Intro

One of the most common questions asked in our PimpRig Forums relates to coolant choice for water cooled PCs. The common response is to stick with a distilled water based coolant coupled with additives to prevent biological growth and corrosion. The use of distilled water is recommended, in part, because it does not conduct electricity. At least until such time as metallic ions have been leeched from other components, pure water is electrically inert.

In the case of a leak (which is always possible with water cooling) an electrically conductive coolant could be disastrous to your components. During the three years I have been water cooling with distilled water and appropriate additives, I have weathered three small leaks without hardware damage. The worst leak was a water block that dripped upon my trusty GF2 Ti (back in the glory days). My game froze immediately, but after appropriate cleaning and drying, the card was good to go.

Today I will examine two non-conductive fluid replacement products from the folks at Danger Den. The MCT-5 and MCT-40 cooling products claim to have several advantages over good old distilled water, lets see how they stand up to some testing.

The Package

The Danger Den package arrived at my door essentially unharmed. On opening the box I found two 32 oz bottles of coolant surrounded by packing peanuts.

The bottles were securely tightened, and there had been no leaks or misadventures in transit. The bottle labels were professional in appearance and contained appropriate information. I was very pleased to see the inclusion of an information brochure.

Specs

The following list of information has been assembled from the Danger Den Website, the product containers, and the brochure.

- Non-Conductive - Conductivity tested at 4e10 Ohms/meter
- Prevents algae growth
- Pre-mixed and ready to use
- Contains lubricating properties helping pump life
- Prevents galvanic corrosion
- Safe on plastic, rubber seals, copper, brass, aluminum, steel, and gaskets
- Contains enhanced visual tanzinite properties with background lighting
- Incorporates anti-foaming properties
- Will not separate due to mechanic shearing
- More efficient heat transfer
- Lowers water temperature

The MCT-5 and MCT-40 are essentially identical. The freezing point is the only difference I can spot (-5C and -40C respectively). Obviously, the MCT-40 would find a home in extreme cooling environments like peltier loops or Canadian households.

The Fluid

As might be expected, both of the MCT products have a chemical smell. It is nowhere near as off putting as Water Wetter, and is actually no stronger a scent than anti-freeze.There is an almost slippery texture to the fluid which is likely related to the friction reducing agents and anti-foaming agents. Both coolants are slightly more viscous than water.When poured the fluid is a reddish brown color with a layer of bright green at the surface. The following picture makes the liquid appear more green than it actually is.

I should mention that MCT is not safe for consumption, and should be kept out of the reach of children (and your idiot LAN buddy Chuck). There are instructions on the bottle for the treatment of accidental ingestion. I can tell you, from the slight drop I got on my lip siphoning, this stuff tastes nasty! It tastes nasty, and continues to do so for several minutes after contact. Sipping not recommended.

I do not claim to know what this means:

"Contains enhanced visual tanzinite properties with background lighting".

I believe they meant Tanzanite which is a hydrated calcium aluminum silicate mineral sometimes used as a gem. I can, however, tell you that both fluids gave off a slight green fluorescence under black light.