Originally posted by: natewildesOnly speaking for myself, I can say that by personal experience in building over 11 computers with water cooling for various people, NB coolers don't do a whole lot for cooling, as it DOES hurt your flow and adds un-needed hot water to the system.
Please, let's not try to turn this into a pissing contest. You have no idea what I do for a living, or what my experience with water is. Your "creds" don't scare me one bit. If you have something to say, just say it.
Again, a NB is a source of thermal energy. The idea of mounting a block on one is sound should the person designing, building, and paying for the loop decide to do so.
I addressed this, but since you don't seem to have read it, I'll say so again. "Flow" is a variable resource that's meant to be exchanged for efficient thermal transfer. There's no award for conserving it. If you start with a 2-3 block system, and are smart enough to use a real pump (or two), another block simply isn't going to "KILL" your loop. What you're trying to offer as fact doesn't take anything into account other than "flow is God."
1. All potential NB blocks aren't the same. There are at least a few that easily qualify as low(er) restriction.
2. We could all probably get by with a lot less "flow" in our loops than we think. Above a critical threshold, each water molecule is going to present itself to a rad for dissipation the same number of times regardless. This fact is easily seen in 1/4 ID loops that perform well even though they move a fraction of the water our big-tubed American coolers do.
Unneeded hot water? So you get to define what hot water is needed? I know, it's "just your opinion", right? Well, "hot water" is what my 120.3 /w 3x120x38x80CFM fans are here to fix. My current loops includes a CPU, two GPU's and 8 BGA's. At full load, my rad exhausts coolant that is just about ambient, + 1c above its intake. You seem to think that a NB block is capable of ruining that. You're wrong. I've gotten by with operating temps a >lot< warmer than I do currently, with no problems at all.
A decent 3rd-party cooler will do as good or better a job at cooling, and it gets rid of the extra hot water.
Suppose, just suppose, someone wants to quiet their box even further by ditching the NB fan? This is what I meant by saying that some of you guys don't even bother to ask what someone is shooting for BEFORE you start to lay down the facts as you see them. Also, are you trying to infer that a tiny fan will do better than something like
this?
I am not setting boundaries for anyone,
I don't recall saying that you were, even though in essence you are. In fact, I haven't addressed anything to you directly.
I am simply sharing my experience and suggestions, as that is what a good forum is all about; sharing of thoughts, ideas etc. etc
Did I suggest otherwise? Post what you want, but don't think for a second that your opinion is sanctified. If you rattle off something that's simply unfounded, expect someone to call you on it. How good can a forum be if disinformation goes unchallenged? I hope someone will be kind enough to correct me under the same circumstances.