Cool Cooling

[MitaPi]

So whats the best cooling devices you guys got out there? Post what you got, what you have seen and/or heard of and what you think of it! I'm sure we can all agree that cooling is one of our prime concerns as modders, tweakers, and temp freaks!

I'll start!

So I did a little bit of research and found out that you can buy an air conditioner unit for your PC! Its called the PC AIRCON PAC400! My first reaction... COOL! After doing the research.... NOT SO COOL! It turns out that the only true good thing about it is the idea of it. But hey! Thats how everything starts right? As just an idea. I am sure we will see (hopefully) massive improvements on this PC Air Conditioner in the near future.

http://www.waffer.biz/THERMAL/English/Pac400.htm

BTW
This is a thread for any and all cooling. CPU, GPU, HDD, CASE, H20, RAM, etc etc etc.

[justblair]

I modded a tt big typhoon for my desk pc. The case is extremely restrictive, so I was getting hot temps. Managed to drop it by a good 9c (currently it runs at 43c most of the time, gets into the early 50's under burn) Its an Athlon 3000xp by the way.. A bit of a hottie!

I included a step by step in my worklog.

This was my first attempt at a modded typhoon.

This one has been modded to give better passive operation. Not for everyone. I may still have another go at it, I have some ideas on making it better and neater.

[dgrmkrp]

dude.. want cool?.. there are lots of cons (u use 2-300 wats to cool a cpu that produces 150, u need thorough isolation, very heay), but subzero temps: search vapochill's phase change products.. i read something about proetheia phase change coolers..
for less radical cooling, peltiers are nice.. they literally suck the heat from one side and force it to the other.. cons: sensitive, fragile, need lots of voltage and they need cooling themselves.. pro: get sub-ambient temps

even less radical.. water cooling we all know it, some have the funds to back it up too (not me)..

but my idea of extreme cooling involves a Tt Sonic tower (non-modded yet, but i like justblair's typhoon mod.. maybe i'll do something similar for the sonic too.. maybe..) with windtunnels over it made for passive cooling, with no ninja+ at the time, it was the best choice for quiet cooling that can go maaaad.. even with some modest airflow it can keep my oc'ed cpu under 41 degrees (even now, with a ~30% load and 30ish! ambient temp.. not the case, the room!) with 2 fans on it's sides, it can stay around 28-30 degrees at full load with 20 degree ambient.. so i see a 10degree rise.. i think it's nice.. and for my so-called extreme installation, i'm planning on using 2 more fans, one as n intake, one as an exhasut, totally isolated from the rest of the case (read ducting ), dedicated solely on creating continuous flow over the fins.. and only the fins! i hope this will shave another degree or two.. basically, i think this thing will hadle like a bad watercooling rig :p hopefully...

oh, and the aircon thing.. the problem it has IMO is it's price and availability.. for me.. i would modd it and make it so that cold air is better used.. but others :| .. weell, the idea is good, i agree

[MitaPi]

I like that design. Simple yet effective. If that performs the same as a cheap water cooling kit then I just might have to get out the old paper and pencil and design something similar! I would like to have an air duct system that isnt highly noticable but still cools down your main heat creaters such as the CPU, GPU, HDD, RAM and possibly the northbridge/southbridge chips. ...and of course make it all UV reactive. ^_^

Hmmm, I just had a thought for something I might consider doing. Why not put four 120mm fans at 100cfm on the side of a case and then figure out some way of creating cold air around those fans so they are blowing in cold air on your entire computer?

Even better yet, take two computer cases and stick them together. Use one for your computer and some how create an air conditioner out of the second one. Now that to me would be cool. No pun intended ^_^

[Silenced_Coyote]

Just turn up the air conditioning in your house

If you are cooling all those components, there is not point in a duct at all. Basically, your pc case is your "duct".

[MitaPi]

Well unfortunately I have a big house and both air conditioning units are up stairs. Where my room is downstairs. On top of that, in my room I have a very very small window with a propane tank just outside of it so I dont really get any wind from it and/or the cooling down of temps in my room.

In my opinion "spot" cooling would be much more effective than just air blowing around everwhere. I could also rig it up so that fresh cool air is being circulated constantly and more effectively. Also if you have ever seen a dell.... they are pretty ugly on the inside so having a UV reactive duct system would also be beneficial for me in that aspect as well. Keep in mind that I am a temp freak so every degree to me is just that.. another degree. Its the same basic idea when saving money. Even tho a dollar here and a dollar there doesnt do much. If you put it into a jar and wait a while. You will eventually have a nice jar full of money. ^_^

As for creating an "air conditioner" out of a second case and attatching it to a computer... I talked to my father who is a fairly bright person and he told me that it would be very hard to do if not impossible. My next thought? Well who said it has to work the same way as a commercial use A/C unit does? Maybe there is another way to create cold air in a closed enviroment that is about the same size of a standard mid tower case?? Start throwing in some idea's and maybe we can come to a conclusion! ^_^

And to add to this threads original topic...

Check out the TT Blue Orb II at xoxide or newegg! Its big but it sure does move alot of air at 70cfm!
Happy Modding!
MitaPi

[dgrmkrp]

jusr for inspiration: link
..i'm not saying this is a good case, as it's not.. but again, the idea is nice.. and it is possible to create a whole a/c loop in a case, but it should be a tad bigger.. like one of those oldish server cases.. they have so much room, you can build anything inside.. even a beer dispenser

[MitaPi]

ah, and so you have found my inspiration for AC cooling a comptuer. ^_^

The only problem... not as effective as water cooling and 300 big ones. I am thinking something a tad bit cheaper. But it is a good idea on their part. It just needs a few improvements before I would ever consider getting one.

Does anyone know how to create cold air without spending alot of money? There HAS to be some way... But I am not as smart as some of you are so I am stumped. ^_^ I was thinking about looking at how AC units work.. but as people say they are complex I decided to hold of for now and see what comes up. I was also thinking about how portable refridgerators work... But my guess is that they are even more so complex than AC units. The worlds smallest air conditioner and the worlds smallest dehumidifier. Take those two and put it into a metal insulated box and attach that baby to your computer. ^_^

[CanaBalistic]

Here's this idea i've been mulling over:

Get yourself the smallest water cooler you can find.
Somthing like this The smaller the better but within reason.

Next, go get some sort of car rad (oil, trans, or heater are best)
Ask the dude behind the couter at canadian tire for the cheapest one he's got (its ok to have him search for it for an hour)
Get yourself a bilge pump (mid flow rate range perferably)
Now you'll need a fan. 110v. Example

Mod it all into another case and connect to the side of your computer.

It would probly be best to leave the cooler on all the time so the water is cold when you start the computer. Although the bigger fan might be enough to cool things while the water is getting cold.

Once the watter is cold, it should blow cold air. This could also work for water cooling applications. A volume like switch could control the power of the cooling unit so you could adjust the temp.

[simon275]

Submerge the whole computer in oil and have the oil being pumped through a radiator. Is the best thing I reckon.

Or use one of those phase change coolers what ever they are.

Peltiers are good but expensive as well.