Hi Guys
Note#2 Heat from peltiers requires careful attention to case venting and air-flow - manageable. Condensation is the tricky one - it can be insidious and a CPU/board killer. Water can form in the most devious places. Dealing with condensation is a pre-requisite for the successful use of peltiers.
Make-up of a peltier
What is a peltier
Installing a peltier
Materials and tools required
*Screwdriver;
*Dielectric grease;
*Silicon;
*Pliers;
*Side cutters;
*Neoprene;
*Scissors, and
*Foam rubber.
Step 1. Preparing the motherboard
Step 2. Fill-up the socket with dielectric grease to prevent condensation.
Step 3. Insert the processor into the socket.
Step 4. Installing the foam rubber as a gasket
Step 5. Finishing off your peltier/waterblock
Note# CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Thanks goes to Swiftech.com for info and pics in this guide. If there is anything I have missed out or omitted pls post and let me know.
PV
Thought I'd have a crack at making a guide on installing a peltier (excuse the ancient pics of mobo and CPU, you get the idea). Firstly though, I would like to describe what a peltier is, and why it does its job so well. Before finally showing how to install one correctly. Peltiers are marvelous devices for cooling CPUs below ambient temperatures - a real strong point. Note#1 Peltiers have a number of weak points - they use a lot of power, they dump heat into a case like an oven and they can condense water out of the air like nothing you've ever seen before
. Power is easy to solve - use a second power supply. Note#2 Heat from peltiers requires careful attention to case venting and air-flow - manageable. Condensation is the tricky one - it can be insidious and a CPU/board killer. Water can form in the most devious places. Dealing with condensation is a pre-requisite for the successful use of peltiers.
Make-up of a peltier
What is a peltier
A Peltier module consists of semiconductors mounted successively, which form p-n- (positive-negative) and n-p- (negative-positive) junctions. Each junction has a thermal contact with radiators. When switching on the current of the definite polarity, there forms a temperature difference between the radiators: one of them warms up and works as a heatsink, the other works as a refrigerator. The cooling devices based on Peltier modules are often called active Peltier refrigerators or Peltier coolers. Peltier module's power depends on its size. The modules of low power might not be efficient enough. But the usage of the modules of too high power might cause moisture condensation, what is dangerous for electronic circuits. These days peltiers are more commonly used in conjunction with a water cooled system.
Installing a peltier
Materials and tools required
*Screwdriver;
*Dielectric grease;
*Silicon;
*Pliers;
*Side cutters;
*Neoprene;
*Scissors, and
*Foam rubber.
Step 1. Preparing the motherboard
Remove the stock heatsink retention frame (the black plastic frame that clips down to your motherboard). Fill the socket cavity approximately half way with silicone, cut and place a neoprene patch and rub it gently to smooth the compound underneath. Be careful not to press too hard to prevent making a dip into the compound. You want a nice flat surface. Seal the base of the socket with a bead of silicone. Be careful to fill all the interstices. Smooth the silicone with your wet finger (saliva works great).
Step 2. Fill-up the socket with dielectric grease to prevent condensation.
Do not confuse dielectric grease with thermal compound. Dielectric grease is used to prevent condensation where parts are exposed to cold. Peeps I have spoken to recommend Luberex, or any similar product, with good dielectric properties. Fill-up the socket center cavity (grease is to be level with the upper surface of the socket), and coat the socket pinholes with grease. Spread the grease with your finger so that it will penetrate inside the pinholes.
Step 3. Insert the processor into the socket.
Since you have grease inside the socket, some hydraulic pressure lift may occur: for this reason, make sure that the processor sits perfectly flat, and is inserted all the way into the socket. Then, insert the CPU, and finish off sealing it to the socket with a bead of silicone all around the edge. Notice how the locking arm is now completely encased in silicone.
Step 4. Installing the foam rubber as a gasket
Its imprtant to cut the foam rubber as tight around the CPU socket as possible, to assist in preventing condensation from escaping and ruining that mobo you have saved for weeks to buy. The entire base of the cooler is completely encased in a generous coat of silicone compound. Over a prolonged period of time, the edge of the CPU which is normally exposed to air would be covered with condensation, which could eventually drip down onto the motherboard, the foam and silicone combination prevents this.
Step 5. Finishing off your peltier/waterblock
Consists in spraying the back of the motherboard with a generous coat of conformal coating. Spray approximately 3 inches all around the back of the socket area. Cold will travel through the socket and spread to the motherboard. This ensures that any condensation that might form there will not cause any damage. And finally, once the conformal coating has cured, stick another neoprene patch immediately behind the socket. This will insulate completely the back of the socket area, which is most exposed to cold and therefore subject to condensation.
Note# CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Never run a thermoelectric module without a fan.This will result in catastrophic failure of the cooling element, and may cause any/all of the following: permanent failure of the Peltier module permanent damage to the CPU and/or motherboard due to excess heat. It is highly recommended that you dedicate the auxiliary power supply for the thermoelectric module to the computer powersupply. If you run your computer unattended for extended periods of time, it is also a good practice to setup an alarm temperature, which will shut down the computer in case the CPU overheats. Such alarm/shut down process should be tested as functional
.Thanks goes to Swiftech.com for info and pics in this guide. If there is anything I have missed out or omitted pls post and let me know.
PV
