Is peltier worth it for me?

[Keg_Stand]

I plan on getting the Swiftech H2O-220 kit with the new Swiftech GPU M55 waterblock and GPU RAM copper HSs.

I plan to overclock my Opty 148 CAB2E to around 3.0ghz if I can as well as OC a next-gen video card (when I upgrade sometime in the next year or so). I have an X800XL that begs to be clocked to at least 450x575 once my H20 system arrives.

My question, therefor, is: should I invest (or look at investing) in a peltier cooling pad (are they pad-like? they look so on performance-pcs) for my GPU or CPU.. or both? Probally not going to buy one yet, but are they worth the extra hundred or so bucks later?

much appreciated

 

[crimedog]

i've long held the belief that tec cooling a cpu isn't worth it. you need to spend $50-$100 on a psu, at least $50 on a cpu tec block with tec, $30? for tec/coldplate for video card, $50+ for video card tec psu (if you wanna do it right and get a 24v tec), the deal with the higher electricity bill, not to mention the dual radiator probably will not handle all that heat...

i like tec cooling for the video cards but for cpus i don't see all that effort, cost, heat output, and electrical drain being worth the 20-25c lowering of temperatures at load. i've stated it before and been argued with, but my opinion is if you're going to try and do something more extreme than water cooling on your cpu you should get phase change ($300-400 minimum if you know where to look, and a much more drastic change in temps).

 

[Keg_Stand]

good enough for me. I didn't know I needed to get another PSU to handle that power, but it makes sense. Maybe I'll just save and splurge on a vapochill someday or...

I'll stick with the watercooling for now. thanks

Oh, btw, a single peltier on the GPU... how much additional heat would that put out for a water cooling system to handle? happen to have it in Watts so I can use that handy C/W equation?

 

[crimedog]

depends, if you have a 172w 24v pelt and a variable 24v psu (so you can run at 17v or so) i'd guess at least 150w of heat extra, but i don't know for sure.

 

[speed bump]

I'm going to agree with crimedog, I am going to try out a pelt on my CPU but I really don't think it will be worth. Heck Vapo PEs are floating around that can cool your CPU down to subzero for around $200.