Passively-cooled WC System

I don't plan to do this for a while, but I want to do it correctly when I do it.

I can't stand loud PC's. Quiet fans are very expensive and still make some noise. I want my next PC to be watercooled. The only noises that I want to hear are the PSU fan, maybe the pump, and maybe the hard drive.

Here's my idea:

A heatercore about 5" x 10" can fit two 120mm fans.
I estimated that if I had a 15" by 30" radiator, I would need the air to move through the radiator at a rate of 2"/minute to have similar cooling to a 5" x 10" heatercore with two 25CFM fans. This is only an estimate.

So, if I have to keep my system indoors, I may cool my PC with one or more car radiators.

If i can use my system outdoors, I will use a heatercore so it doesn't fall off the area outside my second-story window. I will be able to move my fan and pump(s) outside so I do not hear them. I will have more challenges:

1. I will need a rain-proof area around the fans.
2. Everything will need to be shielded from the sun to prevent my cooling system from heating my PC.

I have a few questions:

1. My room is about 15' x 15' x 8'. With the doors and windows closed and fans off, would air move enough to cool my PC if I used a car radiator (not heatercore)?

2. What waterproof material could I use to reflect sunlight to prevent it from hitting my radiator, pump and fans?

3. What could I do to prevent rainwater from touching the fans?

4. Is it bad if the outside of a heatercore (probably copper) touches rainwater?

Thanks

I wouldn't let rainwater touch the rad due to corrosion. You could use aluminum foil mounted to something to reflect light.

Ok could look at a ac unit.
Have evap. in the res and use the temp sencer run the water at just above ambent temps or cool it a little. Just dont cool it to much.
You could mount the window unit it the window, Put the pump in the unit.
And have the noise outside.
You can get a window unit at wal-mart or some other store for 80 bucks for a 5200btu unit.
That will cool the res WAYDOWN!!!!! -20c So you would still want to use the temp cotroller so there is some controll of the temp.

If you cool it to much you will get condensation.
So you may need to insulate the board.

Why not build a decent watercooling system with a single 120 (chevette) or double 120 (caprice). Then you can get quiet fans like panflos. Next run the 120(s) on a rehostat or 5/7 volt them until you can barely hear them. Next, take the time to properly soundproof your case with dynamat or other sound absorbing materials. This way, all sound produced from any fans or hard drives is effectivly muffled and you have a very portable, silent computer.

THE_ODD_ONE said:

Ok could look at a ac unit.
Have evap. in the res and use the temp sencer run the water at just above ambent temps or cool it a little. Just dont cool it to much.
You could mount the window unit it the window, Put the pump in the unit.
And have the noise outside.
You can get a window unit at wal-mart or some other store for 80 bucks for a 5200btu unit.
That will cool the res WAYDOWN!!!!! -20c So you would still want to use the temp cotroller so there is some controll of the temp.

If you cool it to much you will get condensation.
So you may need to insulate the board.

Click to expand...

I'll only use an air conditioner when I need it in the summer (for cooling me), but you gave me two great ideas:

Mount the unit in the window.
Make a metal box for the unit

The problem is that the window would have to be left open, which would be a problem during the winter.

I could probably get around the problem by screwing or duct taping the unit to the window or wall (outside). There is also a small area around my window that may support the unit.

I could do this:

1. Make a metal frame similar to the one that holds my air conditioner.
2. Mount the heatercore in the unit.
3. Mount 120mm Panaflo L1A's @12V with EAR Isolators closer to the window than the heatercore.
4. Have large exhausts between the fans and the window. Rain won't hit the fans through these exhausts because the house will be in the way.
5. Place a submersible (waterproof) pump right next to the window, mounted with rubber materials in a metal box. I will not use a resevoir, but I will need a submersible pump so it is waterproof.

I have a very good idea of what I want in the frame, and it is hard to explain in words.

My main worry is that metal will not reflect enough sunlight. Would it be better to paint the metal white or chrome?

pwnt by pat said:

Why not build a decent watercooling system with a single 120 (chevette) or double 120 (caprice). Then you can get quiet fans like panflos. Next run the 120(s) on a rehostat or 5/7 volt them until you can barely hear them. Next, take the time to properly soundproof your case with dynamat or other sound absorbing materials. This way, all sound produced from any fans or hard drives is effectivly muffled and you have a very portable, silent computer.

Click to expand...

That is another possibility, but I want to look into this idea first. It will give me great temperatures during the winter, and it's unusual.

I would say that white would work the best.
In winter do you think the water wopuld get to cold.?
If it gets too cold there may still be a problem with condensation.

THE_ODD_ONE said:

I would say that white would work the best.
In winter do you think the water wopuld get to cold.?
If it gets too cold there may still be a problem with condensation.

Click to expand...

I'll use a mixture of water and antifreeze in the winter.

I was thinking about the condensation. If I cover all of the holes in my case with duct tape and make a small duct to outside, I should be fine. I just need to cool the case and evaporate the water before I turn on the system. I'll leave the system on all the time because I won't have noise.

Because cool air is denser than warm air, cool air should flow out of the tiny cracks in my case and cause water to condense outside my case.

water will consense on anything colder than the air around it...like tubing, your case, your drink, hard drives, anything thats colder than the air.

mixing antifreeze into your water wont guarentee you safe from ice chunks...unless you use a-lot of antifreeze.

if your ducting air into your computer from outside, your case will sweat bullets in the winter...and especially in the spring. (not much humidity in the dead of winter)
you would need constant flow in from the outside to avoid warm air getting into the case, and you dont want too much flow, because that would cool off the metal components and you would probably still manage condensation.

I say your best bet is to just get a large radiator (like 2-3 2-302's), mount them in your case, ( if you have the same case as most people here seem to, i can show you a way to mount four of these monters all at once)
and 5V a few intake fans...then put the computer under a desk or something...so you cant hear it. 5C fans are quiet...i'm also going nuts with noise but i'm not quite car radiator nuts yet...massive heatercores, and multiple numbers, yes, yes i am...too bad i dont have enough for a second yet. I still have to get the first installed...

For an encosure for outside, I'd suggest something like an electrical box - two, actually. If you can, get a bigger box to hold everything. Cut out the lower sides for airflow to the rad, so its protected from rain/sun, but still gets cooling. The pump can go in the upper half or the second box.

If nothing else, get some low rpm fans running at 7v for your inside setup. BGMicro.com sells Panaflo 80mm L1A's for $3.19 per fan and 10 for $26.50 - thats half the price or 10 for the price of 2-3 fans from normal resellers, respectively. One of those @7v would greatly help an indoor setup, and belive me when I say you cannot hear them at 7v. It's like a new 7200.7 Seagate drive - your ear has to almost be on it to hear it.

bgmicro has L1a's? i buy from there sometimes...which ones are the L1A's? i'll have to buy 10 next time i need something...i've always wanted one.

If you're going to cool your room in the summer, and your wall is an outside wall, why not just run your water through a couple 10' sections of 3/4" copper pipe as your radiator. There was a guy who did that (sorry, don't have a link) and painted them flat black and mounted them inside the house on the wall behind his computer desk.
Just make sure it's not over a heater duct.

Low flow restriction, huge surface area, no fans, passive except for the pump...sounds like what you need.