the best way to cool your cpu - Tech Support Forums

c44151 · December 4th, 2003, 11:21 AM

ok you got air cooling
you got liquid cooling
you got something that you use with liquid cooling that one side gets hot the other gets cold(can't recall the name at the moment)
then you got what I think you call a compressor which is basically an a/c like your car cooler except for your cpu.
whitch is probaly the best for cooling your cpu.
What I was basicaly thinking was some extreame cooling for my cpu and something for everything else. for example the compressor for my cpu and water for my video card and chipset.
this should work provides you have the right power reqirements to supply everything. If I am thinking straight this morning.

Darthgary · December 4th, 2003, 02:52 PM

Water cooling hands down.

davidamarkley · December 4th, 2003, 03:09 PM

Well, "best" could mean a lot of different things in different situations.

For THE BEST low degree cooling of your CPU, you could use Liquid Nitrogen. But, as you can surmise, Liquid Nitrogen is probably not the best cooling system for most people as the explosive aspect of this solution.

Then there's the ProMetia cooling system, that runs similar to an A/C or Refrigeration unit. That method will give below zero degree temperatures, and is relatively safe and once it's set, you don't have to fiddle with it much. Although it does cost upwards of $600. So, there's another possibility for the "Best" but then again, maybe it's not the "best".

See what I mean?? The "BEST" solution, depends on the situation.

There's peltier cooling(this is what you were thinking), where one side of a plate cools the CPU, while the other gets hot. Well, this one will cool fine, but normally you need water cooling, just to be able to cool the peltier plate down to respectable temps. (Vicious cycle, eh?)

Water cooling is the most widely used cooling solution besides Air cooling, and while it is almost silent(most of the time) and can offer quite a bit better temps thatn Air cooling, there is also more work involved, and if you were building a system to sell to a friend/client, you might have more trouble doing so with a water cooled system, than with an air cooled one.

Then there's the good ole' heatsink and fan(which in my mind is STILL the "best" overall). They are just so versatile. You can use them in big systems, little systems. There's really not much mess to putting them toogether. (four screws ain't THAT hard to screw in!)

PLUS, all you have to do is plug them in, and the fan starts turning. Voila! You have a CPU cooler. THe hardest part about them is getting the bracket snapped onto the CPU holder. (Many will attest to this.) But, for that little bit of trouble you have a reliable cooler. No it's not the "best" for cooling, No it's not the "best" for noise, No it's not the "best" performance cooler, No it's not the "best" at turning heads, but to me, it's the "best" in that it's inexpensive, easily replaceable, simple diagnostics(if the fan's turning, it works, if the fan is not moving, it's broke), ease of installation, peace of mind(you can normally hear it to know that it's on), less maintenance(just clean off dust peridoically), no cutting hose/pipe, not modding your case to fit it inside, many different styles/types available, and did I mention cheap??

So, all in all, I guess it depends on how you define the word "best"...

David

jmichna · December 4th, 2003, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by davidamarkley
Well, "best" could mean a lot of different things in different situations.

For THE BEST low degree cooling of your CPU, you could use Liquid Nitrogen. But, as you can surmise, Liquid Nitrogen is probably not the best cooling system for most people as the explosive aspect of this solution. ...

Nitrogen is inert and non-flammable... hardly explosive! Roughly 80% of the air we breath is made up of nitrogen.

Maybe that is not how you meant the term "explosive"?

Omardeth · December 4th, 2003, 05:05 PM

well put davidamarkley

Starfury_2260 · December 4th, 2003, 05:22 PM

it is kinda dangerous though due to it being so cold.

c44151 · December 4th, 2003, 05:54 PM

what I was kinda wondering was if you wanted to push your cpu to the max what cooling method would be able to haldle the high temperature.

jmichna · December 4th, 2003, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by c44151
what I was kinda wondering was if you wanted to push your cpu to the max what cooling method would be able to haldle the high temperature.

The very highest overclocking has been done with liquid nitrogen straight out, or used to cool non-conductive liquids. LN2 is not practical for every day use. Vapor-phase (search brands like "Prometia' and 'Vapochill') is expensive to implement, but can be used for an "everyday" computer.

davidamarkley · December 4th, 2003, 06:20 PM

http://www.uh.edu/admin/srmd/labexplosion.html

http://www.minerals.csiro.au/safety/liqcool.htm

http://entropy.brni-jhu.org/info/nitrogen.html

If you read these links, you'll see instances of explosions related to LN2...

It's not flammable, you are correct, but I was talking about the pressure that it exudes, and the dangers of actually using something like that for more than just a "fling" or something that you can say you did.

That's what I meant...

Thanks, Omar...

David

jmichna · December 4th, 2003, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by davidamarkley
http://www.uh.edu/admin/srmd/labexplosion.html

http://www.minerals.csiro.au/safety/liqcool.htm

http://entropy.brni-jhu.org/info/nitrogen.html

If you read these links, you'll see instances of explosions related to LN2...

davidamarkley...
I see where you are coming from, but let me offer some additional views/interpretations:
Example Link 1 - Explosion due to liquid Oxygen and Dichlorine oxide (known highly unstable compound). Under specific conditions, LN2 cooled surrounding air sufficient to liquify atmospheric oxygen, yielding a concentration of oxidizer proximate to Cl2O. Boom!

Example Link 2 - It is extremely unlikely that a partial pressure of 100 Torr will be attained in the manner which I've seen LN2 employed for PC cooling. Every example I have seen is an insulated, but open system. As the liquid Nitrogen changes to gas, it is not contained, there is no pressure rise (with resultant pressure explosion hazard), nor is oxygen at all likely to liquify in any appreciable quanitity. Even if LOX occured, the presence of a combustible or flammable material, the proper fuel/oxygen mix AND ignition source would be required for an explosion to occur. Not at all likely.

Example Link 3 - from the article itself: "Liquid nitrogen is not just a frostbite hazard - sample vials stored in the liquid phase of liquid nitrogen can cause serious injury if improperly sealed. Although these vials are made of a tough plastic that prevents cracking at the liquid nitrogen temperatures of -196°C (-321°F), the vials can easily explode if liquid nitrogen gets into the vial during storage. Although this is not an explosion in the usual sense of a rapid chemical reaction, the rapidly expanding gas can be just as dangerous." Me: Duhh!

Having made my comments, I certainly agree the LN2 presents certain dangers, but most of the dangers an overclocker would be exposed to, in consideration of how LN2 is used in this situation, would be due to "cold burns" damage and not "explosions." Simple asphyxiation is also another risk, given the volume of gas a relatively small amount of LN2 can create, if used in a small enclosure/room.

Where I'm coming from: I have some experience in lab safety, having worked as development chemist and supervisor, roughly 22 years in a Materials Development Lab, and serving on the local ACS Div of Chemical Health and Safety; during that period, I also spent about 10 years managing EPA and OSHA chemical hazard compliance for my company. In that time (1974 thru 1996), we used many type of pressure vessels and pilot reactors, as well as LN2.