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View Full Version : looking for thoughts about a cpu cooler



swbill
10-23-2013, 05:35 PM
Hi, My current build consists of the flowing parts but am unsure what cpu cooler to go with. I am semi concerned about a liquid cooler as I have heard they sometimes leak. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

cpu Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116901
motherboard ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO LGA 1150 Intel Z87 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131989
ram G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231673
psu CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
hard drive Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339
case Corsair Carbide Series 300R http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139011

zburns
10-23-2013, 09:20 PM
I would go with a liquid cooler instead of a fin type. Will give you some suggestions tomorrow. If I were doing a new build right now, that is the cooler I would use. I will try to check out your comment about them leaking some of the time.

zburns
10-25-2013, 05:20 PM
'I will try to check out your comment about them leaking some of the time.'

The simple answer to your question is that the supplier shipped a defective unit. Another answer is that the builder routed the 'hoses' from radiator/pump to the heatsink with a 'sharp' bend coming out of the heat sink or the pump/fan assembly. After some use, a leak showed up. Another possible answer is that the builder 'mishandled' the unit before or during the computer assembly. Another answer is that the builder, at some point during the assembly or later after using the computer for some time period, decided to 'tinker' with the hoses and in the process 'loosened' up one or more of the 'fitting connections' and in the process of re-tightening a connection made a mistake. Once the fitting connection is loosened up, that part of the hose and the compression fitting should not be reused.

Also, in working with such a device, you do not get a lot of 'chances' in 'tinkering' with the hoses and the fittings from a leak proof viewpoint.

The heatsink / pump / radiator combination comes from the manufacturer as one complete assembly and is not meant to be taken apart and reassembled for any reason but a 'leak'. This is not to say one cannot take the assembly apart and successfully reassemble it. It is just that such a process has to be carefully done and 'done mistake free'. The assembler has to be 'good mechanically' and know precisely what he / she is doing.

For example, open end wrenches should be used; the grip on the 'hand end' of the wrench should be only the thumb and forefinger -- such a grip gives the builder some 'tactile feedback' when trying to make some adjustments, assuming such adjustments are really justified. But I would caution any builder from assuming one can disassemble this 'simple assembly' and successfully reassemble it without leaks.

Evidently, one can apply liquid cooling to not only the cpu, but also RAM and the video card (s) -- is any of this in your plans ? Using it only for the cpu is more reasonable from a reliability viewpoint.

Here is one url that covers the liquid cooling topic:https://www.google.com/searchq=disassembly+of+a+computer+liquid+heatsink+ system+&oq=disassembly+of+a+computer+liquid+heatsink+syste m+&aqs=chrome..69i57.35246j0j7&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

Here is the subject line I used to pull it up in Google: 'disassembly of a computer liquid heatsink system' . I strongly suggest you read thru the comments from others who have experience with liquid cooling.
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I am not opposing it. It is not complicated. But if you have to disassemble it for any reason, it is probably best to install new tubing and new compression sleeves on the new tubing. Do not count on reusing what was just taken apart. If you disassemble the tubing and compression fittings, the tubing may have permanent pressure marks on it and the compression bands may be slightly deformed. Trying to reuse the older tubing with pressure marks and 'deformed' compression bands would perhaps lead to 'leaks' --no way to know, so use new tubing and new compression fittings.

There is one additional potential problem. Coming from the factory, the cpu heat sink/pump/fan/hoses is 'a closed system'. If you remove a hose from any fitting on the assembly, air will become trapped in the system and you will have to bleed it out and that is a whole different topic.

Summing up: Using liquid cooling for the cpu is a good idea and should be reliable. If for any reason during the life of the computer, the hoses and compression fittings have to be taken off the heat sink or the fan/pump assembly, then new hose and new compression sleeves need to be installed. Tightened down the special nut that compresses the compression fittings requires an open end wrench to provide 'tactile feedback' to the person doing the repair. (Using channel lock type pliers or an adjustable wrench is a very bad idea in this application). If the hoses are ever removed even from only one fitting, air will seep into the closed system; if this ever occurs, the air will have to be bled out of the closed system.

swbill
10-27-2013, 04:41 PM
Thanks, would this be an overkill and go with a single fan sized radiator or stick with this choice?
CORSAIR Hydro Series H110 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181035