Phase Change, anyone?

[Him]

Building your own Phase Change system can be cheaper than a water cooling system. All it really takes is a fridge, and then some minor modifications on your part, minus the evaporator because you need that specially machined.

@WOOT6600GT: Do you know how a refrigerator? An extremely basic rundown of phase change:

Imagine a refrigerator. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor, turning it into liquid, it passes through an expansion valve where there is a pressure difference on either side of it, because of the pressure difference the liquid turns into a gas and begins to boil. When a refrigerant boils, it boils at negative temperatures and takes heat with it. This evaporating refigerant is pumped through the evaporator (basically a waterblock on your cpu) where it evaporates taking the hot from the cpu with it. Since it is a closed system, it all stays within the system and the cycle repeats itself.

Very basic, very crude rundown of a phase change. They all vary, and there is a hell of a lot more to them than that. But, basically, that is how they work.

Try:
www.phase-change.com
www.xtremesystems.org

Want any more info, just ask and i will try my best to answer it.

 

[woot7800GT]

Interesting... but wtf is the point? Bragging rights sure but watercooling seems good enough.

 

[Him]

Different refrigerants have different boiling points. Butane, I believe, boils at -5C. So, in theory, your CPU would be at -5C. Thats pretty cold. However, with everything involved in a phase change system, what with tuning the capilary tubing and such, you can get it even colder. The colder you CPU, the higher you can overclock it, and the faster it will be. The majority of people with a phase change system hit at LEAST -40C. That is cold, and THAT is the point. Water cooling could never get that low.

 

[Wayniac]

Just out of curiosity, could you buy a refrigerator coil and put it in your computer to cool it down? I mean, how would that pan out?

 

[Leonidas]

i do have WC, and i paid 300$ for it, however it came with a very good 1200 litres per hour pump, 3 blocks, and a dual quiet radiator that works extremely well... it is definitely worth the price, however a small y splitter that came with it was broken and caused extreme damage to my system, i have now lost a 6800GT video-card and an nf7-s v2.0 motherboard because of it...

very sad, but ive got enough money to go ahead and get a 6600GT and dfi SLI-DR NF4 mobo, along with a new venice processor to see how well i can overclock, im gonna shoot for 2.9 gigaherts!

i did look into the vapochill before i bought my watercooling system, but decided against it, because of the chance of condensation and the need to place heat-pads and all that junk. Especially considering that most people only increase their overclock about 15% over a nice watercooling system, not enough of a difference to warrant the hassle to me.

 

[Him]

Just out of curiosity, could you buy a refrigerator coil and put it in your computer to cool it down? I mean, how would that pan out?

Thats exactly how it is done. You need a compressor, a condensor, the capilary tubing, and a few other things, but for the most part it is made entirely out of a fridge. You will still have to get an evaporator machined though, I have yet to find a place that sells evaporators. The evaporator is the equivalent of a water block for a phase change system.

http://www.phase-change.com/index.php?action=Articles_page&cat=Articles&id=21&page=1

It is actually a very interesting subject. I have been doing extensive research for the past few months, but have not even started my phase change yet. I am slowly getting there, I'm thinking within the next few weeks I will start getting the parts together.

 

[Wayniac]

Sounds good... let me know how it pans out. Take some pictures of it too if you can.

 

[Him]

Oh I certainly will. I am going to document the whole thing, step by step.

Here is a good step by step of someone building a direct die phase change system. It is pretty informative.
http://www.phase-change.com/index.php?action=Articles_page&cat=Guides&id=23&page=1

The biggest problem surrounding super cooling is condensation. Because of the massive temperature difference, condensation will inevitably start to form on the cold components. To fight this, you need to properly insulate your mobo. Here is a good atricle on it:
http://wwww.vr-zone.com/?i=230

 

[Wayniac]

GOOD GOLLY! Did you see his 3DMark05 scores!? Or how far his graphics card is overclocked!?

Well, when I get enough money, I know what my next project is going to be.

 

[Him]

Using a system like phase change is the only way to get really high overclocks. You need that shit super cold. It is a process called 'SSOI' or Silicoln On Insulator. It means that the colder a CMOS (silicoln) is, the more voltage it can handle, and the faster it will switch electricity.