I am about to embark on a (for me) pretty exiting project, and that is building a new system from the ground up with liquid cooling in mind. It is to be an overclocked gaming rig, but one criteria is that I want to be quiet even by SPCR standards, and that means <30dBa. I also want everything placed inside one casing. I am currently looking at a Lian Li V2100B Plus II, because there's lots of room for liquid cooling in the separate bottom half.
Enough introduction.
One of the hardest parts to keep cool and silent is probably the PSU, at least in a higher-end gaming rig. So, inspired by this article: "How To H2Ocool Your Power Supply", I decided to look into a way to submerge the PSU in a liquid that I could also use for cooling the rest of the system.
Basically it will involve a similar setup, with a custom built plexiglass container. Unlike the one in the article, I want to mod in all the holes for the AC inlet and on/off switch and all the modular cable connectors in the front. I'll make my own for the main ATX power if need be. That's going to be a lot of work for sure, but that's not my main concern, because that only takes time and planning.
Unlike Charles Gilliatt's system, I want to use the plexiglass box as a reservoir too, meaning I won't be having water running through the pipes, but some other liquid. I hope I can cool the PSU + CPU + GPU + maybe the NorthBridge off with a Thermochill PA120.3 radiator and 3 silent fans, but if that's not enough, I can probably fit in another radiator. The V2100B is pretty roomy. Again, that's not my main concern.
My main concern is getting the right liquid and components for the job. Since it's in direct contact with the live parts of the PSU, there's little room for error. I looked at the 3M™ Fluorinert™ Electronic Liquid FC-77 that I believe is used for Cray computers and such, but it also looks kinda pricey. I am willing to spend *some* money on the project, but if there is a cheaper alternative that can provide safe and efficient liquid cooling of live parts, I am all ears.
Any suggestions?
Enough introduction.
One of the hardest parts to keep cool and silent is probably the PSU, at least in a higher-end gaming rig. So, inspired by this article: "How To H2Ocool Your Power Supply", I decided to look into a way to submerge the PSU in a liquid that I could also use for cooling the rest of the system.
Basically it will involve a similar setup, with a custom built plexiglass container. Unlike the one in the article, I want to mod in all the holes for the AC inlet and on/off switch and all the modular cable connectors in the front. I'll make my own for the main ATX power if need be. That's going to be a lot of work for sure, but that's not my main concern, because that only takes time and planning.
Unlike Charles Gilliatt's system, I want to use the plexiglass box as a reservoir too, meaning I won't be having water running through the pipes, but some other liquid. I hope I can cool the PSU + CPU + GPU + maybe the NorthBridge off with a Thermochill PA120.3 radiator and 3 silent fans, but if that's not enough, I can probably fit in another radiator. The V2100B is pretty roomy. Again, that's not my main concern.
My main concern is getting the right liquid and components for the job. Since it's in direct contact with the live parts of the PSU, there's little room for error. I looked at the 3M™ Fluorinert™ Electronic Liquid FC-77 that I believe is used for Cray computers and such, but it also looks kinda pricey. I am willing to spend *some* money on the project, but if there is a cheaper alternative that can provide safe and efficient liquid cooling of live parts, I am all ears.
Any suggestions?