You guys with your H20 systems a few quick questions...

Do you run your pumps 24/7, or do you have a relay that switches the pumps on when you initiate PC power on?

Or do you live even more dangerously and switch on your pump (via a separate switch) and then your PC power on?

This just came to me as I was looking at pumps. It seems they all have there own separte power cords, if only PS had a switched 110 outlet, everthing would be simple. Am I missing something here?

i got mine hooked to my power strip if i wanna turn the comp on i gotta turn the strip on first

I don't take chances. The pump is hooked to an UPS, while the Comp is hooked to a non-backup protected power source. That way, if the computer goes down the pump still runs. By the time the UPS battery dies, the CPU will be cool enought to ensure no damage.

That was my solution too, but there are switches available from places like Swiftech, this is their Pump Relay Switch


Another solution is 12V DC Pumps, but most of them are not strong enough for 24/7 ops, they are designed as bilge pumps. There is one that is on the expensive side at Crazy PC


Although that one is tempting I will probably stick with Ehiem Pumps, they are probably the best and they have a good range of sizes.

Also, if your setup is good you can survive a mistake for quite awhile, but I wouldn't try it as a test

I tried it. Talk about water being ready to brew some tea. I had crossed plugs and the comp was on ups and the pump wasn't . We had a power outage here for about 5 hours (due to this F0cking drought). I checked the comp and all it showed was a serious boot screen. It read, "if you ain't smart enough to take care of me I am going to commit suicide". Luckily, when power was restored all was well.

Yea, my compunurse didn't even look like numbers, just Cyrilic Text

Thanks guys.

That relay is something I would defiinetly wire up. I was planning on it already, but was wondering how you guys managed it. My Asus has the C.O.P. protection that will shut down the system in the event of thermal overload. Right now it's set at 80C, so if the H20 system was to fail, I would be safe.

LC that pump looks awesome and I have eyed it up before, it does seem to have a low GPM compared to the Higher valued Ehims, however it may be good enough in a balanced system.

I thinking I may purchase a Black Ice Extreme to start with. I'm going about this slowly, but as in the old thread you started in the old forum, I guess my consideration for a H20 system has always been the overall system in general, however I knew in the back of my mind I always wanted it designed around the Black Ice Extreme. So place me in the Radiator camp.

I'll probally go with the DangerDen's Maze3 unless I make my own.



I'm not sure if you guys have seen this before or not, but this has got to be the most beautiful water block I have seen. It may be over done, but damn, I would buy one or make one if I had the patience. It's custom made from a Swifty MCX462.

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now that is a sexy lookin waterblock. do you happen to know if there is more info on it?

Actually I like the German made stuff the best.

Look at Aqua-Computer

You have to dig around to see everything they have. I don't like the quick connects, but they have 6,8,10, and even 12mm hose barbs so I would be happy there.

Or look at Innovatek's Site

I want one of these

LC, I covet one of those Aqua system however they do not sell to North America. I agree the blocks are nice, but I don;t like the clamping mechanisim. I do like their reservours, radiator and other system components look nice as well.

Please explain what that last item was.....

Mr. Dark, I can't seem to find the link, but I do have a whack load of pictures of it. I be sure to post it if I find it.

Here is another shot

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Now I wish I could get me one of these...



Black Ice Extreme, chome edition. Sure it would be hidden, but my next system would show it off in all it's glory

LOL, That water block definitly isn't a production modle, it's a swiftech heat sink with a polycarbonite cube milled out and sealed on top. Looks like it would do the job well enough though. In fact I just saw a new all copper pin fin heat sink that looked entirely one piece like it had been milled from beginnng to end out of a single chunk of copper. I was thinking it would be great you use in a home brewed water chiller.

Quote: Originally posted by ViperZ Black Ice Extreme, chome edition.

Viper,
You don't want chrome, Looks pretty, but ask any street rodder, chrome retains heat. Horrible at dissapating it. Chroming a radiator goes against the nature of the design.

I agree Duck... B-U-T it's so PURDY....

M-U-S-T S-T-A-Y A-W-A-Y F-R-O-M T-H-E S-H-I-N-N-Y O-B-J-E-C-T

Just the tank and casing is chromed, the fins are still black. The thermo capacity effect may be marginal, mind you the temperatures range we are dealing with can be marginal as well.

If anything it would save me around "Fitty" by going with the standard black

Doesn't look like it would be that hard to make that custom MCX block...I mean all you would need is a block of whatever you wanted to use (plexi would work I'd say...as long as it's thick enough). Although I'm trying to remember the name of that other company that has a few waterblocks using pins instead of a spiral channel...didn't hear much good come from them (even though they were a bit shallow). But anyway, I'd say you could save a good chunk of change using an Alpha PAL heatsink instead of the MCX!

Hey, I just happen to have an Alpha Pal 8046 Not sure I would want to destroy it in my mad scientist ways though. It would be cheaper to just buy the Danger Den Maze-3.

No guts no glory though

I just had a second though about a H20 system. If I was to have my pump shut down when I power down the PC, how much thermal energy is required to be removed form the CPU? I mean sure it's not generating any more heat, but it still should be hot.

My concern is with a standard air exchanger heat sink, the fins will still conduct and radiate heat from the cpu with the fans shut down, where as with most H20 blocks I have seen are relatively small in size and have no real method of heat transfer other than the water. Should I make a time delayed relay that will shut down the pump say 5-10 minutes after PC shut down? This way the water is still being recirculated to scrub off the remaining heat.

Am I over thinking the situation?

I read an article at Pro-Cooling that said mag drive pumps ought not be shut off and restarted often. I have been running mine 24/7 ever since>

OK, I am going to give you a little time to think about your question some more Viper.

And I will add one of my own

Do you think that if the water isn't moving, that it won't still disipate heat either through the walls of the tubing, or, up the water line to the cooler areas near the radiator?

As I said earlier, I had my system running for almost 30 min without the pump on and everything survived. A HSF wouldn't make it over 3 minutes if the fan was off.

LC I see your point, I was thinking the area that was dissapating heat was relativley small. I guess if the static water is still transfering heat away from the CPU via the tubing, it will still be effective in cooling the CPU.

Putwig, that is a clean H20 set-up you have. The use of the hobbie fuel tank as a reservour was brilliant!

Where can I find more info on your pump?

The more I look at this pump the more I like it


LC, I shut my PC down each day so the 24/7 concern may be moot. However I would like to know why you state this pump may not be suited for that type of duty cycle?

*Edit, sorry, you did not state this one in particular...*