Alum / Copper Mixing <Thermaltake Bigwater

[sean76]

ok, so I am new to the forum, but not to watercooling. I have had a Thermaltake Bigwater 760IS for a while now. Not a bad unit. Kept my overclocked AMD x6 1100T cpu <3.8ghz> running around 32-35C with normal daily stuff. I recently added my EVGA Hydro 2 copper to the mix, and the temps went up as expected, but upto 42C and someplace around mid 60's during gaming. I was looking at replacing, or just adding in, the Koolance EXOS-2 V2 to the loop for an additional radiator/resv/pump and to drop the temps back into the 30's for idle and nothing more then 50 during gaming. I figured it would help with less of a load on the pumps if their is two. Also the large rad on the Koolance with the dual fans would also help with temps when included with the Thermaltake...

Now for the issue.... I've seen alot of people posting about mixing metals, I do understand the corrosion issue, and having the Hydro Copper and the Koolance since that is Alum for the rad. would be a problem. But after reading the Thermaltake specs on the Bigwater unit. They have it with an Alum rad and a copper CPU block?! Shouldn't a company that makes cooling units know not to mix? Or is it not really an issue if you use the proper cooling solutions?

I NEVER have used distilled water as a cooling agent. I only used the thermaltake liquid, and I plan to in the future no matter if I goto Koolance or not. Does anyone else have mixed metal setups and not have issues?

 

[mayhem]

When using mixed metal you MUST use a pre-mixed liquid with a inhibitor in it. do not use just DI water or Ultra Pure that is a bad idea.

"MOST" water cooling enthusiast's will frown on what you have there how ever if you use a good pre-mixed coolant you will be fine.

P.s TT is not the best company for making water cooling units and yes your right mixing metals is not a good idear how ever you will see a lot of Plated products that are having problems on the market at the moment and that again is another metal in the system. You see a lot of people adding silver coils and then wondering why they have corrosion build up on there Coil yet they think just DI water and Silver coil will be fine ....