TEC cooling

[KING_OF_SAND]

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/cryo-tec.asp

How did they do this? I am not an engineer but know enough to be confident in playing around. Basically I want to build an insulated TEC cooler to isolate the computer from condensation, being cooled by a preferably AIO cooler.

I am wanting to do this simply JUST BECAUSE.

 

[vorticalbox]

looks like that are using some sort of cooling plate bolted right to the CPU, then using water to cool these plates.

plates are below zero but the water (as its taking the plates heat away) should be over it so no condensation on the pipes.

 

[maniac]

As long as my knowledge is not playing tricks, the fact that the plate is below room temperature will still condensate the water in the air around it.

Lets say the plate drops the temperature of the motherboard around the socket to 0C, the motherboard will still condense the water found in the air as the temperature is way lower than room temperature.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

Instead of building THIS device, would is there a semi simple way to build a TEC cooler that can be adjusted and controlled by what the dew point is to avoid condensation? As long as I can achieve this I will be fine and would be able to get much better temps than any liquid cooling solution can offer. I would just need a device that can control a 12v TEC cooler according to what the dew point is, and attach a nice AIO cooler to the other end.

Or at the very least monitor the dew point externally and manually adjust the TEC cooler. Obviously I don't want something so powerful that it will overwhelm a AIO cooler.

 

[vorticalbox]

As long as my knowledge is not playing tricks, the fact that the plate is below room temperature will still condensate the water in the air around it.

Lets say the plate drops the temperature of the motherboard around the socket to 0C, the motherboard will still condense the water found in the air as the temperature is way lower than room temperature.

It states that the cold pate is completely sealed so that no condensation can get to the socket.

If you had a plate colder than room temp but water flowing around the outside which would be carrying the heat from the cooling then, at least I think, it would be possible to drop it below zero and not kill anything.

Still I'm not sure I trust it.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

It states that the cold pate is completely sealed so that no condensation can get to the socket.

If you had a plate colder than room temp but water flowing around the outside which would be carrying the heat from the cooling then, at least I think, it would be possible to drop it below zero and not kill anything.

Still I'm not sure I trust it.

I think the CPU itself is attached to the cooler some way.

 

[remember300]

to stop condensation you would need several things, either a vacuum around the cpu area, or something in the void with some insulation id probs use some form of acrylic or even an epoxy which has terrible thermal conductance

so as long as the out side stays below ambient it should stop all condensation. another idea is to divert some of this warm water into a case surrounding the cpu area which is being chilled ... if that makes sense that way all materials out side of the cpu stay warm and dry.

and the tecs are quite simple i was planning on making my own, im just working on it a dif way.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

to stop condensation you would need several things, either a vacuum around the cpu area, or something in the void with some insulation id probs use some form of acrylic or even an epoxy which has terrible thermal conductance

so as long as the out side stays below ambient it should stop all condensation. another idea is to divert some of this warm water into a case surrounding the cpu area which is being chilled ... if that makes sense that way all materials out side of the cpu stay warm and dry.

and the tecs are quite simple i was planning on making my own, im just working on it a dif way.

Well let us know on your way. I'm interested in trying a bunch of different ways, even making a res with a TEC attached to it to chill the water.

 

[remember300]

the res with a tec system would be ok but would cause to much condensation i thought about it and tried it, lol but great for cooling beer even on a hot day .

Im gonna see if i can get a 775 chip and mobo which can handle a little OC and see what kinda temps i can dissipate with some cobbled parts.

 

[maniac]

It states that the cold pate is completely sealed so that no condensation can get to the socket.

If you had a plate colder than room temp but water flowing around the outside which would be carrying the heat from the cooling then, at least I think, it would be possible to drop it below zero and not kill anything.

Still I'm not sure I trust it.

How I see it, it could be a thousand miles away from the pc, as long as the CPU itself is dropping below room temperature, it will condensate the air around it, UNLESS, they invented some way for heat to move only one way, that is for heat to leave the cpu but the coldplate cannot in any way modify the cpu's temperature, only in that case room temperature would still be the lowest you can go...

As someone before me said, you would need a vacuum around the second for this not to happen.

 

[remember300]

or you fill the void with a poor thermalally conductive material material

 

[maniac]

or you fill the void with a poor thermalally conductive material material

Thats what they do with LN2 and Dry ice, they usually cover behind the cpu socket and around it with putty so theres no contact with air, but if you have to do that, we really haven't gone aynwhere, they just stuck a peltier plate to an AIO. peltier plates have existed for ages now, and they're like dirt cheap off ebay.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

the res with a tec system would be ok but would cause to much condensation i thought about it and tried it, lol but great for cooling beer even on a hot day .

Im gonna see if i can get a 775 chip and mobo which can handle a little OC and see what kinda temps i can dissipate with some cobbled parts.

The upside of it being on the res is it doesn't really matter if you get condensation at all. Especially if the res is a bit away from any vital components. You would need to just clean up any drip, just use an external res. I'll take minor drip cleaning for a constant 32c at 1.3+v lol

 

[Goldskis45]

I bring you the answer to all your TEC cooling condensation needs.
http://www.neverwet.com/

We used it when I helped make a prototype TEC block for a 7970. This is the only picture I could find of it (Early design stage). It has 5 individual peltiers under the hood and zero condensation problems from what the owner has told me
(the caps had a separate cooler on them because our heat transfer simulations determined that TEC cooling them was a waste.)

 

[SuB]

heh, peltiers, that takes me back Interesting to see it as 'new' technology

Don't these just increase the heat you need to dump?

From memory, the cold side will only go as cold as that if you draw ALL the heat from the hot side away efficiently?

Also these require quite a bit of wattage and often a separate/special PSU (at least they did back in the day)

 

[Goldskis45]

Also these require quite a bit of wattage and often a separate/special PSU (at least they did back in the day)

If you do your homework you can find 5v ones that work just fine on 5.5

 

[remember300]

the more volts you put down them tends to allow it to go cooler. thats a cool idea for use on a gpu as most of the effort is used on CPUS.

When it comes down to the material to insulate it i was thinking of having the warm liquid used to water cool the hot side pumped down around down by the edge of the cpu making it warm enough to stop condensation maybe ... or it could make it worse lol. no matter what a sub material will be needed and unfortunately a new mobo layout to put some stuff on the back to give more room around the TEC.

im liking this convo

 

[Carbine]

Didn't know people still use peltier cooling. Last i used it was on an Athlon64. May be tempted to add it to my current system

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

Didn't know people still use peltier cooling. Last i used it was on an Athlon64. May be tempted to add it to my current system

I think we all would love to. Problem is what is the easiest way to power the TEC and eliminate condensation from vital components. Something even a dummy can do. I mean if we could make something that can even make a CPU with a 5ghz oc max temp at ~30c that would be incredible! Just need to find an easy hassle free way of doing it.

 

[Carbine]

depends on the type of TEC plate used as there are quite a few. I still have a 230w 50x50mm which should cope.

You can power a peltier off your PSU.. pending the power, you would connect it to a single 12v rail using 14g wires such as the 4pin or 8pin motherboard connectors.

Else having a separate power unit (SFF units will do) to power the plate.

In terms of eliminating condensation, theres no easy way.. as condensation will always occur. Personally, though it may not look pretty is to waterproof all the components near the CPU area likewise how you would with LN2