Is this a good Layout for a Watercooling/TEC setup?

[ALMOSTunseen]

I am just wondering, is this a good layout for my hybrid TEC/Watercooling setup? The Radiator is there to bring the coolant down to ambient, and the TEC is there to take it even lower.
Specs-
Swiftech Apogee Drive II (no pump)
XSPC Acrylic Dual 5.25” Reservoir with 655
Custom TEC cooler-Works as a water chiller, 4 60w TEC plates
3/8 and 1/2 tubing.

Flow is:
Red leaving block
Blue leaving rad
Icy Blue leaving TEC

 

[McSteel]

Why do you want to use different tubing diameters?

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

Why do you want to use different tubing diameters?

The TEC comes with 3/8 barbs. And the Rad comes with 1/2 barbs. Will it make any difference?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Just swap them all out for 1/2 barbs or compression fittings either 5/8 or 3/4" OD and get same size tubing all around. Keep it streamlined man. dont make it harder then it should be. Like i said. Id switch it around Go Res/Pump > Radiator > Block > TEC > ResPump Because either way the water is going to be cool when it gets to the block. And i like to have a rule of thumb to get to a radiator before hitting the blocks.

 

[McSteel]

The TEC comes with 3/8 barbs. And the Rad comes with 1/2 barbs. Will it make any difference?

Different diameters introduce changes to the water pressure, and thus contribute to flow disturbances, something you'd want to avoid. Is there a way to further integrate things, and make the TEC chiller a part of a reservoir/pump assembly, with minimal or no tubing?

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

This is the TEC chiller:

I don't think it would be possible.

 

[OneMoar]

TEC is a huge power hog for very little gain

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

TEC is a huge power hog for very little gain

I have a separate power supply for it.

 

[OneMoar]

the TEC will putout more heat and use more power then your CPU AND gpu Combined
a better and cooler Option would be to get the compressor off a old fridge or AC unit and adapt that
TEC is terribly inefficient

 

[McSteel]

Ah, I see. Well, 240W of TEC cooling goodness is fine in a pass-through implementation, I suppose. How low do you think it'll be able to bring the water temperature? Assuming you have a very good Peltier setup, you're looking at some 10% efficiency. So, 24W of cooling power. Now if the coolant takes one second to pass through the chiller per cm³, and if we take that it has the heat capacity of water @ 25°C (4.18 W*s/cm³*°C) you'd only be looking at a ~5°C reduction at best. Is 240W of power really worth it? I do realize there's an advantage to not going far below ambient - no condensation.

On a side note, I've been thinking of branching out a pair of tubes off of an AC unit, and connecting them to a cooling block. That'd be interesting.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

So heres my draw up of how it should go according to what we have been discussing in teamspeak

Look closely at the green lines and arrows.

Res/Pump > Radiator > TEC Unit > CPU Block > back to Res/Pump

 

[Sir B. Fannybottom]

Let the man do what he wants and actually help him!

 

[Sasqui]

Let the man do what he wants and actually help him!

+1 Though I do have to interject that a TEC directly under the water block with a traditional radiator would probably be better, but I can't speak from experience.

I think the first routing is the best, coolest water will go directly to the block, then the rad does some cooling before going back to the pump.

 

[Outback Bronze]

Just swap them all out for 1/2 barbs or compression fittings either 5/8 or 3/4" OD and get same size tubing all around. Keep it streamlined man. dont make it harder then it should be. Like i said. Id switch it around Go Res/Pump > Radiator > Block > TEC > ResPump Because either way the water is going to be cool when it gets to the block. And i like to have a rule of thumb to get to a radiator before hitting the blocks.

Agreed. I always get the water going through the radiator before going through the blocks.

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

+1 Though I do have to interject that a TEC directly under the water block with a traditional radiator would probably be better, but I can't speak from experience.

I think the first routing is the best, coolest water will go directly to the block, then the rad does some cooling before going back to the pump.

The problem with this, is it does further raise the issue of condensation.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Like Dave was saying, you want the radiator to cool the water to ambient, then the TEC to cool the water below ambient then to the CPU block. Most efficient way I would think.

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

Would 1 litre of coolant be enough? Please don't start an argument over coolant and distilled water.

 

[MT Alex]

Specs-
Swiftech Apogee Drive II
XSPC Acrylic Dual 5.25” Reservoir with 655

The Apogee Drive II already has a 35X mounted in it, you don't need the 655 as well. The rest is fiddlesticks.

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

The Apogee Drive II already has a 35X mounted in it, you don't need the 655 as well. The rest is fiddlesticks.

Woops, forgot to say, this block is one with the pump removed. I'm getting it on special. Thanks anyway. What is this "fiddlesticks" phrase you bring up? ps, i'm in Teamspeak.

 

[Yin]

I've always had the pump towards the bottom of setup and case in my w.c setups, I'm guessing it would make a small differences?

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

I've always had the pump towards the bottom of setup and case in my w.c setups, I'm guessing it would make a small differences?

I have no idea. I'm just using the pump res combo because it makes life easier. Also, Loving the australian internet iinet is pretty good, I get about 10 download, and the same upload as you.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

I have no idea. I'm just using the pump res combo because it makes life easier. Also, Loving the australian internet iinet is pretty good, I get about 10 download, and the same upload as you.

Pump/res combos are typically better too. You get more performance out of the pump that way.

 

[MT Alex]

I'm not sure where the hell you pulled that one out from, but it's just not true.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

I'm not sure where the hell you pulled that one out from, but it's just not true.

That's What You Told Me In Steam When I Was Planning Mine. But okay

 

[MT Alex]

Ah, sorry about that, only a few reservoirs have an after market pump top on them that increase the pump performance, like the Maelstrom. Most have no affect, or can even reduce performance if your pump already has a top but the res doesn't.