The cheapest form of extreme cooling?

[Denbob99]

Well, after my idea of using a TEC to chill water has been dismantled I need to move on, however I still want something more than water cooling but also not hugely expensive. So, what do you recommend?

[eaglescouter]

Please define your acceptable extreme cooling budget.

[Denbob99]

Its kind of hard as i'm from the UK but I guess its around £150 which is roughly $200 after VAT and the general extornionate UK pricing.

[eaglescouter]

Ok, then phase is out unless you build your own and already own all the tools and equipment. (Unless you find a steal of a deal locally)

[Gautam]

A watercooled TEC could fit in that budget if you chose parts very tactfully. And I mean the TEC directly cooling the CPU and not chilling the liquid--thats much more effective.

[JamesXP]

I seen a prometia on ebay for 130 o.o GBP

[eaglescouter]

I seen a prometia on ebay for 130 o.o GBP

Link?

[SuperClocks]

Investigate the window unit A/C idea. It involves submersing your radiator into liquid with the cooling coils from the A/C. The compressors in those things are made to run 24/7, and you'll get lower temps than with phase change. The best part is that you'll freeze everything in your water loop with one device.

It should fit into your budget if you follow my soon to be made insulating guide. I'm going to include a tutorial on how to insulate your components for $10-$20, depending on how many you need to insulate. So that's $100 for the A/C & $20 for the insulating material. That should leave you with plenty of money for additional materials, like a cooler and such. I'm thinking of selling my TEC's and building one myself, when I have the time that is...

[eaglescouter]

you'll get lower temps than with phase change

You will get temperatures lower than -40 degrees C using a window AC in a bucket?

[rhino56]

id say go with dry ice, if you want it for longer then just benching use the ac in a bucket for sure.

[Denbob99]

I wish regarding the a/c, however, in the UK I cant find a window a/c for anywhere near £100 let alone $100!

[Denbob99]

http://cgi.ebay.com/8000-BTU-Window-A-C-with-Remote-Control-Retail-P-150_W0QQitemZ200108898551QQihZ010QQcategoryZ79625Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So unfair :( Thats like, £40. I guess the english weather makes a/c trade uneconomical

[Denbob99]

Could an old fridge or freezer also be used? They seem to be cheaper.

[JamesXP]

No, from what i hear the compressors are not meant to run long periods, and fridges are used to cool items that are already semi warm, not cool hot mobos or cpus :P

[Strida]

Check the sticky thread on the main xtreme cooling page about fridges/freezers. Long story short they won't work.

[XeonStrikeForce]

If you have a larg capacity freezer yes, think of it like a rechargable battery, You fill it with water and allow it to opperate untill ice is forming, let the ice build for a fiew inches.

After the ice has built you can use it to chill your computer untill all the ice is consumed, then let the freezer pull it back down. Larger the freezer longer run time you will have, but in any way it will not be constant, you must allow it to "recharge".

[freakdiablo]

If you have a larg capacity freezer yes, think of it like a rechargable battery, You fill it with water and allow it to opperate untill ice is forming, let the ice build for a fiew inches.


I heard in a thread a while back letting ice form might not be good. Im not good with the whole compressor thing, but in the thread someone stated that the ice forms insulation, which means that the liquid inside cant evaporate, and since liquid cant compress, the pump breaks. Or something.

My guess would be getting a decent TEC then getting a liquid cooling kit would be your best bet. That is, unless you want to go with rhino56 and just get a life time supply of dry ice.

[Vento1]

Your best bet for phase is ebay thats where i got my unit paid £200 the price varys a lot. A couple of weeks ago a vapochill ls went for £112 so keep an eye out there.

[XeonStrikeForce]

I heard in a thread a while back letting ice form might not be good. Im not good with the whole compressor thing, but in the thread someone stated that the ice forms insulation, which means that the liquid inside cant evaporate, and since liquid cant compress, the pump breaks. Or something.

My guess would be getting a decent TEC then getting a liquid cooling kit would be your best bet. That is, unless you want to go with rhino56 and just get a life time supply of dry ice.

this only applies to fridges not to deep freezers, and more exactly this only really applies to frost free fridges. Aluminium plate fridges where designed with ice build up in mind due to the frost that develops over them in operation.

[freakdiablo]

this only applies to fridges not to deep freezers, and more exactly this only really applies to frost free fridges. Aluminium plate fridges where designed with ice build up in mind due to the frost that develops over them in operation.
huh, shows you what I know. My last bit of advice: dont take my advice

[SeasonalEclipse]

exteme cooling= extreme price

[Clockwork_Apple]

You could throw together a decent watercooling rig for £120, then a 183w TEC on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/40mm-10-5A-183W-Thermoelectric-Cooler-TEC-Peltier_W0QQitemZ220119241123QQihZ012QQcategoryZ13 1508QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) can be had for less than a tenner, then a PSU with 20A+ on the 12V to power it, that should fit your £150 budget :)

I got an amazing deal on a brand new Danger Den 4101 kit (D5, TDX, BIX with Tygon tubing), £60 shipped! :eek: I'll probably pick up a 120.2 rad though, and a 200w+ peltier.

I'll be using the watercooling long term, and a peltier for a few benches and suicide runs :D

[dylskee]

exteme cooling= extreme price
Perfectly stated SeasonalEclipse! :beer:

[Gautam]

And perfectly incorrect. ;)

[Bender]

And perfectly incorrect. ;)

Correct; I have seen many a $100 or less direct die phase change system. In fact the first one I built was under $100 and didn't even look ghetto. Dry Ice can be done for very little as well.

[JamesXP]

Oh by the way 150 Pounds is about 290-300 dollars :D

[johannesRS]

Could anybody bimme any indications on this "window A/C cooling idea"?

[Fushyuguru]

Buy an industrial floor fan, open the side of your case, flip on the fan and yell: EXTREME!!!

[XeonStrikeForce]

Buy an industrial floor fan, open the side of your case, flip on the fan and yell: EXTREME!!!


LOL

[eternaljammer]

Buy an industrial floor fan, open the side of your case, flip on the fan and yell: EXTREME!!!
oh no.:-/

[EmAn]

im not sure what you guys have in the uk but here you can buy a decent window a/c unit for about $100-$120 (74 to 111 in euros)

then from what i understand


take the front of the unit off and submerse the cold part(coil or whatever is in there) in a bucket along with a coil or radiator from your w/c loop (be sure to add some type of anti-freeze)

[Denbob99]

Yeah air con is almost non existent in the UK, we literally don't have a need for it :P

[EmAn]

do you have any hardware stores nearby or home improvement stores?

[Denbob99]

Yep loads

[XeonStrikeForce]

same in Canada, a 5000btu one is like 200 some odd dollars and are scarcer then teeth on a hen.

[DavidNWA]

Does anyone have links or pics of A/C unit modified for CPU cooling?

About the freezer...can a freezer be used to cool the liquid down in a water cooled system? i.e. instead of a fan cooling the radiator, have the coils in a freezer? With additives in the liquid to keep it from freezing.

[Sj_GrenDeL]

Why not buy a cheap mini fridge and strip the cooler unit off that?
That would be alittle smaller than a full window unit.

[eaglescouter]

Why not buy a cheap mini fridge and strip the cooler unit off that?
That would be alittle smaller than a full window unit.

Mini fridge concept has been discussed here previously. They do not have the capacity to cool our systems. Think about how many hours a mini frige takes to chill a 6pack of soda vs a phase unit that hits -40C in two minutes.

[Sj_GrenDeL]

Mini fridge concept has been discussed here previously. They do not have the capacity to cool our systems. Think about how many hours a mini frige takes to chill a 6pack of soda vs a phase unit that hits -40C in two minutes.
:(

[Denbob99]

The only way to get a decent phase system from a freezer is to get one out of a large industrial one (like the ones found in shops) the compressors on these are pretty major and can do phase I believe

[greenmaji]

The largest home chest freezers have a 1/3ish HP compressor.. fine for direct die or a weak chiller aplicaton.. It just needs removed and used in a new loop (the condensor, evap and cap tube tuneing is useless for computer cooling.)

The used or junked chest freezer compressor may be in your budget.
by the by.. there are EU guys to buy the rest of the parts from in the hobby.