(Anti) SFF fun house

[tabascosauz]

Whoever designed the Iceman res, hats off to you. Materials are good, tolerances are good.
Whoever assembled the Iceman res, you should know that there exist such things as nitrile gloves...

I don't like having to disassemble a brand new res, but this is disgusting (on the inside of the res, clearly visible through the acrylic front plate):

The stainless steel backplate was completely covered in oily smudges and fingerprints. The acrylic front plate was also smudged as hell, and unfortunately all of it was on the inside surface. It was clearly just from O-ring lube, but seriously, is it really that hard to assemble this without getting your oily fingerprints all over the inside??

Fortunately, the O-rings, screws and fitment are all good and it was easy to wash off with a gentle soap wash, dry and put back together. Made sure to tighten evenly in star pattern (that automotive and manufacturing experience did come in handy after all). Probably won't be possible to leak test/verify the res alone due to the design. I guess we'll find out in due time if my reassembly was up to spec.

Looking much better now, minor scuffs more visible now, but doesn't bother me nearly as much knowing that the insides are clean:

 

[Valantar]

Whoever designed the Iceman res, hats off to you. Materials are good, tolerances are good.
Whoever assembled the Iceman res, you should know that there exist such things as nitrile gloves...

I don't like having to disassemble a brand new res, but this is disgusting (on the inside of the res, clearly visible through the acrylic front plate):

View attachment 226749

The stainless steel backplate was completely covered in oily smudges and fingerprints. The acrylic front plate was also smudged as hell, and unfortunately all of it was on the inside surface. It was clearly just from O-ring lube, but seriously, is it really that hard to assemble this without getting your oily fingerprints all over the inside??

Fortunately, the O-rings, screws and fitment are all good and it was easy to wash off with a gentle soap wash, dry and put back together. Made sure to tighten evenly in star pattern (that automotive and manufacturing experience did come in handy after all). Probably won't be possible to leak test/verify the res alone due to the design. I guess we'll find out in due time if my reassembly was up to spec.

Looking much better now, minor scuffs more visible now, but doesn't bother me nearly as much knowing that the insides are clean:

View attachment 226750

That's a nice looking unit! Agree on the cleanliness thing though, that's rather extreme. Also, is it actually stainless steel, and not something like nickel-plated copper? Isn't that a bit iffy in terms of galvanic corrosion? Or is stainless steel+copper not an issue? You'll definitely need the pump to leak test it - or I guess you could make a metal plate to cover that opening, plus an o-ring underneath it. Plugging the holes in any other way would be very unlikely to stand up to the pressure from the leak tester.

 

[tabascosauz]

That's a nice looking unit! Agree on the cleanliness thing though, that's rather extreme. Also, is it actually stainless steel, and not something like nickel-plated copper? Isn't that a bit iffy in terms of galvanic corrosion? Or is stainless steel+copper not an issue? You'll definitely need the pump to leak test it - or I guess you could make a metal plate to cover that opening, plus an o-ring underneath it. Plugging the holes in any other way would be very unlikely to stand up to the pressure from the leak tester.

I'll probably see about testing the res alone when my DDC shows up. Should have enough stop plugs.

That's a good point about materials. The Iceman uses 304 stainless and acetal. I snooped around a bit and seems like consensus amongst watercooling people as well as industry/science sources is that common SS grades should not be an issue with nickel plated copper. That seems to extend to copper alone as well. From what I read there should be a couple factors in favour of this:

• There's corrosion inhibitors in our premixed fluids. Probably why warranty is usually broken when running pure distilled.
• From a few different charts, SS 304 and nickel/copper alloys are relatively close on galvanic potential.
• All the charts assume seawater as an electrolyte which is very corrosive, so we should be safer.
• SS/copper/brass seem to be a favourite pairing in water heating and don't usually suffer corrosion. Often in direct contact. And that's with potable water which is obviously more corrosive, and higher temps as well.
• Allegedly, the galvanic potential chart doesn't tell the whole story as to corrosion, so all the votes of confidence in copper+SS should mean something?
• There is often a small gap in potential between nickel and copper, not far from the gap with SS, but they aren't an issue together as long as there's corrosion inhibitor.
• Allegedly, there are already stainless steel parts in pumps that make contact with the coolant.
• I'm skeptical to believe EK, but Cryofuel claims to protect SS and even aluminium (!!).

I guess we'll see. Definitely will be keeping a close eye on it.

However, EK warns against even leak testing with pure distilled with nickel in the loop. Whether this is marketing-speak for Cryofuel or actual science, no idea. Cryofuel seems to use 2-EHA as corrosion inhibitor - not a chemist so couldn't find much, 2-EHA doesn't seem to have a good reputation in automotive circles from allegedly damaging anything with silicone in it, but afaik EPDM isn't/shouldnt contain silicone?

 

[tabascosauz]

The first rad I bought I never flushed - but that was in ... 2008? and I knew exactly nothing about anything. Can't remember having problems with it, so I guess I was lucky? My second rad, in 2017-ish, an EK PE, I did a simple flush with warm dilute vinegar, think I ran through it a couple of times. Did the same for the Corsair XR5 I got earlier this year. Neither had any notable amount of gunk in them, so either I got lucky or they were well flushed at the factory. It's probably a good idea to be a tad more careful than I am, as I've seen some really bad examples.

So uhhhhh all of this crap came out of the first flush, but evidently it wasn't done with me yet

After 4 flushes, most of the stuff was in the bucket, but a small and frustrating stream of tiny specks was still coming out:

After 11 flushes (4 x vinegar, 2 x water, 1 x vinegar, 5 x water) it was finally done.

 

[Mussels]

when I first used vinegar in mine i was worried i'd like damaged something, or the vinegar CAUSED the problems

I ended up getting one of the in-line filters when i do the flushing now (and anytime i drain the loop), if the vinegars got go chunks in the soup, you can re-use it! woo!
(Initially i ran the loop without the CPU or GPU Connected, but with the filter - so all i had to do was clean the filter after a few hours)

Then i added a new rad without flushing and ruined it all, but anyway!

 

[Valantar]

So uhhhhh all of this crap came out of the first flush, but evidently it wasn't done with me yet

View attachment 226989

After 4 flushes, most of the stuff was in the bucket, but a small and frustrating stream of tiny specks was still coming out:

View attachment 226988

After 11 flushes (4 x vinegar, 2 x water, 1 x vinegar, 5 x water) it was finally done.

View attachment 226990

Wow! That's pretty terrible. Not that a single sample is necessarily representative, but that doesn't make me very optimistic towards the QC of Alphacool's radiators. That blue colour is also a clear sign of corrosion. Any idea what the black specks are? Solder? Paint? Just random gunk? At least the last flush looks nice and clean!

 

[Mussels]

Wow! That's pretty terrible. Not that a single sample is necessarily representative, but that doesn't make me very optimistic towards the QC of Alphacool's radiators. That blue colour is also a clear sign of corrosion. Any idea what the black specks are? Solder? Paint? Just random gunk? At least the last flush looks nice and clean!

Bruh, google photos doesn't understand terms like "blue gunky shit that broke my waterblock" so this took a while to find, but if you think his is bad...

This was my brand new 3090 EK block

she cleaned up fine, and EK replaced the tiny plastic in the middle that cracked during cleaning for free. If you ask nicely for spare parts, they're REALLY good with that (just slow, cause so far away)

Tabasco: lemme know if you think i'm thread hijacking, i feel its relevant as a warning of how bad it can get, but its your build log

I think the vinegar loosened things up, and those loose bits eventually came off and bound to the coolant (EK mystic fog) which then just... stuck everywhere.

Custom water is love. But love requires lots of vinegar and washing, apparently.

 

[Valantar]

Bruh, google photos doesn't understand terms like "blue gunky shit that broke my waterblock" so this took a while to find, but if you think his is bad...

This was my brand new 3090 EK block
View attachment 226992
View attachment 226991


she cleaned up fine, and EK replaced the tiny plastic in the middle that cracked during cleaning for free. If you ask nicely for spare parts, they're REALLY good with that (just slow, cause so far away)
View attachment 226993



Tabasco: lemme know if you think i'm thread hijacking, i feel its relevant as a warning of how bad it can get, but its your build log

I think the vinegar loosened things up, and those loose bits eventually came off and bound to the coolant (EK mystic fog) which then just... stuck everywhere.

Custom water is love. But love requires lots of vinegar and washing, apparently.

Wow, that's bad. Where did that stuff come from? Clearly not the nickel-plated block, so I'm guessing your rad(s)? I'm glad I've never seen anything like that - heck, my old 120mm that was carelessly stored for 8 years or so didn't give off nearly that much gunk. This is what my Fury X looked like after running for about four years without a clean, just two fluid swaps and one or two flushes at the same time (most of that time running with ye olde 120mm as part of the loop):

 

[tabascosauz]

Do you all think a 45mm 280mm is enough for a 2060 Super and a 5900X? REALLY thinking about the Bitspower FE block, but don't want to have to jam in an extra 92mm or 120mm rad, and don't have room for another 240mm/280mm without modding.

Might try to see how high I can push PPT for the 5900X (trying all-core ONCE scared the SHIT out of me), but there's not much headroom on the 2060 Super except for undervolting. Reference VRM is weak so headroom without shunt modding is suitably low.

when I first used vinegar in mine i was worried i'd like damaged something, or the vinegar CAUSED the problems

I ended up getting one of the in-line filters when i do the flushing now (and anytime i drain the loop), if the vinegars got go chunks in the soup, you can re-use it! woo!
(Initially i ran the loop without the CPU or GPU Connected, but with the filter - so all i had to do was clean the filter after a few hours)

Then i added a new rad without flushing and ruined it all, but anyway!

I shook that rad like my life depended on it x11, I sure hope there won't be any more particulate crap coming out. The Aquacomputer filter with the dual ball valves looks nice but would probably cause me anxiety over flow restriction so I wouldn't relax unless I had double D5s lol

Bruh, google photos doesn't understand terms like "blue gunky shit that broke my waterblock" so this took a while to find, but if you think his is bad...

This was my brand new 3090 EK block
she cleaned up fine, and EK replaced the tiny plastic in the middle that cracked during cleaning for free. If you ask nicely for spare parts, they're REALLY good with that (just slow, cause so far away)

Dayum, beautiful transformation. That's what scares me about radiators - you can see the corrosion on the nickel on blocks, but it's all hidden inside the radiator. Flush a lot and let Jesus take the wheel, I guess.

It's easy to see the fins on the Optimus block, so I guess I'll keep a close eye on it.

Tabasco: lemme know if you think i'm thread hijacking, i feel its relevant as a warning of how bad it can get, but its your build log

No problem at all bro. Everything constructive and friendly is welcome

Wow! That's pretty terrible. Not that a single sample is necessarily representative, but that doesn't make me very optimistic towards the QC of Alphacool's radiators. That blue colour is also a clear sign of corrosion. Any idea what the black specks are? Solder? Paint? Just random gunk? At least the last flush looks nice and clean!

I wasn't expecting the blue tint either, didn't really know what it was. I have no idea how much is still left in there - the blue bucket is the combined efforts of 4 vinegar flushes, and the other vinegar flush was by itself so won't show blue. And I reckon the water flushes won't bring out much corrosion.

The particulates were all over the board. There were one or two that almost looked like thin wire (I saw it in a video about flushing too), then a lot of orange-ish specks, black specks, etc.

I should mention though..................the bucket itself is not white, it's baby blue. And I expect my Godox light to be doing some funky things to that terrible phone quality picture too.

 

[Mussels]

Mine was a second hand rad, and being a fool

The gunk found hiding spots and survived many, many flushes

 

[tabascosauz]

getting this chonker into the case sucked so much ass

 

[Valantar]

Do you all think a 45mm 280mm is enough for a 2060 Super and a 5900X? REALLY thinking about the Bitspower FE block, but don't want to have to jam in an extra 92mm or 120mm rad, and don't have room for another 240mm/280mm without modding.

Yes, without a sliver of doubt. After all, I am cooling a 5800X + 6900 XT on a 30mm-thick 280mm Corsair XR5 (apparently a HWL OEM design) with Arctic P14s. It does absolutly get a bit toasty under load even with the fans at full speed (a reported ~1560rpm), but nothing I'm worried about. I think the highest I saw this summer was fluid temperatures in the mid-40s during stress testing, that was with ambients in the low 30s (no AC, apartment gets hot in the summer). My CPU could get into the 80s, but that's due to the Aquanaut being a mediocre water block + running low pump speeds + the 5800X being a 5800X (it's much better after a but of Curve Optimizer!). My daily UV/UC profile on the GPU limits it to ~190W, so that should be comparable to your 2060s, and with that active my fluid temperatures dont' even come close to the 40°C mark in regular usage. I don't think I've ever seen the GPU exceed 60 even at full power, typically it's much, much lower. Mind you, I never tested that in 30-degree ambient temperatures, but it's still a massive reduction.

I shook that rad like my life depended on it x11, I sure hope there won't be any more particulate crap coming out. The Aquacomputer filter with the dual ball valves looks nice but would probably cause me anxiety over flow restriction so I wouldn't relax unless I had double D5s lol

Mine was a second hand rad, and being a fool

The gunk found hiding spots and survived many, many flushes

I guess it's worth mentioning that after moving to the Aquanaut I have a spare EK-SPC pump/res combo, which I now use for filling, bleeding, flushing, etc. just hooking it up with a spare set of QDCs. For corrosion treatments I've filled the loop with vinegar (the stuff they have in large bottles at the store is 12%, I've both used it straight and diluted it further) and left it to run for a while, even overnight, which seems effective. It's fun to watch the vinegar in the res slowly turn that teal-blue colour That 120mm rad has also had a couple of overnight soaks in vinegar. It still looks rather terrible when looking inside the ports, but it works fine. Of course shaking is still useful for getting things to come loose - there isn't enough pressure in that pump to skip that. Ideally I would have a filter in the loop as well, but ... well, I don't My main mode of flushing when changing fluid these days involves two buckets, one full and one empty: intake hose into the full bucket, outlet hose into the empty bucket (make sure the intake hose isn't full of air), let the pump(s) run. Empty the waste bucket when necessary, rinse (literally), repeat. Gotta love having QDCs

I wasn't expecting the blue tint either, didn't really know what it was. I have no idea how much is still left in there - the blue bucket is the combined efforts of 4 vinegar flushes, and the other vinegar flush was by itself so won't show blue. And I reckon the water flushes won't bring out much corrosion.

They won't unless it's been dissolved sufficiently by the vinegar to come loose - that's really the main purpose of the water flushes, to get any kind of gunk and particulate out (as well as leftover chemicals). Tbh, however much corrosion is left in the rad is likely perfectly fine. As long as the loop is filled it won't corrode further, and it takes a lot of corrosion in a radiator to harm its performance or cause leaks, so it's not a big deal. The flushing you've done has likely taken out all the superficial stuff and might have improved thermal transfer a bit, which is all you can really ask for.

The particulates were all over the board. There were one or two that almost looked like thin wire (I saw it in a video about flushing too), then a lot of orange-ish specks, black specks, etc.

I'd expect most of that to be solder from the radiator assembly process, but probably also flux residue, possibly some copper specks from machining, etc. The most important part is that you've gotten it to the point where there isn't visible gunk coming out.

I should mention though..................the bucket itself is not white, it's baby blue. And I expect my Godox light to be doing some funky things to that terrible phone quality picture too.

White balance in stuff like this is always tricky. That last flush still looks perfectly clean though.

 

[tabascosauz]

Man, I wasn't expecting this much of a difference on the CPU alone compared to the C14S.

When just booting up there's not much that changes. I guess Windows throws a crap ton at the CPU when it starts up, so when I first open HWInfo it still peaks at 59C or so (before it was 60-61C). But lo and behold - 12C improvement in MW2019, 11C improvement in Insurgency Sandstorm, 5-8C improvement in Genshin. CPU-Z Bench was 8-9C better, CPU-Z stress was at about 12C cooler but it also takes so long to reach thermal equilibrium that I didn't have the patience to keep waiting.

ST performance is unchanged - I'm already maxed out on core quality. MT performance is kinda crazy though, the clocks just sit there and never drop

Coolant temps hanging out in the 25-30C range, highest I saw was 31C I think. After bleeding the loop for about 30 minutes then using the PC for about 2 hours, I had stopped hearing the popping sounds from air bubbles and the Foundation block is completely free of bubbles. There's still a shit ton of tiny bubbles in my res though, and quite a bit of steam(?) at the top as well.

Running the DDC 4.2 @ 25-30% PWM I think, and the A14s at about 950rpm (silent until about 1050rpm). Above 30% it's not buzzy at all, but it is a little bit high pitched and whiny. Not really noisy though, it's a nice unit.

Unfortunately GPU temps are up about 2.5C, and I am completely cooking my RAM and one of my NVMes (I suspect the SN750 is on the bottom of the SO-DIMM.2). The NF-A9 mounted to the top panel doesn't seem to do a whole lot, so I may have to put the side bracket back on there with the NF-A14 and run it at low speed.

Makes me wonder how much I stand to gain by waterblocking the GPU. Theoretically I could push higher clocks from running much cooler, but my perfcap is almost exclusively Power so something tells me clocks won't change at all when at 99% GPU usage.

 

[tabascosauz]

Yes, without a sliver of doubt. After all, I am cooling a 5800X + 6900 XT on a 30mm-thick 280mm Corsair XR5 (apparently a HWL OEM design) with Arctic P14s. It does absolutly get a bit toasty under load even with the fans at full speed (a reported ~1560rpm), but nothing I'm worried about. I think the highest I saw this summer was fluid temperatures in the mid-40s during stress testing, that was with ambients in the low 30s (no AC, apartment gets hot in the summer). My CPU could get into the 80s, but that's due to the Aquanaut being a mediocre water block + running low pump speeds + the 5800X being a 5800X (it's much better after a but of Curve Optimizer!). My daily UV/UC profile on the GPU limits it to ~190W, so that should be comparable to your 2060s, and with that active my fluid temperatures dont' even come close to the 40°C mark in regular usage. I don't think I've ever seen the GPU exceed 60 even at full power, typically it's much, much lower. Mind you, I never tested that in 30-degree ambient temperatures, but it's still a massive reduction.

You reckon it's still doable without going push-pull? I checked and the Brizo block makes it a single-slot card, so I can still put my 2000rpm A14s on pull. Only problems there are: once the fans go in, they can literally never come out again without disassembling half of the loop (well, not like the push fans and the rad can do that even now, so maybe not a big deal); I can't run the fittings to come out below the block because there's no clearance (if I run the fittings above the block then I'll have to find a 120mm [slim?] fan for the side swing bracket instead).

The Bitspower seems to be the only option but I hate having the RGB connector dangling that I can't remove. The Bykski block isn't even the same as what's advertised on Bykski's website and looks cheap, and the Corsair block is of the infamous leaky design that lacks the centre screw. Also HORRIBLE instructions for installation, my guess is I'll have to be solely relying on GN's teardown video.

But no choice, I dug myself into this hole. The way it's running right now the GPU is literally going through torture. Gonna need to put it in the loop. Maybe then I can turn the side bracket fan around as intake (currently it's exhaust, because intake benefits the RAM a little bit, but the GPU suffers terribly).

The Bitspower block does reuse the thick FE backplate though, which is a good thing - it's gorgeous, built like a tank and pretty much unbendable.

For corrosion treatments I've filled the loop with vinegar (the stuff they have in large bottles at the store is 12%, I've both used it straight and diluted it further) and left it to run for a while, even overnight, which seems effective.

Would that vinegar harm the pump or O-rings? Not like I have an extra pump though so it's just a theoretical.

 

[Mussels]

I think vinegar might harm things long term

If i was storing, it'd be dry with no caps on, or filled with distilled and a growth inhibitor (basically, regular coolant mix) and sealed up

 

[Valantar]

I think vinegar might harm things long term

If i was storing, it'd be dry with no caps on, or filled with distilled and a growth inhibitor (basically, regular coolant mix) and sealed up

Mostly agree, though dry with no caps on sounds like an invitation for ambient moisture to cause corrosion. (And, for you Oystralians, some type of deadly creepy-crawly to move in.) I'd probably see if I could fit some kind of desiccant in there (one of those silica gel sachets?) and seal it up.

You reckon it's still doable without going push-pull? I checked and the Brizo block makes it a single-slot card, so I can still put my 2000rpm A14s on pull. Only problems there are: once the fans go in, they can literally never come out again without disassembling half of the loop (well, not like the push fans and the rad can do that even now, so maybe not a big deal); I can't run the fittings to come out below the block because there's no clearance (if I run the fittings above the block then I'll have to find a 120mm [slim?] fan for the side swing bracket instead).

I doubt a 45mm rad is restrictive enough to really warrant push-pull, though that of course depends on your fans and your threshold for acceptable noise levels. My P14s certainly aren't silent at full speed - but even with open-backed headphones they aren't ever intrusive.

Would that vinegar harm the pump or O-rings? Not like I have an extra pump though so it's just a theoretical.

I have no idea, but just to be safe I would assume so, at least over time. I wouldn't leave the loop running a vinegar solution over time at least. I haven't seen anything after my overnight flushes (and I have torn down a couple of parts with large o-rings a while after they have had relatively long vinegar soaks), but it's entirely possible. Having some o-ring lube on hand is probably not a bad idea.

 

[tabascosauz]

Mostly agree, though dry with no caps on sounds like an invitation for ambient moisture to cause corrosion. (And, for you Oystralians, some type of deadly creepy-crawly to move in.) I'd probably see if I could fit some kind of desiccant in there (one of those silica gel sachets?) and seal it up.

I doubt a 45mm rad is restrictive enough to really warrant push-pull, though that of course depends on your fans and your threshold for acceptable noise levels. My P14s certainly aren't silent at full speed - but even with open-backed headphones they aren't ever intrusive.

I have no idea, but just to be safe I would assume so, at least over time. I wouldn't leave the loop running a vinegar solution over time at least. I haven't seen anything after my overnight flushes (and I have torn down a couple of parts with large o-rings a while after they have had relatively long vinegar soaks), but it's entirely possible. Having some o-ring lube on hand is probably not a bad idea.

Yeah, mine is about the same as your XR5. Yours is 16 FPI, I think mine is 15 FPI although thicker. I didn't imagine I'd ever want to go up to 2000rpm so I left my iPPCs out and used the Chromax A14s. Running them at 950rpm ish, the noise isn't intrusive at all but at about 1050-1100rpm I start really hearing them through my headphones.

Although, I see you are just pulling air through the radiator - my A14s have to pull air through the bottom of the case (vented but big holes) and then push it through the rad. Any noticeable difference there?

I was using my non-IP67 A14-2000 on the side panel to pull air out of the case along with a A9 on the top panel. It was way too loud with the side panel off, not sure how I put up with two of them for all this time so I thought to break out my old TJ08 and take the 120mm Silent Wings 3 out of there and mount it on the side panel instead. Much better for the job, it runs at almost max speed without making audible noise over the other components, and pushes enough air for my needs here. Granted, it's not up against any restriction (which seems to kill SW3's performance), but much better than my past experiences with it.

I'll make a mockup of the two routing possibilities shortly for the GPU block.

 

[Valantar]

Yeah, mine is about the same as your XR5. Yours is 16 FPI, I think mine is 15 FPI although thicker. I didn't imagine I'd ever want to go up to 2000rpm so I left my iPPCs out and used the Chromax A14s. Running them at 950rpm ish, the noise isn't intrusive at all but at about 1050-1100rpm I start really hearing them through my headphones.

Although, I see you are just pulling air through the radiator - my A14s have to pull air through the bottom of the case (vented but big holes) and then push it through the rad. Any noticeable difference there?

Good question. Of course my setup is also pulling air through the perforated front panel of the Meshlicious, which no doubt adds some restriction even being a very open micro-mesh. I've never really tested it with the front panel off, that might be interesting. Of course, I also let my fans ramp up to full speed (~1600rpm) under heavier loads, though I'm thinking of tuning my fan curve a bit to see what thermal changes a drop to ~1300rpm would cause, as that would be very noticeably quieter.

 

[tabascosauz]

Been a little while, let's kick off 2022 with some new ideas:

What do you y'all think about the Thermaltake P3 as a pseudo-testbench style case? Been eyeing the white version for $169 canuckistan pesos. I wanted to wait for Caselabs but I guess I finally realized that the inevitable length of the wait really began to sink in.

• Really not happy with a lot of things in the Cerberus/X. Loops are certainly very doable (just look at all the loops out there!), just not in a way that is even remotely easily serviceable.
• The P1 would be the first choice but it only supports up to 240mm rads so it's a no-go.
• The P3 offers so much options (vertical or horizontal PSU, vertical riser or traditional GPU, 2 mounting locations for a 280mm rad, side panel or no side panel, vertical orientation or horizontal testbench, etc), I can't envision how I might configure it yet. But I should be able to cut out a whole bunch of 90 degree fittings from my rig, especially if I take the glass panel off and just do big natural tubing arcs.

I'm not seeing any real compatibility issues, just that I have to buy a new res for my DDC, and I need a new ATX-length cable kit for my SF750 (from the looks of it they're all Type 4, so this kit should work: white Corsair barebones kit). I don't know what res might be good to pair with a DDC though - if it was a D5 I would automatically get an Optimus system, but I want to keep this whisper quiet DDC.

I guess I wanted to stick to premium cases, but this one certainly is a head-turner and has gotten pretty decent reviews, and looks unconventional while being what I need.

Also might take the opportunity to clean out my CPU block (some assorted gunk in there), as well as switch to a Mayhems clear coolant. I'm not sure I trust EK anymore, Cryofuel has been depositing this thin almost oily foggy residue on the inside of the res. Nothing gunky, nothing major, but not something that should be there.

 

[freeagent]

Looks sweet man, I'd hit it

 

[Mussels]

Also might take the opportunity to clean out my CPU block (some assorted gunk in there), as well as switch to a Mayhems clear coolant. I'm not sure I trust EK anymore, Cryofuel has been depositing this thin almost oily foggy residue on the inside of the res. Nothing gunky, nothing major, but not something that should be there.

I'm seeing that same residue

I've also had some bad runs with EK coolant, who were also my first coolant choice - so i wasnt sure whats normal and whats product faults

 

[tabascosauz]

I'm seeing that same residue

I've also had some bad runs with EK coolant, who were also my first coolant choice - so i wasnt sure whats normal and whats product faults

Most of the residue comes off easily, but the stuff that accumulates at the water level in the res never really comes off. I had the res apart and scrubbing gently with microfiber and dish soap, everything else comes out sparkly clean but the oil at the water level line is still easily visible after cleaning.

Disappointing since according to the label there should only be distilled water and a tiny bit of 2EHA in Cryofuel.

I have never heard anything bad about Mayhems, so I was looking at their X1 v2 clear. Koolance 702 came up sometimes in forum threads as well.

 

[Mussels]

Most of the residue comes off easily, but the stuff that accumulates at the water level in the res never really comes off. I had the res apart and scrubbing gently with microfiber and dish soap, everything else comes out sparkly clean but the oil at the water level line is still easily visible after cleaning.

Disappointing since according to the label there should only be distilled water and a tiny bit of 2EHA in Cryofuel.

I have never heard anything bad about Mayhems, so I was looking at their X1 v2 clear. Koolance 702 came up sometimes in forum threads as well.

I can only get EK, corsair and thermaltake locally*

(Online in my state for lower shipping, as physical stores are a total zero for custom water here)

 

[tabascosauz]

Looks sweet man, I'd hit it

Damn you, you know I cave easily

Done:

• Thermaltake P3 in white, arriving Feb 1

To do:

• Longer cables for SF750
• New choice of coolant
• New choice of reservoir (Heatkiller Tube 100?)
• Clean CPU block
• [Clean GPU block?]
• Thoroughly flush all reusable and new ZMT lengths with water

Anyhow, even if I don't migrate the build immediately, I thought it prudent to pick up a P3 for now. Literally zero other reasonably priced testbench solutions easily compatible with watercooling out there, may as well pick up a P3 while it's in stock and get rid of the crappy dimastech bench

 

[Valantar]

I'm not sure I trust EK anymore, Cryofuel has been depositing this thin almost oily foggy residue on the inside of the res. Nothing gunky, nothing major, but not something that should be there.

Most of the residue comes off easily, but the stuff that accumulates at the water level in the res never really comes off. I had the res apart and scrubbing gently with microfiber and dish soap, everything else comes out sparkly clean but the oil at the water level line is still easily visible after cleaning.

Disappointing since according to the label there should only be distilled water and a tiny bit of 2EHA in Cryofuel.

I have never heard anything bad about Mayhems, so I was looking at their X1 v2 clear. Koolance 702 came up sometimes in forum threads as well.

I've seen that same residue in all my loop variations using Cryofuel, so it seems like a common thing. Doesn't bother me though - especially not since I ditched my large res It also only seems to stick to certain plastics (acrylic, possibly the neoprene ZMT tubing, tiny amounts on acetal) and doesn't really build up over time, so I ultimately don't care. After running it for ~two years without any service with both bare copper and nickel-plated blocks in my loop and both being essentially clean afterwards, it really doesn't seem like a concern. I can completely understand it if loop aesthetics matters though.