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Copper vs Chrome blocks

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Cavi Mike 
#1 ·
As a beginner to water cooling I have a few questions about WaterBlocks.

Please check these two products:

Alphacool MCX one Minature Waterblock : Chrome

Alphacool MCX one Minature Waterblock : Copper

My question is, Are the Chrome blocks Copper-Plated-with-Chrome or Pure Chrome? If it is Chrome over Copper, is it possible to Lapp the 'Chrome' Block and expose Copper? Since the Thermal Conductivity of Chrome is max 45, and copper 400.

My concern is Copper Oxidation. I fear the Copper blocks may cause the watercooling system to leak..again, I'm new to Water cooling so I need your opinions if I should buy the Copper blocks or the Chrome here. Say I choose Copper, what are the possible consequences of exidation? and after how long will they occur? Do they oxidize from Air? or is it the Fluid in the Loop?

How about I buy the copper blocks and electroplate them with Nickel..Possible? PS - I'll be using these for a GPU GTX 260 192sp.

Thank you in advance for any generous expertise.
 
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#2 ·
These blocks are extremely small, at only 15mmx15mm. The attached barbs are for 4mm tubing. Their purpose is for small chips like RAM and VRMs.

You would need like 12-20 of them for a single GPU depending on the die size, as well as a well thought out parallel flow and likely pump flow reduction to avoid blowing out the tubing or destroying the small barbs.
 
#4 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angrybutcher View Post

These blocks are extremely small, at only 15mmx15mm. The attached barbs are for 4mm tubing. Their purpose is for small chips like RAM and VRMs.
You would need like 12-20 of them for a single GPU depending on the die size, as well as a well thought out parallel flow and likely pump flow reduction to avoid blowing out the tubing or destroying the small barbs.
Yeah those are way small... but it does look damn good however!
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghulam_phantom View Post

My question is, Are the Chrome blocks Copper-Plated-with-Chrome or Pure Chrome?
The nickel / chrome blocks are nickel / chrome plated copper. A pure nickel or chrome block would be quite expensive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghulam_phantom View Post

If it is Chrome over Copper, is it possible to Lapp the 'Chrome' Block and expose Copper? Since the Thermal Conductivity of Chrome is max 45, and copper 400.
It would be easy to do, but would give minimal gains. The plating is very thin and you will likely not notice the difference in temperatures between straight copper and plated blocks without some very accurate measuring equipment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghulam_phantom View Post

My concern is Copper Oxidation. I fear the Copper blocks may cause the watercooling system to leak..again, I'm new to Water cooling so I need your opinions if I should buy the Copper blocks or the Chrome here.
Copper oxidation is not a problem. The most that happens is that you get a layer of oxidation on the exposed copper. It does not hinder heat transfer in any noticable way. Oxidation does not cause leaks in a normal system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghulam_phantom View Post

Say I choose Copper, what are the possible consequences of exidation? and after how long will they occur? Do they oxidize from Air? or is it the Fluid in the Loop?
Consequences - your blocks go from shiny copper colour to a slightly dull copper colour with dark patches.
How long - depends on conditions. Anywhere from a few weeks to a few years.
Causes - Oxygen, either from the air or dissolved oxygen in the water.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghulam_phantom View Post

How about I buy the copper blocks and electroplate them with Nickel..Possible?
Very, if you find somewhere willing to do it for you. You can also buy nickel plated blocks, although some of these have fallen out of favour with the WC'ing community due to recent flaking issues.

As others have mentioned, the blocks you linked are not too great. Try to look for a full cover block if there is one available for your card, if not look at getting a universal GPU block and some passive ram sinks.
 
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#7 ·
I'm quite satisfied by everything you mentioned here. +Rep, However I still want to ask a few more questions regarding this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GingerJohn View Post

The nickel / chrome blocks are nickel / chrome plated copper. A pure nickel or chrome block would be quite expensive.
Then why is that the Chrome blocks are sold cheaper than the exposed Copper blocks?
Quote:
Copper oxidation is not a problem. The most that happens is that you get a layer of oxidation on the exposed copper. It does not hinder heat transfer in any noticable way. Oxidation does not cause leaks in a normal system. Consequences - your blocks go from shiny copper colour to a slightly dull copper colour with dark patches.
With this said, I think I'll go with Copper. Are you saying it is like Aluminum that Oxidizes only on the outer layer and never gets to corrode inwards like Iron? Well that is okay with me tbh.
Quote:
Very, if you find somewhere willing to do it for you. You can also buy nickel plated blocks, although some of these have fallen out of favour with the WC'ing community due to recent flaking issues.
As others have mentioned, the blocks you linked are not too great. Try to look for a full cover block if there is one available for your card, if not look at getting a universal GPU block and some passive ram sinks.
I'll be honest, I'm making a Table custom PC, with a glass on top like the l3p d3sk. & when I saw these blocks, I was very excited. I have a plan on getting this - pci-e x16 Extender ribbon that will allow me to place the GPU on its back and then do the following to it - http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/files/detail1/aquatuning/20014_4.jpg

I'm taken away by just the sheer Looks of it, disregarding any performance or overclocking..So I think I'm pretty sure I'll be getting either of these small blocks, just need your opinion on which ones I should get. If Copper oxidation will not cause any leakage with time then I'll get the copper blocks for sure, & rather try to nickel plate them.
 
#9 ·
Those do look cool, although some might question the wisdom of taking on such an ambitious project for your first foray into watercooling... I, however, approve!
thumb.gif


As to why the plated blocks are cheaper than the plain copper ones, since they are an older (introduced c. 2006 apparently) and inexpensive product, it's possible they are being priced like a commodity if the vendor has a bunch taking up space in his warehouse that he wants to move.

However I have done a little web searching and cannot find any definitive source to state what the base material in the plated blocks actually is. I would suggest sending an email to that web seller and to alphacool for verification that they are indeed copper (and not aluminum although I've never heard of anyone plating aluminum, it is possible I suppose)
 
#11 ·
The copper isn't "exposed" copper, it has a coating on it to prevent it from corroding. Think of a green penny: you definitely don't want your nice red copper to look like that after a couple months, would you? As far as the chrome being cheaper - the chrome plating process must actually be easier/cheaper than clear-coating. Makes sense really, you can chrome plate the whole piece so it's no thing to just dip it in a bath and electroplate the whole piece. A clear-coated part? Well, anything that touches the chip can't have the coating on it or else heat won't be transferred well enough and neither can the coolant passages for the same reason. That means those have to be masked off beforehand. Sounds like a total pain-in-the-arse if you ask me. Also, clear-coat isn't cheap and it goes on thick.
 
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