I'm heading into another computer build, and this time I want to go beyond water cooling - if I can satisfy myself (with your help) that my ideas are sound.
I'm thinking of using HydroFluoroEther (HFE from 3M, called FLUORINERT) to totally immerse my motherboard and pci/agp cards.
My questions for this thread is for anyone with experience using the liquid or for anyone interested in helping me with my design using it.
To highlite the pro's and cons as I see them:
CON'S:
There are different formulations, and choosing one without a low boiling point would be important.
Making a sealed enclosure may be difficult.
It's very expensive, about $220 dollars a gallon
PRO'S:
I would cool not only the CPU, GPU and CHIPSET (something that a well designed water cooling kit would do for about $400) but it would cool down the RAM, GRAPHICS RAM, PCI chips, the voltage regulation circuitry on the MOBO (something that most overclockers overlook) and everything else that would be heated by overclocking. Something that Vaporchill units (at $900) and watercooling can't do.
In spite of the $220 a gallon price tag, it's as cheap or cheaper than any other way of cooling that I've seen, and potentially more effective.
It would allow for auxilliary cooling of the fluid to bring temperatures down even more, (if I ever decide to go to that extreme) without having to deal with condensation issues.
Once the "case" is made, as long as the section that would pass the cables is made as replacable, this would be a case that could be used over and over again for future computers.
I don't do "upgrades" to computers, so "easy access" to the mobo is not essential to me. If there is something out there (such as a new VID card) that compells me enough to buy it, I simply surround it with a new computer - hence, no "upgrades".
Before anyone mentions Liquid Nitrogen, or Dry Ice cooling, I'm not interested in that extreme. I merely want to be able to cool EVERYTHING that needs cooling, effectively and safely. The most extreme idea I have at this point would be to cycle the fluid through a radiator installed in a freezer unit, but until then, just cooling the fluid in the radiator with fans would be sufficient.
What I've seen from those that have tried HFE's is that they attempt to go to the extremes. Fun experiment, but I'm looking at this as a long term solution. What I need to know is simple:
Is there ANY reason (aside from cost, aesthetics, ease of access, evaporation, boiling points, etc.) that HFE's canNOT be used this way?
Would the components melt away? Are there adhesives in the capacitors that would dissolve? Would the chips themselves UNlaminate? Does anyone KNOW of a good reason this can't be used as I've described its use above?
Can anyone think of any PRO's or CON's that I've missed, and should be considering?
Does anyone out there have any ideas about how to build the case, or any hints and tidbits about doing a project such as this?
My plan at this point is to use the MSI 875 board, Intel 3.2e, some OCZ 4400 Dual channel DDR and overclock to 4gig. Video card will likely be the ATI 800 (even though the 6800 is better in open GL) Subject to change, of course
Thanks in advance for any help.
I'm thinking of using HydroFluoroEther (HFE from 3M, called FLUORINERT) to totally immerse my motherboard and pci/agp cards.
My questions for this thread is for anyone with experience using the liquid or for anyone interested in helping me with my design using it.
To highlite the pro's and cons as I see them:
CON'S:
There are different formulations, and choosing one without a low boiling point would be important.
Making a sealed enclosure may be difficult.
It's very expensive, about $220 dollars a gallon
PRO'S:
I would cool not only the CPU, GPU and CHIPSET (something that a well designed water cooling kit would do for about $400) but it would cool down the RAM, GRAPHICS RAM, PCI chips, the voltage regulation circuitry on the MOBO (something that most overclockers overlook) and everything else that would be heated by overclocking. Something that Vaporchill units (at $900) and watercooling can't do.
In spite of the $220 a gallon price tag, it's as cheap or cheaper than any other way of cooling that I've seen, and potentially more effective.
It would allow for auxilliary cooling of the fluid to bring temperatures down even more, (if I ever decide to go to that extreme) without having to deal with condensation issues.
Once the "case" is made, as long as the section that would pass the cables is made as replacable, this would be a case that could be used over and over again for future computers.
I don't do "upgrades" to computers, so "easy access" to the mobo is not essential to me. If there is something out there (such as a new VID card) that compells me enough to buy it, I simply surround it with a new computer - hence, no "upgrades".
Before anyone mentions Liquid Nitrogen, or Dry Ice cooling, I'm not interested in that extreme. I merely want to be able to cool EVERYTHING that needs cooling, effectively and safely. The most extreme idea I have at this point would be to cycle the fluid through a radiator installed in a freezer unit, but until then, just cooling the fluid in the radiator with fans would be sufficient.
What I've seen from those that have tried HFE's is that they attempt to go to the extremes. Fun experiment, but I'm looking at this as a long term solution. What I need to know is simple:
Is there ANY reason (aside from cost, aesthetics, ease of access, evaporation, boiling points, etc.) that HFE's canNOT be used this way?
Would the components melt away? Are there adhesives in the capacitors that would dissolve? Would the chips themselves UNlaminate? Does anyone KNOW of a good reason this can't be used as I've described its use above?
Can anyone think of any PRO's or CON's that I've missed, and should be considering?
Does anyone out there have any ideas about how to build the case, or any hints and tidbits about doing a project such as this?
My plan at this point is to use the MSI 875 board, Intel 3.2e, some OCZ 4400 Dual channel DDR and overclock to 4gig. Video card will likely be the ATI 800 (even though the 6800 is better in open GL) Subject to change, of course
Thanks in advance for any help.