Watercooling Radiator Duct

[jreffy]

It's pretty much common sense that it's more effective cooling if you can pull fresh cool air over your radiator in a water-cooling system. Currently there are only 2 options. Pull the warm air inside your PC over the radiator on the way out of the case, OR pull in fresh air from the outside of your case to the inside, but then you are adding heat to the case. Bad news.


However, on my Savage mod, I'm going to solve this problem. I'm going to build a duct that will pull air in from the outside of my PC, directly to the rad, and then back out of the case.
I plan on mounting a 240mm rad into the top of my case, with 2 120mm fans pulling air through it and out of the case. I will simply build a duct that covers the rad and fans, and pulls in air from the left side of my case, near the top of the side-panel. I haven't decided if I want to put fans on the intake and the rad, or just the rad, or what.

I'm ordering my rad and PSU this week, but I'm going to build a mockup of this duct out of foam-board to figure out how exactly I'm going to pull this off.


Anyone have any opinions? tried this before? think it's a dumb idea? suggestions?

[progbuddy]

I think its a great idea. But try the biggest duct size you can fit in there for max air flow, or its not going to help. Great idea!

[Slug Toy]

you know, that is probably the best way to do watercooling. i dont know why everyone likes strapping radiators to the exhaust vents on their cases. it doesnt make sense at all.

ill direct you to my idea thread http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3092 thats been burried by tons of other threads now, particularly posts 86 and 88.

as you can see im "working" on something very similar, although a lot more... integrated i guess you can say.

it really does make sense to isolate your thermal "entities" as best as you can. so even though we're arguing about what type of radiator is better, at least we agree on this bit.

[Silenced_Coyote]

I was thinking the very same thing a while back.

I guess people put the radiators on the exhausts it because it is the "lesser of two evils"? Sure, you are pulling "warm" air. But is it really that warm since you are water cooling? The heat that is normally put into the air in the case is now being transferred to the water. So I guess the water cooled case temperature shouldn't be that high compared to a PC that is cooled by fans.

[jreffy]

I was thinking the very same thing a while back.

I guess people put the radiators on the exhausts it because it is the "lesser of two evils"? Sure, you are pulling "warm" air. But is it really that warm since you are water cooling? The heat that is normally put into the air in the case is now being transferred to the water. So I guess the water cooled case temperature shouldn't be that high compared to a PC that is cooled by fans.

Yeah, it's not like pumping the case air over the radiator doesn't do anything, everyone seems to get it work fine. I'm just thinking that I could get my water even COOLER if I did it this way. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

[dgrmkrp]

jreffy, i like your idea.. trully efficient... but, i'm trying to figure out how will u be able to make this happen.. i'm doing a 3d model of the case (just sketchy work, but still..) and i'm a tad concerned that you won't be able to fit things properly..
best way i can think of is to have some fans to pull air tru the rad, mounted in the top of the case and some fans on the side of the case, feeding the rad with cool air, when needed.. i said "great idea!" and then tried it in 3dsmax.. and i needed a bigger case than the pc-70 to pull this off.. like about 5-10 more cm of slack.. true, you can fit the rad in the upper part, but in the mobo side there is a reinforcing strut.. and if you mount 2x120mm fans they will collide with the mobo.. :(.. so, i was wondering.. does everything fit? i'm known to make math mistakes, so don't take this seriously :)

.. on a happyer side.. if the duct is do-able.. and it is, no matter what case stuff comes in it's way, instead of using tubes, why don't u use plexi and etch something on the visible side.. something like:

hot air
'''''''''''''
_____'''''''''''''___
|,,,,,,...fan..,,,|
|,,,,,,,.''''''''''.,,,|
|,,,,,,,,.''''''''.,,,|
|etch>,.'''''''fan <<air
|,,,,,,,,,,.'''''.,,,|
|,,,,,,,,,,,,..,,,,|
|,,,,,,,,,,,mobo|

just a thought :)

[jreffy]

jreffy, i like your idea.. trully efficient... but, i'm trying to figure out how will u be able to make this happen.. i'm doing a 3d model of the case (just sketchy work, but still..) and i'm a tad concerned that you won't be able to fit things properly..
best way i can think of is to have some fans to pull air tru the rad, mounted in the top of the case and some fans on the side of the case, feeding the rad with cool air, when needed.. i said "great idea!" and then tried it in 3dsmax.. and i needed a bigger case than the pc-70 to pull this off.. like about 5-10 more cm of slack.. true, you can fit the rad in the upper part, but in the mobo side there is a reinforcing strut.. and if you mount 2x120mm fans they will collide with the mobo.. :(.. so, i was wondering.. does everything fit? i'm known to make math mistakes, so don't take this seriously :)

.. on a happyer side.. if the duct is do-able.. and it is, no matter what case stuff comes in it's way, instead of using tubes, why don't u use plexi and etch something on the visible side.. something like:

hot air
'''''''''''''
_____'''''''''''''___
|,,,,,,...fan..,,,|
|,,,,,,,.''''''''''.,,,|
|,,,,,,,,.''''''''.,,,|
|etch>,.'''''''fan <<air
|,,,,,,,,,,.'''''.,,,|
|,,,,,,,,,,,,..,,,,|
|,,,,,,,,,,,mobo|

just a thought :)


Way ahead of you on that one. True, there is a reinforcing strut, but I can cut a notch out of the duct to fit around that and seal it with a small piece of sheet metal. The intake is going to be near the top of the case, almost at the top of the side panel. The duct will be very short.

Also already thought of modding the duct, haha. Cutting a window in it and putting ribbons or a pinwheel inside the duct to see the airflow :) While I don't know how that would fit with my theme, it would still be funny :).

[dgrmkrp]

glad to hear it's all ok :)
oh... =)) pinwheel.. LOL.. a savage pinwheel of death! :) funny idea..

[jreffy]

glad to hear it's all ok :)
oh... =)) pinwheel.. LOL.. a savage pinwheel of death! :) funny idea..


I just got done ordering my radiator and PSU. Once I mount the PSU it will give me a better idea of the room I have to work with. I'm also going to be making a mock-up duct out of foam-board while I wait.

I'm planning on mounting the fans to the top of the case first, then the rad, so I can pull the air through the rad. I'll probably have to run some flat-bar across the top of the case for extra support. I doubt I'm goign to need a shroud since I'm building this duct, that should make things considerably easier.

[dgrmkrp]

about the shroud.. if u aren't building a 12cm high/wide duct, than u could sacrifice just a bit more height for the shroud.. like in the pic.. this really helps with an even flow on the rad..
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5134/clipboard01av7.jpg

of course, it all depends on what u want.. wait, did i get the hint that your making the duct from sheet metal (with a window).. uuu.... cool :) but then, could u make the window as big as possible? :D

[Maz]

i dont like 90 degree bends.

is there enough space below your hd rack to mount the rad so the air blows straight through your case, side to side with no bends at all?

[jreffy]

I'm thinking I won't bother with a shroud and just encase the whole rad and fans inside the duct. Then I just need to drill holes in the duct for the tubes to move in and out.