[SOLVED] DIY cooling loop

[Amddefector]

Hi thanks for looking.

I'm wanting to liquid cool both my CPU Ryzen 7 2700x and GPU rtx 3070. Would a triple radiator be adequate for both i.e on the same loop?

Thanks.

 

[Eximo]

That would be enough. At a reasonable fan speed, you can expect about 350W capacity out of a slim 360mm. Spikes from the GPU, overclocking on the CPU and GPU, not so much. That or you have to run the fans quite fast.

If you opted for a thicker radiator it would be better. Depends on your case what will fit.

 

[Amddefector]

That would be enough. At a reasonable fan speed, you can expect about 350W capacity out of a slim 360mm. Spikes from the GPU, overclocking on the CPU and GPU, not so much. That or you have to run the fans quite fast.

If you opted for a thicker radiator it would be better. Depends on your case what will fit.

Hi thanks for the reply.

I have a full ATX tower with 3 120mm fans at the front. So I was thinking of mounting the radiator inside the case at the front, it looks like there is plenty of room. There is a cover at the bottom over the PSU and HDD caddy but it stops 40mm before the front of the case and the caddy can be removed as it's not used. The only problem I can see is I would rather be pulling air out thru the front fans which means pulling air thru the radiator rather than pushing! With my current aio cooler it seems pushing is more affective than pulling. The GPU is a evga 3070 xc3 ultra gaming running @2150mhz. With the stock air cooler it runs at 65c max but that's with the side off the case. The CPU is running 10% oc at 60c ambient room temp. If I put the side on the case the GPU turns it into sauna! After 5 mins of gaming the temps go up to +90c. This is the reason I wanted to cool both the CPU and GPU with liquid. Fan speed isn't an issue when gaming, hoping like my current setup when the pc is idle everything will quiet down anyway.

 

[Eximo]

Generally pushing through a radiator is better. Pulling also works though, you would just want to make sure you have adequate exhaust fans in the case to promote airflow.

It is not typical to have your fans blowing out the front of the case if that is what you mean. Reverse flow can work, but cases are generally designed with front fan filters in place.

 

[rubix_1011]

The only problem I can see is I would rather be pulling air out thru the front fans which means pulling air thru the radiator rather than pushing!

But why? This seems like a less-than-optimal airflow decision, even with a radiator in place.
What case is being used?

With the stock air cooler it runs at 65c max but that's with the side off the case. The CPU is running 10% oc at 60c ambient room temp. If I put the side on the case the GPU turns it into sauna! After 5 mins of gaming the temps go up to +90c.

This is concerning. This tells me your case is not designed with good airflow and a waterooling loop is not going to fully fix this. Watercooling requires good airflow to also function well, so if the case itself has poor airflow, there is still a good chance you aren't going to see the best outcome by spending money on this setup without some changes.

Even the very best, most expensive watercooling can function very poorly in a case that has bad airflow - this is a simple fact of physics. If warm air cannot be effectively replaced with cool air at the point that heat exchange occurs (such as the radiator or heatsinks) there isn't a single cooler that exists that will function well.

 

[thequn]

What case are you using?

 

[Amddefector]

Generally pushing through a radiator is better. Pulling also works though, you would just want to make sure you have adequate exhaust fans in the case to promote airflow.

It is not typical to have your fans blowing out the front of the case if that is what you mean. Reverse flow can work, but cases are generally designed with front fan filters in place.

Yea I mean blowing out the front as there's no where else to mount a triple radiator. There's no filters, where I live dust isn't a problem.

Thanks.

 

[Amddefector]

But why? This seems like a less-than-optimal airflow decision, even with a radiator in place.
What case is being used?



This is concerning. This tells me your case is not designed with good airflow and a waterooling loop is not going to fully fix this. Watercooling requires good airflow to also function well, so if the case itself has poor airflow, there is still a good chance you aren't going to see the best outcome by spending money on this setup without some changes.

Even the very best, most expensive watercooling can function very poorly in a case that has bad airflow - this is a simple fact of physics. If warm air cannot be effectively replaced with cool air at the point that heat exchange occurs (such as the radiator or heatsinks) there isn't a single cooler that exists that will function well.

Hi thanks for the reply the case is a eg Argon full ATX. Currently there's 3 120mm fans at the front drawing in air, 2 120mm at the top exhaust and 120mm fan at the back on the radiator, exhaust. I'm gonna upgrade the 5 fans that come with the case as they are cheap crap. I think they are 1100rpm max. The main problem is most of the heat from the GPU is exhausted thru the radiator and makes the CPU run really hot, most likely where that fan is 2000rpm I'm guessing. The system generates a lot of heat, if I close my bedroom door I don't even need the heating on in the winter! I never had this problem running a gtx 1660s that's half the reason I want to liquid cool the GPU, it's like one of those fan heaters.

Thanks.

 

[Amddefector]

What case are you using?

Hi thanks for the reply.

The case is a eg Argon full ATX.

Thanks.

 

[rubix_1011]

I think you'll have the same issue with watercooling as you currently do now. I don't know anything about that case, but it looks like it isn't really designed with airflow as a priority.

By airflow, I don't just mean 'changing the fans to better ones' but also the ability for adding good fans and having those fans have adequate access to cool, fresh air.

If you put a heater in a sealed box with the best and largest fan in the world, the heater will continue to heat the box if there isn't anywhere for the heat to go. This is what happens in a case with poor airflow properties, and exactly what a convection baking oven does.

Adding fans often just moves the heat around inside, but does not provide adequate venting of cool and warm air with the ambient room air.

 

[Amddefector]

I think you'll have the same issue with watercooling as you currently do now. I don't know anything about that case, but it looks like it isn't really designed with airflow as a priority.

By airflow, I don't just mean 'changing the fans to better ones' but also the ability for adding good fans and having those fans have adequate access to cool, fresh air.

If you put a heater in a sealed box with the best and largest fan in the world, the heater will continue to heat the box if there isn't anywhere for the heat to go. This is what happens in a case with poor airflow properties, and exactly what a convection baking oven does.

Adding fans often just moves the heat around inside, but does not provide adequate venting of cool and warm air with the ambient room air.

I've been doing a bit tinkering with the cooling. I thought that maybe the case isn't the problem because it doesn't matter what size or shape it is, as long as you get the airflow right it should stay cool. First thing I noticed was the gap around the fan that's mounter to the radiator. It's huge! Pushing air it just blows a lot of warm air out thru the gaps and pulling, it pulls air in thru the gaps rather than thru the radiator! So I've mounted the radiator at the back of the case with the fan pulling air in from the outside, run a bead of rtv silicon around the fan so there is no gaps. I have the front fans pulling in air, there's plenty of ventilation down either side of the front panel. And both top fans extracting air. Another thing I noticed was the mesh dust cover that sits on top of the case was restricting the airflow a lot, so I've removed it. Now with the side on the case, my CPU is at a steady 55c and GPU 75c under load. So until the summer heat finally arrives it seems ok for now.

Thanks for all the input.