Radiators take the heat from the water and transfer it into the air. As the water goes through the thin folding channels of the radiator, the water’s heat is transferred to the metal. A fan usually blows air over the radiator transferring the heat from the metal to the air. This process cools the water. Radiators are usually used with Watercooling systems but there is also the alternative of a Bong cooler. A Bong cooler is called an evaporative cooler because the water actually cools by having the heat evaporated. These systems are huge and a pain to maintain. They also make an annoying trickling sound. But, on the plus side, they are usually cheaper than a radiator. Since most people won’t be building a Bong cooler, this guide will cover radiators only. If you would like to learn more about Bong coolers visit www.overclockers.com.

Don’t spend a lot of money on a radiator. Radiators from cars are excellent options. Visit a car junkyard; they have hundreds of radiators just rusting away. You can pick one up for nearly nothing. You’ll want to look for a heatercore. A car radiator usually uses a tube and fin design. Heatercores use a folded metal design. The heatercore design is more efficient and usually smaller. Retail radiators also use the tube and fin design and not surprisingly, they don’t perform very well. A lot of people pay way too much for radiators these days with retailers advertising their ‘special’ radiators. You might be aware of the Black Ice radiators that are sold on many Watercooling sites. Basically they are a cheap radiator with fan mounts painted black. Don’t get me wrong. When size constraints are an issue, Black Ice Extreme radiators are a good option. They are small and perform pretty well for their size. The larger the radiator, the better it usually performs. Also, try to have some good airflow over the radiator. It ‘s usually better to have the fan sucking air through the radiator rather than pushing air through it. I also highly recommend a fan shroud. A shroud sets the fan a couple inches or so away from the radiator so air can get through all areas of the radiator.

In conclusion, you want to look for a heatercore at your local junkyard or, if worse comes to worse, buy one at your local automotive retailer. You’ll also want to look for a descent-sized heatercore. A 6”x6” core is ideal. If you want even more performance you could get one to fit the size of two fans. Use 120mm fans because of their high-flow and low-noise. Finally, you’ll want the fan to suck the air through the radiator.