Radiical Small ResRad & Radiical ResRad 2

Radiical 180mm ResRad

Today we are looking at the smallest version of the popular Radiical ResRad cooling reservoirs. This version retains the same external diameter as the larger model but is more squat with a length of only 180 mm (150 mm finned area).

Size comparison

As shown here the small Radiical ResRad has a minimal height impact when placed next to the Laing D5 pump for a size comparison.

The small Radiical ResRad features two threaded end caps and an anodized aluminium body. Two hosetail barb holes have been placed into one end cap to accommodate inlet and outlet coolant flow. The other threaded end cap acts as the fill and empty point. Sealing of the end caps of the Radiical ResRad is by way of 'O' ring seals.

The 180 mm version of the Radiical ResRad has a volume of a little over 150 ml. The internal surface of the Radiical ResRad is a smooth cylinder along its length to provide maximum storage area and a smooth flow pathway. There is a riser tube built into the base of the ResRad which acts to mix the inlet coolant so that the coolant is thoroughly mixed before it leaves the reservoir area. The exterior is a highly convoluted profile which provides a very large surface area to dissipate heat.

This view, taken from a top down position, illustrates the number of fins

The Radiical ResRad is normally run as a passive adjunct to a normal fan driven radiator. In our own testing it is clear that the Radiical ResRad has significant potential heat dissipation when run passively. This heat dissipation capacity rises markedly when air flow is directed across the finned area.

Position and placement of the Radiical ResRad can be anywhere "on" the case body or "inside" the case depending on the space available. The Radiical ResRad supports both horizontal or vertical placement increasing the options available when selecting a mounting point. The Radiical ResRad fills a unique place in the water cooling system having the capacity to act as a reservoir and a mini radiator.

Radiical ResRad 2

Naturally we here at Radiical are always looking to increase the efficiency of our products and the Radiical ResRad is no exception. We decided to increase the range of fitting options for this smaller Radiical ResRad with our own Radiical treatment. The Radiical ResRad 2 is what we consider a natural development of the Resrad.

In our experience after fitting in the other components of a water cooled system there are very few places left for a normal reservoir to fit. So, finding a spot for the radiator is often problematic. Placing reservoirs into CD drive bays is one well used option. The other option involves using smaller micro reservoirs which can be bolted on to any vertical structure available.

We noticed in our own projects that there is often "free" space at the bottom of the case so we looked at mounting the Radiical ResRad in a horizontal orientation there. In our own experimentation we found that not only is horizontal placement quite acceptable it also opens up more cooling options for the smaller Radiical ResRad. By placing the Radiical ResRad in the direct line of case fans cooling the passive nature of the Radiical ResRad changes to that of a semi-active cooler.

Radiical ResRad Two

Of course that only addresses the horizontal placement. To gain other advantages we needed to look at a minor modification. To change from simple horizontal to what we are calling a pre-cooling configuration involves the addition of another barb port to the top filler cap.

Radiical ResRad Two top view

Now we have the capacity to draw coolant through this barb from the Radiical ResRad 2 into the pump inlet as shown in the mock up below. You can see that the low profile of the Radiical ResRad 2 in its horizontal mode is useful to fit under vacant PCI slots.

Placing the Radiical ResRad 2 horizontally allows us to pre-cool the coolant before it enters the pump. Dependent upon the layout of the system this would also permit coolant pre-cooling before entering the radiator or going directly to the CPU/GPU blocks. The one drawback with this is the system would become a closed loop and air bleeding and filling would be problematic. This can also be said for any of the Radiical ResRad models when used horizontally. To some people this would be an acceptable trade off for say a highly visible case top mounted reservoir which could be filled with UV dye, for example and back lit using a UV LED.

We are, however, after functionality so to solve the problem of closed loop operation when the horizontal option is used we have added the Radiical Bleeder Wick© to the inlet on the base of the standard end cap.

Radiical ResRad Two with bleeder wick

With the Radiical Bleeder Wick added to the Radiical ResRad 2 in the horizontal position we now have the capacity to bleed air from the system or alternatively we can add or top up the ResRad 2 fluid. By turning the Radiical ResRad 2 onto its side we can now drain the system of coolant through the Radiical Bleeder Wick© tubing. Changing the orientation back from horizontal to vertical isn't a problem either. This can easily be done by refitting a plug to seal the end of the Radiical ResRad 2.

Conclusion

It is not often that you find a product like the Radiical ResRad 2 which has a duality of usage. In the case of the Radiical ResRad 2 not only is the product a very handy reservoir it also boasts quite respectable passive cooling capacity. The Radiical extensions of the ResRad tend to merge the line between reservoirs and true radiators. By having the proverbial foot in each area the Radiical ResRad 2 is a very creditable reservoir with significant heat dissipation characteristics. Where a second radiator cannot be fitted due to space constraints and an additional radiator like product is needed a Radiical ResRad 2 may be suitable for the job instead.