Cracks in my cpu waterblock should I be concerned?

[Carsomyr]

I suppose I should be concerned. I'm probably going to have to change the waterblock for another. But yeah, upon inspecting my cpu waterblock today closer I noticed tiny cracks around the pins that seem to hold the acrylic in place. Is this a "don't worry about it it's nothing scenario" or a "replace that thing asap scenario"?

See pictures below
P. S. I know the cpu block is disgusting. I'm about to change my cpu anyhow so didn't bother.

 

[eidairaman1]

Thats known as crazing from heat and cold or over tightening, I wouldn't risk it and replace it. It's starting to reach into the seal seat area. Aircraft windscreens are replaced for that condition.

 

[skizzo]

the manufacturer should sell replacement tops for this reason. and should be like less than half the price of replacing the whole block. not all do though, so, you might have to buy a whole new unit if no one sells just the top piece. point being the metal/cold plate part is likely still in fine condition. best case scenario, and cheapest solution is to only replace the top

 

[ir_cow]

Looks like it was over tightened at some point. But since its outside the o-ring, not a big deal.

 

[GerKNG]

fine cracks in acrylic are not "dangerous" but i wouldn't trust it in a closed case for the next couple years.
i'd replace it.

 

[Carsomyr]

Looks like it was over tightened at some point. But since its outside the o-ring, not a big deal.

Yeah I never noticed it before but I think I know how it happened. Very recently I noticed my Reservoir needed some more coolant, so I went ahead and added some... When I did obviously some air got into the loop. I proceeded to play with my pump speed to get rid of the air. As I did so, for a VERY BRIEF moment, a bigger bubble blocked the liquid from going to the cpu water block for like maybe 15-20 seconds. But that was enough for my I7 9700k to reach 112c in hw monitor for a brief moment. The second I noticed it, I shut down manually my pc (I was ultra surprised my pc didn't shut down by itself, especially considering I've got my bios max safe cpu temp at 100c... So technically it should have shut off).

Anyhow, I got rid of the air and booted into windows, every was fine and dandy. Temps normal and everything.... BUT maybe that little incident was enough to damage the acrylic.

Ill check to see if I can find an acrylic top replacement for it. But I doubt I'll find one. It's a BYKSKI XPH-B lga 1151 waterblock. I recently bought the upgrade kit to use that waterblock with my new core ultra 7 265k which has just arrived in the mail. Now I have to decide whether to get a new cpu waterblock or check if I can find an acrylic top replacement for it. Maybe I can repair it somehow too. Not sure. This never happened to me before.

fine cracks in acrylic are not "dangerous" but i wouldn't trust it in a closed case for the next couple years.
i'd replace it.

Yeah my case is fully opened, I can check on the state of the acrylic whenever I need to. But yeah, id rather repair or replace it. Especially considering I'm about to change the mobo and cpu anyway

 

[Bill_Bright]

Are those cracks even near where coolant actually flows? They look to be just at the mounting points (suggesting, as ir_cow noted, there was some overtightening going on).

I might let it warm up and then dab the corner of some toilet paper on the cracks. The absorbent tissue should [hopefully] show you if any liquid is seeping out. If none, then I am not sure I would worry about it. I am NOT saying to ignore it. It is something to keep an eye on. But I don't see this as a panic situation by any means.

If you coolant is not already colored, I would dye it.

Very recently I noticed my Reservoir needed some more coolant

Oh? How often do you need to do that? The reason more coolant is needed is because coolant is leaking out. It might be so tiny, it evaporates as soon as it is exposed to air. But still, it does suggest the sealed loop is not completely sealed.

I for sure would note when you last topped it off then see if you need to do it again, sooner than normal.

 

[Carsomyr]

Are those cracks even near where coolant actually flows? They look to be just at the mounting points (suggesting, as ir_cow noted, there was some overtightening going on).

I might let it warm up and then dab the corner of some toilet paper on the cracks. The absorbent tissue should [hopefully] show you if any liquid is seeping out. If none, then I am not sure I would worry about it. I am NOT saying to ignore it. It is something to keep an eye on. But I don't see this as a panic situation by any means.

If you coolant is not already colored, I would dye it.


Oh? How often do you need to do that? The reason more coolant is needed is because coolant is leaking out. It might be so tiny, it evaporates as soon as it is exposed to air. But still, it does suggest the sealed loop is not completely sealed.

I for sure would note when you last topped it off then see if you need to do it again, sooner than normal.

Yeah it was at least 3 years ago. It's a long story. But no leaks at all nowhere as of now

Edit: the micro fissures do not touch the section where the liquid goes as of now. And in regards to the "over tightening" diagnosis, I really doubt it. Because the place where these fissures are are not aligned with where the actual screws hold the waterblock to the mobo. Those fissures are located where the screws that came with the waterblock hold the acrylic with the copper base below. I'm quite confident that that overheating episode from the other day is what caused the fissures. But I could be wrong of course. At this point, I'm thinking I'm just gonna keep using the waterblock until I get to the day where I actually change my mobo and cpu. I'll keep an eye on it just in case

 

[ShrimpBrime]

I dislike acrylic tops. And the reason I don't run a loop all the time unattended.

Dudes, check this out.
As far back as 08/09'
This happened.

I have made 3 different top plates since that time.

 

[Carsomyr]

So for my next cpu waterblock, should I go with something that is full metal? Tried to find something that has a decent quality/price and one of the blocks I found is the Watercool HEATKILLER IV PRO (INTEL LGA 1700/1851/1200/115x) FULL COPPER NI.

Another cheaper alternative would be bykski CPU-XPR-CU-M-V3
CPU Block (probably cheaper quality though) but no acrylic that I can see

I also found a huge performance per dollar one:
Bykski CPU-XPR-CU-I-D
Full metal (copper base though, not nickel plated)
But for 50$ CAD that's very cheap.

Is that one decent? Looks like it's copper and nickel plating only, so no acetal or acrylic if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Outback Bronze]

Looks like it was over tightened at some point. But since its outside the o-ring, not a big deal.

Yep, pretty much hit the nail on the head. Had them for years with no issues. Just looks unsightly.

This is a picture of an old Plexi water block. You can see the slight hairline fractures in it. Was running for 4+ years no issues.



The reason I use Plexi is for two reasons, I can see air bubbles in the block, and I like seeing my coolant light up. Just have to be careful not to overtighten them and it's all sweet.

 

[freeagent]

My manties would be all bunched up for sure..

 

[ShrimpBrime]

So for my next cpu waterblock, should I go with something that is full metal? Tried to find something that has a decent quality/price and one of the blocks I found is the Watercool HEATKILLER IV PRO (INTEL LGA 1700/1851/1200/115x) FULL COPPER NI.

Another cheaper alternative would be bykski CPU-XPR-CU-M-V3
CPU Block (probably cheaper quality though) but no acrylic that I can see

Is that one decent? Looks like it's copper and nickel plating only, so no acetal or acrylic if I'm not mistaken.

I have a heat killer non pro and disliked it's performance being it's just a cold plate, but the top isn't acrylic I don't think. Some sort of hard plastic. The pro, full copper would be the way to go IMO. Not sure about the bykski, but haven't read anything bad about em.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Thats known as crazing from heat and cold or over tightening, I wouldn't risk it and replace it. It's starting to reach into the seal seat area. Aircraft windscreens are replaced for that condition.

Agreed. While that doesn't look critical, like it'll fail any minute now, it is something that should be replaced very soon!

I suppose I should be concerned. I'm probably going to have to change the waterblock for another. But yeah, upon inspecting my cpu waterblock today closer I noticed tiny cracks around the pins that seem to hold the acrylic in place. Is this a "don't worry about it it's nothing scenario" or a "replace that thing asap scenario"?

See pictures below
P. S. I know the cpu block is disgusting. I'm about to change my cpu anyhow so didn't bother. View attachment 396677View attachment 396678View attachment 396676

While replacing it is going suck with your hard tube setup, you need to sometime soon. Next 30 to 60 days kind of soon, but the sooner the better.

Alternatively and as a stop-gap fix if money is tight(no shame if so, these economics times and whatnot), you could just remove it and use a soldering iron with a flat-tip contact bit and re-melt the effected area to close the cracks. I've done this kind of thing and it will work, but it is only a stop gap kind of fix.

You could also get acrylic glue and fill in the cracks that way. Again, stop-gap kind of thing, but it would buy you some time.

 

[maxfly]

I've had tube reservoirs, bay reservoirs, GPU blocks(rarely) and CPU blocks develop the same kind of micro fractures, almost always around the g1/4in openings. Generally caused by my paranoia of not tightening my fittings down well enough. The fractures are surface level that almost always happen over time in acrylic despite your best practices. Never had a leak.

Take the block apart and take a good look, I can guarantee the fractures won't show up any further than the very surface of the acrylic. Particularly if what you say is true about their location. You wont feel anything running a nail across them they are so shallow. The super thick stuff like DangerDen used to make is the only acrylic I didn't eventually end up getting micro fractures in. On the other hand, I've had exactly one acrylic top actually crack all the way through. An EK CPU top that was so under engineered a toddler could've poked a finger through it. Anyhow, it looks ugly but it'll be fine. Replace it with a nickel block? Absolutely, nickel blocks look sweet.

 

[Carsomyr]

I've had tube reservoirs, bay reservoirs, GPU blocks(rarely) and CPU blocks develop the same kind of micro fractures, almost always around the g1/4in openings. Generally caused by my paranoia of not tightening my fittings down well enough. The fractures are surface level that almost always happen over time in acrylic despite your best practices. Never had a leak.

Take the block apart and take a good look, I can guarantee the fractures won't show up any further than the very surface of the acrylic. Particularly if what you say is true about their location. You wont feel anything running a nail across them they are so shallow. The super thick stuff like DangerDen used to make is the only acrylic I didn't eventually end up getting micro fractures in. On the other hand, I've had exactly one acrylic top actually crack all the way through. An EK CPU top that was so under engineered a toddler could've poked a finger through it. Anyhow, it looks ugly but it'll be fine. Replace it with a nickel block? Absolutely, nickel blocks look sweet.

Yeah I'm currently eyeing this heatkiller one. Think it looks great and no acrylic to contend with:

Ok so I got 4 water blocks I'm considering. They're all heatkiller IV PRO variations. (Except the fourth one) Which one is best? One is full copper the other acetal, the other copper plus NI etc...

See the links below:

1. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-COPPER-NI_1
2. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-PURE-COPPER_1
3. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-ACETAL-CLEAN_
4. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-BASIC-INTEL-LGA-1X00-ACETAL-CLEAN_1

I think the best one might be the copper plus nickel one for liquid metal compatibility. Otherwise my other choice is to go heatkiller IV basic ACETAL. Apparently acetal doesn't crack like acrylic does and the performance between heatkiller pro and basic is pretty much the same (1-2c difference). Better flow in basic than pro because of how many fins there are. BUT the basic version is a copper base so liquid metal could be an issue here I guess.

The acetal basic version is interesting because of its price compared to pro. Basically half the price here in Canada

 

[maxfly]

Yeah I'm currently eyeing this heatkiller one. Think it looks great and no acrylic to contend with:

View attachment 396781

Ok so I got 3 water blocks I'm considering. They're all heatkiller IV PRO variations. Which one is best? One is full copper the other acetal, the other copper plus NI etc...

See the links below:

1. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-COPPER-NI_1
2. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-PURE-COPPER_1
3. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-ACETAL-CLEAN_1

I think the best one might be the copper plus nickel one for liquid metal compatibility. The acetal though, I'm not sure. I don't know how resilient acetal is and if it can crack like acrylic.

That's a badass block.
Either of the full metal blocks will net a couple of degree improvement over acetal. Metal tops theoretically help to dissipate heat a little better. Price to performance then becomes a big factor (that and whichever jives with your overall aesthetic is what I would lean into). Acetal is friggin bulletproof compared to acrylic. No worries of it ever cracking.

 

[Carsomyr]

That's a badass block.
Either of the full metal blocks will net a couple of degree improvement over acetal. Metal tops theoretically help to dissipate heat a little better. Price to performance then becomes a big factor (that and whichever jives with your overall aesthetic is what I would lean into). Acetal is friggin bulletproof compared to acrylic. No worries of it ever cracking.

Thanks. Indeed the price to performance on the basic acetal one is quite good. Otherwise in the premium versions (heatkiller IV PRO or others) I have also found these in the same pricing

Alphacool Eisblock XPX Pro Aurora - Full Brass Chrome Digital RGB- SP3/SP6/sTR5/sWRX8/TR4/LGA2066/LGA3647 - DazMode

With the Alphacool XPX Aurora Pro Eisblock, Alphacool offers a CPU water cooler specially designed for processors with particularly large processor cores. These currently include the AMD Threadripper models and processors from Intel for the LGA 2066 socket and the LGA 3647 server socket in...

www.dazmode.com

Alphacool Core 1 Aurora Carbon AM4/AM5/LGA1700/LGA1851 - DazMode

Alphacool presents the Core 1, a new generation of CPU water cooling. The latest desktop processors are continuously becoming more powerful, but also produce more and more waste heat. The Core 1 reliably solves this problem with the help of its entirely new 3D-Jetplate, which is also used in...

www.dazmode.com

*** I'm now realizing some cpu blocks are not compatible with certain fittings! That's good to know. My intention is to go with ZMT 16mm soft tubing from alphacool with barrow fittings (Barrow TFHRKN38H) ***

I saw there's a little note on some of those alphacool blocks that say that some hardtubing 16mm fittings don't work with them.

 

[Ruru]

I wouldn't be worried yet. Seen similar on several plexi watercooling parts yet no leaks ever. Just check it from time to time that it doesn't crack up entirely.

 

[Carsomyr]

Yeah I'm currently eyeing this heatkiller one. Think it looks great and no acrylic to contend with:

View attachment 396781

Ok so I got 4 water blocks I'm considering. They're all heatkiller IV PRO variations. Which one is best? One is full copper the other acetal, the other copper plus NI etc...

See the links below:

1. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-COPPER-NI_1
2. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-PURE-COPPER_1
3. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-PRO-INTEL-LGA-1X00-ACETAL-CLEAN_
4. https://shop.watercool.de/HEATKILLER-IV-BASIC-INTEL-LGA-1X00-ACETAL-CLEAN_1

I think the best one might be the copper plus nickel one for liquid metal compatibility. Otherwise my other choice is to go heatkiller IV basic ACETAL. Apparently acetal doesn't crack like acrylic does and the performance between heatkiller pro and basic is pretty much the same (1-2c difference). Better flow in basic than pro because of how many fins there are. BUT the basic version is a copper base so liquid metal could be an issue here I guess.

The acetal basic version is interesting because of its price compared to pro. Basically half the price here in Canada

Regarding the heatkiller pro waterblocks, I noticed there's this heavy Backplate available for them. Should I get that too? Or does it pretty much do the same thing a contact frame does?

HEATKILLER LGA 1700/1851 HEAVY Backplate - DazMode

Massive HEAVY backplate for the current Intel Alder Lake LGA 1700 socket generation, CNC milled from 7mm thick aluminum . The HEAVY backplate prevents socket bending and therefore provides a more consistent contact pressure for maximum cooling performance. The included 0.8mm washer mod further...

www.dazmode.com

What do you think?

 

[A Computer Guy]

So for my next cpu waterblock, should I go with something that is full metal? Tried to find something that has a decent quality/price and one of the blocks I found is the Watercool HEATKILLER IV PRO (INTEL LGA 1700/1851/1200/115x) FULL COPPER NI.

Another cheaper alternative would be bykski CPU-XPR-CU-M-V3
CPU Block (probably cheaper quality though) but no acrylic that I can see

Is that one decent? Looks like it's copper and nickel plating only, so no acetal or acrylic if I'm not mistaken.

Remember PC loops are not high pressure systems. All you need is sufficient pressure with fittings and blocks with the gasket - not overbearing pressure. That aside a full metal block will also help radiate heat outward at the disadvantage of being able to inspect the block visually without opening it. Also remember to never use an alcohol based solution when cleaning plexi/acrylic.

 

[qxp]

Am I right that your pictures show the plate with threads and there are normally screws in there?

If so, the cracks are the result of a bad design. The right way to do those would have threads start a little below the hole and/or the hole should be chamfered. If you don't chamfer your hole then the very top thread is very weak and likely to break, even in steel. With the acrylic being quite brittle I would have opted to have threads start more slowly by using a sharper and longer chamfer.

If you take a look at your picture your acrylic plate is heavily chamfered around the edges, so surprising they did not do the same with threaded holes.

 

[Carsomyr]

Remember PC loops are not high pressure systems. All you need is sufficient pressure with fittings and blocks with the gasket - not overbearing pressure. That aside a full metal block will also help radiate heat outward at the disadvantage of being able to inspect the block visually without opening it. Also remember to never use an alcohol based solution when cleaning plexi/acrylic.

Yes I heard about alcohol and plexi/acrylic. And you're right, I didn't think about the fact that a full metal waterblock indeed prevents one from seeing the actual flow of the coolant and buildup of gunk inside it. Which means you can only truly see what's goin on down there when you drain your loop and inspect the actual waterblock once dismounted from the cpu.

Very good point you brought up. Thanks!

 

[A Computer Guy]

Yes I heard about alcohol and plexi/acrylic. And you're right, I didn't think about the fact that a full metal waterblock indeed prevents one from seeing the actual flow of the coolant and buildup of gunk inside it. Which means you can only truly see what's goin on down there when you drain your loop and inspect the actual waterblock once dismounted from the cpu.

Very good point you brought up. Thanks!

An issue easily countered with Quick Disconnects if you also don't mind repasting the CPU. Personally I like full metal blocks but the reality also is they are often split by the gasket so you don't get the optimal heat transfer across to the top of the block anyway.

 

[maxfly]

Regarding the heatkiller pro waterblocks, I noticed there's this heavy Backplate available for them. Should I get that too? Or does it pretty much do the same thing a contact frame does?

HEATKILLER LGA 1700/1851 HEAVY Backplate - DazMode

Massive HEAVY backplate for the current Intel Alder Lake LGA 1700 socket generation, CNC milled from 7mm thick aluminum . The HEAVY backplate prevents socket bending and therefore provides a more consistent contact pressure for maximum cooling performance. The included 0.8mm washer mod further...

www.dazmode.com

What do you think?

If you already have a Thermalright/Thermalgrizzly contact frame I wouldn't worry about it. It's primary purpose is to keep the mb socket from flexing or deforming. There's also a thinner version of the HD one that serves the same purpose for alot less if they still make it.