Quick question about coolant for water coolers.

[JC316]

Swiftech shipped me a new pump, but no coolant, so I am wondering what to do. I mean, I have antifreeze for my car, but the bad idea light keeps coming on in my head when I think of it :laugh:

I could always use just water, but I think that that could be bad as well, so help is needed.

[MKmods]

I use Fluid XP Ultra.
http://www.fluidxp.com/

Here is a link full of good H20 info
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=52032

[intel igent]

save your money and use what was originally in the kit hydrx + distilled ;)

or if yu want to save more use distilled + antifreeze, mixed 90/10

sorry to say but stuff like fluidXP is a waste. IMO

[MKmods]

save your money and use what was originally in the kit hydrx + distilled ;)
or if yu want to save more use distilled + antifreeze, mixed 90/10
sorry to say but stuff like fluidXP is a waste. IMO

Careful about saying things like "a waste". To me it works well and I use it in all my H20 loops.
The benefit it provides me is well worth the price.

As you get older priority's change and using bad chemicals like ethelyne glycol (anti freeze) are things I try to stay away from.

[asb2106]

I use Fesser One fluids here (http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/coolantdyes.html). They are great fluids, I also have all the dyes and a few of the corrosion blockers if I want to do my own color! the dyes are like 8 bucks so i bought 10 of em and 3 corrosion blockers a year ago. It has been great to me, the water never gets milky, doesnt foam up, just works great

[intel igent]

Careful about saying things like "a waste". To me it works well and I use it in all my H20 loops.
The benefit it provides me is well worth the price.

As you get older priority's change and using bad chemicals like ethelyne glycol (anti freeze) are things I try to stay away from.

thats why i said IMO ;)

and exactly what benefit do YOU get from using fluid XP?

AFAIK there is NO benefit using it other than it maybe being non-toxic

[MKmods]

it cools well for me,
allows me to chill the liquid to below 0Deg
helps prevent shorts (on several occasions for me when I spilled it on the mobo)
allows me to use mixed metal blocks,rads
I love their clear UV liquid (prevents staining the lines )

And there is that wont poison kids or animals thing..

lol, IMO

And asb2106, if ur gonna use fesser may as well do like intel agent said and just mix antifreeze (thats all fesser does)

[intel igent]

1)it cools well for me,
2)allows me to chill the liquid to below 0Deg
3)helps prevent shorts (on several occasions for me when I spilled it on the mobo)
4)allows me to use mixed metal blocks,rads
5)wont poison kids or animals thing..


1)nothing transfers heat better than pure distilled water. these fluids WILL give you slightly higher temps.

2)in order for you to chill a liquid below 0 you would NEED some form of glycol or alcohol

3)these fluids WILL become coductive when in use they do not remain non-conductive.

4)shouldnt be using mixed metals in the first place BUT you can achieve same results with glycol

5)ill beleive that when they test it in front of me by drinking it or feeding it to their cat.

IMHO these fluids for the most part are unnecessary and are simply a marketing gimick

what do they cost per litre $18-$30 no thanks you can keep em.

you want coloured water? use food colouring

you want U/V? buy primoflex hose

to me they just have these producs to prey on the "n00bs" to make quick/extra cash

:toast:

[Steevo]

1) Water with a density + wetting additive will transfer heat better. IE Water wetter or the likes.
2) Corrosion makes quick work of unprotected systems.
3) Glycol is not a protector of metals, it is sugar and a insulator.

[intel igent]

1) Water with a density + wetting additive will transfer heat better. IE Water wetter or the likes.
2) Corrosion makes quick work of unprotected systems.
3) Glycol is not a protector of metals, it is sugar and a insulator.

1) this is a PC not a car ;)
2)absolutely right
3)remove glycol and add automotive antifreeze (which contains glycol)

:toast:

[mrw1986]

I'd go with FluidXP. MKMods just seems smarter.

[AddSub]

I used car antifreeze for long time in my old loop with no ill effects. The standard green stuff (ethylene glycol). I ran a 80% water and 20% AF mix. I simply didn't have any original red antifreeze that came with my WC setup. Red stuff was really just propylene glycol, a slightly less toxic version of ethylene glycol (comparatively speaking).

Anyways, don't waste your money on these exotic cooling solutions, good old ethylene glycol, car antifreeze that is, will work just fine.

As for a 100% water setup, I wouldn't recommend it. It might give you slightly better temps due to lower viscosity of such setups but 1C worth of difference at the most is not worth dealing with rusting blocks and algae, something that 100% water setups can bring about.

[intel igent]

I'd go with FluidXP. MKMods just seems smarter.

be carefull with comments like that.

i dont post to make myself look smarter or to discredit someone else, i post what ive seen and what i know (facts) in the hopes that we ALL may benefit.

i dont go for flamebait. SORRY

:toast:

[mrw1986]

be carefull with comments like that.

i dont post to make myself look smarter or to discredit someone else, i post what ive seen and what i know (facts) in the hopes that we ALL may benefit.

i dont go for flamebait. SORRY

:toast:

I understand that, but you've been called out on several occassions as a "know-it-all" and when you blatantly just disregard somebody elses opinion/facts in favor of your own I think it deserves to be called out. Obviously people have had different experiences with different coolants meaning your opinion isn't exactly the correct one.

[intel igent]

I understand that, but you've been called out on several occassions as a "know-it-all" and when you blatantly just disregard somebody elses opinion/facts in favor of your own I think it deserves to be called out. Obviously people have had different experiences with different coolants meaning your opinion isn't exactly the correct one.

you can "call me out" all ya want :laugh: :laugh::laugh:

i dont claim to be anything; it is you who have placed a monicker on me.

i know what i know, and i know what ive seen and what ive read, which is quite a bit (just dont get technical on me :laugh: )

that is fine if you or anyone else wants to use those cooling fluids but they are not necessary and definately not worth the money. IMO

i apologize to anyone if i have offended them as it was not my intention.

NO ONE LEARNS WITH FLAMES

:toast:

[erocker]

I'd go with FluidXP. MKMods just seems smarter.

It's also called flaming/inciting an argument. This is a warning for you. Both MkMods and Intel Agent are extremely intelligent capable human beings who can agree to disagree and what works better. I suggest you stay out of any discussions unless you have something to actually provide to it.

[Silverel]

I think the issue is the way you post your opinions makes them seem like hard facts, until you add in the staple "imo" at the end of them. On a psychological level, the last "imo" is dropped off due to the force that you use in stating these opinions in the first place. Tread lightly with opinions, tis all they really are.

[erocker]

Ok then, back on topic please.

[asb2106]

I think the issue is the way you post your opinions makes them seem like hard facts, until you add in the staple "imo" at the end of them. On a psychological level, the last "imo" is dropped off due to the force that you use in stating these opinions in the first place. Tread lightly with opinions, tis all they really are.

thats the point of the thread though, is to ask our opinions. Obviously there is gonna be lots of different ones.... There are tons of products out there for it, so everyone is gonna take a liking to their own thing.

and if "IMO" is there, dont psychologically drop it off.

I used to take intel_igent's posts seriously, but it was dumb. Thats how he states his opinion. He knows his stuff, leave it at that

Ok then, back on topic please.

sorry....

I have used many different additives, but I have come down to just using dis. water with corrosion blocker and a dye. It works great and doesnt stain or get milky and foam

[intel igent]

I think the issue is the way you post your opinions makes them seem like hard facts, until you add in the staple "imo" at the end of them. On a psychological level, the last "imo" is dropped off due to the force that you use in stating these opinions in the first place. Tread lightly with opinions, tis all they really are.

unfortunately my opinions are based on facts and im not going to take the time to cipher through 4/5 different forums/subforums and countless #'s of posts to link you to something that i already know just to prove a point.

like i said i apologize if i offended anyone and if i came across in a harsh/combative manner it was not and IS NOT my intention.

@ silverel : ive been "treading" here at TPU just fine for many years bud ;)

:toast:

[calvary1980]

I use my own. 75% Distilled Water 15% Water Wetter, 10% UV additive (optional)

if you plan on using water wetter make sure you have quality medical grade tubing like Tygon, dont use Clear Flex or Masterkleer or you risk corrosion, also change it out every six months.

I wouldn't recommend any branded coolants.

- Christine

[mrw1986]

I use PC ICE - I've never had a problem with it and it saved my components when I spilled some on my mobo. Also my temps are better with it than with distilled water.

:toast:

[intel igent]

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1779456&postcount=1

check out the coolant part #'s 3 + 4 IIRC

i could find more but im lazy and dont feel like searching :p i was just puttering around @ Xs so i linked it

:toast:

[DOM]

Watercooling Fluid Shootout (http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2008/02/16/watercooling_fluid_shootout/1)

[intel igent]

look @ his idle temps, where is he in the north pole? :rolleyes:

i dont trust that review for a minute, and im not one for marketing.

i do however trust statements by people like marci (thermochill), cathar(little river w/b) and billA(swiftech) to name a few ;)

:toast:

[mrw1986]

I trust that so far from every review I've read on coolants, that its a small difference in temperature. As far as I'm concerned any coolant you choose is the best choice. Its YOUR system and nobody elses. I'm a huge fan of PC Ice because of the colors as well as it helps lubricate my pump and is non-conductive. Yes there are naysayers, but to each his own. I'm sure some people here will have rebuttles to everything I just said, but remember, its your choice.

[DOM]

look @ his idle temps, where is he in the north pole? :rolleyes:

i dont trust that review for a minute, and im not one for marketing.

i do however trust statements by people like marci, cathar and billA to name a few ;)

:toast:LOL some ppl like it cold I would have it at 65F but baby well get cold and wife I like the cold :ohwell:

[panchoman]

im going to agree with mkmods on this matter. i like fluidxp because it is non conductive in essence. but with dust and other particles that enter into the fluid, it becomes slightly conductive, but not enough to fry less sensitive parts such as motherboards and video cards, and there are many videos of people testing the validity of the non conductive statement. HOWEVER, the minimal conductivity that the non conductive fluid gains over time is enough to fry a psu.

nothing transfers heat better than pure distilled water

distilled water with surfactants (found in water wetter, etc.) will actually have better heat transfer because surfactants decrease water's surface tension, allowing better heat transfer.

also,

http://www.modfatha.com/images/mod_photos/h20_additives/graph2.jpg
http://modfatha.com/benching-and-comparing-11-water-additives-2.html

someone went through the trouble of testing many different coolants, and danger den and fluidxp came out on top, with temperatures lower then distilled water. you do realize thats many many other substances that can transfer heat better then water?


ill beleive that when they test it in front of me by drinking it or feeding it to their cat. why not sacrifice your cat instead? :shadedshu

also, everything added to FluidXP is approved by the FDA as safe food based ingredients. on top of that at a ph of 7.4, its almost a neutral substance, as a pH of 7.0 is neutral.


my verdict: while home brew water wetter and antifreeze perform not that far from that of fluidxp, i would recommend fluidxp because it wont fry most components in your system, making it safer to use and its a worthwhile investment to your system, and on top of that its already mixed and ready to go and it looks excellent.

[panchoman]

I trust that so far from every review I've read on coolants, that its a small difference in temperature. As far as I'm concerned any coolant you choose is the best choice. Its YOUR system and nobody elses. I'm a huge fan of PC Ice because of the colors as well as it helps lubricate my pump and is non-conductive. Yes there are naysayers, but to each his own. I'm sure some people here will have rebuttles to everything I just said, but remember, its your choice.

i agree, minimal temp differences, it matter of preference as each coolant is a little different from the one next to it and feature different levels of anti-corrosion etc (the chat above)

[mrw1986]

im going to agree with mkmods on this matter. i like fluidxp because it is non conductive in essence. but with dust and other particles that enter into the fluid, it becomes slightly conductive, but not enough to fry less sensitive parts such as motherboards and video cards, and there are many videos of people testing the validity of the non conductive statement. HOWEVER, the minimal conductivity that the non conductive fluid gains over time is enough to fry a psu.



distilled water with surfactants (found in water wetter, etc.) will actually have better heat transfer because surfactants decrease water's surface tension, allowing better heat transfer.

also,

http://www.modfatha.com/images/mod_photos/h20_additives/graph2.jpg
http://modfatha.com/benching-and-comparing-11-water-additives-2.html

someone went through the trouble of testing many different coolants, and danger den and fluidxp came out on top, with temperatures lower then distilled water. you do realize thats many many other substances that can transfer heat better then water?


why not sacrifice your cat instead? :shadedshu

also, everything added to FluidXP is approved by the FDA as safe food based ingredients. on top of that at a ph of 7.4, its almost a neutral substance, as a pH of 7.0 is neutral.


my verdict: while home brew water wetter and antifreeze perform not that far from that of fluidxp, i would recommend fluidxp because it wont fry most components in your system, making it safer to use and its a worthwhile investment to your system, and on top of that its already mixed and ready to go and it looks excellent.

Awesome thanks for the info!

[intel igent]

panchoman i still retain my opinion. that review is rather meanigless to me because i have seen many that contradict it, run those coolants in your loop for one month then recheck the conductivity ;) they pick up ions from the copper/metals in the loop plus the dust as you mentioned. watter wetter doesnt work in W/C because there isnt enough heat generated by the loop to make it "work" and thats why nobody uses it anymore. i wasnt serious about giving the coolant to animals for testing what type of person do you think i am?

your pump doesnt need to be "lubricated" mrw1986, just dont run it without coolant ;)

@ domati : i like it cold too but DAMN his ambients must be like 10c :eek:

in the end it does come down to personal preferance/choice, i choose to save my money and not buy into the corporate hype. i think you guys should do a little more researching.

:toast:

[erocker]

No coolant is safe for your components, you are running a liquid through metal, the metal gets into the liquid and becomes conductive. Never let something like non-conductive anything get in the way of the safety of your components. Instead of going back and forth with these arguments based off of other peoples tests, why not try it out for youselves? It's just coolant, not very expensive.

[mrw1986]

No coolant is safe for your components, you are running a liquid through metal, the metal gets into the liquid and becomes conductive. Never let something like non-conductive anything get in the way of the safety of your components. Instead of going back and forth with these arguments based off of other peoples tests, why not try it out for youselves? It's just coolant, not very expensive.

Couldn't agree more, its not a waste of money if it works for you.

[panchoman]

erocker, you're correct, but the conductivity is so low that it doesn't really fry your components. take oil cooling for example, oil is non conductive, theres dust and metal all around the oil, you'll find the oil to be slightly conductive if you test it after you put it in your system. it doesn't mean that your system will get fried. non conductive coolant is the same way.
theres lots of testimonies and proof from trustable sources and people that have tested the coolant on pc parts and have had non conductive coolant leaks and not have damaged parts. mkmods here is an example of one of these people.

intel, you should stop starting opinions as facts and then when you're statements are disagreed upon, why do have to be so stubborn? i mean come on, this is what made so many people dislike trog and then he left because of all of the antitrogism.

[erocker]

No, it can and does fry your components. Not every time, but there are thousands who have ruined hardware doing it. Is there a point to any of this anymore?

[panchoman]

you're right man, no point in this, im done. sorry for crossing the line. i just wish people would be more open minded and accepting -_-

[intel igent]

erocker, you're correct, but the conductivity is so low that it doesn't really fry your components. take oil cooling for example, oil is non conductive, theres dust and metal all around the oil, you'll find the oil to be slightly conductive if you test it after you put it in your system. it doesn't mean that your system will get fried. non conductive coolant is the same way.
theres lots of testimonies and proof from trustable sources and people that have tested the coolant on pc parts and have had non conductive coolant leaks and not have damaged parts. mkmods here is an example of one of these people.

intel, you should stop starting opinions as facts and then when you're statements are disagreed upon, why do have to be so stubborn? i mean come on, this is what made so many people dislike trog and then he left because of all of the antitrogism.

dont tell me how to think. like i said i know what i know and i aint no corporate slave. i dont tell you how to think i just stated that these fluids are unnecessary IMO (and many others opinions) it is YOUR choice if you want to use the fluids or not.

i aint trog. you can antogonize me all you want. I LOVE IT :D

ive seen quite a few people complain how their "non-conductive" fluid leaked and fried their components, amongst reviews of them becoming as conductive as normal water after a short period of time while in use.

i think you should take some of your own advice and not get so bent out of shape when someones opinion differs from yours.

trog was right in saying "ignore the truth, follow the herd. life is easer and youll make more friends"

:toast:

[panchoman]

yeah but see, i aint trog and i dont follow his philosphy, i do follow the truth, and dont try to assimilate and be like everyone else. i agree that over time the conductivity of the non conductive coolant rises, but its still a safety measure that i think is worth the extra money for amatuars, and i've always been open minded towards what you've said too, and do believe that for people that know what they're doing, go ahead. i sway both ways, as both thinks are true, and one just needs to open his mind and consider both things and then decide which one, one needs to get. as urlyin once said, "shut your mouth and open your mind" there is enough information here for jc316 to make up his mind and make a good and informed decision and that was the goal of this thread, and i think it was been accomplished. therefore, i am done with this thread. i am not out to get anyone, as the saying goes, keep your friends closer, but keep your enemies the closest, and that is one of the many sayings i believe in and follow. as erocker said, whats the point of this? and hes got a point there too. im not here to fight, and i've said what i've needed to say, i'll let the folk that need this information make up this mind. i am done here.

[erocker]

you're right man, no point in this, im done. sorry for crossing the line. i just wish people would be more open minded and accepting -_-

I didn't say your crossed the line at all. It seems to me everyone here is getting bent out of shape. Agree to disagree, to each thier own, you all make good points just let yourselves and your ego's take a break.

[panchoman]

I didn't say your crossed the line at all.

i know, i just feel that i have personally. i like a good intellectual debate, but escalating it to a fight is just not what i want.

[mrw1986]

yeah but see, i aint trog and i dont follow his philosphy, i do follow the truth, and dont try to assimilate and be like everyone else. i agree that over time the conductivity of the non conductive coolant rises, but its still a safety measure that i think is worth the extra money for amatuars, and i've always been open minded towards what you've said too, and do believe that for people that know what they're doing, go ahead. i sway both ways, as both thinks are true, and one just needs to open his mind and consider both things and then decide which one, one needs to get. as urlyin once said, "shut your mouth and open your mind" there is enough information here for jc316 to make up his mind and make a good and informed decision and that was the goal of this thread, and i think it was been accomplished. therefore, i am done with this thread. i am not out to get anyone, as the saying goes, keep your friends closer, but keep your enemies the closest, and that is one of the many sayings i believe in and follow. as erocker said, whats the point of this? and hes got a point there too. im not here to fight, and i've said what i've needed to say, i'll let the folk that need this information make up this mind. i am done here.

Couldn't agree more. Its all in the eye of the beholder.

[intel igent]

i know, i just feel that i have personally. i like a good intellectual debate, but escalating it to a fight is just not what i want.

who exactly is fighting?

AFAIK this was an "intellectual debate" with differences of opinions :wtf: :confused:

i too am done with this thread.

good luck in your endeavours panchoman ;)

:toast:

[erocker]

Thanks for your undertanding guys. :toast: