Where/who could I commission to make a custom monoblock for a strange motherboard?

[Tmt97]

The title pretty much says it all. I'm planning a rather strange PC build with a custom loop and I thought it'd be cool to have a monoblock on my motherboard. I'm aware that getting a product designed and built custom for my motherboard will probably be expensive, I'm just not sure where I could even get it done. If anyone has any ideas or leads, lemme know. Here's the motherboard in question if anyone's interested.

 

[Radium_Angel]

16 minutes ago, Tmt97 said:

expensive

You have no idea.

Go to a machine shop with a single waterblock, show them that and your mobo and tell them what you want.

Be prepared to shell out 3-4 figures for said custom block.

[For Science!]

Getting somebody to CNC a chunk of metal is one thing, but getting somebody to design a functional waterblock is another thing entirely. If you are a serious customer at a business-level, then I would contact waterblock manufacture to see if you can get a professional partnership. At a hobby/enthusiast level, you're very much in a DIY land.

[Tmt97]

1 minute ago, Radium_Angel said:

You have no idea.

Go to a machine shop with a single waterblock, show them that and your mobo and tell them what you want.

Be prepared to shell out 3-4 figures for said custom block.

Yea 3-4 figures is kinda what i expected. Would a machine shop be able to design it for me as well? Cuz I don't feel like I got enough experience to succesfully design the thing in CAD.

[Tmt97]

1 minute ago, For Science! said:

Getting somebody to CNC a chunk of metal is one thing, but getting somebody to design a functional waterblock is another thing entirely. If you are a serious customer at a business-level, then I would contact waterblock manufacture to see if you can get a professional partnership. At a hobby/enthusiast level, you're very much in a DIY land.

I thought about contacting EK, just had my doubts on getting a response. Guess I'll yolo it and see how it goes.

[Freakwise]

4 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Be prepared to shell out 3-4 figures for said custom block.

I mean that depends though, if you want it to look like the block linus did which basically only piece of copper with acrylic it probably would only cost tenth if not hundreds

 

But for sure sure it takes thousands to make ek, or alphacool grade block

[Radium_Angel]

2 minutes ago, Tmt97 said:

Yea 3-4 figures is kinda what i expected. Would a machine shop be able to design it for me as well? Cuz I don't feel like I got enough experience to succesfully design the thing in CAD.

Yes, at least the CNC machine shops around me also do the CAD work, hence the price tag.

[Tmt97]

1 minute ago, Freakwise said:

I mean that depends though, if you want it to look like the block linus did which basically only piece of copper with acrylic it probably would only cost tenth if not hundreds

 

But for sure sure it takes thousands to make ek, or alphacool grade block

I mean the block on linus's channel didn't look terrible (in my eyes), so I'm open to such a budget option. I'm just trying to source it, as I don't know any places with those kind of tools, and expertise, and the willingness to take on such a project, unless Linus wants me to pay his team to do it lol

[For Science!]

3 minutes ago, Tmt97 said:

I thought about contacting EK, just had my doubts on getting a response. Guess I'll yolo it and see how it goes.

https://www.ekcoolingsolutions.com/ This is their professional page

[Freakwise]

2 minutes ago, Tmt97 said:

I mean the block on linus's channel didn't look terrible (in my eyes), so I'm open to such a budget option. I'm just trying to source it, as I don't know any places with those kind of tools, and expertise, and the willingness to take on such a project, unless Linus wants me to pay his team to do it lol

I can't see it clearly (at least with my phone) your original pic, but can you like Frankensteining some "universal" water block?

[Tmt97]

1 minute ago, Freakwise said:

I can't see it clearly (at least with my phone) your original pic, but can you like Frankensteining some "universal" water block?

i severely doubt it given this is a dual socket motherboard. I appreciate the creative solution tho!

 

[Radium_Angel]

BTW, the VRM cooling on those no-name Chinese motherboards suuuuck.

Since you are burning big bucks, you'll need to consider better VRM cooling as well. I''ve read stories of those boards *catching on fire* under load...

[Tmt97]

4 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

BTW, the VRM cooling on those no-name Chinese motherboards suuuuck.

Since you are burning big bucks, you'll need to consider better VRM cooling as well. I''ve read stories of those boards *catching on fire* under load...

Oh yea, that's part of why I was looking into the monoblock idea. I mean i realize thats the most expensive overkill solution I could go for, but it's also aesthetic i guess. xD

 

[StDragon]

Why a monoblock? Why not just two blocks? That way, you can just put the input pipe into a T (or Y) splitter into both blocks, then on both outputs, recombine back to another T splitter. This way both blocks get equal access to the same temperature of inlet water.

[Tmt97]

2 minutes ago, StDragon said:

Why a monoblock? Why not just two blocks? That way, you can just put the input pipe into a T (or Y) splitter into both blocks, then on both outputs, recombine back to another T splitter. This way both blocks get equal access to the same temperature of inlet water.

Partially because I think a custom monoblock would be cool, also because VRMs need some serious love too. I do like that T splitter idea tho.

[MaratM]

for CPU's just use off the shelf parts, for the VRM you can use a couple of VRM waterblocks from watercool https://shop.watercool.de/VRM just get one with no holes and drill them as needed. it is also possible to tap the vrm blocks so you can bolt them from the back of the motherboard. you can also find universal VRM blocks on aliexpress https://aliexpress.ru/item/32218344229.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000014.5.280a75a1J2N95P&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.34525.229157.0&scm_id=1007.34525.229157.0&scm-url=1007.34525.229157.0&pvid=790d372a-44ba-4146-82c3-4b928ebbc3f8&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.34525.229157.0,pvid:790d372a-44ba-4146-82c3-4b928ebbc3f8,tpp_buckets:24525%230%23229157%234_21387%230%23233228%230_4452%230%23226710%230_4452%233474%2316498%23589_4452%234862%2324463%23612_4452%233098%239599%23885_4452%235105%2323438%23846_4452%233564%2316062%23578&scenario=pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller&tpp_rcmd_bucket_id=229157&_ga=2.103573063.650948029.1625649688-920521769.1619678309

I think the chinese ones are better price and they will be better on the chinese noname mobo

[bowrilla]

To be honest ... the design part isn't all that hard. You'll need something like Fusion360 or Inventor (or something similar) for the design and ideally Autodesk's CFD suite for simulating the flow. A person who knows what they're doing get it done in a day. Sure, getting it to perfection and peak performance will take more time but imho 90% is just fine. As prep work you'll need a good 3d model of the board with precise measurements and component heights. Microfin structures are not easy to be made, they are usually cut and not routed. But it can still be done.

 

Routing small structures might be expensive if you don't know what you're doing - you will break some router bits. Having it produced by a professional company is probably the safer bet here.

 

Your DIY block won't be as good as top shelf commercial products but it will surely be good enough - especially since some commercial blocks are really not that ideally designed.

[Tmt97]

I think I may have found a lead. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3MinCakmhnh9CJUh-TzNRw This youtuber is a hobby CNC machinist who's made some pretty nice custom watercooling blocks on his channel before. I reached out to him about a custom commission, waiting for hear back. Wish me luck!!!

[AnonymousGuy]

I would have someone make an adapter plate that accepts standard EK Supremacy or similar blocks and then expands out to cover the VRMs.  This is basically what Optimus Cooling does for their blocks: they have the cold plate that they screw onto a plexi chamber for either a CPU or a GPU.

 

You can find 3D modelers or Fiver for not that much money.  If you can take good enough measurements and whatnot to send them they can model it up and you can fire the model into Protolabs for a cost estimate.  Protolabs is pretty sick because they don't use human intervention.   Still I would expect this to cost several hundred bucks.

 

I would also comment in general monoblocks are stupid.  Just a pain in the ass to install when you can probably accomplish the same thing with a separate vrm waterblock.

[Tmt97]

Well I found someone willing to design the waterblock and send me the CAD file. Just gotta find a machinist who can manufacture the block from said file. This is happening guys! Assuming it works out, i'll probably roll this over into a build log.

[Zomeguy]

That's an interesting board and so is this project. I am very interested in how much a custom waterblock will cost you and what it will look like. Hopefully this pans out.

[derfinitely]

Just found this thread via a random Google search. Hybrid Cooling (based in France) might be your best bet. They do custom monoblocks and waterblocks.