CO2 + Waterblock

[Dan Derrig]

I was thinking of, instead of running water through a waterblock, I could use a CO2 tank and a remote line for a paintball gun. It would have liquid CO2 running through the waterblock, but it wouldn't last very long. Also, I was thinking of blowing subzero air or co2 directly at my CPU.
It's just a northwood celeron, so if it breaks, I'll just laugh.

 

[d94]

that would be interesting

 

[Centurion]

You may want to take some things into account...

First of all...the gas in your co2 tank is at 3000psi. (If I remember correctly from my paintballing days) No watercooling type hose is going to be able to support anywhere near that. Waterblocks aren't rated anywhere near that either. I think my maze4 was tested at 400psi. You are going to have to find a way to regulate pressure...and you won't able to have liquid co2 flowing through it unless you can figure out a way to keep the gas that pressurized throughout the loop...Once it comes out of that bottle, it's mostly air. Your best bet would be to find some type of regulator to let out the air slowly. But given the price of the regulator and co2 refills...you might as well just watercool....

 

[Dan Derrig]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118110
I'm not really sure if I can afford to spend $35 on something I'm not even sure will work. I'm sure it will kick butt, but my motherboard doesn't have voltage adjustment. I do however have an Athlon 64 I'd try it on, but only if it was safe. I already get 2.75ghz on it.
I'm also thinking of doing another idea. I could put the gas into my case through the side, so my video card, RAM, CPU, everything gets cooled. It should drop the case/ambient temp a LOT, which should get my CPU down a considerable amount without much danger.There is barely any condensation on freezing things here, the humidity is usually about 0-5% lol. I have the ability to put a LOT of CO2 into the case, which means replacing the air with totally dry and freezing gas, so no worry about condensation. I could supplement the remote line/tank setup with the 50F temps outside, meaning I could probably get slightly subzero temps.
Next weekend, I'm taking my tank to get filled then going outside and overclocking

I'm sure people love listening to my trains of thought, right? lol jk

 

[jinu117]

Well for one i would be hard pressed to see someone trying to pull 3000 PSI straight out... You will see tank flying like a rocket. Regulator should be in place to lower how much pressure it comes out at. Even something like 150-300 PSI might be sufficient.
Now, the idea of shoving the gas inside is very interesting. But you are missing one important thing. It will be marginally cooler as liquid -> gas expansion volume will be huge and you will have to exhaust it out as fast as it evaporates. Can we say wind tunnel to see which components survive?

 

[f00t]

i've seen somehting similar done before with propane over at Xs, just cant find the thread but this is what it looked like:

 

[Aphex_Tom_9]

heh, this is like the canned air heatsink idea

 

[FooTemps]

Actually co2 in paintball applications are stored around 500 to 800psi. That's still a lot of pressure but if you get a tank with an antisiphon valve and then sit it vertically the tank should only siphon liquid.

 

[LabRat23]

You would be much better off using dry ice. Just make a container like the one shown in f00t's pic and fill it full of dry ice. There wont be any pressure problems, your temps would be colder and you could keep it up quite a bit longer than you could with compressed CO2.

 

[billb]

I'm also thinking of doing another idea. I could put the gas into my case through the side, so my video card, RAM, CPU, everything gets cooled.
I'm sure people love listening to my trains of thought, right? lol jk

The amount of CO2 blowing through your case to cause any significant cooling at all will asphixiate you.

Yes, you are...well...interesting.