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Building a computer...

Unknown
in Off-Topic Discussion
I've been thinking about building my own computer and recently was wondering... Could instead of using a system of tubing and fans to cool it could I jut modify a functioning mini-fridge into a case and use that as a cooling system instead thus saving myself a bit of cash?

(Other Ideas that failed... Attaching a complex system of tubes looping the heat from the PC into the back of an AC and cooling the system with another tube... The logic caught up to me after a point.... Building a case out of box fans... too loud... and took to much energy... endangered components I admit it was a stupid Idea... and finally the liquid nitrogen cooling system... I looked at the prices for the stuff and assessed the dangers... expensive and dangerous not to mention needlessly complex)

 Just curious on other people's thoughts before I attempt this

Comments

  • shaeshae Member Posts: 2,509

    The biggest issue with that is condensation, evaporation and bio-resignation.

    A refrigeration unit, by nature, cools articially using a substance like free-on or a substitute. Inhenrently these chemicals are unstable and so cause elevations in temps followed by drops to regulate itself. This cause condensation, even more so on electronic parts. While it wouldn't be seen it leads you to the second problem.

    Evaporation, once that previously established condensation begins to evaporate it will reak all sorts of havic on your poor electronics. Bio resignation is the biggest issue and you would have to modify a unit quite a bit to get rid of it. It's the process which most computer cases must adhere too.

    Computer parts such as cpu's, gpu's, RAM sticks the mobo's northbridge and southbridge chipsets push out heat, to get rid of that heat we use a variety of instuments. Some are passive like we're starting to see on alot of modern mobo's, using coper heatsinks to raise the heat off the chip sets, gpu and cpu's use similar ideas. The key factor here is air flow, usually air flow will be pulled in from the front and low end of the computer case by a fan, passed through the case picking up warn air and then be sucked out the back by another fan. Any warm air not caught, is bio resignation.

    Video cards and huge causes of bio resignation as they quite often sit lower in the case and have fans that push downwards, not allowing the warm to rise, as warm always tends to do. Without any airflow, warm air will hover the core areas, no matter cold the enclosure may be. Causing warpings and defects over time.

    I you want more ideas on the concept and costs though, I would Google the name Vapor Chil. It's a line of computer cases which use air chilling as cpu cooling but they are very expensive.

    Hope that helps.

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  • sheeshsheesh Member Posts: 330
    First thing I thought of was when I saw the title was "Building a computer, for the pwnerer"/
  • AnagethAnageth Member Posts: 2,217
    Originally posted by shae


    The biggest issue with that is condensation, evaporation and bio-resignation.
    A refrigeration unit, by nature, cools articially using a substance like free-on or a substitute. Inhenrently these chemicals are unstable and so cause elevations in temps followed by drops to regulate itself. This cause condensation, even more so on electronic parts. While it wouldn't be seen it leads you to the second problem.
    Evaporation, once that previously established condensation begins to evaporate it will reak all sorts of havic on your poor electronics. Bio resignation is the biggest issue and you would have to modify a unit quite a bit to get rid of it. It's the process which most computer cases must adhere too.
    Computer parts such as cpu's, gpu's, RAM sticks the mobo's northbridge and southbridge chipsets push out heat, to get rid of that heat we use a variety of instuments. Some are passive like we're starting to see on alot of modern mobo's, using coper heatsinks to raise the heat off the chip sets, gpu and cpu's use similar ideas. The key factor here is air flow, usually air flow will be pulled in from the front and low end of the computer case by a fan, passed through the case picking up warn air and then be sucked out the back by another fan. Any warm air not caught, is bio resignation.
    Video cards and huge causes of bio resignation as they quite often sit lower in the case and have fans that push downwards, not allowing the warm to rise, as warm always tends to do. Without any airflow, warm air will hover the core areas, no matter cold the enclosure may be. Causing warpings and defects over time.
    I you want more ideas on the concept and costs though, I would Google the name Vapor Chil. It's a line of computer cases which use air chilling as cpu cooling but they are very expensive.
    Hope that helps.
    + 50 for intelligent reply. Don't suppose you work as a fridge repairman? :P

    No longer visiting MMORPG.com.

  • paulscottpaulscott Member Posts: 5,613
    no you can't use a regular fridge, they're designed to get to  a temp. and keep it there rather than continuously cool it.



    I find it amazing that by 2020 first world countries will be competing to get immigrants.

  • grimweepergrimweeper Member Posts: 2,047

    Like shae said, water would condense on your mobo. But if you want there is something called phase change cooling, (same exact way refrigerators use to get cold)but its directed only toward the cpu and includes some material to cover the area around so not that much condensing happens.linky But if your willing to do anything then try complete computer submersion in vegetable oil! Since oil isnt conductive it works great and you can use your original case fans to move the oil around.

    http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/01/09/strip_out_the_fans/

    Or you can buy these things called peltier thermoelectric coolers which is just a plaate of material that gets hot on one side and cold on the other, the only bad part about this is you still need a heatsink and fan to cool the hot side of th plate and uses ALOT of power.

    image

    image
  • shaeshae Member Posts: 2,509
    Originally posted by Anageth



    + 50 for intelligent reply. Don't suppose you work as a fridge repairman? :P



    Hardly .

    Product of brothers and a geek master boyfriend. Truth be told though, I've always loved putting computers together, just wish I had more time to toy around my mine now days.

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  • ZepeeZepee Member Posts: 947
    I don't know about that, but today I saw a case that seemed to do a great job in cooling... I don't know if it's anything new(probably not) but I liked it... What didi it have that was especial? Besides having a big back fan, it had this BIG fan right next to the GPU... it looked like it could really work.... Never really thought about that... And to make sure it was really cooled they had a BIG zalman on the CPU that was sending all the hot air directly to the back fan.....



    I really liked that.. probably the first case I have ever seen and said "This thing looks like it could actually work cooling-wise".... That and a case I saw on ebay that had a HUGE side fan... it occupied almost half the side of the case



    And about that oil thing... I had already seen it and I got to say it is crazy! Crazy, stinky and disgusting... who wants they're computer parts covered in cooking oil? (it seems to work well however....)

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

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  • mbbladembblade Member Posts: 747
    well if you want something like that, just find any old metal box and put water colling in it
  • zxgohanzxgohan Member Posts: 2
    Originally posted by sheesh

    First thing I thought of was when I saw the title was "Building a computer, for the pwnerer"/
    yeah haha. great song
  • FugnudzFugnudz Member Posts: 480
    Originally posted by Karse

    I've been thinking about building my own computer and recently was wondering... Could instead of using a system of tubing and fans to cool it could I jut modify a functioning mini-fridge into a case and use that as a cooling system instead thus saving myself a bit of cash?

    (Other Ideas that failed... Attaching a complex system of tubes looping the heat from the PC into the back of an AC and cooling the system with another tube... The logic caught up to me after a point.... Building a case out of box fans... too loud... and took to much energy... endangered components I admit it was a stupid Idea... and finally the liquid nitrogen cooling system... I looked at the prices for the stuff and assessed the dangers... expensive and dangerous not to mention needlessly complex)

     Just curious on other people's thoughts before I attempt this



    I've built two by myself, and have helped on a couple of others.  At one point, I thought buildng was the way to go.  You are assured the best parts, lowest costs, etc...

    But now, I look on the Dell website and have realized there is no way I can compete against the economies of scale.  Dell can simply build a cheaper computer than I can.  I can still build a better one, but if I want to save $$, then it's...

    <<takes a huge toke>>

    It's getting a dell, DUDE!!!

     

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