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Talk to ultrasonic at xtremesystems for a TEC chiller
Put in a swimming pool and plumb it to the computers water cooling loop.
CPU water block and hold down
GPU water block(s) and hold down
Y and sufficient pipe/hose and adapters to tap into swimming pool circulation pump outlet
Y and sufficient pipe/hose and adapters to tap into swimming pool circulation pump inlet
pump (size dependent of lenght of water line runs and diameter of pipe used. 1/2 horse would be more than sufficient for most needs.
hose clamps
Swimming Pool.
Open invite for all local sororities for free usage of pool facilities.
Poolside cabana bar and barbecue optional.
TEC water-chilling is wretchedly inefficient unless you run several TECs in parallel at low voltage (5-8v or so). At that point, the Delta Temperature achievable is reduced to about 10-20C below ambient, so that'll be the temperature of the water.
I've considered doing this... because you can control the voltage and/or simply turn off most of the TECs when you're not under load, and the power consumption would then be reasonable, but the cost of several TEC's, a good TEC PSU, and materials and manufacturing of the necessary water-blocks would be high.
At that price point, I could actually go with a DIY phase change setup, which will achieve lower temperatures, potentially cost less, and run more efficiently. The reason I don't get back into phase-change cooling: Noise (I'd have to place the setup outside and run it through the wall). If I went this route, I'd chill the water so I could inexpensively chill all PC components instead of just the CPU. I might also run a small evaporator directly in the CPU/Video case compartment (hopefully sealed off from the hard drives) and air-chill the PCBs. It wouldn't create condensation if done right, and it could actually reduce condensation on the water-chilled components (because the case's air would then be at a similar temperature). That's rather involved, however.
In the end, we have these best-case scenarios (and phase change, which can be subzero, but I wouldn't recommend it for the uninitiated):
- High-end Aircooling (noctua NH-D14 or Cogage Arrow), - Let's assume 75C under load
- High-end watercooling (Multi-Radiator, top tier waterblock, possibly dual pumps) - About 15C better under load at the same noise level
OR... if you're willing to do some machining on your own:
- A carefully designed and regulated TEC-waterchiller. - An additional 10-15C better, and depending on how much power you're willing to consume, you could potentially go lower... fortunately if you employ voltage control and/or switch on/off some of TECs, you can control the power consumption quite well.
Your only option is DIY phase change.
- A lot of people buy an air-conditioner (5k-8K BTU will cost $100-$250) and convert it into a chiller so that half of the work is done already. They need to make a a heat exchanger to chill the water, and there are several methods to do this (pre-made compact designs, DIY piping into a coolant reservoir, in-between, or simply re-using the stock evaporator (which will have aluminum fins in direct contact with the water)).
I think this guy converted an A/C: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1424727
- Other people scope out a used compressor (maybe they're looking for a certain model. Some are quieter and more efficient than others). Then they size an appropriate condenser... just a complete DIY job, and I've now forgotten all the tricks... Unless you find some ebay or used deals, this will be more expensive and troublesome. You need to know what you're looking for already, but if you figure it out, you'll likely have a better unit overall.
- Last option is for pre-built units... which are prohibitively expensive.
* The TEC voltage issue: When running at full voltage, TECs will consume VAST amounts of power. When running at lower voltages, they can be surprisingly efficient (coefficient of performance can start at less than 0.5 and rise above 2.0), but the max temperature difference between sides is reduced to 10-20C (maybe 20-30C at a COP of 1? I'd have to go check the numbers again), somewhat defeating the purpose. Fortunately they can be run at higher voltages at load, and lower voltages at idle - at the whim of the user. There have been successful chillers taken to about freezing point, but it's difficult... and expensive.
- An A/C unit IS a phase-change unit, as is a refrigerator, which is really just an AC unit wherein the evaporator is chilling the air of sealed chambers.
- The evaporator is the cold side of the system, and it can look like many things:
- A "radiator" (through which we can blow air as in an A/C), or
- A block of copper on the CPU and/or GPU (direct-phase-change cooling, without chilling water), or
- A bunch of coils of copper tubing/piping in a reservoir of water (to be chilled), or
- A different heat exchanger design, still chilling water.
So there are two basic options:
1. Couple the evaporators directly to the CPU and GPU, and forgo the use of a separate chilled coolant. This allows for lower temperatures, but more difficult assembly, tuning, etc... requires more experience (esp. if you want to cool more than just the CPU).
2. Chill the water, and then you're able to cool everything as you would in a regular watercooled setup (except with added insulation to prevent condensation).
In that last scenario, the evaporator is acting as a water-chiller.
The only way around insulating for condensation is to run dual evaporators, one of which will chill the air inside a sealed PC enclosure (not the hard drives though). This air must as cold or colder than the coolant. This adds complexity to the design, however, but it has been done.
Obviously the most practical solution is to adapt an A/C unit into a water-chiller, and insulate heavily.
Edit: and it won't be horrendously loud. I'm just picky. It won't be any louder than... an A/C or refrigerator. If you think the fans on your A/C = the loudest part, then you can replace the A/C fan. I happen to think the compressor is a bit too loud for a PC. In my mid 20's... I'm getting older and lamer, and much more practical
Edit 2: There are guides detailed how to convert an AC into a water chiller. I might look those up and post them here later... but if I don't, then I think a google search could return a few useful results anyway. The Xtremesystems forums might be of more use if you're considering researching this.
Edit 3: And LN2 is used primarily for temporary extreme benchmarking and world record attempts. They do get better results than on Dry Ice or Triple-Stage-Cascade phase-change (which can reach below -100C).
Edit 4: And I think you were originally thinking of phase-change in relation to Heat-Pipes... which is valid. "Phase-Change" is so vague... but we're really talking about active units with compressors.
That is a fantastic amount of good information (for the most part; your condenser/compressor description is not 100% accurate), but I think the OP would be better off if he could see the bigger picture of heat transfer. Without getting into specific details about which specific refrigerants or TECs or phase changes and everything- you need to understand the theory behind moving heat (energy) from one place to another.