Best Place for radiator

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:05

Hey guys, I did a tiny bit more work on my WC mod on the weekend, but I'm still in two minds about placement of the dual raddy. This is for my P180

Basically I have three options.

1st : Rear mounted
2nd : Top mounted
3rd : bottom mounted

The rear mounted option will probably produce the best temp results as the rad will be mounted about 7cm away from the rear of the case.

The top mounted would probably yield moderate results because it is internal and would be pulling air from within the case (quite warm)

The bottom mounted is the most interesting option and would mean that I have to make a plan as to how to mount the drives, and then obviously I cant mount the pumps (yes... gonna have two loops) in the bottom compartment.

So please let me know what you think, as well as why you think that.

Thanks guys

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:16

Hmmm...

I watercooled a P180 a few months ago and i put the raddy at the back. If it was my machine though, i don't think it'd want the raddy outside.

The bottom sounds like an interesting idea. It'll mean lots of hacking away at your case, (including 2x 120mm holes in the base of your case and giving your case some case feet for airflow) but i think it would be cool.

As far as i can remember, there's not enough place for the raddy on top. I might be wrong though. Is there enough place viceroy?

Post by **Monty** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:20

I wouldn't do top mounted, hot air rises etc.

I'd use bottom mounted wiith many air vents and have air flow from bottom to top.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:24

Yeah, there is enough space...just to mount the rad at the top, all depends on the mobo...

I've currently got the rad mounted on the rear, but before I start drilling holes for the tubing, I just wanted to get a feel.

As for mounting it in the bottom...it an interesting idea, but I wouldn't be mounting it like you think.

It would be in the bottom compartment, but sitting on its side, which obviously means cutting and meshing the side panel.

It fits, only just though, and I've never seen it done in a P180, only in cases like the silverstone tjo7.

Problem then is where do I put the drives? I've already removed the upper removable drive cage to clear up an airpath for the front mounted single 120mm rad and fan.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:34

Just some pics of what I have so far.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Please excuse the low quality. Light was bad...and pics taken at midnight

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:44

But then, mounting it in the bottom of the case will up the ambient temperature in your case if I am not mistaken. In your situation I would say rear mounted. Dont know why, just seems the best option. Downside is that it is 'in the way' and makes it 'bigger'. I personally would think top of the case, but I understand the heat issue.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 11:52

Yeah...I'm not going top mounted, as it's too much of a mission.

Rear mounting will have the best temps.

bottom mounting is still an option... air will flow from the front bottom past the rad and out the side, so I don't think it will cause ambients to get too high.

Also, I'd install a perspex floor between the upper and lower chambers which will further insulate the main chamber from the rad.

The idea I have in my head is pretty cool, but just the barbs and connectors required, never mind anything else is already approaching the $100+ mark, and at the moment, my budget is a little tight with the new house and all

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 21 Jan 2008, 12:57

Top mounting is one of the best ways to go about placing a radiator, I did alot of research on this when I was busy with rebirth. rear mount only works if you have enough space to place it there. Bottom mounting is an option in the P180 if you place it sideways, placing it on the very bottom blowing up isnt such a good idea in a P180.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 13:03

Do you have links to the research for top mounted rads?

Rear isn't a problem...using 75mm bolts to hold the rad in place so it's at least 70mm from the case, and will sit at least 200mm from a wall which is just below a window.

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:00

Got links but not at work Vic soz man, I dont like placing the rad outside of the case, I find it spoils the look of any case and means you need to drill for hoses and wires. Much more neater and a more protable solution is placing the rad inside of the case.

If you got the space go for the top mount or that side mount idea you had like the TJ07

Also while we on the subject the pumps of ours needs to be gravity fed for it to work properly.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:20

Pic 1

Does anyone know where I can get a fill port similar to the one on the left...basically with 1/4" thread on the inside (for barbs - one on each side) and 1/2" thread on the outside. I spent forever at the roodepoort Builders yesterday looking, but didn't find anything in the size I'm looking for.

Pic 2

This is a pic of a rear mounted triple. Mine is a double...yes, it doesn't look too hot, but its effective

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:39

Hmm only place I can think of for getting a fillport like that is from PPC's Vic.

I dont like that rad mounting, I had something like that once and I hated it.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:44

Yeah...I've see then from PPCs but I don't want it as a fillport.

I want to screw a barb into the top as well as the bottom.

I'll keep all updated if i find something to achieve what I want

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:50

I see, so you can drain as well as fill the system when you need to. Not a half bad Idea that Vic. Good luck with the project man.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 21 Jan 2008, 14:56

Skidd wrote:I see, so you can drain as well as fill the system when you need to. Not a half bad Idea that Vic. Good luck with the project man.

Not quite... I saw this done on another mod and when I saw it I was like "duh! thats so obvious"

I think Imay have found a place which provides all sorts of pneumatic couplings and other items, so I'll contact them and see if they'll provide in small quantities...if they do, I'll post the detail in Samaya's thread

Kenjutsu · Post by **Kenjutsu** » 22 Jan 2008, 14:11

@viceroy: can you please provide more info on how you would go about mounting the rad at the rear?

I also have a P180 and a triple rad (standing separate from the case), and would like to explore options for mounting the rad safely to the rear.

TIA

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 22 Jan 2008, 14:23

Kenjutsu wrote:@viceroy: can you please provide more info on how you would go about mounting the rad at the rear?

I also have a P180 and a triple rad (standing separate from the case), and would like to explore options for mounting the rad safely to the rear.

TIA

Ingredients

4x M4-75mm bolts
4x M4 nuts
1x 10mm metal drill bit (assuming you have a drill)
1x round file
1x radiator + fans

Steps

Get all ingredients together, look at pics posted above and get busy with the drill and file till the holes are correct, smooth and won't rupture tubing, then mount rad and setup WC as per usual.

Seriously dude...It's not exactly rocket science, just look at the pics and figure it out

Kenjutsu · Post by **Kenjutsu** » 22 Jan 2008, 14:32

Thanks for the info. Do you need to strengthen the P180 on the inside where the bolts will be mounted? Some sort of backplate?

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 22 Jan 2008, 14:35

You can if you want, but highly doubt it...if anything the bolts will bend first.

You could put in washers if you want to add some strength.

Also if you wanted to, you could try get some steel tubing (4.5 or 5mm ID) and cut it to length to put around the bolts which will also add some strength

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 25 Jan 2008, 12:42

any new devlopments?

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 25 Jan 2008, 12:56

Nope, not really.

I drilled a couple holes in the rear of the case, but need to enlarge them to 17.5mm so the 12mm ID grommets will fit.

I did a bit of playing around with trying to fit the rad in the bottom chamber but not going to go that router...

I'm back to thinking that maybe top mounted is the way to go, but for now at least, I'm modding the case for rear mounted.

I hope I'll get time this weekend, but with my brother landing next week, I want to get the house sorted for his arrival...Also need to go interview a dog we might be getting, been invited out for dinner, got a b-day lunch, gotta paint the ceiling, sand the front and back doors and varnish (if the rain stays away) etc etc etc...which hopefully leaves me a little time to tinker.

It's actually bugging me now...cos my pc is in pieces, my components are just sitting there are sad cos they aren't being used...and I'm stuck with a laptop to do any puting at all....grrr

Once my brother arrives though and brings with him some more goodies, I'll be able to make so headway with tube routing, etc.

Can you imagine the fun i'm going to have with 12 chromed barbs...and no, they're not for the rads, blocks, reservoirs or or rads...so you can imagine the fun I'm going to have

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 25 Jan 2008, 13:39

And I thought I had a busy weekend ahead of me? sheesh LOL

good luck with all that.