Intro to Water Cooling

Intro to Water Cooling
Posted :: May 18, 2004 by Impact

This guide is the first in what we hope to be a series of Water Cooling articles. By the end of this article, you should have an idea of what the main pieces of a water cooling setup are, how water cooling works, and what it can be expected to do.

Basic Components:
In any water cooling system there are three main components that you should be familiar with. Don't worry about what exactly each do for now, just get an idea of them; they will be explained in more detail later.
Water Block: Sometimes referred to as just a "Block", the water block is responsible for transfering the heat from your CPU (or other chip) to the water in the system.

Radiator: The radiator is used just as a radiator in your car or home is used. Its purpose is to transfer heat from the water to the surrounding air. In most water cooling systems a fan is attached to the radiator to push air through it.

Pump/Reservoir: The reservoir in a water cooling system is somewhat optional. Depending on the pump you have, it may or may not be needed. Some pumps sit in a container of water (reservoir) while others have an input hose and output hose with no reservoir involved. The pump pictured is In-Line (no reservior needed).

Other Terms:
Tubing: Also sometimes refered to as Hoses. Just like a hose for your lawn outside, but smaller. Water is pumped through the tubes from one place to another. Typical sizes for tubes are 1/4", 3/8" (most common) and 1/2".
Hose Clamps: These are tightened around a connection between a piece of equipment and a hose. When tightened they make a better seal between the two pieces than without. These are used to prevent leaks at connection points.
GPM: (Gallons per minute) Used in reference to the "speed" or "power" of the pump. GPM is affected by "overhead", or the height of the tube above the pump.

How it Works:
The basic loop that every water cooling system goes through is:
Pump --> Water Block --> Radiator --> Pump
This repeats in an endless loop.
Since water is a much better conductor of heat than air and has a higher specific heat (can hold more heat), it is a far superior cooler. Where a normal computer uses a heatsink to bring heat off of the CPU and then a fan blows air over the heatsink to transfer the heat from the heatsink to the air (which is then moved out of the computer), a water cooling system uses water. Where the heatsink and fan were, you have a water block. The water block is (for the most part) hollow inside, and has two or more connectors for hoses. The hoses attach to these connectors and push water through the water block. While the water is inside it absorbs heat from the CPU. Copper is a very good conductor of heat, and is the most commonly used type of metal for water blocks. As the water moves through the block, it "picks up" the heat on the chip and then leaves the block towards the radiator.
Once the warm/hot water reaches the radiator, it is then cooled. The water is pushed through the radiator as a fan blows air over the fins. The heat from the water is transfered into the radiator and then from the radiator to the air. The warm air is then sent out of the system.
Now, at this point you may be thinking "Why would I want to transfer heat to the water, then from the water to air, when I could just send it straight into the air?". Keep reading to find out.
The water (cooled to room temp. by the radiator) is then sent on to the pump. At the pump it is either left in the reservoir (to be pumped through again), or straight into the pump and then straight out to the loop again.

Reasons for Water Cooling:
Here is where we address the question "Why would I want to Water Cool my computer?". While there are many answers to this question, we will point out a few (all compared to air cooling).
More Unique: Most computers use air and if you're at all like me, having a "normal" computer (in any respect) just isn't an option.
Lower Temperatures: While air cooling does what it needs to, keeps your CPU running, water cooling can significantly decrease the temperature of your CPU during Idle and Stress times. While most air coolers keep a CPU around 50-60 degrees celsius, a water cooling system will normally keep a CPU a few degrees (celsius) above the ambient temperature (30-35c for most).
Quieter: This is a major reason for a lot of people to water cool their computers. This is due to a CPU Heatsink and fan only having so much room to work with (typically a 60mm fan). Whereas a water cooling system pulls the heat out to a different (larger) area, where you can run an 80mm fan, or potentially a 120mm fan. Because a 120mm fan can push the same amount of air as a 60mm at far less than half the speed, you can drastically cut down the noise level coming from your computer

Please check back, we should have a Basic Guide to Water Cooling in the next few weeks which will teach you the basics on setting up your own water cooling system.