PC+Min Fridge= Great Cooling??

[JDGreen92086]

Like the title says, would putting a pc in a mini fridge be great for cooling or is it possibly too cold. If it would work, how would it be done? Would someone just drill some holes somewhere, or would there have to be some type of special hole or something to where nice coolness wouldnt leak out?

 

[Him]

No, it would work, but condensation is a problem. This issue has been discussed many times everywhere. Things will sweat, especially when you open the fridge they will sweat hella bad, but because of the drastic temp difference there will be lots of condensation and we all know that water and electronics dont mix.

You need to build yourself a phase change system. Once you do that, you have to properly insulate every peice in your computer. It is a costly, very involved process, but it proves to be excellent cooling.

Also, you really dont need to worry about temperature being too cold until around -200ºC. But you dont want to cool things like your capacitors to sub zero temps, they dont like to hold a charge when they are too cold. However, yoour CPU LOOOOOOVES being cold!!!

 

[Calzinger]

we all know that water and electronics dont mix.

Isn't it only with electrolytes? I thought a non-electrolyte like distilled water would be fine since its non-conductive.

I've heard of people who use a spray-on formula which is damn cold and absorbs the heat. My cousin's senior design project was making a spray-on chilled liquid that you spray on parts as an active cooling. It was obviously electrically inert. You can get more details about that concept here: InnertCHILL.

Since this liquid didn't conduct, wouldn't the same go for distilled water? Wouldn't that be safe? Or would even distilled water short out the parts? It's a non-eletrolyte and doesn't conduct, so I'd figure that it would be ok.

 

[Him]

It only dosent conduct because all of the inpurities are boiled out of it. However, over time distilled water picks up inpurities and sediment, which will slowly make it conductive.

 

[gaara]

Yeah, but that's why you replace it every so often. Water loops generally need maintenence every six months. Of course if you're actually spraying something on your parts it might get a bit more difficult, but you could probably clean it up with some alchohol and que tips

 

[Calzinger]

Yeah, but that's why you replace it every so often. Water loops generally need maintenence every six months. Of course if you're actually spraying something on your parts it might get a bit more difficult, but you could probably clean it up with some alchohol and que tips

Does it really matter if the water in a water rig is distilled? My cousin uses distilled water with an antifreeze in his water loop, but does it really have to be pure? After all, I thought that the water only touches the copper block that absorbs the heat, not the actual electric components.

 

[gaara]

No it doesn't have to be pure, but distilled water is a good idea simply because it's nonconductive. I had a leak a few weeks ago and I was able to clean up the parts, and they still worked fine. Of course using antifreeze is a must IMO since it prevents the build up of bacteria and keeps the loop cleaner

90% distilled and 10% zerex whenever possible is always ideal

 

[Him]

Thats not the only reason. Because of the impurities in regular water, regardless of the material in your looop, things will start to corrode. You especially dont want to run regular water through a water pump. Sediment will grow and corrode and your pump will work less and less good. Like gaara said, a 10/1 ratio water:zerex is ideal. Zerex, or antifreeze in your brotehrs case, will also lower the potential for corrosion and lower the freeezing point of the water, thus through some process making it slightly colder.

 

[Calzinger]

They have versions of the MAZE4 that are supposed to reduce corrosion. Do you have to get that anti-corrode MAZE4 if you have the right solution of water in your loop? Or is it just for extra protection?

 

[Nubius]

even with regular water, if your loop consists only of copper and brass there really won't be any corrosion like there would be with aluminum and copper in the mix....problem with tap water is all the bacteria and other little things mixed into it that could if not corrode, simply build up gunk in your loop.

10% zerex will generally kill that, with distilled water you can get away with only using like 5% zerex/anti freeze and you'll be fine.

Either way though, the chances of your loop surviving if theres a leak if you have distilled with 5-10% of antifreeze is greater than if you had tap water in there with 10%+ of antifreeze