Question about water chillers(+some direct-die systems and dry ice discussion)

[Alcsi69]

Hey guys!

I've always used an air cooler with my CPUs but recently I started an OC project with Cedarmill CPUs and my main goal is to get 5GHz+ with air cooling on them, but I'm sure I'll want more.

I'll definitely want to build a custom loop water cooling system, because I've never done it, and it'll be more efficient than the air cooler. The twist in the loop would be adding a radiator which doesn't have any fans attached to it, but instead I'd put it in a picnic-freezer thingy, and in that I'd put water, ice and anti-freezer. What do you guys think about this concept? Would it be able to reach below ambient temps?

I also saw some of these direct-die single stage cooling solutions, but I didn't like the way they work and stuff, it's just simply feels a little confusing to me. Maybe I'll try it one time, but not in the near future.

However I really liked the concept of using dry ice. It's relatively simple to get dry ice, and also to set the whole thing up, so I'll definitely want to try this method out in a 1 year time.

As I saw, the most successful OCs were done using LN2/liquid-nitrogen. I also like this method, but it's a lot more complicated to get LN2, so even though I want to try this as well, I'll definitely don't want to start with this type of thing.

So what do you guys think about the water cooling chiller thingy I mentioned above? Would it be sufficient to get to around the 6GHz mark? (considering I have a really good chip... Which I don't know yet actually, that's the second reason I want to start with air, so I'd know which are the better chips I have)

 

[Mr.Scott]

You will be the next one to tumble down that benchmarking rabbit hole.

Simple, colder is better........usually.
I run a chiller. I have done dice and LN2.

Cedarmill goals = 6K chiller, 7K dice, 8K LN2

 

[Mandrake4565]

You will be the next one to tumble down that benchmarking rabbit hole.

Simple, colder is better........usually.
I run a chiller. I have done dice and LN2.

This^^^^^

Alcsi69, where are you located if you don't mind. Not a good time for it now, I use a radiator outside my window in the winter and have seen -15- -20c water temps of really cold nights here in NY. I've also removed the fans from the radiator and packed it in a cooler filled with Dry Ice. That method will give you around -20 c water temps. I've used anti freeze in the loop in the past, I now use Windshield wiper fluid as per Scotty's and Johan45's suggestion.

One other cold loop method I tried was using Dry Ice surrounding a beer wort chiller. That failed miserably, I couldn't keep the lines from freezing no matter what I did.

 

[Alcsi69]

So my concept could work out well right?
I'm in Hungary, winters could get -10 degress in daytime, and -20-25 degrees at night. Maybe I could put out the whole freezer thingy when there is a pretty cold night.
I also thinking about having a rad with fans between the CPU and the fansless icy rad. Would this give me better results or isn't any significant? (I can get some really nice rads for relatively cheap)
Mr.Scott, haven't you tried direct-die phase change cooling as well?
And for the "benchmarking rabbit hole": actually I was always ran a lot of benchmarks on my computers, trying to get a littlebit more points and stuff. This type of thing is a lot more engaging for me than playing games and stuff. (Despite I liked gaming in the past, but nowadays I just get bored of them really fast, but building things and tweaking them... I can't get bored of that )

 

[EarthDog]

Look at the benching section and benching team.

What you mentioned is what we do when we do not have other methods to keep it cool.

 

[Mr.Scott]

Mr.Scott, haven't you tried direct-die phase change cooling as well?
And for the "benchmarking rabbit hole": actually I was always ran a lot of benchmarks on my computers, trying to get a littlebit more points and stuff. This type of thing is a lot more engaging for me than playing games and stuff. (Despite I liked gaming in the past, but nowadays I just get bored of them really fast, but building things and tweaking them... I can't get bored of that )

Yes. Direct die TEC's also. I've been doing this stuff for near two decades now.
Follow the light into that rabbit hole. It's a blast. Warning though, could get tough on your wallet.
Have fun but keep it within your means.

 

[Alcsi69]

The other hobby which I was looking at would be RC. It would cost the same, or sometimes a littlebit more. Like for this project I spent less money than I'd spend on an RC kit.
The other thing I tought about is pre-cooling the liquid (like antifreeze) that I'll circualte in the loop. Would that be efficient too?

 

[EarthDog]

Pre-cooling? Maybe for a run or two, depending on what it is... it will heat up quick like.

 

[Alcsi69]

Yeah I cool the liquid and then pour it in the system.
There is a man in Hungary who used this method a lot and he achieved some nice results.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Yeah I cool the liquid and then pour it in the system.
There is a man in Hungary who used this method a lot and he achieved some nice results.

Two methods I've used. Do note hard drives are not fond of being frozen!

 

[Alcsi69]

How was your temps with these?

 

[Mandrake4565]

With the kitty litter bucket, I have 6 x 2200 rpm fans on the radiator and a Magdrive 700 Gph pump. I can get the water temp to around +3-5 c above outside ambient. So as you said if you see -10 to -25 c in the winter you'll see +3 - +5c above that in water temps. Same goes for the case outside, though I do not recommend it. If you look closely at the thermometer in the case it's sitting at 0 c.

 

[caddi daddi]

I now do like mannys second picture, I just set the whole rig out on the back deck the night before in the winter, no condensation to fight that way.
it's a bit amazing how much more you can get out of a chip at about 30f vs 75 in the house.
A friend of mine owns a fresh chicken freezing warehouse, where they freeze your fresh chicken, yes, chicken is not frozen till below 27f, don't ask me why.
I have taken a rig there a few times and tried benching in his deep freeze rooms, below -40f, what fun!!!!!! fans that would not spin up, gpus that would lose contact with the slots, fun and funny as all get out!!!!!!!!

and I cool with a blend of distilled water and methanol, the same thing as windshield washer solvent, just no dye and I get to set the mixture.

 

[Mandrake4565]

I now do like mannys second picture, I just set the whole rig out on the back deck the night before in the winter, no condensation to fight that way.

and I cool with a blend of distilled water and methanol, the same thing as windshield washer solvent, just no dye and I get to set the mixture.

Some of us mere mortals don't have access to Methanol like you do CD!

 

[Mr.Scott]

Some of us mere mortals don't have access to Methanol like you do CD!

Sure you do. You just need to know what to look for.
Any decent auto parts store has airbrake antifreeze. That's about 90% methanol.

 

[caddi daddi]

read the bottle!!!!!, they use 3 types on alcohol in air line antifreeze.
your local fuel distributor will be glad to sell it to you, but normally in a 55 gallon drum, I use quite a bit of it blending fuel so I have it on the shelf.

 

[Mr.Scott]

 

[Lochekey]

Some of us mere mortals don't have access to Methanol like you do CD!

You can order it through Amazon pretty easily or a lab supply house. They sell it in 1L bottles.

 

[Mandrake4565]

I was thinking more on the lines of CD needing Methanol for all of his race toys! Though, I did not know it was as readily available, so thanks all.

 

[Alcsi69]

With the kitty litter bucket, I have 6 x 2200 rpm fans on the radiator and a Magdrive 700 Gph pump. I can get the water temp to around +3-5 c above outside ambient. So as you said if you see -10 to -25 c in the winter you'll see +3 - +5c above that in water temps. Same goes for the case outside, though I do not recommend it. If you look closely at the thermometer in the case it's sitting at 0 c.

When you use water cooling, do you use loud but brutal (considering airflow and static preassure) fans like server fans and stuff, or quiet but great fans like Noctua?