Waterblocks

[D1337]

Rant +question, so move it to another section if needed.
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I was wondering if anyone here makes their own waterblocks, cause quite frankly a hunk of copper a few O-rings, and some barbed fittings cost a manufacturer about $11. Around $20 for a self made block.

Guess how much 8800 gtx/ultra users have to pay? $120.
and other users? Sometimes as low as $30, but they only seem to fit low end cards.

I dont see how it can fluctuate so much, i mean all you have to do is change the shape of the water block and drill the holes in a different area.


Im tempted to go look for some copper sheeting, bend it, drill some holes then weld it together... But i have little metal experience, and less tools.


There has to be someone out there who is making cheap waterblocks and selling them. If you do, or know someone pm me otherwise i may go back to air..

[Spawn-Inc]

well the cost more and less not only becuase of the amount of copper and size but mainly all the milling needed. various companies have various patented designs. e.g. EK water blocks use a "wave" pattern that looks like this (http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/images/FC8800a.jpg). it's far more complex then copper blocks with holes.


this guy makes his own and i think sells them. (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8522)

i'm working on a sketchup of how you could make a water block with a block of copper and a drill. it won't be very good or the best by any means but it should cool it(w/e your cooling).

[D1337]

Im not saying its easy to do, but you could possibly do it without a cnc machine, or any other "omg the price" machinery.

The wave could be emulated.
Of course you couldnt do it out of a block, but rather copper in the sheet form by bending it, and making the edge blunt.

it would probably look uglier then Micheal jackson, but it would work

anyways thanks for the link, ill pm him and see if he's up to it.

[Spawn-Inc]

no homemade can't be replaced by cnc's, unless you build/have your own. even then lots of research goes into making different patterns and what not. i would/will gladly pay the price for something thats going to work 1000x better than a homemade block. plus welding together pieces of copper will transfer heat worse than solid copper.

anyway here is my easy to make, won't work the best, 3 pass water block.

downloadable and usable with SketchUp 6 (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=475ba5ab57e90aaf8c03416916866a66)

various shots.
http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/4208/2988212710100511463S600x600Q85.jpg

the blue line is the flow and the black squiggles are where you would put a plug.
http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/4560/2540431380100511463S600x600Q85.jpg

[D1337]

Seems reasonable.
If b4i7 cant do it, ill try your design.

[Spawn-Inc]

or you could just try this (http://www.overclockers.com/tips730/), looks alot easyer and cheaper.

[D1337]

your design seems better suited for me, since my dad has ALOT of drills and bits, some nicely suited for concrete and steel hole boring. Plus im not to sure if the second one would hold for more then a few months, with a high pressure pump.

+repped for your sketch

[calumc]

spawns idea is quite good but theres simply no way that you can make a block thats going to perform anywhere as good as a factory made one without having access to millions worth of cnc machinery. and as for your first idea with bending the sheet copper and welding it: i've never seen copper welded before, im sure it can be done by professionals but for you and me soldering is about all we can do and im not sure how strong that would be on a corner joint. plus if you were thinking of just having a little box as a waterblock that gives very little surface area far the water. if you are set on making one id go for spawns idea if you have a pillar drill, if not and you can solder do the other one from his link, theres less joints than making one from bent copper.

[Spawn-Inc]

well i have access to a oxy acetylene torch at work so i next week i will try to weld and or braze pipes together. if you have access to the same or a acetylene air tourch you can braze which will definitely hold the pressures, after all it can hold 800+ with R-410a. i was going to ask what a pillar drill is but i see its just different words for the same thing, here its call a drill press. but like calumc said make sure you have one. try to get the hole as close as possible to one side and use that side to mate with the cpu so there is less copper the heat has to travel through.

[b4i7]

ill see what i can do :)