Custom CPU water block

Right. It's about time I start machining my custom water block.
The block will be of solid copper and will have the dimensions 32x34,5x11mm. The paths will be 8mm deep and 2mm wide. It will be machined in an "EMCO" CNC mill running the Siemens programming language. Now for some blueprints!

The idea is that water will enter from the top in the middle and follow the blue paths towards the bottom of the block where it will go to the rad via a tube.

Hopefully I'll be machining the prototype tomorrow. Pics of it if I do.

And if you want the blueprints or the program, just send me a PM :D

-Diamon

How are you attaching the top plate? Copper brazing? And how are you able to ensure the water channels remain unobstructed in the process?

I've been considering a custom waterblock ... evaluating CNC milling vs lost-wax casting methods, somebody even suggested sintering though I doubt that's workable/desirable for this application.

I'm wondering if a solid block (which might also serve as heatsink if large enough) with a series of (maybe 3-6 or more) bored parallel pipes running through it might be better ... it could be used to move a larger volume of coolant per second (it could even be used to alternate or criss-cross isolated cooling loops through the same block), though the greater number of fittings would be more of a chore to solder or leakproof.

The idea of having a large copper block with pipes in it is interesting. It would indeed be able to move a lot of water. But you'd loose turbulence and surface area it seems, both of which increase the block's effectiveness.

I'll solder the top plate on with silver. Same with the fittings. It becomes very tight. It's possible that some water will take a shortcut between two channels but I doubt it. And if they do it's not a big problem unless it's a lot of water.

lol, turbulence being desirable didn't even occur to me. I suppose in-block turbulence increases efficiency without making the rad/pump/res requirements excessive. This puts an entirely different emphasis/complexity on optimum block design.

I've even half considered direct-die liquid cooling ... though I'm not certain which parts of the die (if any) can actually get wet under power when the IHS is removed, especially if the liquid is at all conductive. In fact, I'm a little cowardly about the manly methods needed to remove the IHS in the first place.

Your approach is the best I've seen yet, Diamon, and well within my means to duplicate. Are you milling square- or U-shaped channels, and if U-shaped then is the U-curve on the "top" or "bottom" plate?

Honestly, at this point, insead of all that Gcode, you could do a design on a manual mill that's just cross-sawn, and probably pick up a few C. There's a good reason we've abandoned maze-style designs for impingement and slitsawn fins.

Once you do the block, you can shotblast or acid etchit for more surface area, and pick up some more, smaller gains. Every little bit counts.

You guys are making me redownload sketchup just to mess with this.

I kind of like the idea of a single block (of whatever design) accomodating multiple independent loops. For redundancy, in case one pump goes down or whatever. If you're gonna go custom then why stick with one-in, one-out?

Or is a single larger cooling system generally better than several smaller ones? There's only so much space inside the chassis, only such much radiator surface available, and a practical limit to how much power/noise you want on the fans.

I'm still a little terrified of the idea that a block can jam up inside.

It's why I advocate clear tops, but the ones most capable of succumbing are the ones that are impingement based. the smaller the insides, the easier it happens.

Fedora and I are fighting, I'll elaborate shortly.

Finally got to milling the aluminium prototype (only got so much copper) :D

Here's some pics:

The path is only 2mm deep now though. In the real version it will be 8mm deep.

Will be taking a break from it over christmas. Just milling the block, etching it and soldering it together left now though :D

Like Kayin said, you want as much surface area as possible. What about adding crosshatch pins on the top and bottom of each channel? How small a cutting bit do you have on your CNC?

The cutting bit is 2mm in diameter. Think it's the smallest I got.
What do you mean with crosshatch pins though?