I have an aquanaut atm and would be happy to compare the two at identical settings at some point
Production Modultra LOBO: Direct die kit gauging interest.
- Thread starter Alloy Craft
- Start date
I could definitely beta test this as well - my 5800X is kind of a worst-case scenario for the Aquanaut (at times seeing ~85°C under sustained loads at stock; 75°C with my current setup (Curve Optimizer -10, PBO +150, limited to 120W), so comparing this would be very interesting.
@Alloy Craft Count me in!
Also, regarding metals, galvanic corrosion may be a concern with stainless steel depending on the grade of steel. Copper, brass, nickle plated copper/brass, POM, and clear acrylic would be the safest choices. I'd love a solid copper version myself.
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Indeed, stainless sounds risky to me. I would actually prefer POM - looks good, lightweight, cheap and strong. And given how many times I've heard of nickel plating coming off in a loop, I would actually want bare copper for the base as well. I've run bare copper cold plates for years and years, and while they don't look pristine after a while, it doesn't matter whatsoever. Performance stays the same.@Alloy Craft Count me in!
Also, regarding metals, galvanic corrosion may be a concern with stainless steel depending on the grade of steel. Copper, brass, nickle plated copper/brass, POM, and clear acrylic would be the safest choices. I'd love a solid copper version myself.
Yes I am measuring flow. see my post with my testing results, I will post shortly. My last post has some errors, the barrow pump block had a bubble in the volute so it was under performing. The oring will force flow through the fin array and cause a larger pressure drop than a pump block that does not have one.
Flow testing is finished, I have benchmarked our block against the Barrow LTPRP-04 pump block for comparison sake. The Barrow uses the 17 watt SPB17 pump. This pump has a setting knob for pump speed, max flow tests were done at max speed of around 4700 RPM. I have also tested with the Laing DDC 3.1, I believe this is a 10 watt pump. This tachometer output on this pump was not working so pump speed is unknown. The setup was the same for both blocks and is shown below. The King flow meter was measuring around .1 GPM high, as comparted to the bucket fill test, so take that into account for all results below. From hence on I will refer to our block as the LOBO pump block, short for "low boy".
Test components:
1.5 meters of 10mm soft tube
Alphacool ST30 V2 240 X 120mm radiator
King instruments 75302117C04 .5-3.5 gallon/minute rotameter
4x Bitspower straight G1/4 barb fittings
2x 3/8 to 1in NPT fitting to connect King rotameter
Barrow LTPRP-04 pump block
In initial testing we had trouble getting a good purge on this pump block. This is understandable as the block has a complex labyrinth where air can be trapped. This is the reason for the low results from my earlier post. Initially we were getting slightly under 1 GPM (3.78 LPM) flow. After bleeding the block thoroughly the flow rate improved to around 1.4 GPM (5.29 LPM). We did this test 3 more times to verify, and test results were consistent even after removing and reinstalling the pump.
Barrow
LOBO pump block with SPB17 pump
Bleeding on our block was much easier due to the short flow path. just tilt the exit port up and air seemed to leave. Flow rate was measured at around 2 GPM ( 7.57 LPM) using the same setup as before. These results are impressive considering the LOBO uses an Oring that forces all flow through the fin array. Fin arrays are typically of high flow resistance as it is difficult for fluid to flow through the tightly arranged channels. If fluid is given a chance to bypass the fins it will do so. Water bypass will decrease your pressure drop, but it also means your heat transfer will suffer slightly, and this is why the LOBO uses an Oring. Noise on the LOBO was no more or less than the Barrow. Neither are exactly quiet at full pump speed. When the pump is dialed back to around 1 GPM (3.78 LPM) noise level is much lower. Most of the noise that can be heard on the video is the dc power supply I was using to power everything.
LOBO with SPB17 pump
LOBO pump block with Laing DDC 3.1 pump
The Laing DDC 3.1 performed very well. I did not expect this much flow from this little guy, and honestly it makes me wonder a little bit about the Barrow pump, being that it is a 17 watt pump and the Laing is only a 10 watt. Not sure what to make this so ill just post it. The Laing was the quieter of the two pumps.
LOBO pump block with Laing DDC 3.1 pump
Performance of the LOBO is very good, it has surpassed my expectations. Add to that its low form factor I think it is a go for moving forward with this product. As I talked about earlier I think a small beta test on these would be in order. I am looking for 6 or 7 beta testers that are willing to purchase a LOBO pump block at a discount for testing.
As for material, nickel plated brass is the clear winner. As stated earlier I will think Cerakote is going to be another option on block finish.
Test components:
1.5 meters of 10mm soft tube
Alphacool ST30 V2 240 X 120mm radiator
King instruments 75302117C04 .5-3.5 gallon/minute rotameter
4x Bitspower straight G1/4 barb fittings
2x 3/8 to 1in NPT fitting to connect King rotameter
Barrow LTPRP-04 pump block
In initial testing we had trouble getting a good purge on this pump block. This is understandable as the block has a complex labyrinth where air can be trapped. This is the reason for the low results from my earlier post. Initially we were getting slightly under 1 GPM (3.78 LPM) flow. After bleeding the block thoroughly the flow rate improved to around 1.4 GPM (5.29 LPM). We did this test 3 more times to verify, and test results were consistent even after removing and reinstalling the pump.
Barrow
LOBO pump block with SPB17 pump
Bleeding on our block was much easier due to the short flow path. just tilt the exit port up and air seemed to leave. Flow rate was measured at around 2 GPM ( 7.57 LPM) using the same setup as before. These results are impressive considering the LOBO uses an Oring that forces all flow through the fin array. Fin arrays are typically of high flow resistance as it is difficult for fluid to flow through the tightly arranged channels. If fluid is given a chance to bypass the fins it will do so. Water bypass will decrease your pressure drop, but it also means your heat transfer will suffer slightly, and this is why the LOBO uses an Oring. Noise on the LOBO was no more or less than the Barrow. Neither are exactly quiet at full pump speed. When the pump is dialed back to around 1 GPM (3.78 LPM) noise level is much lower. Most of the noise that can be heard on the video is the dc power supply I was using to power everything.
LOBO with SPB17 pump
LOBO pump block with Laing DDC 3.1 pump
The Laing DDC 3.1 performed very well. I did not expect this much flow from this little guy, and honestly it makes me wonder a little bit about the Barrow pump, being that it is a 17 watt pump and the Laing is only a 10 watt. Not sure what to make this so ill just post it. The Laing was the quieter of the two pumps.
LOBO pump block with Laing DDC 3.1 pump
Performance of the LOBO is very good, it has surpassed my expectations. Add to that its low form factor I think it is a go for moving forward with this product. As I talked about earlier I think a small beta test on these would be in order. I am looking for 6 or 7 beta testers that are willing to purchase a LOBO pump block at a discount for testing.
As for material, nickel plated brass is the clear winner. As stated earlier I will think Cerakote is going to be another option on block finish.
Hi @Alloy Craft , just dropping in to congratulate you on the great work you have done so far in this project
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Thanks @Nouvolo I appreciate it. I have been following the Aquanauts progress for some time now. It looks like the Extreme edition will be a nice addition to the community. Cant wait for that Mr Crab version, lol.Hi @Alloy Craft , just dropping in to congratulate you on the great work you have done so far in this project
This is pretty clever! I like it.
As I wrote earlier, I am ready to become a beta tester. I have the following components if it's matter:
1. R9 5900x + Asus x570 Impact + RX 6900 XT RedDevil w / c + original Nouvolo Aquanaut + Barrow SPB17 + 2 * 280mm radiator
2. R3 4350G + Asrock B550M-ITX/ac (can also assemble a loop for cooling).
Do you have an idea of how much such a prototype would cost for a beta tester? I understand that the quoted price will not be final, but I would like to calculate my budget.
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Cost on the beta units would $50 each + shipping if you are outside the USA. A $50 deposit would be required as well. Deposit would be refunded when you post the requested information back in this thread. If you are interested please email me @ epalmer@alloycraft.com for details.
I have a themed showpiece build coming in the next few weeks in a Lian Li Q58 with at least a top 280mm radiator, potentially a bottom 120mm radiator, 5600X and 3080 FTW3 Ultra and already have several things to test: a Glacier R160 if I can fit it somewhere for a standalone pump/res OR have orders in for an Aquanaut Extreme and an Apogee Drive II (already have DDC pumps) but @Valantar pointed me in the direction of this thread. If you want someone to test and install it in a very confined space, let me know and I'd be glad to try to work it into my planned timeline of this build.
Machining continues, I thought I would throw up some photos for the beta testers. Trying out some different methods for finishing the base of the cold plate. The cold plates are a bit tricky, still not satisfied with them yet. Hope to get the machining and paint done early next week and then start shipping beta units.
Subbing to this thread, looks like very nice block. If you can keep the price within reason I'd be quite interested.
Hey, @Alloy Craft!
I wrote a letter regarding participation in the beta test, but I never received a response. If it is not difficult for you, could you answer whether I got into the beta testers group or not.
And by the way, the blocks looks amazing. I don't even know if they could have looked any better? What is the lack of quality here?
I wrote a letter regarding participation in the beta test, but I never received a response. If it is not difficult for you, could you answer whether I got into the beta testers group or not.
And by the way, the blocks looks amazing. I don't even know if they could have looked any better? What is the lack of quality here?
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HI @Fitchew, I just sent you and email.
As for the blocks, Cosmetically the surface finish on the bottom can be better. But more importantly getting the right flatness or bow is critical. Typically cold plate manufactures add convex bow to their cold plates. The bow is needed because their block assemblies are less than rigid and when bolting them to the processor the retention force flattens them, or attempts to anyway. In the LOBO, the block and cold plate are extremely rigid, so bow needs to be much less. I am working on a way to possibly make the cold plate bow adjustable, similar to how EK does it with the different jet plate thicknesses.
