Just watercooled my SFF, check it out.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:11

Okay, so while i was on holiday, i realised how hot my SFF PC gets. I then remembered the useless Thermaltake Aquarius 3 water cooling setup i had lying at home. So i decided that when i got back to PTA, i would water cool my SFF.

Here are a few pics before the water cooling.

My precious 6800GT... HGHA... *Perving*

These are, obviously, pictures of the machine while it was still cooled by air. I'll only be cooling the CPU in this thread though.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:17

OKay, so out with the motherboard and off with the HSF:

Man, getting the motherboard out of the case was a mission.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:19

Here i've put on the waterblock:

I didn't have any AS5, i had to make due with thermaltake's thermal compound, unfortunately.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:23

Okay, now how the Aquarius 3 works, is that the Res, pump and rad are all in an external unit, and the "cool" water is forwarded to the PC through a PCI bracket. Here i've fitted the bracket and connected the pipes.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:28

Here's a shot of the External unit open.

And another one. (Sorry about the finger!!

)

Then when i started testing, i ran into a hickup. The unit was leaking out one of the radiator's inlet\outlets. But on the third try, i cut the tubing an inch shorter and fitted 2 clamps, then the leaking stopped:

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:33

Then i put my 6800GT back in

and tested again. All worked well.
Here's another shot from the side, 68GT back in:

And the final shot of the unit closed. You'll see 2 gaps in the from panel, those are where temperature monitors used to be. I was too lazy to fit them. I have the joys of speedfan.

My Temperatures haven't dropped at all.

What a waste of time.

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:39

Cool, but it sux that your temps stayed the same! That setup costs like R2000 if I am correct?

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:40

i payed like R2500 for it.

I bought it about a year ago though. I didn't know any better.

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:42

friggin A, and it didn't change?? That sux @$$

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:44

Yep. I could buy a nice setup from DD for that money.

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:46

Dude, you can buy all my stuff incl shipping for that price!

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:59

BTW wikid, you want my case and mobo or not?

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 31 Dec 2005, 01:01

I still havent got into contact with my dad, his phone is off. But i'm sure hell take it!

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 01:20

Okay cool.

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 31 Dec 2005, 01:23

I think i'm off to bed now, should get up by 11! Cheers!

naughty · Post by **naughty** » 31 Dec 2005, 06:13

My Temperatures haven't dropped at all.

What a waste of time.

thats why with watercooling you have to be careful what you select - but good job of putting it all together - its at least a bit of a practice run for when you do your proper setup with the danger den stuff

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 31 Dec 2005, 10:22

Yeah. When i bought it, i knew nothing about water cooling. Th pa PC game and computer world told me tat temps would drop dramatically. Mam, all he wanted was comission.