After building my first custom
desktop computer last fall, I took the plunge and decided to install a liquid cooling system to quell the jet-engine-like noise generated by the 4500 rpm cpu fan whenever I tasked the system. It took me almost as long to install the system as it did to build the entire computer in the first place, and once it was in, it wasn't as quiet as I had hoped - it turns out pumps make noise just like fans do :) But, it at least kept a constant noise and never got louder than the quietest fan noise I had had before. It also kept my CPU cooler than the fan had, but since I wasn't overclocking that wasn't a significant advantage for me.
Over the last couple of months, the pump noise got louder and louder, and when I inspected it I noticed a fair amount of air in the tubing - not good. I eventually found some residue green dye (the color of the anti-freeze that I added to the distilled water) in the back of the computer which obviously meant there was a small leak which fortunately did no damage to any componentry, but did leave a green slime.
Anyway, after considering my options I decided to cut my losses and ripped the water cooling system out and replaced it with a
Zalman copper CPU fan which has worked out great. It's quiet (hovers around 2000 rpm even when the cpu is maxed out), was easy to install, and best of all, I no longer have to worry about green liquid leaking over my expensive components. Unless you're a die-hard overclocker, I recommend looking into quiet fans for your custom systems - it's a much simpler (and in my case even quieter) solution!
Posted
Feb 17 2005, 09:20 AM
by
fritz-onion