Menu
homeSocial network

Silent computer with dual-circuit water cooling system. How to choose a liquid cooling system

Good cooling of the central processor and video card processor has been a necessary condition for their uninterrupted operation over the last decades. But it’s not just the processor and video card that heat up in the computer—the chipset chip, hard drives, and even memory modules may require a separate cooler. Case manufacturers add additional fans, increase their power and dimensions, and improve the design of radiators. And, of course, liquid cooling systems could not be ignored.


In general, liquid cooling of processors is not a new topic: overclockers have been faced with the insufficient efficiency of air cooling for a long time. The processors “overclocked” to the theoretical maximum heated up so much that none of the coolers available at that time could cope. There were no liquid cooling systems in stores, and overclocker forums were filled with topics about homemade “water drops.” And today, many resources offer to assemble a liquid cooling system yourself, but there is little point in this. The cost of components is comparable to the price of inexpensive life-support systems in stores, and the quality (and, therefore, reliability) of factory assembly is usually still higher than that of homemade ones.

Why is the efficiency of the life-saving system higher than that of a simple cooler?


The life-support systems under consideration do not have cold-producing elements; cooling occurs due to the air near the system unit - as in the case of conventional air cooling. The efficiency of the LSS is achieved due to the fact that the rate of heat removal using a moving coolant is much higher than the rate of natural heat removal using heat transfer inside a metal radiator. But the speed of heat removal depends not only on the speed of movement of the coolant, but also on the efficiency of cooling this liquid and on the efficiency of its heating by the heat of the processor. And, if the first problem is solved by increasing the radiator area, the radiator heat exchanger area and improving airflow, then in the second case the heat exchange is limited by the processor area. Therefore, the overall efficiency of the system is limited by the efficiency of the processor water block. But even with this limitation, LSS provide approximately 3 times better heat removal compared to conventional air cooling. In numbers, this means a reduction in chip temperature of 15-25 degrees compared to air cooling at normal room temperature.

Construction of the life support system


Any liquid cooling system contains the following elements:

- Water block. Its purpose is to effectively remove heat from the processor and transfer it to flowing water. Accordingly, the higher the thermal conductivity of the material from which the sole and heat exchanger of the water block are made, the higher the efficiency of this element. But heat transfer also depends on the area of ​​contact between the coolant and the radiator - therefore, the design of the water block is no less important than the material.


Therefore, a flat-bottomed (channelless) water block, in which liquid simply flows along the wall adjacent to the processor, is much less efficient than water blocks with a complex bottom structure or heat exchangers (tubular or serpentine). The disadvantages of water blocks with a complex structure are that they create much greater resistance to water flow and, therefore, require a more powerful pump.


- water pump. The widespread opinion that the more powerful the pump, the better and that a life-saving system without a separate powerful pump is generally ineffective is incorrect. The function of the pump is to ensure circulation of the coolant at such a speed that the temperature difference between the water block heat exchanger and the liquid is maximum. That is, on the one hand, the heated liquid must be removed from the water block in time, on the other hand, it must enter the water block already completely cooled. Therefore, the power of the pump must be balanced with the efficiency of the remaining elements of the system, and replacing the pump with a more powerful one in most cases will not give a positive effect. Low-power pumps are often combined in one housing with a water block.


- Radiator. The purpose of a radiator is to dissipate the heat brought by the coolant. Accordingly, it must be made of a material with high thermal conductivity, have a large area and be equipped with a powerful fan (fans). If the area of ​​the radiator of the LSS is comparable to the area of ​​the radiator of a processor cooler and the fan installed on it is no more powerful, then you should not expect from such a LSS an efficiency that exceeds the efficiency of the same cooler.
- The connecting pipes must be of sufficient thickness so as not to create much resistance to the water flow. For this reason, tubes with a diameter of 6 to 13 mm are usually used, depending on the fluid flow rate. The tube material is usually PVC or silicone.
- The coolant must have high heat capacity and high thermal conductivity. Of the available and safe liquids, ordinary distilled water best satisfies these conditions. Often additives are added to water to reduce its corrosive properties, to prevent the proliferation of microorganisms (flowering) and simply for aesthetic effect (colored additives in systems with transparent tubes).


In powerful systems with a large volume of coolant, it becomes necessary to use an expansion tank - a reservoir into which excess liquid will go during its thermal expansion. In such systems, the pump is usually combined with an expansion tank.

Characteristics of liquid cooling systems.

Serviced/unattended life support system.


Maintenance free system comes from the factory completely assembled, filled with coolant and sealed. The installation of such a system is simple - some maintenance-free life-support systems are no more difficult to install than a regular cooler. A maintenance-free life support system also has disadvantages:
- Low maintainability. The tubes are often simply sealed into permanent plastic fittings. On the one hand, this ensures tightness, on the other hand, replacing a damaged element of such a system can cause complications.
- The difficulty of replacing the coolant is usually also associated with repairing the system - if part of the liquid has leaked, it can be very difficult to refill an unmaintained LSS - such systems, as a rule, are not equipped with filling holes.
- Low versatility is associated with the inseparability of the system. It is impossible to expand the system or replace any of its elements with a more efficient one.
- The fixed length of the tubes limits the possibilities for choosing where to install the radiator.


Serviced life support systems are often supplied as a set of elements and installation of such a system will require time and some skill. But the possibilities for customizing it are much higher - you can add water blocks for the chipset and for the video card, change all the elements to ones more suitable for a particular computer, move the radiator to any (reasonable) distance from the processor, etc. You don’t have to worry about the socket (and cooling system) becoming obsolete when replacing the motherboard - to restore relevance, you only need to replace the processor water block. The disadvantages of serviced LSS, in addition to the complexity of installation and high price, include a high probability of leaks through detachable connections and a high probability of contamination of the coolant.

The life support system must support socket motherboard on which it is installed. And if a serviced LSS can still be adapted for another socket by purchasing an additional corresponding water block, then a maintenance-free LSS can only be used with those sockets that are listed in its characteristics.


Number of fans does not have a direct effect on the efficiency of the LSS, but a large number of them allows you to reduce the rotation speed of each individual fan while maintaining the overall air flow, and, accordingly, reduce noise while maintaining efficiency. Whether an air cooler with a large number of fans will be more efficient depends on their total maximum air flow.

Maximum Airflow measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) and determines how much air is forced through the fan per minute. The higher this value, the higher the contribution of this fan to the efficiency of the radiator. Dimensions ( length, width, thickness) radiators are no less important - four powerful fans blowing a simple thin radiator with a small plate area will cool the coolant no better than one fan well matched to a radiator with a large plate area.


Radiator material determines its thermal conductivity, i.e., at what speed the heat transferred to it will be distributed over the entire area of ​​the radiator. The thermal conductivity of copper is almost twice as high as that of aluminum, but in this case the efficiency of the radiator depends more on its design and area than on the material.

Water block material, due to its limited size, is more important than the radiator material. In fact, copper is the only viable option. Aluminum water blocks (found in cheap liquid cooling systems) reduce the efficiency of the system so much that there is no point in using liquid cooling.

Maximum noise level depends on maximum fan speed. If the system does not provide speed control, close attention should be paid to this parameter. If there is a speed adjustment, attention should be paid to minimum noise level.

A noise level above 40 dB can already be perceived as uncomfortable (40 dB corresponds to the usual sound background in a living room - soft music, calm conversation). To prevent fan noise from disturbing sleep, it should not exceed 30 dB.

Rotation speed adjustment fans can be manual or automatic. Manual adjustment allows you to change the fan speed according to personal preferences, while automatic adjustment adjusts the speed to the current processor temperature and provides better operating conditions for the equipment.

Power connector type can be 3-pin and 4-pin.
3-pin the connector does not have a separate wire for changing the fan speed. The rotation speed of such a fan can be controlled only by changing its supply voltage. Not all motherboards support this method. If your motherboard cannot control the rotation speed of a 3-pin fan, then the coolers and liquid pump motor with a 3-pin power connector will always rotate at maximum speed. To change the degree of cooling you will have to buy additional

How install a water cooling system and at the same time not go beyond the boundaries of the system unit? In this article we will tell and show how to do this. We have created an operating SVO, and an amount was spent on the creation that left any branded version of dropsy far behind. The system worked in test mode for almost a week, and a verdict was made
"ready for installation"
Installing the entire system into a system unit is a matter of principle, because going beyond its boundaries is problematic, and you will need to create additional boxes and drawers. Let's get started with the task at hand.

There is an ordinary case that does not stand out in any way, and is also a little disheveled after a couple of years of use.


There is nothing special inside the case; one might say that the configuration of most units is almost standard.


Let's start by completely disassembling the case and washing it, but this is just in case;)


The largest element of the system is radiator. This is where you should start changing the chassis.


According to the plan, space for the radiator was provided to the right of the screw basket, but there was clearly not enough depth.


The solution was to move the racks to the left a couple of centimeters. To do this you will need a drill (to drill out rivets)


and a riveter with a couple of dozen aluminum rivets.


After removing the racks, the space in the system unit increased significantly.


We rivet the back wall to the bottom of the case and to the basket for 5.25 inch devices.


It was decided to shorten the right side, leaving room for only one hard drive and 1 card reader. Here an indispensable tool for beginners and experienced modders came to our aid - a Dremel with a “mini grinder” type attachment.


To correctly install the cropped fragment, a 3-gigabyte Fujitsu hard drive, which heroically died in battles for information, was used. So it came in handy.


After fitting, the radiator fit perfectly into the body.


To secure it, we make a stand out of sheet metal (the DVD drive cover will do just fine).


Now let's take care of the front part of the body. There is a perforated area here intended for installing additional coolers. But the direction of the air flow, alas, does not suit us. We will use radical measures - we will cut it out completely.


So just a photo of how a Dremel works - beautiful...


We bend one part of the cut “mesh”. For what? We'll see further.


Let's go back a little to our screw rack, which we already attached in a bit of a hurry. We remove it again, mark it and cut out the inner part. We install two additional 80 mm fans. They will create additional cooling and will be used only when necessary. We will make the connection either to a low power supply (5.7 volts) or through a rheobass.


We twist this whole structure together and try it on.


We hope that two fans will provide reliable cooling of the radiator.


We install one 120 mm fan on the front panel, which will perform basic and continuous cooling. Thanks to the same perforated wall, which we installed at an angle, some of the air will pass through the holes and cool the boards installed in the PCI slots, and some of the air will be reflected from the wall and blow through the radiator. In this simple way we kill two birds with one stone.

We've sorted out the installation of the radiator and its cooling, let's move on to fixing it water block.
There are plans to change water block for a more productive and high-quality one, we won’t be too clever about this, but simply secure it using standard fasteners on AM2.


The height of the block is just over 2 centimeters, so we will add height to the mounting bar using loops made from ordinary steel wire (a piece of wire from a “dead” keyboard, which was located under the space bar, was ideal).


Let's try out the water block on the processor. As you can see in the photo, the processor is not completely covered, but this is not a big deal, since the area of ​​the core itself is much smaller. And don’t forget about thermal paste when finally installing the water block.


With installation pumps there were no problems. The area under the pump is glued offset to the side cover so as not to interfere with the installation of expansion cards and video cards.


Charging the system It didn’t do without the help of a second person, but it didn’t cause any particular difficulties. All elements of the system must be below the level of the upper radiator fitting, and the radiator itself must be at an angle, so that the upper fitting is as high as possible. You need to fill in water through the hose running from the radiator to the water block, and when water flows through the upper fitting, carefully put the hose in place. The air that remains in the tube and the upper part of the radiator will be successfully caught by the upper tubes, which will cope with the task of the expansion tank.


Putting the system back together. Read how this is done.


Turn on the pump and see if there are any leaks. It’s better to run water for a couple of hours without turning on the computer. If everything is fine, turn on the computer and first of all go to the BIOS, where we disable the function of monitoring the speed of the processor cooler (CPU FAN). If there is a function to turn off the computer when it overheats, set the response temperature, just in case. It is up to you to decide which temperature to choose, based on the maximum permissible temperature for a particular processor model. Now you can safely boot the operating system and monitor the temperature of the processor, and all components at the same time. One of the programs that will do an excellent job of this task is HWMonitor, and the Pro version also has a useful logging feature. You can download the program.


So let's summarize some of the work done. The SVO is successfully installed in the system unit and does not go beyond its boundaries, which is what we wanted to achieve. The system works and, as practice has shown, the processor temperature dropped to 36 degrees in idle mode. At full short-term load, i.e. during normal use, the temperature rose to 39-40 degrees. Note that in this case only one 120 mm cooler worked from a 5V power supply.
There is also a noticeable reduction in noise, because the processor fan is completely removed, and the 120 makes virtually no noise. Now the main noise generator is the power supply, but someday they will get around to it.
P.S. Since we had to move the entire basket for 3.5-inch devices, the card reader also moved. Therefore, the front panel simply refused to fit into place, and it is necessary to make holes for the free flow of air and its exit through the radiator and the side cover. We will talk about this in the next article.

A water cooling system for a computer can most effectively eliminate the problem of excessive heating of the central processor.

Such a device does not have a strictly defined structure. It can vary and consist of different structures at once.

The essence of a liquid cooling system

In all cases, a computer's liquid cooling system consists of a combination of the following types of circuits:

  • Scheme with parallel connection of nodes that are cooled (parallel operation scheme). The advantages of such a structure: simple implementation of the circuit, easily calculated characteristics of the nodes that need to be cooled;
  • Sequential block diagram - all cooled components are connected to each other in parallel. The advantages of this scheme are that the cooling of each of the nodes is more efficient.
    Disadvantage: it is quite difficult to direct a sufficient amount of refrigerant to a specific unit;
  • Combined schemes. They are more complex, as they contain several elements with both parallel and serial connections.

Components

In order for the CPU to cool quickly and efficiently, each cooler must have the following elements:

  1. Heat exchanger– this element heats up, absorbing the heat of the central processor. Before using again, wait until the heat exchanger has completely cooled down;
  2. Water pump– liquid storage tank;
  3. Multiple pipelines;
  4. Adapters between units and pipelines;
  5. Expansion tank– designed to provide the necessary space for the heat exchanger expanding during the heating process;
  6. Coolant filling the system– an element that fills the entire structure with liquid: distilled water or a specialized liquid for water treatment;
  7. Water blocks– heat sinks for those elements that generate heat.

Note! The liquid cooling system is low noise compared to fans. Some noise is still present, since its coefficient cannot be zero.

The best water cooling systems for a computer

The main purpose of PC cooling systems is to ensure uninterrupted and stable operation of the computer itself and create normal conditions for its user, which implies a minimum of noise during operation.

These devices remove heat from elements such as the processor and power supply, preventing them from overheating and subsequent failure.

There are 2 options for the cooling system - passive and active. The second type, in turn, is divided into air, suitable for ordinary PCs, and water, which is required for systems with very powerful or overclocked processors.

Liquid cooling is characterized by its small size, low noise level and high heat dissipation efficiency, which makes it very popular.

To select such a system, you should consider some nuances, including:

  • Price;
  • Compatible with processors or video cards;
  • Cooling parameters.

Below is a list of the most popular water cooling systems from the popular online catalog Yandex Market.

List of popular water cooling systems from market.yandex.ru/catalog/55321.

The original-looking DeepCool Captain 240 is equipped with two branded black and red fans with notches on the blades. Each impeller is capable of rotating at speeds of up to 2200 rpm, creating noise of no more than 39 dB.

At the same time, the system has a splitter that allows you to install 2 more fans. The service life, which is guaranteed by the manufacturer, is about 120 thousand hours.

The system weight, suitable for both AMD and Intel processors, is 1,183 kg.

The approximate cost of the device is from 5,500 rubles.

The relatively new Liquid Freezer 240 video card cooling system, which went on sale at the end of last year, can be called universal, since it is suitable for most modern processors, creating a noise level of no more than 30 dB during operation.

The rotation speed of the blades of each of the 4 fans is up to 1350 rpm, the system weight is 1.224 kg. The main advantage is a reduction in processor temperature by 40–50 degrees, and the only disadvantage is its bulky size.

Buying such a gadget will cost 6,000 rubles.

The efficient cooling system of the entire Nepton 140XL system unit is distinguished by the increased size of the radiator and hoses, as well as the serial rather than parallel arrangement of two fans.

Thanks to the presence of a 140 mm JetFlo fan, a large contact area between the liquid and the heat sink and the high quality of processing of the latter, it cools fairly powerful processors, including even those that have been overclocked to increase performance.

At the same time, the operational life of the device, compatible with processors such as Intel (S775, S1150, S1356, S2011) and AMD (AM2, AM3, FM2), reaches 160 thousand hours. The maximum rotation speed of the blades is 2000 rpm, the weight is 1.323 kg, and the noise during operation does not exceed 39 dB.

You can purchase such a system online for a price starting from 6,200 rubles.

The Maelstrom 240T system, designed for Intel 1150–1156, S1356/1366 and S2011 processors, as well as AMD FM2, AM2 and AM3, is distinguished by blue fan lighting, which allows not only cooling the computer, but also modding it.

The service life of the device is within 120 thousand hours, weight is 1100 g, noise level is up to 34 dB.

You can buy the device on the Internet for 4400–4800 rubles.

The Corsair H100i GTX is a universal and fairly simple-to-design system that is used to cool most AMD and Intel processors released over the past few years.

The weight of the assembled equipment is 900 g, the noise level is about 38 dB, and the fan rotation force is up to 2435 rpm.

The average cost of a card online is about 10 thousand rubles.

A special feature of using the Cooler Master Seidon 120V system is the ability to install it both inside and outside the case. At the same time, fans rotating at speeds of up to 2400 rpm operate very quietly - with a noise level of up to 27 dB.

Device compatibility – modern Intel and AMD processors (up to LGA1150 and Socket AM3, respectively). The system weighs only 958 g and is capable of operating for 160 thousand hours.

Purchase is possible at a price of 3,600 rubles.

DIY cooling system

The processor cooling system can be purchased ready-made. However, due to the rather high cost of the device and the not always sufficient efficiency of the proposed models, it is possible to do it yourself and at home.

The resulting system will not be as attractive in appearance, but quite effective in operation.

To make your own system, you should do the following:

  • Waterblock;
  • Radiator;
  • Pump.

It is unlikely that it will be possible to replicate the design of most commercially produced air defense systems. However, if you understand a little about computers and thermodynamics, you can try to make something similar, if not in appearance, then at least in principle of operation.

Making a water block

The main part of the system, which accounts for the maximum heat generated by the processor, is the most difficult to manufacture.

To begin with, the material of the device is selected - usually sheet copper. Then you should decide on the dimensions - as a rule, a 7x7 cm block with a thickness of about 5 mm is sufficient for cooling.

The geometric shape of the device is taken such that the liquid inside washes all elements of the cooled structure as efficiently as possible.

You can choose, for example, a copper plate as the base of the water block, and the working structure can be made from thin-walled copper tubes. The number of tubes in the example is assumed to be 32 pcs.

Assembly is carried out using solder and an electric oven heated to a temperature of 200 degrees. After this, they begin to manufacture the next part - the radiator.

Radiator

Most often, this device is chosen ready-made, rather than made at home. You can find and purchase such a radiator either at a computer store or at a car dealership.

However, it is possible to independently create the necessary element of the SVO from the following items:

  • 4 copper tubes with a diameter of 0.3 cm and a length of 17 cm;
  • 18 meters of copper winding wire (d = 1.2 mm);
  • Any sheet metal about 4 mm thick.

The tubes are processed with solder, a mandrel 4–5 cm wide and up to 20 cm long is made from metal. Holes are drilled into it, where the wire is inserted. Now the wire is wound around the winding.

The process is repeated three times, obtaining the same number of identical spirals.

The assembly of spirals and tubes begins by first making the frame. Then a wire is pulled over it. The final step is to connect the frame to the input and output manifolds of the system. The result is a part that looks like this:

Pump and other parts

A similar device intended for aquariums can be used as a pump. A device with a capacity of 300–400 l/min will be sufficient.

It is equipped with an expansion tank (tightly closing plastic container) and a PVC hose with feed-through pipes made from scrap metal (copper) pipes.

Assembly

Before assembling and installing the system, you must remove the factory device installed on the processor. Now you need:

  • Secure the water block on top of the cooled part using a clamping bar;
  • Fill the system with distilled water;
  • Attach the radiator to the inner surface of the computer cover (opposite the holes). If there are no ventilation holes, you should make them yourself.

The final step should be to first attach the fan to the processor (on top of the water block). Finally, it is necessary to provide power to the pump by installing its operating relay inside the power supply.

The result is a hand-made water cooling system that quite effectively reduces the processor temperature by 25–35 degrees. At the same time, funds are saved that could have been spent on purchasing expensive equipment.

Thematic videos:

How to Install a Water Cooling System on a Corsair H100i CPU

Computer water cooling system - Detailed description

DIY water cooling system

You can assemble a water cooling system for your computer with your own hands. Water cooling - SVO will help you assemble a silent and stable system for any purpose. Whether it's a gaming computer or a work one.

How to properly organize cooling in a gaming computer

The use of even the most efficient coolers may be useless if the air ventilation system in the computer case is poorly thought out. Therefore, correct installation of fans and components is a mandatory requirement when assembling a system unit. Let's explore this issue using the example of one high-performance gaming PC

⇣ Contents

This article is a continuation of a series of introductory materials on assembling system units. If you remember, last year a step-by-step instruction was published, which described in detail all the main points for creating and testing a PC. However, as often happens, when assembling a system unit, nuances play an important role. In particular, proper installation of fans in the case will increase the efficiency of all cooling systems and also reduce the heating of the main components of the computer. It is this question that is discussed further in the article.

I warn you right away that the experiment was carried out on the basis of one standard assembly using an ATX motherboard and a Midi-Tower form factor case. The option presented in the article is considered the most common, although we all know very well that computers are different, and therefore systems with the same level of performance can be assembled in dozens (if not hundreds) of different ways. That is why the results presented are relevant exclusively for the configuration considered. Judge for yourself: computer cases, even within the same form factor, have different volumes and number of seats for installing fans, and video cards, even using the same GPU, are assembled on printed circuit boards of different lengths and are equipped with coolers with different numbers of heat pipes and fans. And yet, our small experiment will allow us to draw certain conclusions.

An important “part” of the system unit was the Core i7-8700K central processor. There is a detailed review of this six-core processor, so I won’t repeat it again. I will only note that cooling a flagship for the LGA1151-v2 platform is a difficult task even for the most efficient coolers and liquid cooling systems.

The system was equipped with 16 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM. The Windows 10 operating system was recorded on a Western Digital WDS100T1B0A solid state drive. You can find a review of this SSD.

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X TRIO

The MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X TRIO video card, as the name suggests, is equipped with a TRI-FROZR cooler with three TORX 2.0 fans. According to the manufacturer, these impellers create 22% more powerful airflow while remaining virtually silent. Low volume, as stated on the official MSI website, is also ensured by the use of double-row bearings. I note that the radiator of the cooling system, and its fins are made in the form of waves. According to the manufacturer, this design increases the total dispersion area by 10%. The radiator also comes into contact with the elements of the power subsystem. MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X TRIO memory chips are additionally cooled with a special plate.

The accelerator fans begin to rotate only at the moment when the chip temperature reaches 60 degrees Celsius. On an open bench, the maximum GPU temperature was only 67 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the cooling system fans spun up by a maximum of 47% - this is approximately 1250 rpm. The actual GPU frequency in default mode remained stable at 1962 MHz. As you can see, the MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X TRIO has a decent factory overclock.

The adapter is equipped with a massive backplate, increasing the rigidity of the structure. The back of the graphics card has an L-shaped strip with built-in Mystic Light LED lighting. Using the application of the same name, the user can separately configure three glow zones. In addition, the fans are framed by two rows of symmetrical lights in the shape of dragon claws.

According to the technical specifications, the MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X TRIO has three operating modes: Silent Mode - 1480 (1582) MHz core and 11016 MHz memory; Gaming Mode - 1544 (1657) core and 11016 MHz memory; OC Mode - 1569 (1683) MHz for the core and 11124 MHz for the memory. By default, the video card has gaming mode activated.

You can get acquainted with the performance level of the reference GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. The MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z was also released on our website. This graphics adapter is also equipped with a TRI-FROZR cooling system.

The assembly is based on the MSI Z370 GAMING M5 motherboard of the ATX form factor. This is a slightly modified version of the MSI Z270 GAMING M5 board, which was released on our website last spring. The device is perfect for overclockable Coffee Lake K-processors, since the digitally controlled power converter Digitall Power consists of five double phases implemented in a 4+1 scheme. Four channels are directly responsible for the operation of the CPU, another one is for the integrated graphics.

All power circuit components comply with the Military Class 6 standard - this includes both titanium core chokes and Dark CAP capacitors with at least a ten-year service life, as well as energy-efficient Dark Choke coils. And the DIMM slots for installing RAM and PEG ports for installing video cards are clad in a metallized Steel Armor case, and also have additional solder points on the back of the board. Additional track insulation is used for the RAM, and each memory channel is located in its own PCB layer, which, according to the manufacturer, allows for a cleaner signal and increases the stability of overclocking DDR4 modules.

One useful thing to note is the presence of two M.2 format connectors, which support the installation of PCI Express and SATA 6 Gb/s drives. The top port can accommodate SSDs up to 110 mm long, and the bottom port up to 80 mm. The second port is additionally equipped with a metal M.2 Shield heatsink, which is in contact with the drive using a thermal pad.

The wired connection in the MSI Z370 GAMING M5 is handled by the Killer E2500 gigabit controller, and the sound is provided by the Realtek 1220 chip. The Audio Boost 4 audio path features Chemi-Con capacitors, a paired headphone amplifier with a resistance of up to 600 Ohms, a front dedicated audio output and gold-plated audio connectors. All components of the sound zone are isolated from the rest of the board elements by a non-conductive strip with backlight.

The Mystic Light motherboard backlight supports 16.8 million colors and operates in 17 modes. You can connect an RGB strip to the motherboard; the corresponding 4-pin connector is soldered at the bottom of the board. By the way, the device comes with an 800 mm extension cord with a splitter for connecting an additional LED strip.

The board is equipped with six 4-pin fan connectors. The total quantity is selected optimally, as is the location. The PUMP_FAN port, soldered next to the DIMM, supports the connection of impellers or a pump with a current of up to 2 A. The location is again very good, since it is easy to connect a pump to this connector from both a maintenance-free life-support system and a custom system assembled by hand. The system deftly controls even “Carlson” cars with a 3-pin connector. The frequency is adjustable both in terms of revolutions per minute and voltage. It is possible to completely stop the fans.

Finally, I’ll note two more very useful features of the MSI Z370 GAMING M5. The first is the presence of a POST signal indicator. The second is the EZ Debug LED block located next to the PUMP_FAN connector. It clearly demonstrates at what stage the system is loaded: at the initialization stage of the processor, RAM, video card or storage device.

The choice of Thermaltake Core X31 was not accidental. Here is a Tower case that meets all modern trends. The power supply is installed from below and is insulated with a metal curtain. There is a basket for installing three drives of form factors 2.5’’ and 3.5’’, however, HDD and SSD can be mounted on the barrier wall. There is a basket for two 5.25-inch devices. Without them, nine 120mm or 140mm fans can be installed in the case. As you can see, Thermaltake Core X31 allows you to completely customize the system. For example, on the basis of this case it is quite possible to assemble a PC with two 360 mm radiators.

The device turned out to be very spacious. There is plenty of space behind the chassis for cable management. Even with careless assembly, the side cover will close easily. The space for hardware allows the use of processor coolers up to 180 mm in height, video cards up to 420 mm in length and power supplies up to 220 mm in length.

The bottom and front panel are equipped with dust filters. The top cover is equipped with a mesh mat, which also limits dust from getting inside and makes it easier to install case fans and water cooling systems.

If you bought a powerful new computer, it will consume quite a lot of electricity and also make loud noise, which is a very unpleasant and very significant drawback. Quite bulky system units (for air circulation), with large coolers, in this case are not the best option, so today we will tell you about an alternative option - water cooling for a computer (specifically about its types, features and, of course, advantages) .

Why is water cooling necessary?!
As we have already said, conventional computer fans create a lot of noise, and in addition, even despite their high power, they are not able to rationally remove heat generated by computer components from the system unit, which in itself increases the risk of failure, any element from overheating.

Under these conditions, manufacturers turned their attention to liquid cooling systems for computer parts. A check of many such systems generally shows that a liquid computer cooling system has a right to exist due to a number of indicators that distinguish it favorably from an air system.

Advantages and operating principles of water cooling

Water cooling does not require a large volume of the system unit in order to ensure better air circulation in the system unit itself. Among other things, it makes much less noise, which, by the way, is also an important factor for people who, for one reason or another, spend a lot of time at the computer. Any air system, even the highest quality, with all its advantages, during its operation continuously creates an air flow that circulates throughout the entire system unit, in any case increases the noise in the room, and for many users a low noise level is important, since The constant hum is very annoying and annoying. The software independently regulates the pressure of the fluid flow in the system, depending on the intensity of heat generation from the processor and other computer components. That is, the system can automatically increase or decrease the efficiency of heat dissipation, which provides continuous and accurate temperature control of any individual element (be it a processor, video card or hard drive), and throughout the entire space of the system unit. Thus, the use of liquid cooling also eliminates the drawback of any air system, when computer parts are cooled primarily by air from the system unit, which is continuously heated by the same parts and does not have time to be removed outside the unit in a timely manner. With liquid such problems are excluded. Such a system is able to cope with its tasks much more efficiently than any air cooling.

Also, in addition to the high noise level, air cooling of a computer leads to a large accumulation of dust: both on the cooler fans themselves and on other components. In turn, this has a very negative impact both on the air in the room (when a stream of air containing dust comes out of the system unit), and on the performance of all components on which all the dust settles.

Types of water cooling by cooling location


  • Of greatest importance in any such system is CPU heatsink. Compared to traditional coolers, a processor radiator with two tubes connected to it (one for the liquid inlet, the other for the outlet) looks very compact. This is especially pleasing, because the cooling efficiency of such a radiator is clearly superior to any cooler.

  • Graphics chips of video cards They are cooled in the same way as processors (in parallel with them), only the radiators for them are smaller.

  • Liquid cooling is no less efficient hard drive. For this purpose, very thin water radiators have been developed, which are attached to the upper plane of the hard drive and, thanks to the largest possible contact area, provide good heat dissipation, which is impossible with conventional airflow.

The reliability of the entire water system depends most of all on the pump (pumping pump): stopping the circulation of liquid will instantly cause a drop in cooling efficiency to almost zero.

Liquid cooling systems are divided into two types: those with a pump, and those without it - pumpless systems.

Type 1: liquid cooling systems with pump
There are two types of pumps: those that have their own sealed housing, and those that are simply immersed in a reservoir of coolant. Those that have their own sealed housing are certainly more expensive, but also much more reliable than those immersed in liquid. All liquid used in the system is cooled in a heat exchanger radiator, to which a low-speed cooler is attached, creating an air flow that cools the liquid flowing in the curved radiator tubes. The cooler never develops a high rotation speed and therefore the noise from the entire system is much less than from powerful coolers used in air cooling.

Type 2: pumpless systems
As the name implies, they do not have any mechanical supercharger (i.e. pump). The circulation of the liquid is carried out using the evaporator principle, which creates a directed pressure that moves the coolant. A liquid (with a low boiling point) continuously turns into steam when heated to a certain temperature, and steam turns into a liquid when it enters the radiator of the condenser-heat exchanger. Only the heat generated by the cooled element causes the liquid to move. The advantages of these systems include: compactness, simplicity and low cost, since there is no pump; minimum moving mechanical parts – ensures low noise levels and a low likelihood of mechanical breakdowns. Now about the disadvantages of this type of computer water cooling. The efficiency and power of such systems is significantly lower than that of pump-action systems; the gas phase of the substance is used, which means that high tightness of the structure is needed, because any leak will lead to the system immediately losing pressure and, as a result, becoming inoperable. Moreover, it will be very difficult to notice and correct this.

Is it worth installing water cooling on your computer?

The advantages of this type of liquid cooling are: high efficiency, small size of computer chip radiators, the possibility of parallel cooling of several devices at once and low noise level - in any case, lower than the noise from a powerful cooler of any air system. Actually, all this explains that laptop manufacturers were among the first to use liquid cooling. Their only drawback, perhaps, is the difficulty of installation in system units that were originally designed for air systems. This, of course, does not make installing such a system on your computer impossible, it will just be associated with certain difficulties.

It is likely that after some time in computer technology there will be a transition from air cooling systems to liquid systems, because apart from the difficulties in installing such structures on today’s system unit cases, they do not have any other fundamental disadvantages, and their advantages over air cooling very, very significant. With the advent of suitable cases for system units on the market, the popularity of these systems is likely to grow steadily.

Thus, the site’s experts have nothing against these cooling systems, but on the contrary, they advise giving preference to them if circumstances require it. Only when choosing this or that system you don’t need to save money so as not to get into trouble. Cheap water cooling systems have poor cooling quality and a fairly high noise level, which is why, when deciding to install water cooling, expect a fairly high amount of waste.