Zalman RESERATOR 1 NB mod & install pics...

[joeMan]

Pictures of the North bridge mod. (not a mod really – I mean it fit right on the board using the stock HS holes):

Original ASUS NB HS
http://home.comcast.net/~joehorning/DSC00126.jpg

NB w/o HS
http://home.comcast.net/~joehorning/DSC00127.jpg

Zalman Small GPU heatsink on NB
http://home.comcast.net/~joehorning/DSC00128.jpg



And 3 more install pics...

http://home.comcast.net/~joehorning/DSC00130.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~joehorning/DSC00134.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~joehorning/DSC00137.jpg
-->RESERATOR-->CPU-->NB-->GPU->
\___<_______<_______<_______<__/


Right now @ ambient room of 25C/77F

Idle temps
CPU 35C
GPU 36C

Load temps (during 2 hours of continuous Half-Life 2, FX-55 slight OC @ 2.7GHz/208x13)
CPU 42C
GPU 45C

North bridge temp…?? I don’t know the temps because I don’t have a thermo there right now. I put the large GPU water block on my X800XT PE core, and the small GPU water block (which otherwise would have been unused) on the North bridge (A8V K8T800PRO).

[83racecrew]

Very Nice Joe :yup: :thumbs: ...bottom 2 pics don't work though :(

Edit: Yes they do...WTH? <shakes head> stupid dial up :lol:

[Killer Munkey]

nice looking setup. Wish my W/C set looked as nice, what diameter tubing are you using?

[joeMan]

A 5W submersable pump @ 300L/hr. pushing through 8mm/.3" internal, 12mm/.47" external diameter tubing.

I have been thinking lately about a higher flowing pump. What say ye? I wonder how much flow I could give these fittings before springing a leak...? Also, what about a little bigger tubing diameter to let the more powerful pump flow more. Would I need new fittings, or could I do some kind of reduction within reasonable limits, thus staying with the same fittings but still bigger diameter tubing?

[83racecrew]

A higher flow pump has the capability to flow more, but will not necessarily unless you change tubing size. Even with a tubing change you are still limited by the diameter of the fittings / internal passages of the respective cooling blocks. Although if you increase tubing size and the pump flow, you should see an increase in cooling power.
The "coolant" would have to increase velocity through the smaller fittings on the blocks thus producing some decrease in temperature....although admittedly it would be quite minimal in this situation.

A higher volume pump would not necessarily produce more pressure, it would depend on the pumps design, so it may not increase your chance for leaks at all.

[Hawk]

You did a great job there.

[ALX_eater]

Bah can't see the pics

[Killer Munkey]

i use 1/2'' ID 3/4'' OD tubing with DD blocks that have 1/2'' fittings. The tubes are really hard to work with so thats probably why your setup looks better because your tubes are easier to place :)

i'll try getting a digital camera off my roomate so i can put up a pic of my setup.

[joeMan]

Thanks for the advice 83.

Thanks Hawk.

ALX - let the page sit awhile, the pictures are prob just taking long to xfer to you.

KM - Ya, this blue tubing that came with the Res kit is really flexible, and doesn't kink on small loops, so that did make it nice to get it cleanly done in that small area. I still wanna increase flow though. Should I get new pump first, or try to re-outfit tubing?

I'd like to use 1/2" ID tubung but reduce it somehow (maybe with a 5/8" or 3/4" OD copper sleeve between the two sizes, just before/after each stock Zalman fitting...???) so I can still use these Zalman GPU WB's. Then again, it wouldn't break my heart to ditch the Zalman GPU WB's and just go with different ones on NB and GPU - but the CPU WB I'm keeping. It is flawlessly lapped. You guys should see it - it's a mirror finish for real. And, look at the picture...it looks like I can remove those fittings to replace them for different tube-size.

[joeMan]

I just have to report this. I have said it before in another post regarding the Reserator but I reconfirmed it today. Before I went to school I checked CPU temp as the baby was folding away. I was sitting at 49C, the usual folding temp. So I decided to crank up the two room fans I have sitting right here by it. Pointing both fans at it, both on low speed setting. When I got home from school (about 5 hours later) my temp is 39C! I am totally amazed at what moving a little air over that big blue cylinder can really do. It makes a huge difference. I was running the room fans 24/7 but the wife said - "why'd you get a Reserator if your gonna run fans on it?" - :lol: . She makes a good point because the noise annoys her. Anyway, a little fan noise is worth -10C

[ALX_eater]

The network nazis were blocking the pics anyhoo that is a nice job, I've been looking at watercooled rigs in online galleries the past few days and that is alot better then some of the crap I've seen.

[FireDancer]

I dont know much about watercooling but the install looks great!!! Good job, nice and clean and congratulations on your sucsess with the temps!! :thumbs:

Regards,

FIREDANCER

[Urlyin]

Hi Joeman ... I was thinking of geting the Reserator ... now that you had it for a couple weeks or so and thankfully provided some nice pics, would you recommend it? Any pics of the cooling tower? Of course anything I should watch out for when installing? Thanks Bro ...

[Xed]

I finally got around to putting a reserator on my 2nd box, wish I had a cam to take some pics too =(
It's about 70 degree's year round air temp and I have a fan blowing across the reserator itself.
as5 was used on the nb and cpu, as5 and some copper ramsinks on the vid card.


Box is an a64 3500+ (newcastle)
Msi k8n neo2 plat
bfg 6800gt oc (425/1100)

Idle

cpu - 36c
mb - 26c
gpu - 46c

Max temp after an eight hour gaming session (WoW)

cpu - 42c
mb - 34c
gpu - 56c

Temps before with a zalman 7000-alcu, stock nb fan, and nv5 silencer were

cpu - 38c
mb - 30c
gpu - 50c

Load

cpu - 48c
mb - 38c
gpu - 61c

[Shayd]

Hey Joeman,

Here is an idea. What if you take one of those construction cardboard tubes for like fountation work getting it large enough diameter to fit over the cooling tower cutting out as needed for the fittings/power.

Now, notch out at the bottom some slots for air draw (more is probably better) and then mount a low speed fan (120mm on a cardboard plate to close the top off and prevent the fan from just recirculating air) on top drawing air up and out of the tube.

Think that would maintain the low db levels, but give the wanted air flow?

[Urlyin]

Joeman .... did you use the flow indicator? There was some question about it clogging ...

[joeMan]

Yep, I use it, no problems clogginf for me.

I have done a fluid change at 90 days and everything seemed okay except in the old batch of coolant I tossed there was like a whole bunch of veerrryy small particles of something in the water. I attributed it to stuff from the inside of the tubing from when it was new - maybe breaking down a little bit with the initial batch flowing through for 90 days.

The new batch is flowing smooth and freely. Indicator jiggling along like a fishing lure.

Nothing to watch out for when you install, pretty straight forward. The tubing was a little tough pushing on to the water block fittings but that's more an advantage than an annoyance - it makes a very secure, water tight fit.

The Reserator is perfect for anyone who is wanting to take the step into water cooling and are a little aprehensive (as I was). It is user friendly and a big confidence builder when all is said and done.

[joeMan]

Shayd - yes I do believe in that theory and will try it eventually. Someone else had the exact same idea as you in another thread here at BE, you read their mind. I think it was Hawk or BB. Anyway, absolutley I'm going to try that.

[RotorHead]

Shayd - yes I do believe in that theory and will try it eventually. Someone else had the exact same idea as you in another thread here at BE, you read their mind. I think it was Hawk or BB. Anyway, absolutley I'm going to try that.

:wave: :wave: :shhh:

[joeMan]

DOH!! :look: :hide:

It was RotorHead :o

Well, hey at least I put you in good company eh? :yup:

It is a great idea. I feel confident it will work. My only thought on a disadvantage would be that perhaps the cardboard tubing might serve to insulate thereby allowing no disapation whatsoever of heat from within the tube to the sides of the interior walls of the tube - the heat is escaping out the top yes, but what about that constant flow of it moving up, I thought maybe an aluminum tube or some very heat-conductive material may help by a degree or two by allowing some sinking action of the warm air into the material that the tube is made of as it rises...foloow? I know it's ultra anal retentive but I'm a tweaker

:lol: :thumb:

[Shayd]

The reason I was thinking the tube is if you did anything else that actually fit/was metal it would cost an arm and a leg.

BUT...then I got to thinking...:p

What if you would get some of the roll galvanized metal they use on roofs. Cut it to the height you needed and wrapped it around the body so it had the contact you were thinking of. Clamping it temporarily (later getting it welded?)

Then you would have to figure out how to attach the fan for maxium suction thru the inside of the tube (outside isn't going to help if the heat is being heat is held inside, might as well just put the fan blowing on it again)

Just some thoughts...

[joeMan]

That too is a good idea, but actually your idea there is different even from what I was planning to do. My intent was to have the metal tube still be bigger in diameter leaving maybe 1/2" clearance between the id of the tube and the outer edge of the reserator fins all the way around (no contact), and then do the fan at the top as discussed sucking cool air in from the bottom of the the tube and up and out the top. I just think maybe if it's metal instead of cardboard it will be more conductive than insulating so maybe as the warm air is moved up and out of the tube some (might be negligible) of the heat from it could dissapate by sinking into the metal tubing. If it were cardboard, all that warm air would be insulated inside the tube until finally released at the top.

You may be on to something here. Contact with the outside of the fins, if done correctly would transfer heat. The suction from the top would need to be very well sealed so that you always have plenty of cool air from the bottom moving up and out from every groove/tunnel at a good rate. Hmmm, interesting...