No, phase change is insulated therefore its like running a high powered fridge with its doors closed. The evap line and the evap are heavily insulated as to loose as little coolness(?) as possible, and thats where all the coolness(?) is generated.
Dude, you couldn't be further from correct.
The insulation has NOTHING to do with it. That is NOT like keeping the fridge closed. When your fridge runs, the inside gets to a certain temperature then the unit shuts off. With a phase change unit, it's like your fridge is NEVER turned off because you constantly have a heat source. It's like putting a heater inside of the refridgerator, the thing would never turn off as a result.
Phase change is a one time thing, you buy one and you turn it on and your set.
I can tell you know your stuff to some degree man, but you are completely wrong about phase change dude. You're apparently not realizing that that phase change unit requires a massive amount of energy to run. You think you're going to power it off a normal computer PSU? No.....it plugs in to an AC outlet and sucks a LOT of power.
As I said, the insulation has nothing to do with anything, so I don't know why you think because it's insulated, that that means that it's like a closed refridgerator. It's connected to a heat source dude!
I can guaran-freakin-tee you phase change is more expensive, but if you want to think otherwise then be my guest. You need the same crap, insulation, grease, instead of a dedicated PSU, you're running it straight out of your wall, theres more power = more electricity ( a lot more ) = higher electricity bills.
As far as your pelts though, I don't know why you think you need bigger rads and bigger blocks.
But yeah, if you still dont understand why it's more expensive.......it's the fact that the unit that normall keeps fridges cold, is going up against a thing that's producing a massive amount of thermal resistance. That phase change is running full speed all times. A refridgerator doesn't do that.