Water cooling system for a computer - Detailed description. Silent computer with dual-circuit water cooling system

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, this is like a golden mean - unusual, but affordable; 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– he has his drawbacks, but for his appearance alone 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 a 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, the larger the radiator size and the number of coolers, the 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 that simple. Firstly, there really wasn’t enough space there for a three-section radiator (if you attach the radiator to 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. Installing the radiator on the rear (away 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
- If installed vertically, the hoses would be very long and with a large bend
- 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 latest option 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, and 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, a complete analogue of a “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 great demand among many users for several days. They are very quiet, and the quality of bearing balancing 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. Protective grilles were placed on top of the coolers to prevent children from putting anything vital into the fans.

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 squeeze the mounting frame and 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 most convenient option, but... considering that after assembling the computer you practically won’t 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 ~3.5 cm).

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

Such a high price in this case is due to the fact that fullcover water blocks were used for VERY hot pieces of hardware, 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 a test bench. Connecting the wires took no more than a minute - it took much longer to look for 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 of “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 quite a long time in 100% load mode, the maximum 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 “donut”) - 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 the top (currently) NVIDIA GTX 480 video card based 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 of the filling, gives +5 to the 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!

The development of technology inevitably leads to the fact that the main components of personal computers become more productive, and therefore “hotter”. The stations require highly efficient cooling. As an excellent option for solving this problem, we can offer it for a PC.

Key Benefits

Such a system has a number of advantages compared to traditional air cooling. First of all, you should remember the high thermal conductivity of water compared to air, and this has a positive effect on the entire cooling system. The next nuance concerns high-performance coolers, which create a lot of noise when passing large masses of air. With water cooling, noise levels are minimized during operation of the entire system. Modern PC water cooling is characterized by ease of installation and high performance. Despite the fact that such a system is quite expensive, it is becoming the choice of many, that is, its popularity is constantly growing.

General characteristics

A water cooling system for a PC is a collection of elements used to transport water as a coolant. It differs from traditional air heating in that all the heat is first transferred to the water and then to the air. When using such a system, all the heat generated by the processor and other fuel elements is transferred through a special heat exchanger to water. This component is called a water block. The water that is heated in this way is transferred to the next heat exchanger - the radiator, where its heat is transferred to the air, leaving the computer. A special pump, usually called a pump, is responsible for the movement of water in the system.

Installing water cooling for a PC provides many benefits due to the fact that it is higher than air, which ensures more efficient and faster heat removal from the cooled elements, which means lower temperatures. All things being equal, this type will always be much more effective in comparison with all others.

The water cooling system (for PCs, etc.) has proven to be a fairly reliable and productive solution over the entire period of its use. Even when used in various systems, devices and mechanisms that are demanding on the reliability and power of coolers, for example, in internal combustion engines, radio tubes, high-power lasers, machine tools in factories, nuclear power plants and others.

Computer and water cooling

The high efficiency of such a system allows not only to achieve more powerful cooling, which can have a positive effect on the stability and overclocking of the system, but also to reduce the noise level of the computer. You can assemble such a system to ensure that an overclocked computer operates with a minimum level of noise generated. It is this reason that makes such systems especially relevant for users of the most powerful computers, fans of strong overclocking, who want to make their PC quieter, but do not want to compromise on power.

Gamers often install three or four chip video subsystems, and the video cards operate at high temperatures and frequent overheating, as well as with strong noise from the cooling systems used. It may even seem that for modern video cards, coolers are designed that will not allow the use of multi-chip configurations. That is why, when video cards are installed one next to the other, a number of problems often arise, because they simply have nowhere to draw cold air from. There are alternative air cooling systems on the market designed for multi-chip configurations, but they do not save the situation. It is water cooling of a PC in this case that can radically improve the situation, that is, lower the temperature, improve stability and increase the reliability of the computer.

Water cooling components

This system includes a certain set of components, which are conventionally divided into mandatory and optional, that is, installed at will.

So, the required components for water cooling of a PC include: water block, pump, radiator, fittings, hoses, water. While the list of optional elements can be expanded, it usually includes: temperature sensors, a reservoir, drain valves, fan and pump controllers, meters and indicators, secondary water blocks, backplates, water additives, filters. First, you should consider the components without which water cooling for a PC simply will not work.

Water blocks

The water block is a special heat exchanger through which heat from the heating element is transferred to water. Most often, its design involves the presence of a copper base, as well as a plastic or metal cover with a set of fasteners designed to secure the water block to the cooled element. There are water blocks for all heat-producing computer components, even for those that do not particularly require them, that is, their performance will not increase much. The main and most popular elements include processor water blocks, water blocks for video cards and system chips. There are two types of devices for video cards: those that cover only the graphics chip itself, and those that cover all elements of the video card that heat up during operation.

While initially such elements were made from thick sheets of copper, modern trends in this area have led to the fact that the bases of water blocks are now made thin so that heat is transferred from the processor to the water much faster. In addition, an increase in the heat transfer surface is achieved through microneedle and microchannel structures.

Radiators

In water cooling systems, a radiator is a water-air heat exchanger that transfers heat from water to the air, which is collected in the water block. There are two subtypes of radiators in such systems: passive, that is, not equipped with a fan, and active, that is, they are blown by a fan.

So, if you are interested in installing water cooling for a PC, then it is worth noting that fanless radiators are not so common, since their efficiency is noticeably lower, which is typical for all types of passive systems. In addition to low performance, such radiators are characterized by large dimensions, which is why they rarely fit even in modified cases.

Ventilated radiators, that is, active ones, are more common in computer water cooling systems, since their efficiency is noticeably higher. If you use silent or silent fans, you can achieve silent or quiet operation of the entire cooling system, that is, borrow the main advantage of passive cooling.

Pump

The pump is an electric pump whose task is to ensure water circulation in the computer cooling system; without it, the entire structure simply will not work. Pumps can operate on both 220 volts and 12 volts. At first, when there were almost no pumps for such installations on sale, enthusiasts used aquarium pumps powered by the city network, which created some difficulties, since they had to be turned on synchronously with the computer. For these purposes, relays were usually used that turned on the pump automatically when the computer started. The development of water cooling systems provided opportunities for the emergence of new devices that, when powered by 12 volt computers, had high performance in a compact size.

Since modern water blocks are characterized by a very high coefficient of water resistance, and this is the price for high performance, it is recommended to use powerful pumps with them. This is due to the fact that even with the most powerful, a modern water cooling system for a PC will not fully demonstrate its performance. You should not particularly strive for power, using several pumps or pumps from heating systems in one circuit, as this will not lead to an increase in the performance of the entire system as a whole. This parameter is limited by the efficiency of the water block and the heat dissipation ability of the radiator.

Hoses

A water-cooled PC is simply unthinkable without the use of hoses or tubes, since they are the ones that connect the different components of the system to each other. Most often, PVC hoses are used for computers, or in extreme cases, silicone. The size of the hose does not affect performance; the main thing here is not to choose too thin ones, that is, with a diameter of less than 8 mm.

Fitting

Fittings are used to connect hoses to the components of the cooling system. They are screwed into the threaded hole on the component without using rubber rings to seal the connection. Nowadays the vast majority of components are supplied without fittings. This was done so that the user has the opportunity to independently choose the appropriate option for himself, because they exist in different types and for different sizes of hoses. The most popular type are herringbone fittings. They can be straight or angular, and are installed depending on how the water cooling is installed on the PC.

Water

If you want to make a gaming PC with water cooling, you must understand that for these purposes you need to take distilled water, that is, free of any impurities. On Western websites they sometimes write about the need to use it, but it differs from distilled only in the method of preparation. Sometimes water is replaced with special mixtures or additives are added to it. In any case, it is not recommended to use tap or bottled water.

Optional Components

Usually, even without them, a PC water cooling system works quite stably and without problems. The main point of using optional components is to make the system more convenient to use, or they serve as decoration.

So, if you are interested in installing water cooling on a PC with your own hands, then you can use, in addition to the main components, additional ones, the first of which is a reservoir, or Most often, instead of it, a tee fitting and a filler neck are used for convenient refilling of the system. The advantage of the tankless option is that when installing the system in a compact housing, it can be placed much more conveniently. Installing a water cooler on a laptop may require a reservoir to allow for easy refilling and easier removal of air bubbles from the system. It does not matter what the volume of the tank is, since it does not affect the performance of the system. The choice of size and shape of the expansion tank depends only on individual preferences and appearance.

It is a component that makes it easy to drain water from the cooling system. It is normally closed. This component can greatly improve ease of use in terms of maintenance.

Indicators, sensors and meters are produced specifically for those who cannot settle for a minimum of components, but like various excesses. These include electronic sensors for water flow and pressure, water temperature, controllers that adjust the operation of fans to temperature, pump controllers, mechanical indicators and others.

The filter is found in some water cooling systems, where it is connected to the circuit. He is busy filtering out various mechanical particles that are in the system - dust that could be present in the hoses, sediment that appears due to the use of an anti-corrosion additive or dye, soldering residues in the radiator, etc.

External or internal SVO?

If you are wondering how to install water cooling on a laptop, then you should first say that there are two types of systems. External ones are usually made in the form of a separate box, that is, a module that is connected to the water blocks via hoses. The external system case usually contains a radiator with fans, a reservoir, a pump, and sometimes a power supply for the pump with temperature sensors. It is clear that this option is optimal for a laptop, since the laptop case will not allow you to place all this in it. For a computer, such systems are convenient because the user does not need to modify the case of his PC, but they are inconvenient if you decide to move the device to another location.

There is internal water cooling for PC. It is quite difficult to install such a system yourself, if you compare it with an external one. Among the advantages of such a system is the convenience of moving the computer to another place, since this does not require draining all the liquid. Another advantage is that the appearance of the case will not change in any way, and with proper modding, such a system will also serve as decoration.

Ready-made systems or personal assembly?

You can water cool your PC with your own hands using individual components, or you can use ready-made solutions that come with detailed instructions. Most enthusiasts are convinced that out-of-the-box solutions are characterized by low performance, but this is not at all the case. Many brands produce high-performance kits, for example, Danger Dan, Alphacool, Koolance, Swiftech. Among the advantages of ready-made systems, convenience is noted, since one kit contains everything necessary for installation. In addition, manufacturers often aim to help users in any circumstances, so the kit includes a variety of elements and fasteners. However, it is inconvenient that the user does not have the opportunity to select exactly those components that he needs; the systems are sold only assembled.

You can make your own water cooling for your PC. Reviews from most experienced users indicate that in this case the system will be more flexible, since you will be able to select the components that suit you. In addition, if you compose a system from individual components, you can sometimes save money. The downside of this approach is the difficulty of assembly, especially for beginners.

Conclusions

The main advantages of water cooling systems include the ability to build a powerful and quiet PC, increased overclocking capabilities, improved stability during overclocking, long service life and beautiful appearance. This solution allows you to build a powerful gaming computer that will work without unnecessary noise, which is completely unattainable with air systems.

The disadvantages usually include the complexity of assembly, unreliability and high cost. However, such disadvantages can be called controversial and relative. In terms of assembly complexity, it can be noted that it is not much more difficult than assembling the computer itself. There are also no complaints about the reliability of correctly assembled systems, since, provided they are properly assembled and operated, no problems arise.

Introduction

Don't you think the term "liquid cooling" makes you think of cars? In fact, liquid cooling has been an integral part of the conventional internal combustion engine for almost 100 years. This immediately begs the question: why is it the preferred method of cooling expensive car engines? What's so great about liquid cooling?

To find out, we have to compare it with air cooling. When comparing the effectiveness of these cooling methods, the two most important properties to consider are thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity.

Thermal conductivity is a physical quantity that shows how well a substance transfers heat. The thermal conductivity of water is almost 25 times greater than that of air. Obviously, this gives water cooling a huge advantage over air cooling, as it allows heat to transfer from a hot engine to the radiator much faster.

Specific heat capacity is another physical quantity that is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one kelvin (degree Celsius). The specific heat capacity of water is almost four times that of air. This means that heating water requires four times more energy than heating air. Again, the ability of water to absorb much more thermal energy without raising its own temperature is a huge advantage.

So, we have undeniable facts that liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling. However, this is not necessarily the best method for cooling PC components. Let's figure it out.

Liquid Cooling PC

Despite water's very good heat dissipation qualities, there are several compelling reasons not to put water in your computer. The most important of these reasons is the electrical conductivity of the coolant.

If you accidentally spilled a glass of water on a gasoline engine while filling the radiator, then nothing bad would happen; water would not damage the engine. But if you poured a glass of water on the motherboard of your computer, it would be very bad. Therefore, there is a certain risk associated with using water to cool computer components.

The next factor is the complexity of maintenance. Air-cooling systems are easier and cheaper to manufacture and repair than their water-based counterparts, and radiators require no maintenance other than dust removal. Water cooling systems are much more difficult to work with. They are more difficult to install and often require maintenance, albeit minor.

Third, PC water cooling system parts cost much more than air cooling system parts. If a set of high-quality radiators and air cooling fans for a processor, video card and motherboard will most likely cost around $150, then the cost of a liquid cooling system for the same components can easily reach up to $500.

Having so many shortcomings, water cooling systems, it would seem, should not be in demand. But in fact, they remove heat so well that this property justifies all the shortcomings.

There are ready-to-install liquid cooling systems on the market that are no longer the aftermarket kits that enthusiasts had to deal with in the past. Ready-made systems are assembled, tested and completely reliable. In addition, water cooling is not as dangerous as it seems: of course, there is always a big risk when using liquids in a PC, but if you are careful, this risk is significantly reduced. As for maintenance, modern refrigerants require replacement quite rarely, maybe once a year. When it comes to price, any piece of equipment that runs at high performance will always cost more than normal, whether it's the Ferrari in your garage or the water cooling system for your computer. High performance comes at a price.

Let's say you're interested in this cooling method, or at least would like to know how it works, what's involved, and what its benefits are.

General principles of water cooling

The purpose of any cooling system in a PC is to remove heat from the computer components.

A traditional CPU air cooler transfers heat away from the processor to a heatsink. The fan actively pushes air through the radiator fins, and as the air passes by, it picks up heat. Air is removed from the computer case by another fan or even several. As you can see, air moves a lot.

In water cooling systems, instead of air, a coolant (coolant) - water - is used to remove heat. Water leaves the reservoir through a tube, going where it is needed. The water cooling unit can either be a separate unit outside the PC case, or it can be built into the case. In the diagram, the water cooling unit is external.

Heat is transferred from the processor to the cooling head (water block), which is a hollow heat sink with inlet and outlet holes for coolant. When water passes through the head, it takes heat with it. Heat transfer due to water occurs much more efficiently than due to air.

The heated liquid is then pumped into the reservoir. From the reservoir it flows into the heat exchanger, where it transfers heat to the radiator, which transfers heat to the surrounding air, usually with the help of a fan. After this, the water enters the head again, and the cycle begins again.

Now that we have a good understanding of the basics of PC liquid cooling, let's talk about what systems are available on the market.

Selecting a water cooling system

There are three main types of water cooling systems: internal, external and integrated. The main difference between them is where their main components are located in relation to the computer case: the heat sink/heat exchanger, pump and reservoir.

As the name suggests, the built-in cooling system is an integral part of the PC case, that is, it is built into the case and sold complete with it. Since the entire water cooling system is mounted in the case, this option is perhaps the easiest to handle, since there is more space left inside the case and there are no bulky structures outside. The downside, of course, is that if you decide to upgrade to such a system, the old PC case will be useless.

If you love your PC case and don't want to part with it, then internal and external water cooling systems will probably seem more attractive. The internal system components are placed inside the PC case. Since most cases are not designed to accommodate such a cooling system, it becomes quite cramped inside. However, installing such systems will allow you to preserve your favorite case, as well as move it without any special obstacles.

The third option is an external water cooling system. It is also for those who want to keep their old PC case. In this case, the radiator, reservoir and water pump are placed in a separate unit outside the computer case. Water is pumped through tubes into the PC case, to the cooling head, and the heated liquid is pumped out of the case into the reservoir through the return tube. The advantage of an external system is that it can be used with any enclosure. It also allows for a larger radiator and can have better cooling capacity than the average integrated setup. The disadvantage is that a computer with an external cooling system is not as mobile as one with internal or built-in cooling systems.

In our case, portability is not of great importance, but we would like to keep our “native” PC case. In addition, we were attracted by the increased cooling efficiency of the external radiator. Therefore, we chose an external cooling system for our review. Koolance kindly provided us with an excellent example - the EXOS-2 system.

External water cooling system Koolance EXOS-2.

EXOS-2 is a powerful external water cooling system with a cooling capacity of over 700W. This doesn't mean the system consumes 700 watts - it only consumes a fraction of that. This means the system can efficiently handle 700W of heat output while maintaining a temperature of 55 degrees Celsius at 25 degrees ambient.

EXOS-2 comes with all the necessary pipes and accessories, except for the cooling heads (water blocks). The user will have to buy suitable heads, depending on which PC components he wants to cool.

Cooling multiple components

One of the advantages of most liquid cooling systems is that they are expandable and can cool other components in addition to the processor. Even after passing through the CPU cooling head, water is still able to cool, for example, the motherboard chipset and video card. This is basic, but if you wish, you can add even more components, such as a hard drive. To do this, each component that will be cooled will need its own water block. Of course, you'll have to do some planning to make sure the coolant flows well.

Why is it beneficial to combine all three components - CPU, chipset and graphics card - with a good water cooling system?

Most users understand the need to cool the processor. The CPU gets very hot in the PC case, and stable operation of the computer depends on keeping the CPU temperature low. The CPU is one of the most expensive parts of a computer, and the lower the temperature maintained, the longer the processor will last. Finally, cooling the processor is especially important when overclocking.

CPU water block and assembly accessories.

The idea of ​​cooling the motherboard chipset (or rather, the northbridge) may not be familiar to everyone. But keep in mind that a computer is only as stable as its chipset. In many cases, additional cooling of the chipset can contribute to system stability, especially when overclocking.

Chipset water block and assembly accessories.

The third component is very important for those who have a higher-end video card and use a PC for games. In many cases, the GPU on a video card generates more heat than other computer components. Again, the better the cooling of the GPU, the longer it will last, the higher the stability and the more overclocking options.

Of course, for those users who do not intend to use their computer for games and have a low-power graphics card, water cooling will be overkill. But for modern powerful and very hot video cards, water cooling can be a profitable purchase.

We are going to install a cooling system on our Radeon X1900 XTX graphics card. Although this video card is not the newest and most powerful, it is still at least as good as it gets, and it also gets very hot. In the case of this model, Koolance offers not only a water block for the GPU/memory, but also a separate cooling head for the voltage regulator.

GPU water block and assembly accessories.

While air cooling systems can keep the GPU temperature within acceptable limits, we are not aware of any similar systems capable of handling the extremely high temperature of the voltage regulators on the X1900, which can easily reach 100 degrees Celsius under load. I wonder how the water block for the voltage regulator will affect the X1900 video card.

Water block for video card voltage regulator and accessories for assembly.

These are the main components that are cooled using water. As mentioned above, there are other components that can be cooled this way. For example, Koolance offers a 1200W power supply with liquid cooling. All electronic components of the power supply are immersed in a non-conducting liquid, which is pumped through its own external heatsink. This is a special example of alternative liquid cooling, but the system does the job just fine.

Koolance: 1200W liquid cooled power supply.

Now you can start installation.

Planning and installation

Unlike air cooling systems, installing a liquid cooling system requires some planning. Liquid cooling comes with several limitations that the user must take into account.

First, you should always keep convenience in mind during installation. Water pipes must pass freely into the housing and between components. In addition, the cooling system must leave free space so that future work with it and its components does not cause difficulties.

Secondly, the flow of liquid should not be limited in any way. It should also be remembered that the coolant heats up as it passes through each water block. If we designed the system in such a way that water entered each subsequent water block in the following sequence: first to the processor, then to the chipset, to the video card, and finally to the video card voltage regulator, then the water block of the voltage regulator would always receive water heated by all previous system components. This scenario is not ideal for the last component.

To somehow mitigate this problem, it would be a good idea to run the coolant along separate, parallel paths. If this is done correctly, the water flow will be less stressed, and the water blocks of each component will receive water that is not heated by other components.

The Koolance EXOS-2 kit we chose for this article is designed to work primarily with 3/8" connector tubing, and the CPU water block is designed with 3/8" press-in connectors. However, the cooling heads of the chipset and Koolance video cards are designed to work with connecting tubes of a smaller diameter - 1/4". Because of this, the user is forced to use a splitter that divides the 3/8" tube into two 1/4" tubes. This scheme works well when we split the flow into two parallel paths. One of these 1/4" tubes will cool the motherboard chipset, and the other will cool the video card. After the water has absorbed heat from these components, the two 1/4" tubes will reconnect into one 3/8" tube, through which the heated water will flow from the PC case back to the radiator for cooling.

The whole process is presented in the following diagram.

Planned cooling system configuration.

When planning the layout of your own water cooling system, we recommend that you draw a simple diagram. This will help you install the system correctly. Having drawn a plan on paper, you can begin the actual assembly and installation.

To begin with, you can lay out all the parts of the system on the table and estimate the required length of the tubes. Don't cut too short, leave some margin; Then you can always cut off the excess.

After the preparatory work, you can begin installing water blocks. The Koolance cooling head for the processor we use requires a metal mounting bracket to be installed on the back of the motherboard behind the processor. Best of all, this mounting bracket comes with a plastic spacer to prevent shorting to the motherboard. First, we took the motherboard out of the case and installed the mounting bracket.

Then you can remove the heatsink, which is attached to the northbridge of the motherboard. We used the Biostar 965PT motherboard, whose chipset is cooled using a passive radiator attached with plastic clips.

Motherboard chipset without heatsink. Ready for water block installation.

After the chipset heatsink is removed, you should attach the water block mounting elements for the chipset.

During installation, we noticed that the water block mounting elements for the chipset, in particular the plastic spacer, were pressing on the resistor on the back of the motherboard. This must be carefully monitored during installation. Over-tightening the bolts can cause irreparable damage to the motherboard, so be careful and careful!

After installing the fastening elements for the cooling heads of the processor and chipset, you can return the motherboard to the PC case and think about connecting the water blocks to the processor and chipset. Be sure to remove any remaining old thermal paste from the processor and chipset before applying a new thin layer.

Processor with fastening elements for a water block.

You may want to connect the water pipes to the water blocks before you install them on the motherboard. But be careful: you may not calculate the pressure and force that will be applied to the fragile chipset and processor when bending the tubes. The main thing is to leave a sufficient length of the tubes, because you can cut them to size later.

Now you can carefully install the water blocks on the processor and chipset using the provided mounting hardware. Remember that you don't need to press them down with force: just install them well on the processor and chipset. Using force can damage components.

After installing water blocks on the processor and chipset, you can turn your attention to the video card. We remove the existing radiator and replace it with a water block. In our case, we also removed the voltage stabilizer heatsink and installed a second water block on the card. After the water blocks are installed on the video card, you can connect the tubes. After this, the video card can be inserted into the PCI Express slot.

After installing all the water blocks, the remaining pipes should be connected. The last thing you need to connect is the tube that leads to the external water cooling unit. Make sure that the direction of water flow is correct: the cooled liquid should flow first into the processor water block.

The moment has come when you can pour water into the tank. Fill the reservoir only to the level specified in the manufacturer's instructions. As the tank fills, water will slowly flow into the tubes. Pay special attention to all fastenings and have a towel on hand in case of unexpected liquid leakage. At the slightest sign of leakage, fix the problem immediately.

Once all the components are assembled, you can add coolant.

If you did everything carefully and there are no leaks in the system, then you need to pump the coolant to remove air bubbles. In the case of the Koolance EXOS-2, this is achieved by shorting the pins on the ATX power supply to supply power to the water pump, but not to supply power to the motherboard.

Let the system operate in this mode, while you slowly and carefully tilt the computer in one direction or the other so that air bubbles come out of the water blocks. Once all the bubbles are gone, you will most likely find that the system needs more coolant. This is fine. Approximately 10 minutes after pouring, no air bubbles should be visible in the tubes. If you are convinced that there are no more air bubbles and the possibility of a leak is excluded, then you can start the system for real.

Test configuration and tests

All assembly and installation worries are left behind. It's time to see what advantages a water cooling system provides.

Hardware
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo e4300, 1.8 GHz (overclocked to 2250 MHz), 2 MB L2 cache
Platform	Biostar T-Force 965PT (Socket 775), Intel 965 chipset, BIOS vP96CA103BS
RAM	Patriot Signature Line, 1x 1024 MB PC2-6400 (CL5-5-5-16)
Hard drive	Western Digital WD1200JB, 120 GB, 7,200 rpm, 8 MB cache, UltraATA/100
Net	Built-in 1 Gbps Ethernet adapter
Video card	ATI X1900 XTX (PCIe), 512 MB GDDR3
power unit	Koolance 1200 W
System Software and Drivers
OS	Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.10.2600, Service Pack 2
DirectX version	9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Graphics driver	ATI Catalyst 7.2

In our test configuration, we used the Core 2 Duo platform because the E4300 processor is very easy to overclock. Overclocking allowed us to see how high the temperature would rise and how the standard air cooling system and our new water cooling system would handle it.

The technique is simple: overclock the E4300 processor with standard air cooling as much as possible, and then overclock it with water cooling and compare the results. As it turns out, the E4300 is capable of more. We increased the processor frequency from the stated 1800 MHz to 2250 MHz. At the same time, the E4300 processor easily coped with the added 450 MHz without increasing voltage or any other problems. However, the standard cooler did not cope with the job, as under load the processor temperature rose to an undesirable 62 degrees Celsius. Although the core could have been overclocked further, a further increase in temperature could become dangerous, so we stopped, recorded the result and installed a water cooling system.

Before looking at the processor temperature under load, let's take a look at the temperature when the system is idle.

In idle mode, water cooling gives a decent reduction in processor temperature, by about 10 degrees. However, this is not such a great achievement when you consider that the CPU's own cooler is low-end, and a high-quality air cooler could be more effective. However, it is worth remembering that water cooling cannot reduce the temperature so that it is lower than the ambient temperature, which in our case was about 22 degrees Celsius.

When stressing the system - a ten-minute run through the Orthos stress test - the water cooling setup really showed what it was capable of.

Now this is actually interesting. The stock air cooler can't even keep the processor temperature below an undesirably high 60 degrees, and the water cooling system dropped the temperature to 49 degrees at the lowest fan speed. In addition to lowering temperatures, the water cooling system is much quieter than a stock CPU cooler.

At maximum fan speed in the water cooling system, the processor temperature drops below 40 degrees! This is 24 degrees lower than with a standard cooler under load, and almost the same as what your own cooler produces when idle. The result is impressive, although at high fan speeds the water cooling system produces more noise than we would like. However, the fan speed is adjusted on a 10-point scale, and it is unlikely that in everyday use you will have to set it to full power. Orthos stresses the CPU more than other tests, and we were quite interested to see what the water cooling system could do.

Finally, pay attention to the results obtained for the video card. Usually the X1900 XTX gets very hot, but we had one of the best air coolers at our disposal - Thermalright HR-03. Let's see what advantages water cooling has over this cooler after 10 minutes of Atitool stress test in artifact testing mode.

The temperature maintained by the stock cooler is terrible: 89 degrees on the GPU and over 100 degrees on the voltage regulator! The Thermalright HR-03 cooler did an amazing job of cooling the GPU to 65 degrees, but the voltage regulators were still too hot at 97 degrees!

The water cooling system reduced the GPU temperature to 59 degrees. This is 30 degrees better than with the stock cooler, and only 6 degrees better than with the HR-03, which further emphasizes its efficiency.

A separate water block for the voltage stabilizer shows excellent results. The HR-03 does not have any means to cool the voltage stabilizer, and the water block reduced the temperature to 77 degrees, which is 25 degrees better than with the stock cooler. This is a very good result.

Conclusion

The results obtained from testing using a water cooling system are quite clear: liquid cooling is much more efficient than air cooling.

Water cooling is now available not only to a limited number of professionals, but also to ordinary users. Plus, modern water cooling systems like the EXOS-2 are very easy to install and are plug and play, unlike older systems that required assembly. In addition, modern water cooling kits with illuminated and stylized cases look very nice.

If you are an enthusiast and have tried all the air cooling systems, then liquid cooling is the next logical step for you. Of course, there is a risk, and water cooling equipment will cost more than air cooling, but the benefits are obvious.

Editor's opinion

For a long time I avoided water cooling because I was afraid it would be more trouble than it was worth. But now I can say with confidence that my opinion has changed: water cooling systems are much easier to install than I thought, and the cooling results speak for themselves. I would also like to express my gratitude to Koolance for providing us with the EXOS-2 kit, which was a pleasure to work with.

Water cooling systems for various PC components have been in the news lately. Why does water cooling for a computer look so attractive? For what reason is it better than regular air? You will learn about all this in the continuation of the article.

Whatever you have - a water cooler or a simple cooler, physically, you simply move heat from one place to another. In addition to this, of course, you can’t do without a cooler and radiator. They are used in both types of cooling. In principle, any computer cooling system works according to the same principles, the principles of thermodynamics.

In fact, water cooling for a computer is mainly used only to add aesthetics to the assembly. Don't get me wrong, water cooling can handle massive amounts of heat while keeping temperatures low.

If you are looking at price/quality, then it is best to take a good tower cooler for the processor and a video card with two or three fans. This will be enough to never reach the temperature limit. And today, with the same overclocking, you are more likely to run into “iron” restrictions rather than the temperature limit.

Water cooling for a computer makes virtually no noticeable noise. There can be many coolers, but the noise level depends precisely on their rotation speed. For example, if you install 5 120 mm turntables at a frequency of 1200 rpm, and compare with two of the same, but with 3000 rpm, it is the second option that will be noisier.

Aesthetics

As stated above, water cooling is used more for appearance, to stand out from others. With water cooling you can do this in different ways. Note that no one said that air-cooled systems cannot look aesthetically pleasing. Water cooling systems are popular among modders. Thanks to them, we saw such things as transparent side covers, LED strips, and cables in multi-colored braids on sale.

You have 4 options to equip your computer with dropsy. Alternatively, you can buy a ready-made cooler. This way you won’t fool yourself with the installation and will get the same water cooling, also under warranty.

The second option is to use soft tubes, colored or clear. This is the most convenient method for assembly due to the flexibility of the tubes and ease of use.

The third, and perhaps the most popular method is to use ready-made, rigid acrylic tubes. Straight lines and angled tube bends will add something unusual to your assembly.

There are also copper tubes. Almost completely identical to acrylic ones, except that they are easier to bend. Well, cheapness also takes its toll. Copper pairs beautifully with nickel-plated panels. Whatever you choose, you will end up with a very quiet system that can cope with enormous heat dissipation.

Water cooling components

If you thought building your PC was difficult, I have bad news for you. To assemble a water cooling system you will need: case, pipes, radiator(s), processor unit, video card unit, video card panel, reservoir(s), pump(s), compression fittings, corner fittings, shut-off valves, coolant and fans. Once you decide to do your own water cooling, be prepared to shell out some cash. Beauty requires sacrifice.

Processing unit

Perhaps the most important component of a water cooling system for a computer. Make sure the unit is compatible with your processor. Although, sometimes this can be neglected, since chips from Intel and AMD are practically the same in size. A popular option is the Corsair H110.

Block for video card

Here you also need to make sure that your card is compatible with the cooling unit. There are manufacturers, for example EKWB, which produces cooling units designed specifically for cards from the Windforce series from Gigabyte, Strix from ASUS, and Lightning from MSI.

RAM block

Whether to cool the RAM or not is your choice. Usually, expensive sticks come with beautiful heatsinks, and personally, I don’t see the point in water cooling the RAM. And no one will punish you if all you are going to cool in this way is just the processor and card.

Fitting

A water cooling system for a computer requires securing the tubes with fittings. This is the most important part of the system. Depending on which tubing you choose, you will need either compression fittings or acrylic fittings. If you don't want to bother, you can just take the standard ones.

However, if you are a supporter of aesthetics and straightness, you can purchase the same corner fittings, usually 45 or 90 degrees. Additionally, the check valve may be useful for maintenance purposes.

Pumps and reservoirs

Technically, you don't need to buy a tank to be successful with water cooling. However, they look pretty impressive and make it much easier to fill a water-cooled system compared to other methods.

However, you will always need a pump to ensure that the fluid in your system is flowing, moving heat away from your major components and out to the radiators.

Radiators and constant pressure

A water cooling system for a computer requires good organization of external cooling in addition to the water tubes and pumps themselves.

At this stage we need to find out how to remove the accumulated heat. The only option is to use radiators. You can do this however you like, using separate nodes for your graphics cards and processors, or combining them into one system.

Radiators are still needed to get rid of all this heat, as well as appropriate fans to blow it all out. Once you've decided how many heatsinks your case can accommodate and how many you're going to use, you'll need to become more familiar with FPI and the thickness of the heatsinks you'll be using.

FPI stands for edge per inch. Essentially, the higher the FPI, the higher the constant pressure you'll need to effectively move cool air through that radiator.

For example, if you have a 38 FPI radiator, you will probably need pressure optimized fans. However, if you have deeper radiators with a lower FPI of 16, you won't see any comparable difference between constant pressure fans or fans that use air flow. In these cases, it is better to equip radiators with classic coolers.

Build and design your system

At this stage, you should pay attention to the choice of hardware for your build. First, let's look at the best case. There are many cases on the market ready to install water cooling, from small MiniITX to huge E-ATX.

Once you have found a case that suits you, you need to look at what radiators can be installed. Then you should think about the placement of the pipes and how many cooling units you plan to install - 1 or 2. Once you have thought about everything, you need to find out how many fittings you need to buy and how you plan to run the system. Typically, two fittings are needed for each device to be cooled.

For us, the question of choosing a case was not difficult. We took the Fractal Define S, which is specifically designed for water cooling. Let's put two radiators on top and three in front. We will cool two cards from Nvidia and an Intel Core i7-5820K.

The motherboard will be ASUS X99 Sabertooth - on the top X99 chipset and with a stunning design. The board is covered with black and gray protective elements. And to add contrast, we will use a white liquid.

Choosing the right case can be a daunting task, especially for a water-cooled mod. As stated above, you need to look towards ready-made solutions that provide the possibility of water cooling. Parvum, Phanteks, Corsair, Caselabs and Fractal specialize in producing cases for such mods, and allow you to turn PC assembly into an art. You should also take care of the number of radiators, the location of the tank, and how the tubes will be placed.

Fittings and assemblies

Let's start the assembly process. As with assembling a regular PC, it's worth assembling everything outside the case first to see how it all works, and only then shoving everything into the case. We tested each graphics card, memory, and processor individually with stock cooling before installing water cooling.

Next comes the assembly process itself, freeing the insides of the case from unnecessary components, such as slots for installing hard drives, etc. Then we install the motherboard, RAM and video cards. We screw everything tightly so that nothing falls out and is damaged. Then the radiators were screwed on. Now it's time to install the tank and fittings.

Cable management

In assemblies of this kind, the wiring must be flawless. I don't think you'll like frayed wires coming out of all the cracks. They will not only interfere with the laying of pipes, but also with normal air circulation. Power supplies from Be Quiet!, Cooler Master, Corsair, EVGA and Seasonic are equipped with separate braided cables. Alternatively, you can purchase it separately and “dress” the wires. Yes, it is difficult and will take a lot of time, but the result is worth it.

In addition, a separate cooler controller from Phanteks was purchased. Thanks to it, managing five coolers is much easier, and the rotation speed will depend on the processor temperature (which will be quite low in this assembly).

Assembly and filling of CO

It's time to start assembling the cooling system. Align a length of tubing between the two points you want to connect, then cut a little larger than you think.

It is better to have a little in reserve, since the tube can always be cut. Then unscrew one of the fittings, twist the pipe onto the fitting, and slide the other end of the compression fitting onto the loose end. Then screw it on, squeezing the tubing. If you are struggling to insert the tube, use a pair of needle nose pliers. Carefully insert them into the end of the tube and gently stretch the tube to make it easier to work with.

Now you have to remove the coupling from the other fitting, first attach it to the new tube and do the same with the other end.

It is not so important where the tube goes when everything works in one node. Once the system is sealed and pressurized, the water temperature will be the same regardless of which tube goes to which component. All thanks to physics.

Let's come to the most terrible stage of assembly - filling our system. First, make sure that the liquid flows from the reservoir into the pump by gravity. Then attach the last fitting to the top of the tank. Use a funnel to carefully pour our refrigerant into the system. In our case, we simply took an empty, washed sauce bottle.

Before you begin, you should make sure that there is no power supplied to the motherboard. It would be a good idea to turn off the power from the processor, video cards, and disks. The unit itself also needs to be de-energized.

For convenience, you can connect two power points to the power supply itself with a paper clip, or use a special bridge. Then, when filling the tanks, everything comes down to a banal opening of the power circuit. Remember that this should not be done while there is liquid inside the reservoir and pump.

Let's sum it up

The finished assembly looks great. As already noted, the white liquid and black cooling blocks contrast perfectly with the color scheme of the motherboard. The i7-5820k was overclocked to 4.4 GHz, and its temperature was standard for this kind of assembly - about 55 degrees Celsius under load.

The video cards produced about 60 degrees in load mode, and the speed of the coolers for the entire system was set at 20%. As for performance, we were unable to squeeze more out of the video cards and processor. In any case, everything worked at the limit of their technological capabilities. Everything worked extremely quietly, even under load.

The leak test was successful. Despite the relatively short test time (about 45 minutes), there were no leaks. EK fittings do provide a good level of sealing.

The main thing is not to damage the tubes during assembly. In general, before powering all components, it is worth carrying out the test for at least 24 hours.

If you are building a computer using the price/quality criterion, it makes no sense to make a custom water cooling. Even if you take not the most expensive components, it will cost about $600. The computer water cooling system is designed for those who want to build a beautiful and quiet workstation that can handle any task you can think of.

Conclusion

This article described what components you will need to assemble a custom water cooling system, as well as how to assemble a water-cooled computer. I think many people are not satisfied with the noise of the computer, especially in resource-intensive applications, such as games. Therefore, if you have an extra couple of hundred dollars, you can take a ready-made block for the processor and a video card with a waterproof CO already installed. In any case, even if you are not going to buy a water cooler, you have learned how water cooling of a computer works.

Every year, computer hardware manufacturers introduce new models of their products, which become more powerful, which means hotter. Conventional air cooling cannot cope with heat dissipation. Overheating the device may cause damage. In such cases, a water cooling system for a PC is better suited.

What is a water cooling system for a computer?

Modern processors and video cards have performance under load that conventional fans with a radiator cannot cope with. The standard equipment only has an air system, but it will only help when idle. For truly powerful chips, you need a water cooling system for your computer. It is a set of elements that transfer heat from the device through water to the cooling element. Water cooling for PC consists of:

• water block (water block);
• hoses and fittings;
• radiator with cooler;
• reservoir with pump (not present in all assemblies).

Advantages and principles of operation

Water is heated at the point where the block is connected to the element, and is transported through hoses to the radiator, where coolers cool it and again direct it to the chip. According to statistics, such liquid systems lower the processor temperature by 20-30% (and sometimes 50%) more effectively than air systems. There are two types of SVO:

• internal – all elements are located inside the PC case;
• external - the cooling part is located outside the system unit.

Such modding is available only to owners of desktop computers, because it is not physically possible to install such systems on a laptop, but the latest generations of gaming models already include SVO. The main advantage of liquid cooling is that water has a much higher thermal conductivity than air. Good tower coolers create noise, take up a lot of space and may not be installed on all motherboard formats (especially mini-ATX).

The cost of the water version is higher than the similar air type, but it takes up much less space inside the case. The popularity of such systems is steadily growing along with the development of technology. You can install it not only on the processor, but also on the video card, the chipset of the motherboard. For example, the GTX 980 Ti video card is already released together with the SVO in the kit.

How to choose the right water block for your processor

When selecting a cooling fan for a PC, pay attention to the size of the radiator fans, their number, the possibility of installing them inside the case, and the material of the water block. Waterblock is a special heat exchanger that takes heat from the element and transfers it to water. The better it does this, the more efficiently the cooling occurs, so an aluminum water block is poorly suited for such purposes. The best choice would be the copper option - it will absorb and release heat better.

You should seriously think about choosing a water block if you are not buying a ready-made water block kit, but individual elements from which you will assemble your own system. This option is relevant if you want to connect the cooling for the processor and video card into one circuit at once. If you buy a ready-made kit, then all of them are now sold with a copper water block.

Best Water Cooling Systems – Review

You're unlikely to find a ready-made water-cooled PC case, so you'll have to install it yourself. Below are the most popular cooling systems with their main parameters. The most important ones include: noise level, water block material, supported processor socket formats, rotor speed. As a rule, SVO options from stores support all modern connectors from AMD (AM3+, AM3, AM2, FM2, Fm2+) and Intel (LGA1356/1366, LGA2011/2011-3, LGA775, LGA1150/1151/1155/1156)

Name	Water block material	Number of fans	Radiator material	Max. rotation speed, rpm	Noise level, dB
DeepCool Captain 240			aluminum
Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer 240		4 (2 on both sides of the radiator)
Cooler Master Nepton 140XL
DeepCool Maelstrom 240T
Corsair H100i GTX
Cooler Master Seidon 120V VER.2