Watercooling 201: The Waterblock

Great article!!

I dont think im quite ready to be building my own blocks just yet, but this article certainly helps in choosing (and understanding that decision) the right type of block for ones needs. ;)

Nice work. :D

Absolutely fantastic article Brett! ;)

Informative and very well written.

However, I hate to be the one to point out a flaw but, unless I'm very much mistaken, that isn't the "new" MC-TDX at all. It appears to be the standard TDX instead.

Here's some nice pics of the MC-TDX :)
http://www.dangerden.com/store/image.php?type=D&id=260?1201525778875
http://www.dangerden.com/store/image.php?type=D&id=247?1201525844724

Originally Posted by Brett Thomas
This probably seems pedantic –

;)

great article.... but, when i got towards the end and spotted that rebate, wow that just put the article even beyond awesome.

Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us?

Sam

great article ;)

I have my own custom-made water block on my Striker NB, and while I still have no camera, I'll dig up the solidworks designs when I have time after work.

Originally Posted by samkiller42
Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us?

Sam

Erk! Hey Sam, I thought I left the word 'five' in there. Originally I intended to add a look into an 'up and coming' in there - but after digging through the best of the best, the fifth block really didn't make the cut. I'd prefer not to slander it without a proper review, so I withheld judgement on it. :)

And Whiskey, you are correct that this is a standard TDX - I didn't get my MC version in time and forgot to change the references :) Sorry bout that! The article is corrected now. Dan wouldn't have been happy for me to feature his "old" block as the new - and I've not tested the MC's performance.

I'm glad you guys like it so far! This has been in my head to do for a while - I've been looking around for watercooling resources and found things particularly lacking. Not so much in "this block good, this block bad," but the why's and the wherefor's.

I would have prefered an MC-TDX comparrison, as the TDX is now very much Old-Hat.

Nice follow up brett. I'm not in the market for making my own blocks yet but am thinking about a watercooling system when i come into new hardware and now atleast i understand more of what i'm looking at when i sift through pis of waterblocks. Cheers

fatman

Originally Posted by 91
I would have prefered an MC-TDX comparrison, as the TDX is now very much Old-Hat.

Hey '91,

I would like to have *also* included the MC - the standard TDX is still one of the best blocks on the market and a good example of excellent design, though. I'm going to do a proper review of the MC- in the near future, though - so no worries. :)

So, are we going to be seeing more water cooling reviews?

Brilliant!

Good to see my beloved TDX in here. I've been using one since my socket 754 days. Went from 754 AMD x64 3000+ to 939 AMD x2 3800+ and now to Intel 775 Q6600.

nice article, good job of condensing the huge can of worms that is waterblock design down into an understandable form :)

Originally Posted by Da Dego

Quote:

Originally Posted by samkiller42
Great article, but what happened to the 5th block you were gonna rip open for us?

Sam

Erk! Hey Sam, I thought I left the word 'five' in there. Originally I intended to add a look into an 'up and coming' in there - but after digging through the best of the best, the fifth block really didn't make the cut. I'd prefer not to slander it without a proper review, so I withheld judgement on it. :)

heh, all is revealed. I thought that maybe the Storm would show up, seems i have the wrong block:(

Sam

Sorry Brett, I'm at it again:

Originally Posted by Brett Thomas,
[Regarding the D-Tek Fuzion] note that there are neither nozzles nor much to induce truly turbulent flow as the water enters the block—it's a straight shot from the hose to the copper

Maybe not in the box but these are available and I found the "Quad nozzle" actually did seem to reduce my temps a bit on the ol' Q6600.

http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/images/large/dtek-nozzle.jpg

available here

Had hoped to see the apogee GTX in there. Got myself one of these blocks and I'm very happy with its performance. Great article tho mate, would be nice to see one including GPU / Mosfet / NB blocks too now :)

I'm also surprised you didn't have a SINGLE apogee waterblock in that lineup... because if you did, it would trump every block there.

Cather @ www.procooling.com was the original designer of the apogee series, and back in the hayday you could get one similar to the top of the line apogee that was done in 99.9% silver.

my understanding is he then sold the design.

anyway, this block is amazing, go buy it now!

Originally Posted by skunkmunkey
Had hoped to see the apogee GTX in there. Got myself one of these blocks and I'm very happy with its performance. Great article tho mate, would be nice to see one including GPU / Mosfet / NB blocks too now :)

Originally Posted by zero0ne
I'm also surprised you didn't have a SINGLE apogee waterblock in that lineup... because if you did, it would trump every block there.

Cather @ www.procooling.com was the original designer of the apogee series, and back in the hayday you could get one similar to the top of the line apogee that was done in 99.9% silver.

my understanding is he then sold the design.

anyway, this block is amazing, go buy it now!

Brett did not pick the blocks he featured in the article because he thought they were, like, the best performing blocks evar, nor because he has particular favorites (he doesn't). He simply chose them as examples of well-performing blocks functioning along the watercooling principles he wished to illustrate. No particular criticism or depreciation of the Apogee was implied and none should be inferred.

Do we get one on radiators soon, because that seems to be the most confusing bit to me.

Originally Posted by iwog
Do we get one on radiators soon, because that seems to be the most confusing bit to me.

radiators are easy, thermochill PA series as big as you can fit, done :p

Originally Posted by iwog
Do we get one on radiators soon, because that seems to be the most confusing bit to me.

Actually, yes ;) That's on the agenda. In fact, Danger Den, Swiftec, Thermochill, HW Labs and I are working together to do a comprehensive discussion/review. ;)

Great article, just the right amount of science content. I really appreciate the complete absence of liquid snobbery.

Great Article! Its good to see inside the D-Tek without taking mine apart;) I always woundered how the water would go across the whole block when the output is only in 1 corner, but i did move from the simple TDX to the fusion :o

what's next in the watercooling lessons? i'd like to see info on GPU waterblocks- full coverage vs. GPU-only.

Originally Posted by willyolio
what's next in the watercooling lessons? i'd like to see info on GPU waterblocks- full coverage vs. GPU-only.

one gets the ram and one doesnt? It's not really complicated. Big price difference though because of the massive amount of copper that has to be used for a full cover card.

problem with full coverage cards is also compatability
i've had my maze4 gpu block on 4 different cards (9800, x800, x1900, 3870), cant do that with a full coverage block :P