2nd VelociRapter Drive

[Toppack]

I'm going to first try one of these little water-pumps,

as a Helper-pump and see how it works.

 

Second pic is of pump being tested.

(notice how Small the pump is)

 

See pictures:

[Toppack]

I got the water-cooler assembled and trying to bench-test it.

 

I found that I could get all the air-bubbles out by Pinching the tubing,

to pump them up to fill-plug.

 

I have it wired to 12.volt power-supply (not in computer case) and the fans change speed as they should

but the Pump, in Corsair water-block, is Not running. :-(

I had a feeling I was going to have trouble with it. :roll:

 

There is a cable that connects to a USB-port on Mobo (that I've Not connected yet)

but I thought that was only to Monitor operation,

Not to activate the pump?

(I would need to connect it to a computer to do that

and I don't want to do that until I get it all tested for operation, leaks, etc.)

If it does require that connection to run pump, then that is NOT good?

I want the pump to run constantly without commands from a USB port,

that can be accidently disabled.

 

Anyone here know about what that USB connection is used for

or any other reason the pump will not start?

[atailor1]

Hi Toppack,

 

Not sure why pump won't start, but this should explain usb cable:

 

Built-In Corsair Link - No additional hardware is necessary – just connect the included Corsair Link cable to a USB header on your motherboard and download the free Corsair Link Dashboard software. You can monitor coolant temperature and adjust cooling performance directly from your desktop.

 

Maybe dashboard software has to be enable for pump to run.

 

A.T.

[atailor1]

Hi Again,

 

HiTechLegion, has a 17 min install video that shows placement of all power connections. The part you would be interested in is at approx 14 min mark. Hopefully this will be of some help.

 

A.T.

[Toppack]

Is it the second video on this page, you are referring to:

http://hitechlegion.com/reviews/cooling/liquid/33165-corsair-h100i?showall=&start=1

If so, I've seen that one before and it agrees with the way I assumed everything works?

 

I'll first try it with all the cables connected

but looks like I'll need to try to disassemble the pump and fix it.

I'm sure power is getting to the unit, since the fans get their power from that pump assembly.

 

If I can't fix it, I'll just add more pumps.

(I have 2 on order now anyway)

 

I may now just have a very expensive Radiator/fans assembly.

:evil: :lol:

[atailor1]

That be the one. Hopefully when I start my project with the NZXT Kraken it will go a little smoother. Have a large enough cut out on the motherboard tray with the Phantom 410 that I won't be struggling to get the back plate on. One thing is for sure, you'll be the AIO cooling guru, when this is all said and done (LOL).

 

A.T.

[Toppack]

Yes, I'm definitely Learning a Lot about water-cooling. :idea:

 

I did an analysis of the pump-motor failure

and found that one of the motor-winding-wires, which a smaller than a human-hair,

and had to use a Magnifier to even see them,

was broken. :-(

I might have been able to repair it, if it had broken where it soldered to the pc-board,

but it was broken down in the little motor-housing and could not get to it.

 

So, I drilled a hole in the plastic housing for water to bypass the pump and flow directly to water-block seat-sink.

I'll try using that water-block with 2 pumps I have ordered.

The temp-sensor and Fan-controls in the water-block are still operating correctly.

 

BTW - one thing that really amazed me was the Tiny (Microscopic) cooling fins

attached to the inside of the copper heat-sink plate

and all the water is directed through those small fins.

It looked very restrictive to water-flow and easily plugged if any microscopic trash was in there.

(which there was, when I drained it)

[Toppack]

I found another minor problem, with the flow-indicator.

And if I had not had a problem with the pump I probably would not have noticed this potentially major-problem causer.

 

The excess adhesive used to attach the two parts of the housing is coming loose and dropping down into hose, as small crystals,

which could plug-up the heat-sink fins, radiator or pump.

I've cleaned out the hose below it twice already and it's still coming loose.

It's amazing how much is in that small cavity where the spinner is.

 

Well, I now see why no-one was selling them here in the US

and why they were being sold for such a low amount.

To look at them you would never know they have that problem.

 

So, I suggest Not buying this type flow-indicator unless you want to go through a long cleaning process before using it.

I think it will be usable but will take a long soak time to get it all out.

See picture:

[Toppack]

I found another pump that has a flow-indicator and fill-plug built into it,

that I may try instead.

It will just be more difficult to find a place to mount it properly, since it has tank on top.

The other pumps can be mounted in Any direction and location.

This one has a lower wattage motor, than the one pictured above, so it may not have as much pump-pressure?

Has anyone here used this pump?

 

See picture:

[Toppack]

Edit - I decided Not to first use this pump/tank/fill

since the pump needs to be at the lowest section of the tube routing

and the fill-plug and tank need to be at the highest,

 

so having them together, as a complete unit, is Not really the Best way. :?

But it can be used if the other pump config does not work for some reason.

 

I'm still waiting for the other little pumps to get here! :?

The ePacket service really needs to get a Bigger Row-Boat! :lol:

 

Update -I think I got all the gunk out of the 1st flow-indicator

It just needed soaking, a few days, to loosen it all

[Toppack]

I've been testing the two type pumps.

(small 6.watt and the 4.watt with reservoir-tank)

As expected the small pumps push a lot more water and I mean a Lot of water. :!: :grin:

The 4.watt pump worked great also though.

I decided I don't really need a reservoir.

 

With a closed-system, with no reservoir and fill-plug only

it's impossible to get 100% of the air out

but I would say it has 99.99% of the air out, with microscopic bubbles.

 

I found that I can remove the fill-plug, in T-block, while the water is flowing,

since the plug is at highest part of water-path.

That way I can fill it while operational, which surprized me.

 

I had to remove a plastic flow-director from inside the Corsair water-block,

that slowed both pumps until they almost stopped.

I want to use the Corsair block if I can but I'm going to try a different design block before deciding which I'll use.

 

The other block is a simple straight-thru design,

but I'm not sure about the mounting-clamp, that comes with it, though.

(it may need to be modified)

see pictures:

[Scannan]

Toppack

 

You will not be able to use a closed system unless you have an expansion tank. As the water heats it will expand and the increased volume has to go somewhere, otherwise it will overpressurise and spring a leak.

You can remove the air automatically with a seperator. They are used on central heating systems, where they sit on the hot water outlet of the boiler and automatically released the trapped air. I am sure you could pick one up in a plumbing supply or hardware store.

[Toppack]

Toppack

 

You will not be able to use a closed system unless you have an expansion tank. As the water heats it will expand and the increased volume has to go somewhere, otherwise it will overpressurise and spring a leak.

 

"HEAT Expansion"??? What Heat?

With my system it's Not going to get Hot :idea: :-D

 

Okay, I'll start thinking about a way to add a tank :roll:

but I sure don't like doing it, since it really complicates the assembly. :-(

 

I found that luckily the reservoir does not have to be at highest point

but can be mounted almost anywhere, as long as it's above the pump.

 

And adding a Separator is getting 'Way Too Complicated'! :lol:

I'm not worried about some little bubbles, in fact they are 'Fun to Watch' going thru the clear-tubing. :wink:

[Scannan]

I do not think a tank is necessary. It is a small system with small volume, all you are really doing is allowing for evaporation/expansion and air removal, so I imagime that a larger diameter piece of clear tubing connected to the existing system and rising above the pump would do the job.

[Toppack]

I replaced the T-block fill-plug with the 4.watt-pump with reservoir, to see how that worked.

(won't need 2 fill-plugs if I use that pump/Reservoir)

It Looks Ugly, sticking up above everything but it worked great.

All my Pretty Fun-bubbles are Gone though. :-( :grin:

 

I'll need to make another mounting-bracket for it, if I use that config.

 

That way it will have 2 pumps in the system, that I can activate as needed,

so that may be an advantage.

(With one hard-wired and the other on a switch)

(one pump will be at lowest level and other up at reservoir)

[Toppack]

:!:

I'm am presently using a Water-cooled computer! :shock::grin:

 

The CPU is at 92. degrees F (about 33.C) at Idle. (as measured by CoreTemp utility)

My arm-pits are hotter than That. :lol:

(that's with only two fans on radiator and both pumps activated)

Second pump dropped temp about 3 more deg.

That's at 3.5 GHz clock.

 

I found that the 2 pumps are using a lot less power than the Rated 6. and 4. watts,

so those must be at maximum stalled current, not at normal operating current.

 

I'll do more testing at heavy data loads before I try increasing the clock-freq. again.

 

I added a LED to the flow-indicator, which really looks 'Cool' :idea: :grin:

I'll take pictures soon.

[Toppack]

I took a couple of pictures:

(Sorry about the poor lighting)

One of water-block on Mobo

and one of radiator/pumps assembly mounted on top of case.

It's possible to mount it there since that is a RaidMax-Aztec case,

which has Motherboard mounted on side-panel that swings down.

With most cases that would not be a good place to mount the cooler

but with this case it works Great.

 

Notice the left temp-gauge on front-panel is reading 34.deg C (which has probe at base of water-block)

while I was running a bench-mark program.

CoreTemp utility was reading 36.deg. at that time.

 

It is Much Cooler than I expected. :shock: :grin:

 

The illuminated Flow indicator is at center-right of 2nd picture.

[Toppack]

I checked temps at North-bridge, South-bridge and RAM with case side-panel closed,

and the North-bridge is only about 2.deg F hotter than it was with CPU Fan-cooler

and the other two are about the Same,

so it seems that new 200.mm fan is providing enough cooling for Other Mobo components. :grin:

 

(I did those tests while doing a Hard-drive defrag)

[enoskype]

Hi Toppack,

 

Thanks for the pictures, but more will be better for the details.

 

This is realy impressive man! :-o

 

Cheers.

[Toppack]

Hi Toppack,

 

Thanks for the pictures, but more will be better for the details.

 

 

What would you like to see ???

 

I don't think I want to lower the side-panel with Motherboard again,

since it is not real easy to get all the cables and tubes positioned when closing it back up.

I could take close-ups of components on the exterior, (pumps, flow-meter, etc.)

if that would help?

[enoskype]

Close-ups would do!

 

Cheers.

[Toppack]

Here's a few more pictures:

 

1st shows routing of hoses and cables for fans and pumps and the small pump on right-side.

(at center bottom you can see the release handle that lowers the complete side-panel assembly, with Mobo and water-cooling attached)

2nd shows small bracket that mounts pump/reservoir on top of radiator.

(since the pump/reservoir is so light-weight the one small bracket is all that is needed to hold it in place)

3rd shows where brass Pipes and sleeved Cables go through three .5" holes, drilled in side-panel.

(I used a vacuum-cleaner to collect the metal-chips while drilling the holes, to keep them out of components)

 

The hoses from water-block slip on one end of the 3" long brass pipes, inside the case,

hose to lower pump and hose to radiator are connected to other ends of pipes, outside the case.

That way no grommets are needed in panel holes, since brass pipe is what contacts the sharp edges of holes, not tubing.

[Toppack]

While playing Crysis-3 the CPU is averaging 12.deg. F less with water-cooling, (at around 109.deg.)

than with fan cooling. (around 121.deg.) :grin:

 

And the fans on radiator never went to full speed. :grin:

(they are controlled by temp-sensor in Corsair water-block)

 

So, I guess it's time to start Over-clocking and see how high I can go. ;-)

[Toppack]

I'm now running at 4.2 GHz and starting to get rather high temps at CPU

(around 145. deg F, with heavy loads)

So, I'll lower it to 4.0 GHz and leave it there for a while.

[enoskype]

What will be your target temp of CPU? ~122°F?

 

Cheers.