100% fan free watercooling? Am I nuts? - Tech Support Forums

Siliconjunkie · June 27th, 2003, 09:19 PM

Ok, I have 2 problems I want to address here.
1)Heat. I don’t have overheating problems, but summer is hot here and the A/C has to struggle already.

2) Noise. I hate noisy PCs.

I have come up with a plan to address both of these. But, it’s a bit crazy. Sorry if this ends up being long winded.

Ok, all the w/c setups I have seen involve a radiator w/ associated fans. I don't see any way that I can do this and keep it quiet enough for me.

So here is my scheme for this:
Purchase a kit Crossover Mission II is what I am currently looking at. It gets good reviews and is reasonably priced.

Purchase a 5 gallon plastic pail w/ lid or something similar. Rubbermaid? (maybe larger).

Next to my PC I have a large closet. My plan is to install the waterblock and associated hoses in the case as normal. Then run the lines about 2-3 feet into the closet. I am considering using PVC for this run in place of the hoses. From there it will attach to the radiator as designed, but the radiator will be submerged in the container. Pump would most likely be mounted outside the case somewhere, may need to beef it up due to the longer distances.

Here is my theory. By starting with a large mass of water, it will stabilize at a temp and be able to absorb the heat without heating up the room. I have some reservations about this since you are still creating the same amount of heat, but I am hoping that not allowing it to get hot will keep it more manageable. The reason that I am submerging the radiator and not just pumping the water is twofold a) less water to leak if it leaks b)keeps it a sealed system and gunk out. I plan to more or less seal the top of the container but leave it so I can add more. Evaporation isn’t a huge problem with 99% humidity. I guess in a pinch I could dump some ice in there if I wish, but I don't want to deal with condensation (which is a problem here).

So, am I off my rocker? Should I never be allowed to touch a PC again? Or, am I brilliant? Thoughts? Opinions?

ArcticFox · June 27th, 2003, 11:39 PM

OK...

First off, you probably were already off your rocker before you thought of this idea...

But it sounds like it may work, if I'm hearing you correctly. So basically, you want the water to cool off when it's running down it's long hose and going through your Tupperware? I would still add some quiet fans, like 80mm ones by Enermax or Vantec Stealth. That way you won't have to worry about it overheating.

But please, explain a little more on how this is going to work.

Siliconjunkie · June 27th, 2003, 11:47 PM

I will whip up a diagram and post it in a bit.

MDS · June 27th, 2003, 11:48 PM

I saw once where someone was trying to run a water cooler setup and put the radiator in a dorm size fridge. I don't know how it turned out and I no longer speak to the guy after he ripped me off $100 on computer parts.

Omardeth · June 27th, 2003, 11:56 PM

sound like it might work but i am not sure just 5 gallons of water is anuff to get rid of the heat . think of it this way . it doesn't take much to heat a 10 gallon water fish tank . a heater in a fish tank which cycles off and on . you system will be always putting heat into the water . with only 5 gallons i would think the water in the bucket would heat up to the same temp of the water in the cooling system really fast . then you won't be getting heat out of the system .

thekingofpain · June 28th, 2003, 12:34 AM

The water in the tank will eventually become the temp of your processors heat output, how will that heat be displaced?

Heat to air thru a fandriven radiator is pretty proven at this point...

Sidenote---probably means little:
I have a friend with a homemade solar heater for his pool---water is pumped thru a 4'X4'X2" flatpanel with rows of black pipe and a plexi cover---sorta similar (imagine a cpu rather then the suns energy providing the "heat" on a MUCH smaller basis) pool is warmer then imaginable in a couple days...

ArcticFox · June 28th, 2003, 12:41 AM

That's why you use Liquid Nitrogen.

Siliconjunkie · June 28th, 2003, 12:46 AM

Hrm, good point about the amount of heat. Not even sure how to do the math on that. Guess the # off watts of heat the CPU puts out vs aquarium heater size for # of gallons? I had a 110 gallon w/ 150 watt that didnt run that much. Would CPU power consumption in watts be equivilent to heat in watts?
<cut to me IMing my dad>
Ok, it appears that it is a comparable measurement between aquarium heater and CPU, for a given # of watts each should generate the same amount of heat. So, the trick here is figuring out how hot X watts will get X amount of water. Sorry, I am babbling here.

There would be some loss along the way, I would guess 10% or so. Also, how well would the water shed the heat or would I just end up with a high tech hot water heater? Well, no matter what the water could only get as hot as the water from the CPU, which if it doesnt lose heat efficiently could be pretty warm.

I think the only way to know is to try. Worst case I have "traditional" watercooling and would be out some hose and a bucket.

As for a picture here is what I whipped up (not to scale)linkage

thekingofpain · June 28th, 2003, 12:51 AM

Seems the way you have it the radiator is a moot point---now if you can cool that water and insulate against condensation on your components (pretty easy these days) you have a tried and true setup thats been in use for years...

If your cpu gives off 75watts of heat similar to a lightbulb---imagine that bulb in your reservoir---its gonna heat the water up pretty quick---go touch a lightbulb in your house...

Siliconjunkie · June 28th, 2003, 12:56 AM

Well, it is looking pretty bleek in the early running. My science advisor seems to think that heat dissapation will be a major issue. Looking like using a fan will end up being the best method. But, I do gain the advantage of being able to move it away from me if I want, which would be a reasonable compromise.

edit: Condensation is a HUGE issue here, basiclly anything that can sweat will and it just pools up. Nice and nasty in the summer.