Original posted on Fastsilicon.com and reprinted with permission. Written By: Kevin Jamieson and edited by Nigel Woodford

Introduction

As time goes on processors are becoming faster, thus producing more heat. Companies are constantly working on new tactics towards cooling CPU?s and other heat producing components inside the computer system. Most computer enthusiasts overclock their processors. Overclocking allows the user to squeeze every last bit of performance from the CPU. Unfortunately overclocking does have a nasty side effect; even more heat is generated!

The traditional heatsink is the preferred choice for most enthusiasts, but some enthusiasts take a more drastic approach to cooling. One of the more preferred extreme cooling solutions is Watercooling. There are other means of extreme cooling including phase change and liquid nitrogen. In this guide we will focus on Watercooling.

There are some retail kits for sale that can be deceiving. These kits might look good but more often than not they use cheap parts and perform poorly. Some companies use small diameter tubing and cheap, failure prone pumps. It wouldn't be that bad except for the fact that these kits sell for hundreds of dollars. Making your own Watercooling setup is much cheaper and in most cases better performing than any kit. Also, it is more fun and you gain a sense of accomplishment when building and setting up your own Watercooling system.

Most people are scared off by the idea of Watercooling because they?re scared to put water in their computer. As we all know, electronics and water do not mix. But, as long as you do your research and know what you?re doing, you won?t have a problem.

The Basics

With air-cooling, the CPU produces heat, the heatsink absorbs the heat, and a fan will usually blow on the heatsink cooling off the heatsink. Heatsinks are usually made of aluminum or copper. The problem with heatsinks is that they are usually loud and inefficient. (The extremely loud Delta fans for example). The reason fans are inefficient is because of the fan hub, where the fins attach to the center. The fan hub is a dead zone for air. This dead zone is usually located directly over the CPU core so the most important part of the heatsink is not cooled.

Watercooling is the best of both worlds. It?s quiet and performs very well. Unfortunately, it comes at a cost. The cheapest Watercooling system might equate to the most expensive air-cooling system. A Watercooling setup usually has three basic parts; a pump, a waterblock, and a heat transfer device. Some sort of tubing connects all these components to make a complete loop. The heat transfer device can be many things but most of the time a radiator is used. The basic idea of the device is to transfer the heat from the water to the air where it can then be dissipated. This will be covered in more detail later.

There are two basic designs with Watercooling. One of the more preferred methods is called ?inline?. This is when the pump is in the open air and not in a reservoir. Inline is usually harder to fill because you either need a fill tube or submerge the entire cooling system before installation. One of the big problems with inline is that if the system is not filled correctly you?ll have to bleed the system, meaning you have to get all the air bubbles out of the system which is a long and tedious process. To make the fill process easier, some people add a reservoir before the pump. The other kind of design is where the pump is inside a reservoir. This option is usually more bulky but it is very easy to fill and maintain.

One major concern with Watercooling is safety. It really all depends how well you build the system and the quality of the parts you use. For your first build I recommend you do not build your own waterblock and buy everything from retailers. You can always make your own waterblock and install it later. Kits can be safer to use because they supply you with all the necessary equipment and simple instructions.