Severe condensation problems

StrongBadia · Jun 8, 2004

I just got a new Mach I. I installed it according to the manual's instructions. I turned the unit on connected to the PC and left it on with the PC off for an hour. When I went to check the unit, I saw water on the back of the motherboard and around the evaporator on the front. What am I doing wrong? I followed the instructions exactly.

I did not have the heater on because the PC was off. I can hook the heater up to my secondary psu and try again, would that help?

Also, how long should I give the motherboard to dry off before I try again? How long should I let the cooling unit sit before removing the evap head from the unit?

matttheniceguy · Jun 9, 2004

turning on the heater and the processor will help a lot. The processor will probably be good for 100 watts of heat or so depending, and i am not sure about the heater, but it's whole purpose is to prevent condensation. Running the unit with no heat load will make the processor and motherboard a lot colder than they would be if the computer were on.

Let the motherboard dry out untill you are sure it has no moisture on it at all, and try running the thing with the computer and heater on. Watch it closely though so you can shut it down at the first sigh of condensation.

StrongBadia · Jun 9, 2004

I let the unit sit for about 30 and turned it on with the PC still off, but the heater connected to the alternate psu. I'll let it run for an hour and check it again.

gouda96 · Jun 9, 2004

I didn't use the heater, I cut a neoprene gasket that fit under the back, and coated the entire back of the socket under the neoprene in dielectric grease. I never had any condensation issues.

You could turn the unit on, and when it gets cold turn the comp on, and keep an eye on it. Feel the pcb around the socket. If it starts to get cold enough that you think condensation could start to form shut it down.

StrongBadia · Jun 9, 2004

I booted the PC up. I'm running at 4ghz with 1.75ghz. This chip isn't that great, I'll see if I can find a good chip on the forums.

Around -20C idle and -3C load.

Joe Camel · Jun 9, 2004

gouda96 said:
I didn't use the heater, I cut a neoprene gasket that fit under the back, and coated the entire back of the socket under the neoprene in dielectric grease. I never had any condensation issues.

(just got my MachII yesterday)
now THAT was what i wanted to hear!! i was hoping that would work (it worked for my TEC setup) about how big a neoprene gasket did you use? mine was like 5" x 5" (probly overkill but better safe than dead mobo) with dielect under it + 2" extra beyond the neoprene. i used a few drops of silicone (aquarium grade) around the edges to hold it in place.

im not real impressed with the instructions (condensation prevention) that came with the unit...they dont even mention the use of dielectric grease

anybody with "non stock" advice on this please feel free to add how YOU solved the condensation problem.

EDIT: already read every guide i can find (DangerDen's, Bowman's, Toms'HW etc etc)

StrongBadia · Jun 9, 2004

They don't mention the grease because it's not necessary.

EDIT: Hrmm, I seem to be getting random shutdown problems. I had one of these a couple weeks ago, but it was a one-off so I thought nothing of it. Now I'm getting them random and often. I've had 3 in the past couple hours. It's strange, I don't know if it's condensation or not. I ran the computer for 8 or so hours overnight with Prime95 and it worked fine. It seems these problems started when I put the sides on my case.

gouda96 · Jun 9, 2004

...

Joe Camel said:
(just got my MachII yesterday)
now THAT was what i wanted to hear!! i was hoping that would work (it worked for my TEC setup) about how big a neoprene gasket did you use? mine was like 5" x 5" (probly overkill but better safe than dead mobo) with dielect under it + 2" extra beyond the neoprene. i used a few drops of silicone (aquarium grade) around the edges to hold it in place.

im not real impressed with the instructions (condensation prevention) that came with the unit...they dont even mention the use of dielectric grease

anybody with "non stock" advice on this please feel free to add how YOU solved the condensation problem.

EDIT: already read every guide i can find (DangerDen's, Bowman's, Toms'HW etc etc)

I put it under the back plate. Cut a peice that was the same dimensions, but was about 1/8" or 1/16" higher, so that it was squeezed and made good contact.

I don't know why the hell they don't have you put dielectric grease on...it would give me nightmares not having it in the socket and slug, with a piece of neoprene in the slug, and all around the cpu, and on the pcb inside the easymod kit. My mkI was recharged with r404a, so you shouldn't have any condensation problems if you generously use dielectric grease. Oh, remember that you don't want dielectric grease on sealstring. It loses it's stickiness, and might break the seal string seal.

Joe Camel · Jun 9, 2004

gouda96 said:
I put it under the back plate. Cut a peice that was the same dimensions, but was about 1/8" or 1/16" higher, so that it was squeezed and made good contact.

I don't know why the hell they don't have you put dielectric grease on...it would give me nightmares not having it in the socket and slug, with a piece of neoprene in the slug, and all around the cpu, and on the pcb inside the easymod kit. My mkI was recharged with r404a, so you shouldn't have any condensation problems if you generously use dielectric grease. Oh, remember that you don't want dielectric grease on sealstring. It loses it's stickiness, and might break the seal string seal.

so you used the plastic "box" (that has the heater in it) but used neoprene rather than the heater? do you think the way i described my setup (overkill) would work too?

can one put down the sealstring and then "paint" dielct. around it? does the grease break down the string or does it just take away the stickiness?

thanks for the help/info!

gouda96 · Jun 10, 2004

Yeah, I removed the heater, and put it under it, and no, the way you described it will not work. You can't just seal the neoprene on. That would work for insulation purposes, but the front plate screws into the back plate, and that is how the evap is held on, and cutting the neoprene to fit under there takes about 1 minute.

I don't think it breaks it down, and the sealstring that would be making contact with the dielectric grease is actually held down by various parts of the mounting kit, so yeah, just apply the seal string, and apply dielectric grease gernerously. You want to fill all the socket holes, coat the slug, put neoprene in the slug, and cover the botton of the cpu with it.

Joe Camel · Jun 10, 2004

gouda96 said:
Yeah, I removed the heater, and put it under it, and no, the way you described it will not work. You can't just seal the neoprene on. That would work for insulation purposes, but the front plate screws into the back plate, and that is how the evap is held

i know the 64 kit does that (screws in) but the non 64 AMD kit dosnt...seems the sealstring is the only thing that holds on my backplate...the evap is screwed to a plate that is "clipped" to the socket (via the standard ZIF clips)

this is the best "how to" ive found...
http://www.xtremeresources.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=16

i plan on following "The Dude's" guide (-heater / backplate) and mixing in Bowman's use of dielect/neoprene...
http://phase-change.com/index.php?action=Articles_page&cat=Guides&id=25&page=3

this will be my weekend project. hope to see you all here on sunday for my -40C, 3+GHz update :crossfingers:

StrongBadia, take a look @ Bowman's guide, it might help solve your random shutdown problems...(please dont think i want you to be wrong, just trying to help ya out!)

edit: now that i think of it (more) ill skip most of the plastic parts and sealstring and just go with Bowman's guide (+silicone, but not this much LOL... http://www.ocforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=26865 ) with a layer of dielect under it, ALL that silicone came off in 2 pieces!!

flapperhead · Jun 12, 2004

i just got a used prommy and im gonna paint some conformal coating where the cooling end attaches to the mb and on the back too. even tho i have a heater this is good insurance

Joe Camel · Jun 12, 2004

well, im up and running... i used Bowmans guide to prep the socket & chip and back of mobo (no heater)...used the plastic "ring" around the socket and filled in most of the extra space with neoprene (less air space)...silicone rather than seal string around the ring...seal string between the head unit and the "ring"...dielect ALL OVER EVERYTHING (except the die and the copper) ...now im just playen with the OC...not going to see 3GHz

(prime stable) 2900s tho

$1300 for 116 MHz... :-/

hope the 64s like Prommy cooling better...

EDIT: seem to have topped out at: 225x13 (2925MHz) 2.1V mem: 2,3,2,10

Psykoikonov · Jun 13, 2004

$1300 for 116 MHz...

I look @ those $$$ as new computer, you know like a mobility 2500+ @ 2.5GHz is ALOT better than 400MHz or so on the one I got

.

Psyko

gouda96 · Jun 13, 2004

You have to remember that with every 939 proc he buys from now on he will get the boost from his prommy. And it isn't hard at all to make hold downs for new sockets, so it is a fairly future proof performance gain.

Severe condensation problems

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