water v phase change

[ennogs]

Which would be better for cooling an overclocked i7? phase change or water cooling?

Are phase change units noisy? Would a phase change unit add a lot more money to my electricity bill?

[Blazing fire]

One factor you must consider before using phase change is that it requires lots of work, materials and expertise. For that reason alone, I strongly recommend you go with water cooling first. Otherwise, go with TEC (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=164384).

Please read up the stickies in this forum for more infomation about phase change: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=80, as well as "The phase-change help thread (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=369095)" bysandman001 of ocforums.

I hope the more experienced benchmark members of this forum would share their opinions.

Btw, welcome to the forums.

[Diggrr]

While phase change has always had an alure to me, I'd go water cooling before I would do fridge cooling.
Not only is there a lot more work in phase change like socket preparation and a lot of custom work, but water cooling can take as little as 15 watts. Not that I've become a tree hugger in my old age, but I do dig the lower electric bill.

[cadman420]

+1 There really is no comparison between water and phase. Water should get you what you need out of an OC, and phase change is the next step in cooling, it allows you to bring your temps well below ambiant and hense a better OC. But as mentioned before there is a lot of custom work that has to be done in order to have a good phase system.

[Boulard83]

+++++1 !!!

[Conumdrum]

Phase change vs watercooling vs air cooling.

Air cooling: A cat. Feed it every few days, say hi to it every once and a while, take it to the vet every 6 months to a year.

Watercooling: A Dog. Feed it every day, play with it, and take it on longs walks when you can afford the time.

Phase cooling: A High end parrot that will probably live longer than you. Buy a $500+ cage, have a vet handy on call, and expect it you don't prep the place just right, give it perfect attention, listen to it scream at 200 deicibels because your not perfect. Did I mention mainteance? Or was that enough?

Yes Phase uses energy to cool a PC to sub ambient temps, expect a higher electric bill, and the heat from a phase unit isn't 1:1, expect higher basic electric bills. Did I mention the noise a Phase makes?

Phase is awesome, you make great sacrifices to go phase. Wish I could.

[Daddyjaxx]

It is also a lot of money expended just to cool a CPU, with more inheritable risks. I just did a quick chart on what you can expect to pay with high end air, water, and retail phase change options. If you get custom phase change made, the costs can increase substantially. I chose the top parts available from each category from Performance PC's. Sure, you can shop around and save a little or buy used, but PP will give you an idea of the upper levels.

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4682/coste.jpg

Risks:

Air: Low

Fan failure
HSF can fall off or warp board because it weighs 7 pounds :)
Poor contact with CPU surface

Water: Medium

Pump failure
leaks
Poor contact with CPU surface

Phase: High

Unit failure
Condensation
Poor contact with CPU surface

TEC: Highest

Burn down your house :)

[cadman420]

Phase change vs watercooling vs air cooling.

Air cooling: A cat. Feed it every few days, say hi to it every once and a while, take it to the vet every 6 months to a year.

Watercooling: A Dog. Feed it every day, play with it, and take it on longs walks when you can afford the time.

Phase cooling: A High end parrot that will probably live longer than you. Buy a $500+ cage, have a vet handy on call, and expect it you don't prep the place just right, give it perfect attention, listen to it scream at 200 deicibels because your not perfect. Did I mention mainteance? Or was that enough?

Yes Phase uses energy to cool a PC to sub ambient temps, expect a higher electric bill, and the heat from a phase unit isn't 1:1, expect higher basic electric bills. Did I mention the noise a Phase makes?

Phase is awesome, you make great sacrifices to go phase. Wish I could.

That is perfect...:clap:

[thorilan]

lol conumdrum

thats even better than the ex wife analogy

[ennogs]

Thanks

[Blazing fire]

lol conumdrum

thats even better than the ex wife analogy

Enlighten me.

[Ben333]

Well, I have to say I disagree with most of you here. I found phase change easier than water, you really just prep the socket with dielectric grease, clear nail polish, and insulate it with neoprene or another kind of foam/rubber (probably included with your cooler), bolt the evap to your processor and you're done. If it has a rotary compressor then it will be loud. A piston compressor? (found on more expensive units) It would be quieter, definitely tolerable I'd say.

Then water cooling... Buying everything pre fab these days for a water cooled rig doesn't make it cheap. But if you're smart and do it carefully then you shouldn't have any leaks. If the pump dies then your modern CPU's thermal throttling should save it and if you're using a good pump then it shouldn't die to start with. Phase change is the best way for cold temps at the flip of a switch - 24/7 if you want it. A phase change cooler does use a bit of power, I'd guess 100 - 200W which is considerable if you run 24/7 but if you only run it part of the day its just like if you were to run your main rig non stop. To who suggested TEC cooling, I don't recommend that for a beginner, there are lots of problems that can occur and some water cooling experience can help when trying to figure out how to set up a TEC loop.

[rge]

Phase will be like running a second computer cost wise.

But what kills phase for me,
1) risk and wait time of custom built (store bought not enough wattage for i7, prefer 300+W) or spend months learning to do yourself, either way you wait months, and if something breaks, wait months again getting fixed.
2) At best I will get an additional 100 to 150mhz for 24/7 use over water, and even using best of components will be at least 10-15 decibles louder of compressor and louder fan noise. Water, I can run 4.5 ghz w/1.39vcore at 75-77max cpu temps prime load with 1200 rpm fans (2x360 rads) which is my ideal quiet, just hear pleasant whoosh air on GT/scythe fans)
4) Benching an i7 it would be somewhat useful, but LN2 is better, cheaper, faster, easier to "fix" if something isnt working.

Now if some reputable store starts selling phase change units capable of getting an i7 fully loaded at 5ghz to -70C quietly, ie less than 30dcbls like my water cooled computer with 1200 rpm fans/rheostat, and guaranteed to never break down for 3-5 years...I will buy one.