Adding another rad to my WC loop

Slinkie · 29 Jan 2009 at 19:54

Hi Folks,

I am thinking of adding another rad to my loop. I think my temps are ok at the moment but if I have space for another rad then why not.

Currently I have an overclocked GTX280 and a Q9550 @ 4Ghz cooled with a PA120.2. under small fft prime the Q9550 doesn't go about 60 degrees ( 2 of the cores don't got above 55 degrees).

I have spave to add a single thickness 120mm rad like the XSPC RS120. I don't think I could fit a double thickness rad in.

Would it be worth it? Would it lower my temps any more?

Here is a picture of my case, I want to put it by the bottom fan at the back so my loop would go

120.2> res > pump > 120mm rad > cpu > gpu > 120.2

Thanks

Ben M · 29 Jan 2009 at 19:59

I wouldn't put "120.2> res > pump > 120mm rad" because what's the point? you have already cooled the fluid by the .2 then you are putting another rad.

Slinkie · 29 Jan 2009 at 20:04

surely it'd make it even cooler, I can't imagine the 120.2 removes all the heat possible from the loop.

Bradley8988 · 29 Jan 2009 at 20:38

In have a thermochill triple just cooling my CPU and NB, my temps are no better than yours.

Ben M · 29 Jan 2009 at 20:45

Slinkie said:
surely it'd make it even cooler, I can't imagine the 120.2 removes all the heat possible from the loop.

It would, but it would be more effective after at least one component.

The amount of heat lost is a function of the difference between the temperature of the room and the temperature of the liquid. The bigger the difference in temperature, the greater the heat lost. So you want the water to be as hot as possible when it comes to a rad. Having two rads effectively next to eachother is the least efficient use of them.

I would have the .2 after whichever of the two generates the most heat, and the .1 after the other.

For example: 120.2> res > pump > cpu > 120mm > gpu > 120.2

Swap the 120 and the 120.2 if a cpu generates more heat than a gpu, I don't know which way around it is.

Slinkie · 29 Jan 2009 at 20:59

What I'd really want is for as much heat as possible to be drawn out of the loop before the CPU as it is the hottest component. The GPU sits at around 40-45 under load and is about as overclocked as it can get. The CPU hits 60 deg under load so I though if I there were more ways for the water to lose heat before it got to the cpu it would being the temp down more.

Wilst · 29 Jan 2009 at 21:02

I don't think rad placement would be an issue. afaik the difference in water temperature at different points of the loop is tiny.

Bradley8988 · 29 Jan 2009 at 21:14

I wouldnt bother for a few degrees.

WJA96 · 29 Jan 2009 at 21:19

After about an hour, the temperature equilibrates and the position of components in the loop is irrelevant (except res->pump to keep the pump supplied). A 120.1 will be cheap and it couldn't hurt. I'd go for it.

adamibbo · 29 Jan 2009 at 21:26

Slinkie said:
Hi Folks,

I am thinking of adding another rad to my loop. I think my temps are ok at the moment but if I have space for another rad then why not.

Currently I have an overclocked GTX280 and a Q9550 @ 4Ghz cooled with a PA120.2. under small fft prime the Q9550 doesn't go about 60 degrees ( 2 of the cores don't got above 55 degrees).

I have spave to add a single thickness 120mm rad like the XSPC RS120. I don't think I could fit a double thickness rad in.

Would it be worth it? Would it lower my temps any more?

Here is a picture of my case, I want to put it by the bottom fan at the back so my loop would go

120.2> res > pump > 120mm rad > cpu > gpu > 120.2

Thanks

hi mate what is attached to pump at th bottam to keep it in place

Slinkie · 29 Jan 2009 at 21:35

It's an anti vibration mount, its an alu block that you attach rubber feet to.

Bradley8988 · 29 Jan 2009 at 21:51

les see some before and after screens under load to compare.

avatar12m · 29 Jan 2009 at 22:20

Looks nice and neat inside

few things that maybe worth trying.

1. put your fans below your current rad pulling the cool air into the case, your rear fan pulling air out the back and the front fan pulling cool air into the case, also put your side panel back on and let the air from the front be 100% unrestricted ie take your front case panel off so you can see your fan, i have a cm cosmos with the mesh front if i take the 3 mesh covers off it drops my temp by 5-6oc.

worth a try as you don't even have to spend a penny just moving a few fans around.

the mount is ok but it transmits 90% of the motor whine to the chassis so its only use is to bolt the pump down imo , youe need some really soft material between the pump base to chassis, mine is currently sat on one of them mounts then on thick velcro.

gurusan · 29 Jan 2009 at 22:30

I recently added a Feser Xchanger 120mm rad to my loop with an Aquacomputer 120.3 and temps have decreased by about 3-4C, and also I can run my fans at a slower speed.

Flow rate seems to have gone down by a fair bit but the overall temps are lower and that's what counts ehh?

I got the rad from OcUK on a this week only special for about 26 quid shipped....so I think it was worth it.

***F1ZZY*** · 30 Jan 2009 at 00:16

Slinkie, your install is very neat. Personally I wouldn't bother adding a second rad. The few degrees won't be worth it and it will look cluttered inside your case, it will possibly add some tight bends (rad to cpu?), & do nothing extra for you overclock.

Sit back and enjoy I say

Bradley8988 · 30 Jan 2009 at 00:49

Are your fans on ur rad sucking the air from in your case out the roof? Im sure your losing alittle right there as your using warmed air to cool something if im right.

Slinkie · 30 Jan 2009 at 06:21

The fan set up is front and back bottom fans are drawing cool air in, fans above rad are drawing air out. Hot air rises so this is probably the best set up.

The side of my case is normally on, I just took it off in this case to show what my loop looks like at the mo.

***F1ZZY*** · 30 Jan 2009 at 08:36

The front fan will be bringing in the warm air that comes off the PSU, which then goes up to the rad.

It might be worthwhile to do as hinted previously and that is to have the rad fans blowing in and down and the other fans all blowing out of the case. Don't worry about hot air rising, the cold air to the rad will probably give the same couple of degrees improvement as adding a second thin 120 rad.

Sayso · 30 Jan 2009 at 08:48

i dropped 5-10C by having my fans pull cooler air from outside it made a big difference for me

Slinkie · 30 Jan 2009 at 09:18

My one worry about changing the direction of the fans is that I may lose airflow over my northbridge so I'd sacrfice that by having a cooler cpu. With the mother board currently running at 470 fsb and maybe with some new ram even more I'd want so air over the NB to keep it cool without having to add any more fans.