[isithran]

Hi,

I'm planning to modify a rig to make it silent (<15~17 dB(A) ) at full load. For this, l'm planning to watercool my graphics card as the other components do not exceed 11 dB(A) in nominal conditions.

My constraints are as follow:

• I need at least 2x 5 1/4" + 1x 3 1/2" (or 3x 5 1/4") slots for an internal drive, a LCD display and a smart card reader.
• I need 3x 3 1/2" HDD bay (for my current RAID5).
• I'd like NOT to change my CPU cooling (AC Freezer 13 pro) as it already complies with my needs.

The following issues already solved:

• Finding an appropriate case for a watercooling setup (I'm planning to buy a Bitfenix Shinobi XL. If you have a better idea for less than )
• Decoupling the coolant pump to reduce vibration noises.
• Finding an appropriate WB for my graphics card (Heatkiller GPU X³ 560 "hole edition" full cover; already bought).

My graphics card is an EVGA GTX 560 Ti SC. I don't plan to overclock my components, but I need some extra capacity for future hardware upgrade (make it a 30~40% oversizing factor in terms of dissipation capacity).

But I also have some questions:

• Which coolant do you recommend me, knowing that I prefer a long-life (>3 years if possible) corrosion-protective biocide residue-free coolant over a cheap one?
• How do you cope with the coolant filling/maintenance when you have a radiator at a higher position than the reservoir one (radiator at the top of the tower)?
• What kind of tubing fixation do you consider to be the most reliable over time?
• Where can I find some data or a mathematic formula to know the cooling capacity in function of the following data:
  • radiator size (Ive planned to buy a 3*120 radiator)
  • radiator thickness (to be determined)
  • airflow (in CFM or cubic meters per hour if possible)

About the last question, these data are critical to me, as I plan to use low speed fans or medium speed fans with a self made fan regulation kit (i'm in electronics). FYI, the regulator pcb is already made and it uses:

• a coolant thermal sensor (already found)
• PIC16F877A to do real-time calculation,
• pwm regulators to control the WC radiator fans.

 

[billbartuska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by isithran

Hi,

• Which coolant do you recommend me, knowing that I prefer a long-life (>3 years if possible) corrosion-protective biocide residue-free coolant over a cheap one?
  
  95% distilled (not, deionized, not decriminalized, not anything else) Water plus 5% ethylene glycol based antifreeze.
  
• How do you cope with the coolant filling/maintenance when you have a radiator at a higher position than the reservoir one (radiator at the top of the tower)?
  
  On the first start up of the cooling system, you'll probably have to tilt/shake the case to get the air out of the loop. It's a closed loop, so even with the cap off the rez (or the fill tube I'd recommend over a rez) all the air will collect in the rez/fill tube. Just add more coolant to replace the air removed. It's really easy do bleed a system and you only have to do it once.
  
• What kind of tubing fixation do you consider to be the most reliable over time?
  
  Narrow stainless steel screw clamps
  
• Where can I find some data or a mathematic formula to know the cooling capacity in function of the following data:
  
  Skinnee Labs Extremesystems.org will have lots of testing results.
  
  If you'd like to do more research, Procooling.com is the seat of all watercooling knowledge. It's old and pretty much dead now, but all the initial water cooling theories were developed there, from the first home built components to the development of the Agogee impingment type blocks. Look for posts by Cather (the father of watercooling) among others.
  
  About the last question, these data are critical to me, as I plan to use low speed fans or medium speed fans with a self made fan regulation kit (i'm in electronics). FYI, the regulator pcb is already made and it uses:
  
  All you really need in flow rate (from a "bucket" test), water temp (thermometer in the rez) and air temps in/out of the radiator(s). From that data you can calculate anything you will need.
  • a coolant thermal sensor (already found)
  • PIC16F877A to do real-time calculation,
  • pwm regulators to control the WC radiator fans.

Hope that helps.

 

[isithran]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billbartuska

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the answers and especially for the links: that's exactly what I was searching.
I'll maybe update the thread when I'll do the modifications.