Cheapo 240mm cpu custom loop

[Somerandomtechyboi]

Yes i know an air cooler is most likely better, though se 224 xt doesnt support lga 775, and im not sure if the themis evo is much of an upgrade over my cheapo 92mm tower, and for the ereboss im not even sure if itll even cool my cpus efficiently since 775 has some pretty small dies and small cpus

 

 

the base setup will be cheapo 15$ 240mm rad + cheapo 2$ cpu block + best 4$ pump i could find + some crappy lighted case fans i have laying around (will overvolt 17-24v) + diy res prob made out of a cheap plastic container

 

I will upgrade basically everything overtime, fans to 48v server fans (ill hook em up to a boost converter), adding another cheapo 15$ rad and 4$ pump, upgrading the cpu block (ill consider copper if i wanna replace it every few months), etc.

 

 

This is purely for overclocking, ill prob do some heavy ocing on 775, 1156, and 1366, though i might consider other platforms later on, and no i dont need the absolute highest quality of components, i just need it to outperform my dinky 92mm and just work

 

Current cooler handles an e8400 4.5ghz ~1.44v @~80c if i heavily load the cpu with programs like prime95 and cb r15

 

As for mounting ill mount the block with zip ties and ill mod a case so i can mount the 240mm

 

 

I just wanna know what you guys think of this, ive already ordered the block

 

As for questions

how bad is galvanic corrosion? And how long does it take to eat away at copper till a leak springs? Since if i go with cheapo aluminum rads + a copper block i wanna know how often i need to replace it

 

i also just want some general advice on how im supposed to assemble my waterloop since i dont want my loop to run like complete ass xD

[For Science!]

2 hours ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Yes i know an air cooler is most likely better, though se 224 xt doesnt support lga 775, and im not sure if the themis evo is much of an upgrade over my cheapo 92mm tower, and for the ereboss im not even sure if itll even cool my cpus efficiently since 775 has some pretty small dies and small cpus

 

 

the base setup will be cheapo 15$ 240mm rad + cheapo 2$ cpu block + best 4$ pump i could find + some crappy lighted case fans i have laying around (will overvolt 17-24v) + diy res prob made out of a cheap plastic container

 

I will upgrade basically everything overtime, fans to 48v server fans (ill hook em up to a boost converter), adding another cheapo 15$ rad and 4$ pump, upgrading the cpu block (ill consider copper if i wanna replace it every few months), etc.

 

 

This is purely for overclocking, ill prob do some heavy ocing on 775, 1156, and 1366, though i might consider other platforms later on, and no i dont need the absolute highest quality of components, i just need it to outperform my dinky 92mm and just work

 

Current cooler handles an e8400 4.5ghz ~1.44v @~80c if i heavily load the cpu with programs like prime95 and cb r15

 

As for mounting ill mount the block with zip ties and ill mod a case so i can mount the 240mm

 

 

I just wanna know what you guys think of this, ive already ordered the block

 

As for questions

how bad is galvanic corrosion? And how long does it take to eat away at copper till a leak springs? Since if i go with cheapo aluminum rads + a copper block i wanna know how often i need to replace it

 

i also just want some general advice on how im supposed to assemble my waterloop since i dont want my loop to run like complete ass xD

just got a proper coolant and you'll be fine, even automotive coolant will do fine. yearly replacements should be fine. You connect everything together, putting the res before the pump, fill the coolant, turn the pump on, and leak test it.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

7 hours ago, For Science! said:

just got a proper coolant and you'll be fine, even automotive coolant will do fine. yearly replacements should be fine. You connect everything together, putting the res before the pump, fill the coolant, turn the pump on, and leak test it

So what coolant should i use?

Can i use tap water and just add a bunch of additives to it?

Or can i just use antifreeze?

[thrasher_565]

keep in mind that antifreeze will preform less then water and from what i can tell mix pc metal coolets cost alot....but the rads are cheap thow so could just add more i guess. i spent some money on what i thought was a good deal but now i dont no.

 

 

 

 

[Somerandomtechyboi]

2 hours ago, thrasher_565 said:

keep in mind that antifreeze will preform less then water and from what i can tell mix pc metal coolets cost alot....but the rads are cheap thow so could just add more i guess. i spent some money on what i thought was a good deal but now i dont no.

I forgot to consider the cost overtime of a mix metal loop

 

Though considering that copper rads are 2.5x more expensive than my cheapo aluminum rads and ill also make a custom waterblock with a detachable copper coldplate + copper sheets being pretty cheap i think itll be completely fine, its only gonna be a pain in the ass to reshape the fins

 

I might even look into electroplating the copper or some other ways to reduce or prevent galvanic corrosion, though only if its cheap, if not then ill just upgrade the rads to copper anyways

[For Science!]

2 hours ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

I forgot to consider the cost overtime of a mix metal loop

 

Though considering that copper rads are 2.5x more expensive than my cheapo aluminum rads and ill also make a custom waterblock with a detachable copper coldplate + copper sheets being pretty cheap i think itll be completely fine, its only gonna be a pain in the ass to reshape the fins

 

I might even look into electroplating the copper or some other ways to reduce or prevent galvanic corrosion, though only if its cheap, if not then ill just upgrade the rads to copper anyways

just stick to either automotive coolant, or something like EK-cryofuel. Don't bother mixing up your own coolant, or electroplating. You are asking for more trouble. The thermal conductivity of the coolant is not a limiting factor, so don't worry about the performance aspect.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

1 hour ago, For Science! said:

EK-cryofuel

Thats prob gonna be more expensive than the entire loop

 

1 hour ago, For Science! said:

Don't bother mixing up your own coolant, or electroplating

Ive looked at electroplating and it doesnt seem like a bad idea, just leave the copper to electroplate for ahwile and itll be fine

 

As for coolant i guess ill just use antifreeze cause of all the corrosion inhibitors or other additives, or ill just use tap or distilled water, antifreeze is prob overkill since i dont plan on putting a peltier or waterchiller in my loop

[For Science!]

3 minutes ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Thats prob gonna be more expensive than the entire loop

 

Ive looked at electroplating and it doesnt seem like a bad idea, just leave the copper to electroplate for ahwile and itll be fine

 

As for coolant i guess ill just use antifreeze cause of all the corrosion inhibitors or other additives, or ill just use tap or distilled water, antifreeze is prob overkill since i dont plan on putting a peltier or waterchiller in my loop

Why go through the hassle of electroplating, making the performance of the radiators worse and also giving chance for the coating to flake off and cause issues down the line. It just doesn't make sense. Using tap/distilled water doesn't make sense either if you have any concern about corrosion (which you do). Antifreeze is purely for its anti-corrosive properties and has nothing to do with its anti-freeze properties - don't get confused by the name.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

41 minutes ago, For Science! said:

Why go through the hassle of electroplating, making the performance of the radiators worse and also giving chance for the coating to flake off and cause issues down the line. It just doesn't make sense. Using tap/distilled water doesn't make sense either if you have any concern about corrosion (which you do). Antifreeze is purely for its anti-corrosive properties and has nothing to do with its anti-freeze properties - don't get confused by the name.

Not electroplating the rads ffs, i mean electroplating the block not to fking rads xD, plus if i electroplate it with nickel it should stick anyways since its copper and nickel sticks to copper

 

Well then antifreeze it is for the coolant, though im not too concerned about corrosion, im more concerned with sht growing in the waterloop

[thrasher_565]

you can buy a aluminum cpu block but it has small fittings on it so you will need adapters and the more expensive one dose have fins in side but seems like you might need to lap it as there not flat. only aluminum real cpu block that i no of is from ek when they were going to sell aluminum stuff fittings as well but then cost was never really "cheap" so it never really cot on.

 

i hate to rune a d5 pump so ill probably not use one. i seen a post on here about using aluminum and antifreeze and had zero problems over like 2 years of using it. even cut open the rads to see.

[For Science!]

2 hours ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Not electroplating the rads ffs, i mean electroplating the block not to fking rads xD, plus if i electroplate it with nickel it should stick anyways since its copper and nickel sticks to copper

 

Well then antifreeze it is for the coolant, though im not too concerned about corrosion, im more concerned with sht growing in the waterloop

Why would you electroplate your blocks? Nickel is just as bad as copper vs aluminium. You should just buy an aluminium cpu block in that case ffs.

 

You're jumping from one need to the other, but antifreeze toxins in it to prevent growth too. Its very rare to actually see growth in a loop.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

7 minutes ago, For Science! said:

Why would you electroplate your blocks? Nickel is just as bad as copper vs aluminium. You should just buy an aluminium cpu block in that case ffs.

 

You're jumping from one need to the other, but antifreeze toxins in it to prevent growth too. Its very rare to actually see growth in a loop.

Guess ill just convert one of my northbridge heatsinks into a waterblock

 

Or i use some incredibly thin aluminum as the coldplate

[For Science!]

34 minutes ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Guess ill just convert one of my northbridge heatsinks into a waterblock

 

Or i use some incredibly thin aluminum as the coldplate

I dont understand why you wont just listen: mixing aluminium with copper is fine as long as you use a coolant with anti-corrosives like anti-freeze. If the coolant is not toxic by nature (e.g. automotive coolant), then the coolant should ideally have biocide also included in it (e.g. EK-CryoFuel). Repurposing heatsinks into a waterblock, or fabricating your own coldplate is not worth the effort and more risky, with probably poorer performance.

 

I think I'm done here, I'm going to baton touch with @Tristerin

[Somerandomtechyboi]

1 minute ago, For Science! said:

I dont understand why you wont just listen: mixing aluminium with copper is fine as long as you use a coolant with anti-corrosives like anti-freeze. If the coolant is not toxic by nature (e.g. automotive coolant), then the coolant should ideally have biocide also included in it (e.g. EK-CryoFuel). Repurposing heatsinks into a waterblock, or fabricating your own coldplate is not worth the effort and more risky, with probably poorer performance.

 

I think I'm done here, I'm going to baton touch with @Tristerin

Still not convinced with anti corrosives preventing galvanic corrosion

 

Guess its just one of these things where youll have to try it to see if it actually works or not

 

Welp thank you for your effort in helping me

[For Science!]

1 minute ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Still not convinced with anti corrosives preventing galvanic corrosion

 

Guess its just one of these things where youll have to try it to see if it actually works or not

 

Welp thank you for your effort in helping me

Its been done, and tested.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

1 minute ago, For Science! said:

Its been done, and tested.

Guess ill have to try and see what happens

 

Ill prob go buy a really cheap copper block or just make my own block

 

Only reasons im considering making my own block is for multi socket compatibility and cost

[For Science!]

Just now, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Guess ill have to try and see what happens

 

Ill prob go buy a really cheap copper block or just make my own block

 

Only reasons im considering making my own block is for multi socket compatibility and cost

You do you 

Can't imagine any self made block being a good idea in terms of leaks or being better in performance, or cheaper than a cheapo ebay block.

No need to make the setup more ghetto for no reason.

[Tristerin]

9 hours ago, For Science! said:

I dont understand why you wont just listen: mixing aluminium with copper is fine as long as you use a coolant with anti-corrosives like anti-freeze. If the coolant is not toxic by nature (e.g. automotive coolant), then the coolant should ideally have biocide also included in it (e.g. EK-CryoFuel). Repurposing heatsinks into a waterblock, or fabricating your own coldplate is not worth the effort and more risky, with probably poorer performance.

 

I think I'm done here, I'm going to baton touch with @Tristerin

Wait, people arent listening to you?  I mean this with ALL respect to YOU, and all disrespect to those who are arguing with you.  Havent even read the thread yet, will now, but makes me giggle cause i know, you know, your shit (better than me!)

 

On 9/4/2021 at 10:37 AM, Somerandomtechyboi said:

OP's first question

 

I do this, all the time.  Im not reading any more of this thread.  All I know is, if @For Science! said it, its likely true.

 

Heres the thing.  Galvanic corrosion was beaten by science many moons ago (vehicle engines are mixed metal closed loops.).  I personally use Preston 50/50 premix antifreeze with their patented Cor-Guard.  Antifreeze is a natural biocide.  Its all you need.

 

NOW - Galvanic corrosion will occur, regardless of fluid, if you have copper and aluminum (for example) TOUCHING each other directly.  I.E. Copper pagodas attached to an aluminum radiator will corrode over time.  Just use aluminum fittings, BREWERY tubing is cheapest and HQ for this because its meant to carry heat, aluminum radiators and copper blocks.

 

I use mine purely for overclocking (I have a 6 rad beast next to the test bench).

 

Let me know if you have questions Ill try to help but I am betting its already answered since Science is here.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

37 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

Wait, people arent listening to you?  I mean this with ALL respect to YOU, and all disrespect to those who are arguing with you.  Havent even read the thread yet, will now, but makes me giggle cause i know, you know, your shit (better than me!)

 

 

I do this, all the time.  Im not reading any more of this thread.  All I know is, if @For Science! said it, its likely true.

 

Heres the thing.  Galvanic corrosion was beaten by science many moons ago (vehicle engines are mixed metal closed loops.).  I personally use Preston 50/50 premix antifreeze with their patented Cor-Guard.  Antifreeze is a natural biocide.  Its all you need.

 

NOW - Galvanic corrosion will occur, regardless of fluid, if you have copper and aluminum (for example) TOUCHING each other directly.  I.E. Copper pagodas attached to an aluminum radiator will corrode over time.  Just use aluminum fittings, BREWERY tubing is cheapest and HQ for this because its meant to carry heat, aluminum radiators and copper blocks.

 

I use mine purely for overclocking (I have a 6 rad beast next to the test bench).

 

Let me know if you have questions Ill try to help but I am betting its already answered since Science is here.

Well then i guess its fine to use a copper block as long as i use antifreeze as coolant

 

Though i also wanna know when are fittings neccesary or do all connections require fittings?

 

And also should the res be higher or lower than the pump?

[thrasher_565]

1 hour ago, Tristerin said:

 Just use aluminum fittings,

were dose one get thows? only ones i could find are eks but there not cheap or use plastic witch is hard to find...

[Tristerin]

10 hours ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Well then i guess its fine to use a copper block as long as i use antifreeze as coolant

 

Though i also wanna know when are fittings neccesary or do all connections require fittings?

 

And also should the res be higher or lower than the pump?

Yes, I have only experience with Preston 50/50 premix, with their patented Cor-Guard (corrosive inhibitor) so only suggest that.  For $8 fill like 8 LARGE ass loops lol.  The longest running mixed metals loop I have was built 2-3 years ago runs 24/7.  

 

I also have threads here on this forum where I ran a mixed metals loop 24/7 then 6 month later cut all the blocks and rads up with a saw and showed the forum - zero corrosion

 

Fittings depend on rad.  I buy (or try to) cheap rads so they usually have brazed on barb fittings (usually need an 8mm ID 12 mm OD tubing).  If you have to buy fittings (G1/4 thread to whatever type of tubing connector you want) make sure they are chrome coated (will be)

 

Just make sure your blocks or pump housing isn't highest part of loop.  I always make sure res or rad is highest point in loop

 

10 hours ago, thrasher_565 said:

were dose one get thows? only ones i could find are eks but there not cheap or use plastic witch is hard to find...

Aliexpress and Ebay are the only place I shop for loop parts, get any metal type with chrome coat and its what I use

[Somerandomtechyboi]

16 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

Yes, I have only experience with Preston 50/50 premix, with their patented Cor-Guard (corrosive inhibitor) so only suggest that.  For $8 fill like 8 LARGE ass loops lol.  The longest running mixed metals loop I have was built 2-3 years ago runs 24/7.  

 

I also have threads here on this forum where I ran a mixed metals loop 24/7 then 6 month later cut all the blocks and rads up with a saw and showed the forum - zero corrosion

 

Fittings depend on rad.  I buy (or try to) cheap rads so they usually have brazed on barb fittings (usually need an 8mm ID 12 mm OD tubing).  If you have to buy fittings (G1/4 thread to whatever type of tubing connector you want) make sure they are chrome coated (will be)

 

Just make sure your blocks or pump housing isn't highest part of loop.  I always make sure res or rad is highest point in loop

 

Aliexpress and Ebay are the only place I shop for loop parts, get any metal type with chrome coat and its what I use

Hmm

 

So is the entire loop only gonna need 3/8 or 1/2 inch fittings or do i have to measure each and every component and have to buy different fittings accordingly?

[thrasher_565]

1 hour ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Hmm

 

So is the entire loop only gonna need 3/8 or 1/2 inch fittings or do i have to measure each and every component and have to buy different fittings accordingly?

the cheapest rads have fitting on them and vary in different sizes so dose the pumps and aluminum blocks. on ebay you can buy small and different sizes g1/4 fittings.

[Tristerin]

1 hour ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Hmm

 

So is the entire loop only gonna need 3/8 or 1/2 inch fittings or do i have to measure each and every component and have to buy different fittings accordingly?

Things Ive bought for the last few loops:

 

 

[Somerandomtechyboi]

39 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

Things Ive bought for the last few loops:

 

 

So you only need g1/4 fittings for the entire loop?

 

Btw is g1/4 the same as 3/8 inch or is it a different size?