Here's an idea (though I don't know if it will work)

[Stoanhart]

I was just wondering about something. Since a peltier can work both ways (Use electricity to move/create heat or use the heat to create electricity), would it be possible to make a peltier that takes the heat from a chip and instead of pumping it away with a fan or watercooling, turns that heat into electricity that could either be blead off or used to run you LEDs or something?

I know for a fact that a pelt can make electricity for anyone who didn't know that and doesn't believe me. A friend of mine has a fan hooked up to a peltier that sits on a woodburning stove. when the stove is on, the pelt powers the fan, and the fan spreads the heat throughout the house

[wildfrogman]

Well i could be wrong but i think the pelt would need to get to hot to realistically make enough juice to power much, who knows a small led doesnt take much and would be pretty interesting thats for sure.

[Stoanhart]

I dont even care whether or not it lights anything. That would just be a plus. What would interest me more is if it would be possible to build a peltier that takes heat from the chip, turns that energy into electricity, and gets rid of it. Then you would have a pelt that basically cools itself. Probably won't work though, there's most likely some law of physics that prevents it. Damn laws of physics. Every time I want to do something, they stand in my way

[wildfrogman]

maybe if you can get some super effecient heat pump~engine thing then you may be able to use the energy for somthing but.....it would have to get really hot to do anything of that sort. It would just be better to go watercooling or a high end heatsinks for 50ish bucks