Farwalker said:
The cost of a phase change system seems like it would be twice as much as a water cooliing system; $800 versus $400. Additionally, the Swiftech MCW5002 costs $125.
More like $400-700 for phase. It just depends on where you get it and whats in it.
But thats not the point. Point is in the long run the pelt will cost more though your power bill payments and will ultimately give you much higher temperatures.
darkcow said:
hmmm... so could i use my current w/c set-up. but remove the radiator, and replace it with a chiller set-up instead. just put some insulation around the water blocks/pump and it should be ok right?
i thought phase change could only be directly on top of the CPU. but a tiny compressor (not super tiny, but enough to cool a conroe) might be of use. because im thinking that because it will only "chill" the water only, and not the full brunt of the CPU, i might not need a huge compressor - which is what I'm trying to avoid here, below ambient temps, but not freezing, but not bulky. so im sacrificing performance for basically space and portability. hmm.. im still deciding whether or not just to go straight up watercooling.
Yes you can do that and many people so. I personally will take a chiller over a DD system any day.
What parts pf your WC system are ok to use depends on how cold you want to get. You need an all metal block, and if its a 2 piece design then take out the rubber o-ring and use a low temperature epoxy like devcon 250 to bond it shut as the o-ring usually freezes, shrinks, cracks and leaks. Or you can braze it shut, I prefer epoxy as its cleaner.
A pump that can handle the temperatures is also a good idea as they have been known to fail due to shattered impellers and housings as a lot of pumps feature plastics that become extremely brittle at low temperatures. Something like the Panworld 40px is a good value.
Other then that yes, insulate and you are good to go. Just don't use water in a chiller. Ethanol/Methanol and distilled water mix is preferred.
Why you thought phase change refrigeration has to cool the core directly I don't know, but you can go any way about it. Its just phase changed based refrigeration, you can cool anything any way you want, its just a principle of thermodynamics. You might want to look in how it works lol
There is nothing about a chiller that makes a smaller compressor better vs direct die. You can have a small compressor and have a direct die setup too. Direct die will get your better temperatures as its more efficient (unless the evap is a bottle neck then a chiller would do better) with the same compressor. However a chiller is better in many other ways. You can cool multiple heat sources easily. Chillers have better stability when it comes to dealing with heat spikes due to the large thermal inertia of the coolant. If you have to fuss with anything its on the water cooling side and is easy to mess with vs cutting up your phase change loop. They also integrate with an existing wc system given the right circumstances. And you can keep it in a separate case and connect/disconnect using quick connects as you please. Chillers are really the practical way to go.
