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Winter dryer duct cooling

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F

FishNiX

Member
​
Joined
Jan 12, 2003
Location
Chicago (originally a Connecticut Resident)
So I havent tried this in a while for various reasons, but here is something that works well in cold winter climates.

While I was in college (and not paying the heating bill), I had an AMD K6-III 400 that was a pretty stubborn chip. It would do 450 OK, but nothing much more. During the time after I broke up with my 1st girlfriend, as you can imagine, I had a lot of free time and worked on my computer a lot. Hell, now that I think about it, breaking up with my girlfriends (or more appropriately, being dumped) probably got me a lot of the computer knowledge that I use today... but that's another story.

I was attending college in Connecticut and it was a particularly cold winter. I was bored one day, so I got out my drill and some tin snips and began cutting. I cut out an 80mm hole in the side of my case.

I then attached a 120V 80mm fan that I ripped out of an old 286 switching p/s (found in the lot of computers being trashed by the physics department). I was too lazy to find screws or anything, so I used some silicone II sealant from another project to attach the fan. It actually worked pretty well, and isolated the vibration from the 2" thick fan. The fan just had bare wire leads, so I shoved them in the end of a spare computer power cable that I plugged into the wall (probably not the smartest thing to do!)

After rummaging around for a bit, I ended up in the laundry room, and ripped off some ducting from one of the dryers... not like they would miss it. I shoved the ducting over the fan as best I could (it took some force) and then put the other end out the window.

After plugging the rest of teh window with carboard and shielding the "intake" from the sun, I was ready to fire it up. Voila! instant 500mhz K6-III running around 3C @2.4VCORE!

Unfortunately, I dont have any pics of the rig, but here are the screenshots from Mobo Monitor and WCPUID.

http://efisher.web.wesleyan.edu/Pics/500.jpg
http://efisher.web.wesleyan.edu/Pics/500WCPUID.jpg

Cheers!

PS. If your happen to look at the other pics, please dont judge be based on them! hehe
 
As a matter of fact that is exactly what I have set up in my cellar.

I built a window box out of old scratched plexi (door) and hooked up a "manifold" for up to 6 pcs.

I only have 3 on it right now, but the temps are fantastic!

I was using fans to help pull air in when the weather was a bit warmer but right now the only fans running are cpu and power supply: still good for temps that NEVER go above 25c- and yes, that is the cpu temp.

I had to disconnect the other fans because my basement was getting too cold :D
 
dammit, I need to do this soon....it was proposed a few weeks before christmas by someone here, and I wanted to do it...but I didn't. Anyhow, now that our daily high is reaching 15F (about -10C i think), I believe that I shall soon install this.

Just wondering, what did you people use for insulation of the window? I mean, to prevent the cold air from getting anywhere but the computer, heh. It was discussed a little in the previous thread. The guy used wood, but it was proposed that one should use foam...which I agree with (and since it's much easier to work with).

that's it, i'm doin it tomorrow. w00t....i got the time, parts will be cheap, temps will be looooowwwwwww....

Heh, I got two 6" 120v fans on the way....heh....heh.....heh...:D:D:D
 
No old school oc for me im in spain :d
here in winter time the coldest we get is like 1C which iz VERY COLD FOR us here most of the time its like 15 in winter and like 3 days out of the whole winter maybe 1C but thats really cold
 
no moisture

I'm not sure if it was b/c of the fact that the *entire* case was cold or that the cpu temp stayed way down, but there was never a moisture problem. -- I think the temps outside were around -10 or so.

I only used a blanket and a few layers of cardboard to insulate the window. I also stopped all the other fans blowing out and sucking into my case and bloacked off some of the holes (except for the p/s fan)


The room got pretty cold, but like i said, i wasnt paying for the heat ;)

PS. sorry i didnt reply sooner, I didnt receive any emails that there were replys and figured noone cared ;)

Apparently I wasnt subscribed...

Cheers!
 
Bring your pc here. At the moment it is around -15C/-20C at night and bout the same in the day
 
lol.....

well, i'm still kinda afraid of moisture. I know that deRusset on this forum made a test lab using a cardboard box, some metal wires (to simulate the components) and his hot-air return (to simulate the heat of the components)...he set it up, and he said he got a few drops over a long period. He says that it was very little, but enough to worry him...

I think for now I will just attach the exhaust to the back of my computer and aim the tube at my feet for a nice little foot warmer....when I get more confident, I will hook it up to the window....lol.
 
I've been exchanging some PMs with Dave and thought I'd post a few more details about my "manifold"

I set up in late summer/early fall when temps were warm: my farm had been making my cellar very hot....and an open window was not enough.

My window is completely open with my plexi box mounted in it, and now covered with blankets for insulation. The business end has a strip of cardboard with 6 holes 4 " in diameter although I am only using 3 right now (others are blanked off.)

All the intake air comes from outside, goes into the case and exits the psu- no other fans but cpu and psu running right now, although in warm weather that will change.

At no time has any moisture been visible anywhere, and the way my mainfold is set up rain can't get in, although regular moisture could as always.

The air exiting my power supplies is not warm at all; it is not as cold as outside, but it IS cold! So the case/cpu does not warm it up enough to mix comfortably with room air- anyone thinking of trying this with a pc in a room they use a lot should think about ducting their exhaust outside too ;)

Moisture revisited:
I was/am a bit concerned about it too, and kep a close eye on things for a while, at this point all is good. I will be watching VERY closely once things start warming up again though.....but I don't think there is much to worry about: if the entire case area is cold then moisture problems should be minimal.

I hope, anyway :D

I have a shelf unit
 
I do something similar in the summer. I have a replacement air conditioning duct cover with some dryer hose attached to it. When Summer comes around, one end goes in the air conditioning vent under my desk, the other attaches to the intake on the front of my case.

I get the same temps year-round.
 
Move to Qubec, right now it is -23C at 2:45PM :p I was a slob last night and threw my coat off... right over the vent and in this morning I opend the door to my puter room and even with those 2 space heaters known as PC's in there... it was COLD! My 1600+ was at 21C!

EDIT: Thats 21C under full load with F@H!
 
Im thinking of doing this for a water cooling project as my PC is right next to an external wall, i was thinking of having the water pipes go through the wall and mounting the radiator and fans outside then sealing the pipes into the wall to prevent cold air from freezing my nuts off! :D Then also mounting a sunscreen over the radiator and fans. The only problem is my wife!!! She leaves work at the end of this month due to a baby on the way so it will have to be done soon!! It's also explaing the new 'thing' that will be sitting out on the balcony!
 
go for it!

I think that would be sweet! you need to make sure it doesnt freeze...get a dual rig or somethin ;)

I remember reading about that at one point actually. A guy build a box for his watercooling gear on the outer wall with his computer on the inside. Worked well for him I think.

It was a long time ago, but probably still around online somewhere.
 
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