If you bought a powerful new computer yuter, then it will consume quite a lot of electricity and also make loud noise, which is a very unpleasant and very significant drawback. Quite bulky system units (for air circulation), with large coolers, in this case not the most best option, so today we will tell you about an alternative option - water cooling for a computer (specifically about its types, features and, of course, advantages).

Why is it necessary? water cooling?!
As we have already said, conventional computer fans create a lot of noise, and in addition, even despite their high power, they are not able to efficiently remove air from the system unit heat generated by computer components, which in itself increases the risk of failure of any element due to overheating.

In these conditions, manufacturers turned their attention to systems liquid cooling computer parts. A check of many such systems generally shows that a liquid computer cooling system has a right to exist due to a number of indicators that distinguish it favorably from an air system.

Advantages and operating principles of water cooling

Water cooling does not require a large volume of the system unit in order to ensure better air circulation in the system unit itself. Among other things, it makes much less noise, which, by the way, is also an important factor for people who, for one reason or another, spend a lot of time at the computer. Any air system, even the highest quality, with all its advantages, during its operation continuously creates an air flow that circulates throughout the entire system unit, in any case increases the noise in the room, and for many users a low noise level is important, since The constant hum is very annoying and annoying. Software independently regulates the pressure of fluid flow in the system, depending on the intensity of heat generation from the processor and other computer components. That is, the system can automatically increase or decrease the heat dissipation efficiency, which provides continuous and accurate temperature control, like any individual element(be it a processor, video card or hard drive), and throughout the entire space of the system unit. Thus, the use of liquid cooling also eliminates the drawback of any air system, when computer parts are cooled primarily by air from the system unit, which is continuously heated by the same parts and does not have time to be removed outside the unit in a timely manner. With liquid such problems are excluded. Such a system is able to cope with its tasks much more efficiently than any air cooling.

Also, in addition to high level noise, air cooling of a computer leads to a large accumulation of dust: both on the cooler fans themselves and on other components. In turn, this has a very negative impact on both the air in the room (when a stream of air containing dust comes out of the system unit) and on the performance of all components on which all the dust settles.

Types of water cooling by cooling location

• Of greatest importance in any such system is CPU heatsink. Compared to traditional coolers, a processor radiator with two tubes connected to it (one for liquid inlet, the other for outlet) looks very compact. This is especially pleasing, because the cooling efficiency of such a radiator is clearly superior to any cooler.


• Graphics chips of video cards They are cooled in the same way as processors (in parallel with them), only the radiators for them are smaller.


• Liquid cooling is no less efficient hard drive. For this purpose, very thin water radiators have been developed, which are attached to the upper plane of the hard drive and, thanks to the largest possible contact area, provide good heat dissipation, which is impossible with conventional airflow.

The reliability of the entire water system depends most of all on the pump (pumping pump): stopping the circulation of liquid will instantly cause a drop in cooling efficiency to almost zero.

Liquid cooling systems are divided into two types: those with a pump, and those without it - pumpless systems.

Type 1: liquid cooling systems with pump
There are two types of pumps: those that have their own sealed housing, and those that are simply immersed in a reservoir of coolant. Those that have their own sealed housing are certainly more expensive, but also much more reliable than those immersed in liquid. All liquid used in the system is cooled in a heat exchanger radiator, to which a low-speed cooler is attached, creating an air flow that cools the liquid flowing in the curved radiator tubes. The cooler never develops a high rotation speed and therefore the noise from the entire system is much less than from powerful coolers used in air cooling.

Type 2: pumpless systems
As the name implies, they do not have any mechanical supercharger (i.e. pump). The circulation of the liquid is carried out using the evaporator principle, which creates a directed pressure that moves the coolant. A liquid (with a low boiling point) continuously turns into steam when heated to a certain temperature, and steam turns into a liquid when it enters the radiator of the condenser-heat exchanger. Only the heat generated by the cooled element causes the liquid to move. The advantages of these systems include: compactness, simplicity and low cost, since there is no pump; minimum moving mechanical parts - ensures low noise levels and low probability of mechanical breakdowns. Now about the disadvantages of this type of computer water cooling. The efficiency and power of such systems is significantly lower than that of pump-action systems; the gas phase of the substance is used, which means that high tightness of the structure is needed, because any leak will lead to the system immediately losing pressure and, as a result, becoming inoperable. Moreover, it will be very difficult to notice and correct this.

Is it worth installing water cooling on your computer?

The advantages of this type of liquid cooling are: high efficiency, small size of computer chip radiators, the possibility of parallel cooling of several devices at once and low noise level - in any case, lower than the noise from a powerful cooler of any air system. Actually, all this explains that laptop manufacturers were among the first to use liquid cooling. Their only drawback, perhaps, is the difficulty of installation in system units that were originally designed for air systems. This, of course, does not make installing such a system on your computer impossible, it will just be associated with certain difficulties.

It is likely that after some time in computer technology There will be a transition from air cooling systems to liquid systems, because apart from the difficulties in installing such structures on today’s system unit cases, they do not have any other fundamental disadvantages, and their advantages over air cooling are very, very significant. With the advent of suitable cases for system units on the market, the popularity of these systems is likely to grow steadily.

Thus, the site’s experts have nothing against these cooling systems, but on the contrary, they advise giving preference to them if circumstances require it. Only when choosing this or that system you don’t need to save money so as not to get into trouble. Cheap water cooling systems have poor cooling quality and a fairly high noise level, which is why, when deciding to install water cooling, expect a fairly high amount of waste.

Radiators and coolers - it’s not even that interesting to write about this, because all this has been in any computer for a long time and this will not surprise anyone. Liquid nitrogen and all sorts of systems with a phase transition are another extreme, the chances of encountering which in the household of an ordinary person are almost zero. But “dropsy”... in the matter of cooling a computer it’s like golden mean– unusual, but accessible; It makes almost no noise, but at the same time anything can cool down. To be fair, it is more correct to call a water cooling system (water cooling system) a liquid cooling system (liquid cooling system), because, in fact, you can pour anything inside. But, looking ahead, I used ordinary water, so I will use the term SVO more.

Quite recently, I wrote in some detail about assembling a new system unit. The resulting stand looked like this:

A thoughtful study of the list suggests that the heat dissipation of some devices is not just high, but VERY high. And if you connect everything as it is, then inside even the most spacious case it will be at least hot; but as practice shows, it will also be very noisy.

Let me remind you that the case in which the computer is assembled is, although not very practical (although every time I am convinced of the opposite), but very presentable Thermaltake Level 10– it has disadvantages, but only for one thing appearance he can be forgiven a lot.

At this stage, the motherboard was installed in the case, a video card was installed in it - first in the topmost PCI slot.

Radiator/pump/tank installation

One of the most interesting stages of work, which took us the most time (if we had immediately followed the easy path, we would have completed it in half an hour, but first we tried all the difficult options, because of which all the work took a total of 2 days (of course, far from complete).

The water cooling system is very similar to the one used in cars, just a little larger - it also has a radiator (usually more than one), cooler, coolant, etc. But the car has one advantage - a solid oncoming flow of cold air, which plays key role in cooling the system while driving.

In the case of a computer, heat must be removed by the air in the room. Accordingly, than larger sizes radiator and the number of coolers are better. And since you want a minimum of noise, effective cooling will be achieved mainly due to the surface of the radiator.

And the essence of the problem was as follows. On Skype, we previously agreed on the opinion “we’ll hang it on the back of the radiator in 2-3 sections - it’s more than enough!”, but as soon as we looked at the body, it turned out that everything is not so simple. Firstly, there really wasn’t enough space there for a three-section radiator (if you mount the radiator on the hole where the blow-out cooler of the case is supposed to be installed), and secondly, even if there was enough space, there would be no way to open the case itself - it would get in the way "door" of the system compartment :)

In general, we counted at least four options for installing a radiator in the Thermaltake Level 10 case - all of them are possible, each would require a different amount of time and each would have its own pros and cons. I'll start with those that we considered, but which did not suit us:

1. Installation of the radiator on the rear (from the user) side, that is, on the removable door.
Pros:
+ Possibility of horizontal and vertical installation of any radiator, even for 3-4 coolers
+ The dimensions of the case would not increase much

Cons:
- You would have to drill from 4 to 6-8 holes in the door
- Removing the door would be very inconvenient
- With a horizontal arrangement, a radiator with a non-standard location of the hole for filling the liquid would be required
- At vertical arrangement the hoses would be very long and with a lot of bending
- The case will be on my left (on the windowsill), and I don’t need warm air from the coolers in my face :)

2. Installing the radiator on top, on the “casing” of the power supply compartment. Pros and cons are identical

3. Installation of a two-section radiator inside the system compartment

Pros:
+ Ease of solution
+ Externally there would be no changes
+ The system compartment door would open without problems

Cons:
- Only a 2-section radiator would be suitable (this is not enough for the hardware config)
- In this case, there would be no place for the cold air to come from, and I didn’t want to push warm air back and forth.
- There would be difficulties in “arranging” the pump and reservoir
- Even if you use ultra-thin coolers, all SATA connectors would be blocked (if they were brought out to the user, and not to the side, then this problem would not exist)

In general, we tried all these options to one degree or another - we spent a lot of time searching for the necessary components, trying them on, etc.

The most last option It turned out to be a rather unusual solution - maybe not the most beautiful at first glance, but really practical. This is the installation of a radiator on the back side of the case through a special adjustable adapter with a scissor-type mechanism.

Pros:
+ Didn't have to drill anything
+ Possibility to hang ANY radiator
+ Excellent airflow
+ Access to motherboard connectors was not blocked
+ Minimum hose length, minimum bends
+ The design is removable and transportable

Cons:
- Not the most presentable appearance :)
- Opening the system compartment door is no longer so easy
- Quite an expensive adapter

Why did we come to this option last? Because during the search for the previous three options, we completely accidentally found an adapter that everyone had forgotten about, but it wasn’t available in the online store) Looking at the only (last) copy of the mounting frame Koolance Radiator Mounting Bracket, I thought “Whatever they won’t come up with!” The point is this: 4 “cone nails” are inserted into the holes for attaching the rear blow-out cooler to the body, onto which a special frame is hung.

The design of this frame is such that its length can be changed by twisting the clamps, and it is removed by mixing two parts of its body (so that the holes open up and it can be removed from the “studs”) - I bent it!) It’s much easier to understand everything from the photo.

The frame is metal and very durable - I was convinced of this when we tested a 3-section (for 3 coolers) radiator. Nothing dangles or wobbles, everything hangs tightly, but in the “unclamped” case the door opened quite well - this option completely suited me!

There were a huge number of radiators to choose from - black, white, red... What surprised me most in this matter was the 4-section TFC Monsta, capable of removing up to 2600W of heat (this is apparently an SLI of four 480s)! But we are much simpler people, so we decided to stick with the radiator we tried on - Swiftech MCR320-DRIVE. Its advantage is that it combines three components at once - a radiator (MCR320 QP Radiator for three 120mm coolers), a fluid reservoir and a high-pressure pump ( MCP350 Pump, complete analogue"regular" pump Laing DDC). In fact, with such a piece of hardware for the SVO, you will only need to buy additional water blocks, hoses and other little things that we already had. The pump operates from 12V (from 8 to 13.2), producing a noise of 24~26 dBA. The maximum pressure created is 1.5 bar, which is approximately equal to 1.5 “atmospheres”.

There were three candidate coolers for the radiator: Noctua, Be Quiet And Scythe. As a result, we settled on Indonesian ones (with Japanese roots) Scythe Gentle Typhoon(120mm, 1450 rpm, 21 dBA) – these turntables have been in use for several days in great demand for many users. They are very quiet, and the quality of balancing of the bearings is simply amazing - the cooler will spin for an unnaturally long time even with the lightest touch. The service life is 100,000 hours at 30°C (or 60,000 hours at 60°C), which is enough to obsolete this system unit.

There was a review of these “typhoons” on the FC Center - I advise you to read it. On top of the coolers were placed protective grilles so that the child does not put anything vital into the ventilators.

Let’s try the resulting design on the system unit - it looks very unusual) But look how convenient it is - to get inside the case (or remove the cooling system), you just need to press one “button” and the entire structure is, in fact, already disconnected. We compress the mounting frame and we have full access to the insides - it’s more than spacious, because we didn’t pile anything in there. Maybe I didn't describe the best convenient option, but... if you consider that after assembling the computer you will practically not have to climb inside, and good cooling is much more important, then I consider our decision to be correct.

The assembled structure weighs 2.25 kilograms, and with liquid and fittings, probably all 3 - looking ahead, the frame from Koolance was able to handle even this weight, for which it deserves respect and respect :)

Finish line

All that’s left to do is install all the components, “tie it with water” and test the resulting computer. It all started with the installation of fittings - beautiful pieces of iron (in the form of “herringbones”), which are installed through special gaskets (and sometimes, when the thread of the fitting is very long, through special spacers) into the corresponding hole in the water block or tank - we used a small adjustable wrench to tighten it , but here it is also important not to overdo it.

In addition to the fittings, special plugs were installed in two holes of the video card water block:

After that, we thought about the route along which the water would flow. The rule is simple - from less heated to more heated. Accordingly, the “output” of the radiator is connected first to the water block of the motherboard, from there the output goes to the processor, then to the video card, and only then back to the input of the radiator to cool. Since the water is the same for everyone, the temperature of all components will be approximately the same as a result - it is for these reasons that multi-circuit systems are made, and it is for this reason that it does not make sense to connect all sorts of hard drives, RAM, etc. to one circuit.

The role of the hose went to red Feser Tube(PVC, operating temperature from -30 to +70°C, burst pressure 10 MPa), for cutting which a special predatory tool was used.

Cutting the hose straight may not be that difficult, but it is very important! Almost all hoses were equipped with special springs against bends and kinks in the hose (the minimum radius of the hose loop becomes ~3.5cm).

On each hose (on both sides) in the fitting area you need to install a “clamp” - we used beautiful Koolance Hose Clamp. They are installed using ordinary pliers (with brute force), so you need to act carefully so as not to accidentally hit something.

It's time to work on connecting the "inner world" with the "outer world." In order to be able to remove the radiator-reservoir-pump (for example, to open the case or for transportation), we installed so-called “quick release valves” (quick-release valves) on the tubes, the principle of operation of which is outrageously simple.

When we turn the connection (like with BNC connectors), the hole in the tube closes and opens, thanks to which we can disassemble the “dropsy” in less than a minute, without any puddles or other consequences. A couple more expensive but great looking pieces of hardware:

Expenses

5110 - EK FB RE3 Nickel water block for motherboard
3660 - EK-FC480 GTX Nickel+Plexi water block for video card
1065 - EK-FC480 GTX Backplate Nickel for video card
2999 - Enzotech Stealth water block for processor
9430 - Pump/radiator/reservoir Swiftech MCR320-DRIVE
2610 - Two Release Coupling Valve
4000 - Koolance Radiator Mounting Bracket Adapter
1325 - Three Scythe Gentle Typhoon coolers (120mm) for radiator
290 - Four EK-10mm High Flow Fitting
430 - Thermal paste Arctic-Cooling-MX-3
400 - Nine Koolance Hose Clamp
365 - Nanoxia HyperZero Liquid
355 - Feser Tube

So high price V in this case caused by the fact that fullcover water blocks were used for VERY hot pieces of iron, all the heat from which must be dissipated by an appropriate radiator. For simpler systems, such solutions are simply not needed; you can also do without decorative overlays and any quick-release valves - in such cases you can easily meet half the cost. The price of the average dropsy is 12-15 thousand rubles, which is 4-5 times higher than the cost of a really good processor cooler.

Switching on and working

After all the system components were connected, it was time for the “leak test” (leak test) - coolant was poured into the radiator (double-distilled Nanoxia HyperZero red water, with anti-corrosion and anti-biological additives) - the circuit entered the order 500 ml.

The guy in the habramike is filling up the radiator)

Because It is impossible to exclude the possibility that something was connected to the computer components incorrectly; it was decided to separately check the operation of the water cooling system itself. To do this, all the wires (from the coolers and from the pump) were connected, and a paperclip was inserted into the 24-pin connector of the power supply for “idling”. Just in case, we put napkins at the bottom to make the slightest leak easier to detect.

Press a button and... everything is as planned) Honestly, before this I had only seen dropsy (besides the Internet) at various exhibitions and competitions, where it was very noisy; therefore, I subconsciously prepared for the “murmur of a stream,” but the noise level was pleasantly surprising - for the most part, only the pump’s operation could be heard. Initially, there were “hissing” sounds - due to air bubbles located inside the circuit (they were visible in some places in the hoses). To solve this problem, the plug of the radiator tank was opened - the air gradually escaped from the circulation of the flow and the system began to work even quieter. After adding fluid, the plug was closed and the computer worked for another 10 minutes. No noise was heard from the power supply cooler or the three on the radiator, although their air flows made themselves felt.

Having made sure that the system was fully operational, we decided to finally assemble test stand. Connecting the wires took no more than a minute - it took much longer to find the monitor and the wire to connect it, because... everyone worked on laptops;) The phrase “Reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key” became a balm for the soul - we inserted one of the “working” SSD drives (with Windows 7 on board) - it’s good that the new computer accepted this option. For complete happiness, we just updated the drivers for the chipset and installed the drivers for the video card.

Launching the diagnostic monster Everest, where on one of the tabs we find the temperature sensor readings: 30°C was valid for all system components - CPU, GPU and motherboard - well, very pleasant numbers. The equality of the numbers led to the assumption that cooling in idle mode is limited by room temperature, because the temperature in ordinary dropsy cannot be lower than this. In any case, it is much more interesting to see what the situation will be under load.

15 minutes " office work"and the video card temperature rose to 35°C.

We start by checking the CPU, for which we use the program OCCT 3.1.0– after enough time for a long time at 100% load mode, maximum temperature The processor temperature was 38°C, and the core temperature was 49-55°C, respectively. The temperature of the motherboard was 31°C, the northbridge - 38°C, the southbridge - 39°C. By the way, it is very remarkable that all four processor cores had almost the same temperature - apparently, this is the merit of the water block, which removes heat evenly from the entire surface of the processor cover. 50+ degrees for 4-core Intel Core i7-930 with a TDP of 130W - hardly any stock air cooler is capable of such a result. And even if it is capable, then hardly anyone will like the noise from its operation (the Internet says that the temperature of this processor is 65-70 degrees with a Cooler Master V10 cooler - the one with a Peltier element).

Out of habit, the video card was warmed up with the program FurMark 1.8.2(in common parlance “bagel”) - it was hardly possible to whip up something more resource-intensive and informative.

In addition to Everest, the program was also installed EVGA Precision 2.0. At the maximum available resolution (with maximum smoothing), we ran a stress test with temperature logging - after just 3 minutes, the video card temperature settled at 52 degrees! 52 degrees under load for top-end (at at the moment) NVIDIA video cards GTX 480 on Fermi architecture is not just great, it's wonderful!)

For comparison, the temperature of a video card under load with a standard cooler can reach up to 100 degrees, and with a good non-reference cooler - up to 70-80.

In general, the temperature regime is in perfect order - under load, the coolers blow almost cold air out of the radiator, and the radiator itself is barely warm. I won’t talk about overclocking potential in this article, I’ll just say that it exists. But something completely different is much more pleasant - the system works almost silently!

The end

You can talk for a long time about the result, but I liked it, as did everyone who had already watched it. Whatever one may say, in the Thermaltake Level 10 case I managed to assemble a more than productive config that will be relevant for a long time. Moreover, a full-fledged water cooling system installed almost without problems, which, in addition to good cooling filling gives +5 to appearance. Speaking about the temperature regime, we can safely talk about a solid potential for overclocking - now, even under load, the cooling system is operating far from its maximum capabilities.

I forgot to write about another important plus - interestingness. This is probably the most interesting thing I've ever done with hardware - no other computer building has brought me so much pleasure! It’s one thing when you collect ordinary “soulless” computers, it’s a completely different thing when you understand all the responsibility and approach the matter with all your heart. Such work takes far from 5 minutes - all this time you feel like a child playing with an adult construction set. And also an engineer-technologist-designer-plumbing-designer, and just a geek... in general, the interest is greatly increased!

19. 06.2017

Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.

SVO - aka custom liquid cooling system

Hello.

You have probably felt more than once that your computer generates heat during operation. To prevent it from overheating, a built-in fan is often used. But with the growth of iron productivity, it became not enough. For high-quality airflow, its power must also be increased, which increases the noise level of the computer, especially if you are also overclocking.

To get rid of these and other shortcomings, a computer liquid cooling system has been developed. Want to know more about her? Reading the article.

If you thought it was something like that, then you are wrong :))

So what is it?

In this topic you may come across the abbreviation SVO, which stands for water cooling system. Another one is also used - LSS, where the second word is replaced by “liquid”. As you guessed, what distinguishes it from air cooling, which you are used to, is that heat from the iron is transferred not to air, but to water.

Pros and cons

The innovative solution is more effective than its airborne predecessor for the following reasons:

• Increased heat capacity of the liquid.
• Stability during acceleration.
• Heat is removed from the center of the process. In turn, the micromotor of the air systems is located above the hottest zone of the radiator, on the contrary, which creates a dead point from where hot air is not removed, and therefore the core gets very hot.

The water supply pump creates much less noise than a fan.

• Completely removes heat from the system unit, while the air system simply disperses it inside the case.

Do you have a powerful computer with modern components? Then it is worth considering installing a water circuit, because it is better able to protect devices from overheating, and as a result, rapid failure, and will not bother you with noise. Such a system itself will last a long time. An attractive design is a nice bonus.

But there are also disadvantages of water systems:

• High price. Considering the cost of the components that it will protect, you can turn a blind eye to this.
• More complex assembly.
• Possibility of depressurization. But when correct installation this “minus” is excluded.

Operating principle

The heat exchanger of the LSS is a “water block” or the second name is “water block”. It takes on the hot air emitted by the processor, video card, etc., and transfers it to water. With the help of a special pump, it enters another heat exchanger - a radiator, which takes heat from the water and releases it into the air beyond the boundaries of the system unit.

SVO equipment

The main elements of a water system have already been mentioned above. Since many enthusiasts decide to assemble it themselves, let’s take a closer look at what the SVO consists of. Included modern models may include many different elements. We will consider only the main ones.

Water block

Why it is needed, you now know. What does he look like? The device usually has a copper base, a plastic or metal cover and fasteners to connect it to the device to be cooled.

By the way, there are different types of water blocks for processors, on-chip northbridge and video cards. Those provided for the latter in the list of devices are divided into subtypes: covering only the graphics chip (“gpu only”) or all heating elements.

Now the base of water blocks is made of thin copper, unlike the original versions, so that heat is transferred to the water faster. The bottom can also be made of aluminum: it is cheaper, but less effective.

Also, current devices have a microchannel or microneedle structure to improve the heat transfer surface. But in cases, for example, with a system chip, where the cooling efficiency per degree does not count, a flat bottom or an architecture with simple channels.

Depending on the design of the device, water blocks are divided into 3 types:

• "Snake". One or more continuous channels are used. They can be made with a diverging spiral, when the fitting is in the middle of the device, or in the form of a zigzag, if 2 fittings are located at the edges.

• Intersecting channels. They are created by drilling into the base from the ends, and the holes are closed using plugs.

• Ductless. A container with fittings is soldered to the base. Water enters through the coolant located at the inlet and is discharged through the side.

Radiator

It is also called water-air heat exchanger because of the functions it performs. It comes in 2 types: with or without a fan. The first - active - are more common because they are more effective than their passive counterparts, although the second are quiet.

The size of more common radiators can vary, but in most cases it is a multiple of the fan dimensions of 120 mm or 140 mm. It turns out that the heat exchanger for 3 120 mm fans will have a length of 360 mm and a width of 120 mm. This option is called three-section.

Pump

This thing drives fluid throughout the system (in other words, a pump). It runs on electricity: some models have a voltage of 12 V, others - 220 V. There is an external pump (passes water through itself) and a submersible one (pushes it out). The second option is more compact than the first.

Please note that the pump power indicated by the manufacturer is the maximum and it is not recommended to reach it.

Some craftsmen use an aquarium pump, but in the case of expensive computer components you should not conduct such experiments. Modern water blocks have high hydraulic resistance due to enhanced performance, so it is better to install a specialized pump for them.

Hoses and fastenings

It’s easy to guess that tubes are needed to circulate fluid in the system. Most often they are made of PVC, sometimes silicone is found. Their length has absolutely no effect on the efficiency of the SVO. As for the diameter, it is better not to take hoses thinner than 8 mm.

You can’t do without the fittings that are needed to connect the tubes to the system components. Each of them has a threaded hole into which the fasteners are screwed.

The most popular are compression (with a nut) and herringbone (fittings). They also come in straight and angular shapes. They also differ in the type of thread: G1/4′′ are often used, rarely - G1/8′′ and G3/8′′.

Water

It is better to use distilled water for refueling. This is the best and affordable option. Sometimes deionized water or with various impurities is used, but there is no particular need for this.

Optional Components

I will not dwell in detail on each component element, but will only give a list of what may be included in the SVO, but which you can do without:

• Thermal sensors;
• Taps for draining water;
• Pump and fan controllers;
• Temperature, pressure, flow meters, etc.;
• Filters;
• Expansion tank;
• Filter connected to the circuit;
• Backplate - a plate for relieving the load from the motherboard or video card;
• Additional water blocks.

Types of water systems

According to the method of location, life support systems can be external or internal. The first ones are carried out in the form separate building, which is connected using tubes to the water block located inside the system unit. The remaining elements of the system are located in the adjacent “box”.

This option is good because you don’t have to change anything inside the system unit when installing the SVO. However, if you are planning to move your computer, you will encounter inconvenience. Among external systems, the “Big Water” models are popular. trademark Thermaltake or EK.

Internal systems are obviously located inside the system unit. But it’s not always possible to fit all the components inside, so the radiator is often taken outside.

Good luck in choosing and patience in installation.

Goodbye, see you again, I hope;).

In this article I will try to talk about my attempt to make a water cooling system for a processor at home. At the same time, I will describe the main points and technical subtleties using an example own experience. If you are interested in a detailed illustrated guide to the manufacture, assembly and installation of such a system, then welcome to cat.

Traffic, lots of pictures! Video of the manufacturing process at the very bottom.

The thought of creating more efficient cooling my home computer arose in the process of searching for a way to increase the performance of my computer by “overclocking” the processor. An overclocked processor consumes one and a half times more power and heats up accordingly. The main limiter to buying a ready-made one is the price; buying a ready-made water cooling system in a store is unlikely to cost less than a hundred dollars. And budget liquid cooling systems are not particularly praised in reviews. So it was decided to make the simplest SVO independently and at minimal cost.

Theory and assembly

Main details

• Water block (or heat exchanger)
• Centrifugal water pump (pump) with a capacity of 600 liters/hour.
• Cooling radiator (automotive)
• Expansion tank for coolant (water)
• Hoses 10-12 mm;
• Fans with a diameter of 120mm (4 pieces)
• Fan power supply
• Consumables

Water block

The main task of the water block is to quickly take heat from the processor and transfer it to the coolant. Copper is most suitable for these purposes. It is possible to make a heat exchanger from aluminum, but its thermal conductivity (230 W/(m*K)) is half that of copper (395.4 W/(m*K)). The design of the water block (or heat exchanger) is also important. The heat exchanger device consists of one or more continuous channels passing through the entire internal volume of the water block. It is important to maximize the surface of contact with water and avoid stagnation of water. To increase the surface, frequent cuts are usually used on the walls of the water block or small needle radiators are installed.

I wasn't trying to make anything complicated so I started making a simple water container with two holes for the tubing. The basis was a brass pipe connector, and the base was a copper plate 2 millimeters thick. Two copper tubes of the same diameter as the hose are inserted into the same plate from above. Everything is soldered with tin-lead solder. When making a larger water block, at first I didn’t think about its weight. When assembled with hoses and water, more than 300 grams will hang on the motherboard, and to make it lighter we had to use additional fasteners for the hoses.

• Material: copper, brass
• Connection diameter: 10 mm
• Soldering: Tin-lead solder
• Mounting method: screws to the store cooler mount, hoses are secured with clamps
• Price: about 100 rubles

Sawing and soldering

Pump

Pumps can be external or submersible. The first one only passes it through itself, and the second one pushes it out, being immersed in it. Here we use a submersible one, placed in a container with water. I couldn’t find an external one, I looked in pet stores, and they only had submersible aquarium pumps. Power from 200 to 1400 liters per hour price from 500 to 2000 rubles. Powered from an outlet, power from 4 to 20 watts. On a hard surface the pump makes a lot of noise, but on foam rubber the noise is insignificant. A jar containing a pump was used as a water reservoir. To connect the silicone hoses, steel clamps with screws were used. To make it easier to put on and remove the hoses, you can use an odorless lubricant.

• Maximum productivity - 650 l/h.
• Water rise height – 80 cm
• Voltage – 220V
• Power – 6 W
• Price - 580 rubles

Radiator

The quality of the radiator will largely determine the efficiency of the entire water cooling system. Here we used a car radiator heating system (stove) from a nine, bought an old one at a flea market for 100 rubles. Unfortunately, the interval between the plates in it turned out to be less than a millimeter, so I had to manually move apart and compress the plates several at a time so that weak Chinese fans could blow it through.

• Tube material: copper
• Fin material: aluminum
• Size: 35x20x5 cm
• Connection diameter: 14 mm
• Price: 100 rubles

Airflow

The radiator is blown by two pairs of 12 cm fans at the front and rear. It was not possible to power 4 fans from the system unit during testing, so we had to assemble a simple 12-volt power supply. The fans were connected in parallel and connected according to polarity. This is important, otherwise the fan will most likely be damaged. The cooler has 3 wires: black (ground), red (+12V) and yellow (speed value).

• Material: Chinese plastic
• Diameter: 12 cm
• Voltage: 12V
• Current: 0.15 A
• Price: 80*4 rubles

Note to the hostess

I did not set the goal of reducing noise because of the cost of the fans. So a fan for 100 rubles is made of black plastic and consumes 150 milliamps of current. These are the ones I used to blow the radiator, it blows weakly, but it’s cheap. Already for 200-300 rubles you can find much more powerful and beautiful models with a consumption of 300-600 milliamps, but at maximum speed they are noisy. This can be solved with silicone gaskets and anti-vibration mounts, but for me the minimum cost was decisive.

power unit

If you don’t have a ready-made one at hand, you can assemble the simplest of available materials and a microcircuit that costs less than 100 rubles. For 4 fans, a current of 0.6 A is required and a little in reserve. The microcircuit provides approximately 1 ampere at a voltage of 9 to 15 volts, depending on the model. You can use any model, setting 12 volts with a variable resistor.

• Tools and soldering iron
• Radio components
• Chip
• Wires and insulation
• Price: 100 rubles

Installation and testing

Hardware

• Processor: Intel Core i7 960 3.2 GHz / 4.3 GHz
• Motherboard: ASUS Rampage 3 formula
• Power supply: OCZ ZX1250W
• Thermal paste: AL-SIL 3

Software

• Windows 7 x64 SP1
• Prime 95
• RealTemp 3.69
• CPU-z 1.58

I didn’t have to test it for a particularly long time, because... the results did not even come close to the capabilities of an air cooler. The radiator of the air cooler has so far been blown by only two Chinese fans out of 4 possible, and they have not yet been spread wider than the plates for better ventilation. So, in energy saving mode and zero load, the processor temperature in air is approximately 42 degrees, and in a homemade air cooler it is 57 degrees. Running the prime95 test on 4 threads (50% load) warms up to 65 degrees in air and up to 100 degrees in 30 seconds in the air cooler. When overclocking, the results are even worse.

An attempt was made to make a new water block with a thinner (0.5 mm) copper base plate and almost three times more spacious inside, albeit from the same materials (copper + brass). The plates in the radiator were moved apart for better ventilation and two more fans were added, now there are 4 of them. This time, in power saving mode and zero load, the processor temperature in the air is approximately 42 degrees, and in a homemade air cooler it is approximately 55 degrees. Running the prime95 test on 4 threads (50% load) warms up to 65 degrees in air and up to 83 degrees in CBO. But at the same time, the water in the circuit begins to heat up quite quickly and after 5-7 minutes the processor temperature reaches 96 degrees. These are readings without overclocking.

Assembling the SVO was, of course, interesting, but using it for cooling modern processor failed. In older computers, a stock cooler works great. Maybe I selected low-quality materials or made the water block incorrectly, but it doesn’t seem possible to assemble a water block for less than 1000 rubles at home. After reading reviews of budget ready-made air coolers available in stores, I did not expect that my homemade product would be better than a good air cooler. I concluded for myself that it is not worth saving in the future on components for the air defense system. When I decide to buy an SVO for overclocking, I will definitely assemble it myself from separate parts.

Video

Since water cooling systems are of interest to a large number of computer enthusiasts, we decided to write a special series of articles dedicated to computer water cooling systems. In this series of articles we will try to talk about all aspects of water cooling for computers, in particular we will talk about what a water cooling system is, what it consists of and how it works. We will also cover popular topics such as water cooling system assembly, water cooling system maintenance, and many related topics.

Specifically, in this article we will tell you about computer water cooling systems in general, what they are, their operating principle, components, etc.

What is a water cooling system

A water cooling system is a cooling system that uses water as a coolant to transfer heat. Unlike air cooling systems, which transfer heat directly to the air, a water cooling system transfers heat to water first.

Operating principle of water cooling system

In a computer water cooling system, the heat generated by the processor (or other heat-producing element, such as a graphics chip) is transferred to the water through a special heat exchanger called a water block. The water heated in this way is, in turn, transferred to the next heat exchanger - a radiator, in which heat from the water is transferred to the air and leaves the computer. The movement of water in the system is carried out using a special pump, which is most often called a pump.

The superiority of water cooling systems over air cooling systems is explained by the fact that water has a higher heat capacity than air (4.183 kJ kg -1 K -1 for water versus 1.005 kJ kg -1 K -1 for air) and thermal conductivity ( 0.6 W/(m K) for water versus 0.024-0.031 W/(m K) for air), which ensures faster and more efficient heat removal from the cooled elements and, accordingly, more low temperatures on them. Respectively, other things being equal, water cooling will always be more efficient than air cooling.

The efficiency and reliability of water cooling systems has been proven by time and the use of a large number of different mechanisms and devices that require powerful and reliable cooling, such as internal combustion engines, powerful lasers, radio tubes, factory machines and even nuclear power plants :).

Why does a computer need water cooling?

Due to its high efficiency, using a water cooling system can achieve both more powerful cooling, which will have a positive effect on overclocking and system stability, and lower noise levels from the computer. If desired, you can also assemble a water cooling system that will allow an overclocked computer to operate with minimal noise. For this reason, water cooling systems are primarily relevant for users of particularly powerful computers, fans of powerful overclocking, as well as people who want to make their computer quieter, but at the same time do not want to compromise on its power.

Quite often you can see gamers with three and four chip video subsystems (3-Way SLI, Quad SLI, CrossFire X) who complain about high operating temperatures (more than 90 degrees) and constant overheating of video cards, which at the same time create a very high level noise from their cooling systems. Sometimes it seems that the cooling systems of modern video cards are designed without taking into account the possibility of their use in multi-chip configurations, which leads to disastrous consequences, when video cards are installed close to one another, they simply have nowhere to get cold air for normal cooling. Alternative air cooling systems do not help either, because only a few models available on the market provide compatibility with multi-chip configurations. In such a situation, it is water cooling that can solve the problem - radically lower temperatures, improve stability and increase operational reliability powerful computer.

Water cooling system components

Computer water cooling systems consist of a certain set of components, which can be divided into mandatory and optional, which are installed in the cooling system at will.

Mandatory components of a computer water cooling system include:

• water block (at least one in the system, but more is possible)
• radiator
• pump
• hoses
• fitting

Although this list is not exhaustive, optional components include the following:

• tank
• temperature sensors
• pump and fan controllers
• drain taps
• indicators and meters (flow, pressure, flow, temperature)
• secondary water blocks (for power transistors, memory modules, hard drives etc.)
• water additives and ready-made water mixtures
• backplates
• filters

First, we will look at the required components, without which the SVO simply cannot work.

Water block(from the English waterblock) is a special heat exchanger with the help of which heat from a heating element (processor, video chip or other element) is transferred to water. Typically, the design of a water block consists of a copper base, as well as a metal or plastic cover and a set of fasteners that allow you to secure the water block to the cooled element. Water blocks exist for all heat-producing elements of a computer, even for those that do not really need them :), i.e. for elements where installing water blocks will not lead to any significant improvements in performance other than the temperature of the element itself.

The main types of water blocks include processor water blocks, water blocks for video cards, as well as water blocks for a system chip ( north bridge). In turn, water blocks for video cards also come in two types:

• Water blocks that cover only the graphics chip - so-called “gpu only” water blocks
• Water blocks that cover all heating elements of the video card (graphics chip, video memory, voltage regulators, etc.) - so-called fullcover water blocks

Although the first water blocks were usually made of fairly thick copper (1 - 1.5 cm), in accordance with modern trends in water block construction, for more efficient work They try to make the bases of water blocks thin so that heat can be transferred more quickly from the processor to the water. Also, to increase the heat transfer surface, modern water blocks usually use a microchannel or microneedle structure. In cases where performance is not so critical and there is no struggle for every degree gained, for example on a system chip, water blocks are made without sophisticated internal structure, sometimes with simple channels or even a flat bottom.

Despite the fact that water blocks themselves are not very complex components, in order to reveal in detail all the points and nuances associated with them, we need a separate article dedicated to them, which we will write and try to publish in the near future.

Radiator. A radiator in water cooling systems is a water-air heat exchanger that transfers the heat of water collected in the water block to the air. Radiators for water cooling systems are divided into two subtypes:

• Passive, i.e. fanless
• Active, i.e. blown by fans

Fanless (passive) radiators for water cooling systems are relatively rare (for example, a radiator in a water cooling system Zalman Reserator) due to the fact that, in addition to the obvious advantages (no noise from fans), this type of radiator is characterized by lower efficiency (compared to active radiators), which is typical for all passive cooling systems. In addition to low performance, radiators of this type usually take up a lot of space and rarely fit even in modified cases.

Fan-driven (active) radiators are more common in computer water cooling systems as they are much more efficient. At the same time, in case of using quiet or silent fans, you can achieve, respectively, quiet or silent operation cooling systems are the main advantage of passive radiators. Radiators of this type come in a variety of sizes, but the size of most popular radiator models is a multiple of the size of a 120 mm or 140 mm fan, that is, a radiator for three 120 mm fans will be approximately 360 mm long and 120 mm wide - for simplicity, Radiators of this size are usually called triple or 360 mm.

Despite the fact that rarely do any computer cases have space for installing water cooling radiators larger than 120 mm in size, for a real modder it will not be difficult to install a radiator. At the moment, there is only one posted on our website, but in the future we plan to increase the number of such guides, in which we will tell you in detail about various ways installation of SVO radiators in computer cases.

Pump- this is an electric pump responsible for circulating water in the circuit of the computer’s water cooling system, without which the water cooling system simply would not work. Pumps used in water cooling systems can operate on 220 volts or 12 volts. Previously, when it was rare to find specialized components for air conditioning systems on sale, enthusiasts mainly used aquarium pumps that operated on 220 volts, which created certain difficulties since the pump had to be turned on synchronously with the computer - for this, most often, they used when the computer starts. With the development of water cooling systems, specialized pumps began to appear, for example Laing DDC, which had compact sizes and high performance, while being powered by standard computer 12 volts.

Since modern water blocks have a fairly high coefficient of hydraulic resistance, which is the price to pay for high performance, it is recommended to use specialized powerful pumps with them, since with an aquarium pump (even a powerful one), a modern water cooler will not fully reveal its performance. It’s also not worth it to particularly chase power, using 2-3 pumps installed in series in one circuit or using a circulation pump from a home heating system, since this will not lead to an increase in the performance of the system as a whole, because it is, first of all, limited by the maximum heat dissipation radiator capacity and water block efficiency.

As with some other components of the SVO, it will be problematic to describe all the nuances and features of the pumps used in the SVO, as well as list all the recommendations for choosing a pump in this article, so in the future we plan to do this in a separate article.

Hoses or tubes, no matter what they are called :), are also one of the mandatory components of any water cooling system, because it is through them that water flows from one component of the cooling system to another. Most often, hoses made of PVC, less often silicone, are used in a computer water cooling system. Despite popular misconceptions, the size of the hose does not have a strong impact on the performance of the water treatment system as a whole, the main thing is not to use hoses that are too thin (inner diameter less than 8 millimeters) and everything will be OK :)

Fitting- these are special connecting elements that allow you to connect hoses to the components of the water supply system (water blocks, radiator, pump). The fittings are screwed into the threaded hole on the SVO component; there is no need to screw them in tightly (no wrenches) since the connection is most often sealed using a rubber O-ring. Current trends on the market of components for water supply systems are such that the vast majority of components are supplied without fittings included. This is done so that the user has the opportunity to independently select the fittings needed specifically for his water cooling system, because there are fittings of different types and for different sizes of hoses. The most popular types of fittings can be considered compression fittings (fittings with a union nut) and herringbone fittings (fittings). The fittings come in both straight and angled (which are often rotary) and are installed depending on how you are going to place the water cooling system in your computer. Fittings also differ in the type of thread; most often, in computer water cooling systems, threads of the G1/4″ standard are found, but in rare cases, threads of the G1/8″ or G3/8″ standards are also found.

It is also a mandatory component of the water cooling system :) To refill water cooling systems, it is best to use distilled water, that is, water purified from all impurities by distillation. Sometimes on Western websites you can find references to deionized water - it has no significant differences from distilled water, except that it is produced in a different way. Sometimes, instead of water, specially prepared mixtures or water with various additives are used - there are no significant differences in this, so we will consider these options in the section on optional components of water cooling systems. In any case, it is highly not recommended to use tap water or mineral/bottled water for drinking.

Now let's take a closer look at the optional components for water cooling systems.

Optional components are components without which the water cooling system can operate stably and without problems; usually, they do not affect the performance of the cooling system in any way, although in some cases they can reduce it slightly. The main meaning of optional components is to make the operation of a water cooling system more convenient, although there are components with other meanings, the main meaning of which is to give the user a feeling of safety in operating the water cooling system (although the water cooling system can work perfectly and safely without these components), cool everything and everyone with water (even what does not need cooling) or make the system more pretentious and beautiful looking. So, let's move on to consider the optional components:

A reservoir (expansion tank) is not a mandatory component of a water cooling system, although most water cooling systems are equipped with one. Quite often, for convenient filling of the system with liquid, a tee fitting (T-Line) and a filler neck are used instead of a reservoir. The advantage of tankless systems is that if the tank is installed in a compact housing, it can be placed more conveniently. The advantage of reservoir systems is that it is easier to refill the system (although this depends on the reservoir) and more convenient to remove air bubbles from the system. The volume of water held by the reservoir is not critical, as it affects the performance of the water cooling system. Reservoirs come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and they must be selected according to the criteria of ease of installation and appearance.

The drain valve is a component that allows you to more conveniently drain water from the cooling water circuit. In the normal state it is closed, but when it becomes necessary to drain water from the system, it is opened. A fairly simple component that can greatly improve the ease of use, or rather maintenance, of a water cooling system.

Sensors, indicators and meters. Since enthusiasts usually love all sorts of bells and whistles, manufacturers simply could not stand aside and released quite a lot of different controllers, meters and sensors for water cooling systems, although a water cooling system can work quite calmly (and at the same time reliably) without them. Among these components are electronic sensors water pressure and flow, water temperature, controllers that adjust the operation of fans to temperature, mechanical indicators of water movement, pump controllers, and so on. However, in our opinion, for example, it makes sense to install pressure and water flow sensors only in systems intended for testing components of the water supply system, since this information makes little sense for regular user just not there :). There is also no particular point in installing several temperature sensors in different places of the water heating system circuit, hoping to see a large temperature difference, since water has a very high heat capacity, that is, when it heats up literally one degree, the water “absorbs” large number heat, while in the SVO circuit it moves at a fairly high speed, which leads to the fact that the water temperature in different places of the SVO circuit at one time differs quite slightly, so you won’t see impressive values ​​:) And don’t forget that most Computer temperature sensors have an error of ±1 degree.

Filter. In some water cooling systems you can find a filter connected to the circuit. Its task is to filter out a variety of small particles that have entered the system - this could be dust that was in the hoses, solder residue in the radiator, sediment resulting from the use of a dye or anti-corrosion additive.

Water additives and ready-made mixtures. In addition to water, various water additives can be used in the cooling system circuit, some of them protect against corrosion, others prevent the development of bacteria in the system, and others allow you to tint the water in the cooling water system the color you want. There are also ready-made mixtures that contain water as the main component with anti-corrosion additives and dye. There are also ready-made mixtures that contain additives that increase the performance of the water treatment system, although the increase in performance from them is insignificant. On sale you can also find liquids for water cooling systems made not on the basis of water, but on the basis of a special dielectric liquid that does not conduct electric current and, accordingly, will not cause a short circuit if it leaks onto PC components. Ordinary distilled water, in principle, also does not conduct current, but if spilled on dusty PC components, it can become electrically conductive. There is no particular point in a dielectric liquid since a normally assembled and tested water cooling system does not leak and is quite reliable. It is also worth noting that anti-corrosion additives sometimes precipitate fine dust during their work, and coloring additives can slightly stain hoses and acrylic in the components of the SVO, but, in our experience, you should not pay attention to this, since it is not critical. The main thing is to follow the instructions for the additives and not to pour them in excess, as this can lead to more disastrous consequences. Whether you use simply distilled water, water with additives, or a ready-made mixture in the system does not make much difference, and the best option depends on what you need.

A backplate is a special mounting plate that helps relieve the PCB of the motherboard or video card from the force created by the water block fasteners, respectively, reducing the bending of the PCB and the chance of ruining expensive hardware. Although the backplate is not a mandatory component, it can be found quite often in water block systems; some models of water blocks come equipped with a backplate, while for others it is available as an optional accessory.

Secondary water blocks. In addition to cooling important and very hot components with water, some enthusiasts install additional water blocks on components that either heat poorly or do not require powerful active cooling, for example. Components that require water cooling only for appearance include: power transistors, power supply circuits, RAM, south bridge and hard drives. The optionality of these components in a water cooling system lies in the fact that even if you install water cooling on these components, you will not get any additional system stability, improved overclocking or other noticeable results - this is primarily due to low heat generation of these elements, as well as the ineffectiveness of water blocks for these components. Of the clear advantages of installing these water blocks, only the appearance can be highlighted, and the disadvantages are an increase in hydraulic resistance in the water supply circuit, an increase in the cost of the entire system (and a significant one) and, usually, the low upgradeability of these water blocks.

In addition to the mandatory and optional components for water cooling systems, a category of so-called hybrid components can also be distinguished. Sometimes, on sale you can find components that are two or more CBO components connected into one device. Among such devices are: hybrids of a pump and a processor water block, radiators for your own with a built-in pump and reservoir, pumps combined with a reservoir are very common. The point of such components is to reduce the space taken up and make installation more convenient. The disadvantage of such components is usually their limited suitability for upgrades.

There is a separate category for homemade components for water cooling systems. Initially, since about 2000, all components for water cooling systems were made or modified by enthusiasts with their own hands, because specialized components for water cooling systems were simply not produced at that time. Therefore, if a person wanted to establish an SVO for himself, then he had to do everything with his own hands. After the relative popularization of water cooling for computers, components for them began to be produced by a large number of companies and now it is possible without special problems buy both a ready-made water cooling system and all the necessary components for it self-assembly. So, in principle, we can say that now there is no need to independently manufacture SVO components in order to install water cooling on your computer. The only reasons why some enthusiasts are now engaged in self-manufacturing of SVO components are the desire to save money or to try their hand at manufacturing such components. However, the desire to save money is not always possible to realize, because in addition to the cost of work and components of the manufactured part, there are also time costs that are usually not taken into account by people who want to save money, but the reality is that you will have to spend a lot of time on independent production and the result however, it will not be guaranteed. And the performance and reliability of home-made components are often far from at the highest level, since in order to produce serial-level components you need to have very straight (golden) hands :) If you decide to make your own, for example, a water block, then take these facts into account .

External or internal SVO

Among other features, water cooling systems are divided into external and internal. External water cooling systems are usually designed as a separate “box”, i.e. module, which is connected using hoses to water blocks installed on components in your PC case. The case of an external water cooling system almost always contains a radiator with fans, a pump, a reservoir and, sometimes, a power supply for the pump with temperature and/or fluid flow sensors. TO external systems include, for example, Zalman water cooling systems of the Reserator family. Systems installed as a separate module are convenient because the user does not need to modify the case of his computer, but they are very inconvenient if you plan to move your computer even minimal distances, for example, to the next room :)

Internal water cooling systems, ideally, are located entirely inside the PC case, but due to the fact that not all computer cases are well suited for installing a water cooling system, some components of the internal water cooling system (most often a radiator) can often be seen installed on the outer surface of the housing. The advantages of internal SVOs include the fact that they are very convenient when carrying a computer since they will not interfere with you and will not require draining the liquid during transportation. Another advantage of internal water cooling systems is that when the water cooling system is installed internally, the appearance of the case does not suffer in any way, and when modding a computer, the water cooling system can serve as an excellent decoration for the case.

The disadvantages of internal water cooling systems include the relative complexity of their installation, compared to external ones, as well as the need to modify the housing to install a water cooling system in many cases. Another negative point is that the internal SVO will add a couple of kilograms of weight to your body :)

Ready-made systems or self-assembly

Water cooling systems, among other features, are also divided according to assembly and configuration options into:

• Ready-made systems in which all SVO components are purchased in one set, with installation instructions
• Homemade systems that are assembled independently from individual components

Typically, many enthusiasts believe that all “out-of-the-box systems” show low productivity, but this is far from true - water cooling kits from such well-known brands as Swiftech, Danger Dan, Koolance and Alphacool demonstrate quite decent performance and one certainly cannot say about them that they are weak, and these companies are reputable manufacturers of high-performance components water cooling systems.

Among the advantages of ready-made systems, one can note convenience - you immediately buy everything you need to install water cooling in one kit, and assembly instructions are included. In addition, manufacturers of ready-made water cooling systems usually try to provide for all possible situations so that the user, for example, does not have problems with installing and fastening components. The disadvantages of such systems include the fact that they are not flexible in terms of configuration; for example, the manufacturer has several options for ready-made water cooling systems and you usually do not have the opportunity to change their configuration in order to select components that best suit you.

By purchasing water cooling components separately, you can choose exactly those components that you think will best suit you. In addition, by purchasing a system from individual components, you can sometimes save money, but here everything depends on you. Among the disadvantages of this approach, we can highlight some difficulty in assembling such systems for beginners; for example, we have seen cases where people who did not understand the topic well did not buy all the necessary components and/or components that were incompatible with each other and got into trouble (they realized that something that’s not the case here) only when they sat down to assemble the SVO.

Pros and cons of water cooling systems

The main advantages of water cooling of computers include: the ability to build a quiet and powerful PC, expanded overclocking capabilities, improved stability during overclocking, excellent appearance and long service life. Thanks to the high efficiency of water cooling, it is possible to assemble such a cooling system that would allow the operation of a very powerful overclocked gaming computer with multiple video cards at a relatively low noise level, unattainable with air cooling systems. Again, due to their high efficiency, water cooling systems allow you to achieve higher levels of processor or video card overclocking that are unattainable with air cooling. Water cooling systems are often great looking and look great in a modified (or not so modified) computer.

The disadvantages of water cooling systems are usually: complexity of assembly, high cost and unreliability. Our opinion is that these disadvantages have little basis in real facts and are very controversial and relative. For example, the complexity of assembling a water cooling system definitely cannot be called high - assembling a water cooling system is not much more difficult than assembling a computer, and in general, the times when all components had to be modified without fail or all the components had to be made with your own hands are long gone and at the moment in the field of SVO, almost everything is standardized and commercially available. The reliability of properly assembled computer water cooling systems is also beyond doubt, just as the reliability of a car cooling system or the heating system of a private home is beyond doubt - with proper assembly and operation there should be no problems. Of course, no one is insured against defects or accidents, but the likelihood of such events exists not only when using SVO, but also with the most ordinary video cards, hard drives and other components. Cost, in our opinion, should also not be singled out as a minus, since such a “minus” can then be safely attributed to all high-performance equipment :). And each user has his own understanding of whether something is expensive or cheap. I would like to talk separately about the cost of SVO.

Cost of water cooling system

Cost, as a factor, is probably the most frequently mentioned “minus” that is attributed to all PC water cooling systems. At the same time, everyone forgets that the cost of a water cooling system greatly depends on what components it is assembled on: you can assemble the water cooling system so that the total cost is cheaper without sacrificing performance, or you can choose components at the maximum price :) At the same time, the total cost of similar the effectiveness of the SVO will differ significantly.

The cost of a water cooling system also depends on what computer it will be installed on, because the more powerful the computer, the more expensive the cooling system will be, in principle, since a powerful computer and cooling system require a more powerful one. In our opinion, the cost of the water cooling system is quite justified compared to other components, because the water cooling system is, in fact, a separate component, and, in our opinion, mandatory for truly powerful PCs. Another factor that must be taken into account when assessing the cost of the SVO is its durability since, correctly selected, the components of the SVO can serve for more than one year in a row, surviving numerous upgrades of the rest of the hardware - not many PC components can boast of such durability (except perhaps the case or , taken in excess, BP), accordingly, spending a relatively large amount on SVO is smoothly distributed over time and does not look wasteful.

If you really want to install an SVO for yourself, but you’re stressed about finances and there are no plans for improvement in the near future, then no one has canceled homemade components :)

Water cooling in modding

In addition to being highly efficient, PC water cooling systems look great, which explains the popularity of using water cooling systems in many modding projects. Thanks to the ability to use colored or fluorescent hoses and/or liquids, the ability to illuminate water blocks with LEDs, and select components that will suit your needs color scheme and style, a water cooling system can fit perfectly into almost any modding project, and/or make it the main feature of your modding project. Using SVO in a modding project, when installed correctly, allows you to improve the visibility of some components, usually hidden by large air coolers, for example, the motherboard, sophisticated memory modules, and so on.

Conclusions about water cooling

We hope that you liked our article on water cooling and that it allowed you to understand all aspects of the functioning of the water cooling system. In the future, we plan to publish several more articles about individual parts of the water cooling system, about the assembly and maintenance of water cooling systems and other related topics. In addition, we will also be producing tests and reviews of water cooling components so that our readers have the best opportunity to understand the variety of components available on the market and make the right choice.