Lava Lamp Reservoir...is it possible!?

[GuruMeditationError]

I think the one thing that would absolutely swing my decision to go for a custom water-cooling solution was if I could have a lava lamp reservoir, but is this possible?

 

I'm not sure exactly just how hot a custom cooling loop reservoir gets but I was thinking it would be really cool if you could get a reservoir with a double wall or separate core containing a substance that looks and behaves like the stuff in a lava lamp.

 

Is it possible? Is the water already too cool by the time it gets to the reservoir? Could you have two reservoirs, with the one ahead of the radiator acting like a lava lamp?

 

What kind of material would behave like the material in a lava lamp at the temperatures the liquid in a custom loop could reach?

[xToFxREAPER]

Oops, this should have been posted to the water-cooling forum.

 

I think the one thing that would absolutely swing my decision to go for a custom water-cooling solution was if I could have a lava lamp reservoir, but is this possible?

 

I'm not sure exactly just how hot a custom cooling loop reservoir gets but I was thinking it would be really cool if you could get a reservoir with a double wall or separate core containing a substance that looks and behaves like the stuff in a lava lamp.

 

Is it possible? Is the water already too cool by the time it gets to the reservoir? Could you have two reservoirs, with the one ahead of the radiator acting like a lava lamp?

 

What kind of material would behave like the material in a lava lamp at the temperatures the liquid in a custom loop could reach?

This is a really interesting idea that really appeals to me since im planning a custom loop right now. I would love to see someones thoughts on whether something like this would actually be doable or not. ive seen some coolants like the mayhems aurora that are all metallic and swirl and whatnot but never a full lava lamp idea

[techswede]

Damn it.. Now i want that too.. 

[Thebman712]

it would be cool but it would be out side your case and it means you would have a longer loop wich would be hard.

[GuruMeditationError]

This is a really interesting idea that really appeals to me since im planning a custom loop right now. I would love to see someones thoughts on whether something like this would actually be doable or not. ive seen some coolants like the mayhems aurora that are all metallic and swirl and whatnot but never a full lava lamp idea

 

I didn't know that stuff existed, it looks pretty cool.

 

Damn it.. Now i want that too.. 

 

I know! Right?!

 

it would be cool but it would be out side your case and it means you would have a longer loop wich would be hard.

 

I don't water cool so I don't really know about the logistics behind it. I'm guessing it might mean having a more powerful pump because of the added resistance.

[Thebman712]

I didn't know that stuff existed, it looks pretty cool.

 

 

I know! Right?!

 

 

I don't water cool so I don't really know about the logistics behind it. I'm guessing it might mean having a more powerful pump because of the added resistance.

yeah prob not sure tho

[SirRoderick]

Well the lava lamp oil or whatever would have to be heated from the bottom, not all around. Other wise it wouldn't behave in that fashion.

[Jerakl]

Cool idea!

[GuruMeditationError]

 

Cool idea!

 

Why do I get the feeling that's sarcasm.   

 

Well the lava lamp oil or whatever would have to be heated from the bottom, not all around. Other wise it wouldn't behave in that fashion.

 

Also, I'm not sure if the loop would produce the kind of heat it would need to move that substance. I'm wondering if there's a different material that would behave in the same way at the lower heat.

[techswede]

How about a pair of nvidia 400 series cards? Or the R9290x? 

wouldn't those be hot enough?
A lava lamp operates at around 40-45* according to .. *ehm* wikipedia. 

And it's paraffin wax in mineral oil.

But it needs to be cooler at the top than it is on the bottom. Otherwise the wax won't cool and sink again
 

[GuruMeditationError]

So, theoretically you could get the water hot enough (my two GTX 580 SOC's could float the Hindenburg (oh the humanity!)), you'd just need the right medium to conduct the heat to the water. Plus, for the convection, you'd need the lava-lamp part above the container with the heated coolant but would that make it less awesome? (I was going to say "less cool" but that might confuse people).

 

Maybe the core could be two chambers containing the coolant, with hot coolant in the bottom and cooled coolant running back through the top with a second outer wall around all of it containing the wax between it and the core. That way you get the convection and you have the cool lava-lamp effect.

 

Would that mean having a glass core, since perspex might not be as conductive, or is that an incorrect assumption?

 

Also, you'd need really good insulation between the top and bottom chambers in the reservoir.

 

Would we be looking at something twice the size of a normal reservoir or would it not matter the temperature at which the water's contained as long as it's contained somewhere in the loop?

[xToFxREAPER]

So, theoretically you could get the water hot enough (my two GTX 580 SOC's could float the Hindenburg (oh the humanity!)), you'd just need the right medium to conduct the heat to the water. Plus you'd need the lava-lamp part above the container with the heated coolant for the convection but would that make it less awesome? (I was going to say "less cool" but that might confuse people).

 

Maybe the core could be two chambers containing the coolant, with hot coolant in the bottom and cooled coolant running back through the top with a second outer wall around all of it containing the wax between it and the core. That way you get the convection and you have the cool lava-lamp effect.

 

Would that mean having a glass core, since perspex might not be as conductive, or is that an incorrect assumption?

i think you might be on to something there, ive seen many res's similar to linus' that being the dna strand (cant remember the name been awake 36 hours now *sigh*) where one side is the output and the other is the return. If the res were to be modeled correctly you could in theory be able to pull off this lava lamp based idea for a water cooling res

[GuruMeditationError]

i think you might be on to something there, ive seen many res's similar to linus' that being the dna strand (cant remember the name been awake 36 hours now *sigh*) where one side is the output and the other is the return. If the res were to be modeled correctly you could in theory be able to pull off this lava lamp based idea for a water cooling res

 

I just ran a search for "DNA reservoir water cooling" and found this: http://www.frozenqshop.com/liquid-fusion-250-mm-reservoir/

 

It's basically half way there. The inner core is like a heating element, the outside is filled with air (i.e. "empty"). If you could alter it so that it fed water out half way up, through the radiator and back in to the top half of the core, you could create something that would give you the convection needed.

 

Then you engineer the outer-wall so that it can hold the liquid with the wax and assuming the inner core is constructed of a substance that can effectively conduct the heat to the outer liquid (maybe glass if perspex is too effective an insulator) you, theoretically, get the convection you need for a lava-lamp reservoir.  

 

You'd have to experiment with the balance between how far up the feed out of the core would need to be to get the right balance of heat and cool to move the wax in the fashion desired but theoretically, it's possible. 

[xToFxREAPER]

I just ran a search for "DNA reservoir water cooling" and found this: http://www.frozenqshop.com/liquid-fusion-250-mm-reservoir/

 

It's basically half way there. The inner core is like a heating element, the outside is filled with air (i.e. "empty"). If you could alter it so that it fed water out half way up, through the radiator and back in to the top half of the core, you could create something that would give you the convection needed.

 

Then you engineer the outer-wall so that it can hold the liquid with the wax and assuming the inner core is constructed of a substance that can effectively conduct the heat to the outer liquid (maybe glass if perspex is too effective an insulator) you, theoretically, get the convection you need for a lava-lamp reservoir.  

 

You'd have to experiment with the balance between how far up the feed out of the core would need to be to get the right balance of heat and cool to move the wax in the fashion desired but theoretically, it's possible. 

well atleast you found what i meant lol things seem harder when your sleep deprived  

 

anyway yes that is half way there atleast and i think it would be very possible to build something like this with the right tools, knowledge and patience. It would be a sweet project

[techswede]

But if you were to go for a lava lamp accurate thing you could probably get a waterblock of some sort made out of a material that easily transfers heat.
And put the glass bit on top of that. That way you'd get the heater on the bottom and the cooler area on top.

That would probably also add yet another point where the heat can be dissipated. 
If it was possible to get a small and slim radiator and pop it on top of that it might work. If it got hot enough.

Possibly something like this?

And this way the liquids would be completely separate. And the lava lamp piece could be removed easily 

[GuruMeditationError]

well atleast you found what i meant lol things seem harder when your sleep deprived  

 

anyway yes that is half way there atleast and i think it would be very possible to build something like this with the right tools, knowledge and patience. It would be a sweet project

 

I know what that's like, I never used to sleep. :0/

 

I guess the drawbacks are, that you might need a more powerful pump to handle whatever added resistance there may potentially be, plus there would be a little heat conduction between the hot and the cooled water which might impact performance and from the production standpoint you might need different formulations of the wax solution, or different reservoir lengths to get the desired effect at varying heats (although if everyone pushed it to maximum that would mean uniformity)...

 

...but...

 

(see attached image)

 

...I do believe it's possible!  :blink:

[xToFxREAPER]

I know what that's like, I never used to sleep. :0/

 

I guess the drawbacks are, that you might need a more powerful pump to handle whatever added resistance there may potentially be, plus there would be a little heat conduction between the hot and the cooled water which might impact performance and from the production standpoint you might need different formulations of the wax solution, or different reservoir lengths to get the desired effect at varying heat (although if everyone pushed it to maximum that would mean uniformity)...

 

...but...

 

 

...I do believe it's possible!  :blink:

yeah it would really depend on the hardware your running the oc's your running on said hardware and the amount of rad you have to counteract the heat being generated. Even for my planned loop i feel like i need more rad i just cant fit it lol

[GuruMeditationError]

yeah it would really depend on the hardware your running the oc's your running on said hardware and the amount of rad you have to counteract the heat being generated. Even for my planned loop i feel like i need more rad i just cant fit it lol

 

So potentially too many variables, as always seems to be the problem with custom builds, unless...

 

But if you were to go for a lava lamp accurate thing you could probably get a waterblock of some sort made out of a material that easily transfers heat.

And put the glass bit on top of that. That way you'd get the heater on the bottom and the cooler area on top.

That would probably also add yet another point where the heat can be dissipated. 

If it was possible to get a small and slim radiator and pop it on top of that it might work. If it got hot enough.

Possibly something like this?

And this way the liquids would be completely separate. And the lava lamp piece could be removed easily 

 

 

If the reservoir and radiator were combined into one unit that had a single standard operating efficiency? The radiator at the bottom of the reservoir in place of the bulb in a lava lamp, combined with the coolant core heating element. These could be standardised and sold in large and small sizes with efficiency ratings...

 

...then it just comes down to whether or not you'd want to take the performance hit to have a lava-lamp reservoir, which would in turn depend on what kind of performance hit that would be.

 

Personally I go for pure performance and the look of my rig reflects that but not everyone's like me. 

[techswede]

 

 

So potentially too many variables, as always seems to be the problem with custom builds, unless...

 

 

 

If the reservoir and radiator were combined into one unit that had a single standard operating efficiency? The radiator at the bottom of the reservoir in place of the bulb in a lava lamp, combined with the coolant core heating element. These could be standardised and sold in large and small sizes with efficiency ratings...

 

...then it just comes down to whether or not you'd want to take the performance hit to have a lava-lamp reservoir, which would in turn depend on what kind of performance hit that would be.

 

Personally I go for pure performance and the look of my rig reflects that but not everyone's like me. 

 

Yeah. But you could also offer a non rez version. That was just a lava lamp^^ And you wouldn't take a noticable performance hit

[xToFxREAPER]

 

 

So potentially too many variables, as always seems to be the problem with custom builds, unless...

 

 

 

If the reservoir and radiator were combined into one unit that had a single standard operating efficiency? The radiator at the bottom of the reservoir in place of the bulb in a lava lamp, combined with the coolant core heating element. These could be standardised and sold in large and small sizes with efficiency ratings...

 

...then it just comes down to whether or not you'd want to take the performance hit to have a lava-lamp reservoir, which would in turn depend on what kind of performance hit that would be.

 

Personally I go for pure performance and the look of my rig reflects that but not everyone's like me. 

 

personally i try to balance performance and looks as often as i can however that is a really insane idea for something like a show system or a lan system where raw performance isnt your main concern. In my personal system i dont think i would want the performance hit ill just go with a less flashy option (which i ordered about 5 minutes ago to get my custom loop started lol)

[GuruMeditationError]

Yeah. But you could also offer a non rez version. That was just a lava lamp^^ And you wouldn't take a noticable performance hit

 

You know that would still be cool. I was thinking it would be cooler if it was actually a functional part of the loop but if you just had a lava lamp hanging out in your rig, powered by the system heat that would still be pretty sweet; maybe even better, since, no performance hit and it could theoretically add to the cooling capabilities of the loop.

 

personally i try to balance performance and looks as often as i can however that is a really insane idea for something like a show system or a lan system where raw performance isnt your main concern. In my personal system i dont think i would want the performance hit ill just go with a less flashy option (which i ordered about 5 minutes ago to get my custom loop started lol)

 

I always go for performance and while my rigs don't look super-sleek and flashy they kind of a have a beaten-up road-warrior type feel to them, especially since I really don't know anything about metal work but still just chop my cases to bits whenever I need to. That, along with the various kludges kind of makes it all look pretty wild (not really very neat or sleek at all).

 

Also, congrats on taking the first steps towards a custom loop. I'm beginning to think there might be one somewhere in my future also. 

[xToFxREAPER]

You know that would still be cool. I was thinking it would be cooler if it was actually a functional part of the loop but if you just had a lava lamp hanging out in your rig, powered by the system heat that would still be pretty sweet; maybe even better, since, no performance hit and it could theoretically add to the cooling capabilities of the loop.

 

 

I always go for performance and while my rigs don't look super-sleek and flashy they kind of a have a beaten-up road-warrior type feel to them, especially since I really don't know anything about metal work but still just chop my cases to bits whenever I need to. That, along with the various kludges kind of makes it all look pretty wild (not really very neat or sleek at all).

 

Also, congrats on taking the first steps towards a custom loop. I'm beginning to think there might be one somewhere in my future also. 

ive done a few just never in my personal system. i have an OLD build log in my sig that im going to re write and update as soon as i get all the water cooling done. so old i dont even think i have a picture of my lightning gpu's in there. i think its still my old 770 4gb classy with acx that i killed right after christmas lol

[GuruMeditationError]

ive done a few just never in my personal system. i have an OLD build log in my sig that im going to re write and update as soon as i get all the water cooling done. so old i dont even think i have a picture of my lightning gpu's in there. i think its still my old 770 4gb classy with acx that i killed right after christmas lol

 

I've only ever built for myself. All of the stuff I've learned and all of my experimentation is with my own equipment and I learned what little I do know just by running Google searches.

 

I started off by adding a CPU cooler to a generic superstore P.C. basically because the CPU was running more or less on a temperature threshold and kept accelerating and decelerating its stock fan, which kept breaking my concentration. That's how I found out I enjoyed tinkering with my P.C. so I got into silent-computing because over-clocking was out of my reach, then over-clocking started to become increasingly more accessible (I still don't really know how to do it; that's the next step after building my new rig).

 

Right now my new P.C. is in pieces. I've pulled it apart to reconfigure it, so I don't have photos, but I'll get some taken at some point and I guess I'll add my spec.s to my signature.

 

Here's a youtube clip of the computer I'm using at the moment. It's been reconfigured a little since I made this but it's more or less the same build (the info. in the description re. RAID on that motherboard isn't entirely accurate, I did find a way to run a raid array on it eventually: 

[xToFxREAPER]

I've only ever built for myself. All of the stuff I've learned and all of my experimentation is with my own equipment and I learned what little I do know just by running Google searches.

I started off by adding a CPU cooler to a generic superstore P.C. basically because the CPU was running more or less on a temperature threshold and kept accelerating and decelerating its stock fan, which kept breaking my concentration. That's how I found out I enjoyed tinkering with my P.C. so I got into silent-computing because over-clocking was out of my reach, then over-clocking started to become increasingly more accessible (I still don't really know how to do it; that's the next step after building my new rig).

Right now my new P.C. is in pieces. I've pulled it apart to reconfigure it, so I don't have photos, but I'll get some taken at some point and I guess I'll add my spec.s to my signature.

Here's a youtube clip of the computer I'm using at the moment. It's been reconfigured a little since I made this but it's more or less the same build (the info. in the description re. RAID on that motherboard isn't entirely accurate, I did find a way to run a raid array on it eventually:

of you ever need a hand with oc's be it gpu or cpu I can give you a bit of a starter guide.. My sig kinda shows I know it 4.8ghz on haswell isnt easy lol

[GuruMeditationError]

of you ever need a hand with oc's be it gpu or cpu I can give you a bit of a starter guide.. My sig kinda shows I know it 4.8ghz on haswell isnt easy lol

 

That's really good of you, thanks so much :0)

 

At the moment all of my focus is on getting my new rig together but once that's done I'm almost definitely going to start looking at over-clocking, I'm just not sure if I've got enough PSU power. I guess that's one of the things I've got to learn about but I'm not quite ready to cross that bridge just yet.

 

4.8GHz on a haswell sounds pretty crazy although I really don't know a lot about it; I had help over-clocking my 9950 but didn't record the settings and then the battery went and so did my over-clock. I'll probably take another look at over-clocking the 9950 again after I've got my new rig fully configured.