Introduction

General Water Cooling Equipment and Performance Guide

This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.

What follows represents the first in a series of articles that will be devoted to all aspects of water cooling. Water cooling is a subject of growing interest, with more products in the marketplace every week. Up to now, the discussion of water cooling on AMDMB has been limited to the forums. Over the course of the next few weeks, we aim to change that with a series of articles dedicated to covering all aspects of water cooling equipment. It’s our goal to provide you with a complete picture of the water cooling world in the hope you will find all the water cooling answers you need right here.

In the spirit of my previous articles, this series will consider the science behind the various components that comprise a water cooling system. We’ll take the mystery out of what makes it work and differentiate between fact and fiction, reality and hype. By the time we are done, I’ve no doubt we’ll all know a lot more than when we started, myself included. What we will not do is discuss any particular supplier or product. This is the realm of reviews and I’d rather supply you with completely objective information that you may apply to the available suppliers.

A brief word about the author is in order. Many people that frequent AMDMB or have read my previous articles know that I’m a mechanical engineer by education. What a lot of people may not realize is that much of engineering involves observing trials and drawing conclusions. Most of what we (engineers) take for granted is the result of experimental observation that has been put into mathematical form. This simply means that experimentation and attention to detail go a long ways in determining how things work. This fact applies equally to water cooling and is why I am requesting and relying on the input of fellow members to make this series work.

The rough outline for the series is complete and writing on all sections has begun. Even so, I’m inviting your input in the form of questions and personal experiences to help make this series even better. If you’ve got something you’d like to ask or knowledge you’d like to share, please drop me an email at myv65@amdmb.com. The more input I get from you, the better this series will be. While I’ll make the effort to answer everyone, not everyone’s comments and questions will make it into the series. Sorry folks, but there’s only so much time available.

The remaining articles in this series will each focus on a specific portion of a water cooling system. These areas will include the block, the radiator and/or peltier, the pump, tubing/fittings/clamps/etc., fluid, and operation. In each area, I’ll explain how things work, what options are available, and what options I recommend. The remainder of this article will discuss some of the reasons people water cool and what it can do for you.

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