day) I would deffinitely go with a bigger rad, and a shroud.

As everyone said:
Use a higher CFM fan
Try and pull air from outside the case through the radiator (the swiftech radbox allows ambient air to get into your rad too)
Use a shroud to maximize your fan's efficiency (If you want to do it on the cheap, you can fudge a spacer out of a 120mm fan body like this - just make sure that there is a good seal between the parts (I used silicon vibration dampeners) :

Quote: Originally Posted by disturbed_pyro P.S. Rbieze not a bad looking shroud did you also make a gasket for it? IE line of silicon allowed to dry so you don't have pressure loss when you bolt up the fans?

Yes ,I used 1/4" thick foam weatherstripping between the rad and shroud.
It worked out perfectly...

alright guys. thanks for all your help through this watercooling gig...couldnt have done it without some help. now...does anyone wanna donate some dead 120mm fans and a dual rad but really if anyone needs a zalman 9500CU id be happy to trade that for a dual rad and fans.

edit: good point pyro. but i have no idea where to put it O_o maybe ill have to give up and get a triple rad. put it to the top of my case. or maybe make one of those koolance looking kits.

Nope. The volume of water in the loop won't affect steady state temperature.

if you have a 40 gallon resevoir it will take hours for the CPU to raise that 40 gallons to temprature, but it will have the same steady state as a 2oz resevoir. as far as the rad box i showed you, that mounts to the back of your pc where your current rad is and lets you mount a larger rad. drop the 50.00 for a 120x240 and be happy now.

Or you could always do what i did, My case woulnt even take 1 120MM fan, So i did it my way





Matt

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You could do it the pyro way which would be to elevate the rad 3/4 of an inch above the case with vents around the bottom and with a pyramid shroud on the top so that the frans are hidden along with the actual radiator.

Quote: Originally Posted by CommanderZero i think its most likely the rad. i only have a 120x120 one, cooler by a fan that doesnt even go that fast, which doesnt have a shroud yet. btw how to you make one?

Lots of good info, on fan i would suggest (affordable, and not loud) is the NMB-MAT from MNPCtech. For a not so quiet alternative, that will push about the same amount of air as the panflo, this sunon pushes some air.

Personally the Black Ice pro has a already spaced area above the fins, and with a high pressure and high cfm fan, youll keep it plenty cool.

With my black Ice pro i cool a X2 (100%both cores) and the nForce4 SLI NB, at around 38C. I also use rubbing alcohol for liquid, and a step up on the pump you have (L35).

matt, thats what i was thinking of doing. but im tryin gto steer away from that, because i dont wanna block off my last cd port...maybe i can copy the koolance thing with those mounts/hinge that goes on the back of the case...

edit: accually if i put some thought into it, i may be able to save my drive bay...but then 6 fans are gonna be expencive...anyone know where i can get 6 led fans on the cheap, or maybe 3 led/3 regular fans in 120mm?