liquid cooling radiators
liquid cooling radiators
Neither XSPC nor EKWB radiators are known for superior quality compared to each other. I noticed some poor-quality images of Alphacool radiators on Amazon, with fins that appeared bent and soldered hastily. For a 360mm rad, the EKWB model with dual pass seems more appealing.
I just messaged rubix_1011 and asked him. He can explain almost anything you're curious about regarding liquid cooling, particularly custom loops. That's his main area of expertise and he's always willing to help with questions.
Thanks, I'll send him a message.
While checking my own review, the lights came on, and I visited Amazon to look for similar complaints about the radiator—found nothing concerning to pay attention to.
I've worked with radiators from each of these makers for nearly 17 years. I haven't encountered any problems with their build quality or manufacturing, which includes almost 40 radiators over time for various builds both for my own systems and others'. However, I do test large air cooling units, AIO liquid cooling systems, and most of the bigger watercooling kits that appear in cooling reviews. So if you see those, it's likely they belong to me. The big 3x140mm Alphacool radiator from the Alpahcool Eissturm Copper 45 kit I recently reviewed was perfect and massive.
thanks for the response
HAS anyone ever thought or tried removing the black coating on the radiators? We worked or tested anodized aluminum vs un-anodized alum in terms of heat transference, and found the anodizing sealed the surface and impeded heat transfer, i assume the same would be true with copper, and possibly even worse as i don't think there's a surface finish to turn copper black, which means they used paint - in fact, one of those websites indicated their rads were painted black.
Just an idea
Most radiators are not anodized; they are simply painted. This would mainly affect the tubes and fins, which usually receive only a light coat, while the core shroud and casing get more paint. Heat transfer occurs at the fin/tube level, so as long as the coating is minimal, there should be little to no thermal insulation barrier—though results may vary.
Most radiators are made from brass with either brass tubes or copper tubes, and often feature copper fins, though some use aluminum. Aluminum fins are acceptable because they don’t touch the coolant. High-quality models typically combine brass and copper for better performance.
If you're keen to compare thermal efficiency, you could test a radiator by applying paint, then soaking it in stripper, cleaning, and retesting without paint. I have the tools for such an experiment, but I wouldn’t want to risk a radiator. It seems like a straightforward project if we really wanted to explore it.
after i posted i experimented with choosing any radiator and sending it to their cleaning vat at the local shop. But then the thought came up—why use paint when we can just let it sit in the vat? The purpose of the paint is to prevent the copper from corroding and turning green over time, especially in a heated interior space, which would affect heat transfer. It seems the best option is to leave it as is.
So, I'll simply state this right away, and most of you already understand it. I'm not someone who prefers liquid cooling; it's not really my thing, and that's fine. It's perfectly acceptable that others do, and I've built some for those who requested them. Still, I do a lot of plumbing work—both residential and commercial—using copper, PVC, and dealing with older systems. There are cases where you end up with mixed metals in the same circuit, which we all know can lead to galvanic corrosion over time. We try our best to minimize it whenever possible.
Sometimes it's not feasible because the pipes include lead, clay, black iron, or steel that were part of the original installation and are embedded in concrete through the foundation or other parts of the property. These are usually the ones showing visible signs of galvanic corrosion, like the green scaling and discoloration you mentioned. If you notice it on the exterior, it's often a sign of more serious internal issues.
These loops usually have additives to prevent such reactions. And since we can generally control the metals used in the loop, it's less likely to see problems from the outside. I've used many exposed copper heat pipe air coolers over the years that contain liquid agents inside the heat pipes for heat transfer. None of them have ever shown signs of galvanic corrosion or discoloration.
I believe as long as you keep the loop clean and refresh it regularly to ensure the additives remain effective, and use similar or compatible metals, such issues should be rare. I've had tens of feet of copper pipe in my garage rafters for years, and they still look just like new. They're stored in a humid environment, but I doubt any moisture inside your setup could affect them significantly.