Zalman LQ1000 Z-Machine Hybrid Liquid Cooled Case

The alternative to direct air cooling

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
Mike81
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:11 am

Zalman LQ1000 Z-Machine Hybrid Liquid Cooled Case

Post by Mike81 » Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:51 am

I'm just looking at the new Zalman LQ1000 Z-Machine Hybrid Liquid Cooled Case.
It's quite pricey but not too bad if you consider the seperate prices of a decent full alu case and seperate watercooling parts.

http://www.awd-it.com/scripts/prodView. ... oduct=4488

Image

It's a shame they dont take an XSPC kit and intergrate this into a similar case although the early reviews i've seen suggest its still does the job well and zalman do a large range of NB and GFX coolers to add on.

Polar Bear
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:22 pm
Location: London

Post by Polar Bear » Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:47 pm

I have one of these....

It's pretty neat, although I haven't found a watercooled Graphics Card to fit it yet. :(

Probably best that I start a new topic about this.

DPC
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:12 pm
Location: NorCal
Contact:

Post by DPC » Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:21 am

A little late the to game here, but this looks interesting. Any other thoughts about this case?

Polar Bear
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:22 pm
Location: London

Post by Polar Bear » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:08 am

I finished build the system, and it's very good. I used the BFG GTX280 H2OC which fits the case.

My only warning to you is that the case uses 12/8mm hose, so don't waste money on a load of 10/8mm compression fittings like I did. Barb connections, PFTE tape and clamps are the way.

Arbalester
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Finland

Post by Arbalester » Mon Feb 02, 2009 9:22 am

I'm considering this case for my next PC. Compact, sleek and quiet - could suit well in a living room. Watercooling GPU or two in addition to CPU would of course seem reasonable but how does the system handle the thermal power?

There are tests with only CPU connected to the loop. It would be great to see some load temperatures with also GPU(s) in the loop (I haven't found those yet). I'm especially interested in results with low fan speed. Maybe Polar Bear could do some testing? :wink:

Polar Bear
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:22 pm
Location: London

Post by Polar Bear » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:17 am

I am not sure about testing but, with one GTX280 and the CPU in the loop, the system has absolutely no problems. I haven't been measuring the component temps but I can see what the coolant and the ambient is doing.

Typical performance when switched on is initially coolant 22c / 21c ambient. Use Windows for 3 hours and it may rise to coolant 25c / 24c ambient. Play Far Cry 2 for 3 hours and it may rise to coolant 33c / 30c ambient. Hottest I have achieved is coolant 35c / 33c ambient.... after about 5 hours of Far Cry 2 on max settings.

The picture on the front of the manual has the coolant at 38c and I am not even managing to hit that.

I have the system on the Auto fan/pump setting and it sits constantly just above minimum and never sees the need to speed up. I actually think that I could run it on minimum and get pretty well the same temps.

Having said that -

1) I don't have a Northbridge water block in the loop
2) It's just one GPU, not SLI as I originally planned
3) I am running in 1280 x 1024
4) I am not overclocking

I would suggest that if more than one of the above points in 1-4 differs in your case, the coolant might run considerably hotter.

The system I have is running fine, by the way. The i7 CPU doesn't seem to run hot anyway, and these socket 1336 motherboards don't generate as much heat as their 775 predecessors.

Note that the waterblock that comes with the Zalman case is for a socket 775; I had to buy a different one at a cost of £30. Maybe they will start to ship them with these soon.

Overall I recommend the case if you have the cash and don't wish to be custom-building your own waterworks from scratch.

Arbalester
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Finland

Post by Arbalester » Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:14 pm

Many thanks for the info! Now I'm convinced it can handle a setup like yours as you've had no problems - and maybe a little bit more. This really could be a case for a good compromise between power and silence which I'm looking for. Anyway I'm not assembling a new PC for a year so there's plenty of time to think but this is a strong candidate for the case.

Polar Bear
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:22 pm
Location: London

Post by Polar Bear » Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:48 pm

I think other manufacturers may get the idea to make watercooled cases so, if you have time, keep your eyes open for alternatives.

I don't see how anyone could make a quieter setup than what I have; even if you went for 100% passive components, you still have an aircooled solution and need fans.

This Zalman case is smart because it uses a huge 220mm fan that runs very slow and emits a very low, almost inaudible hum.

Post Reply