New idea

alexkerhead · #1 (**permalink**) 27th September, 2004, 11:05 PM

Since I am stuck with a low end water cooler, I am going to get another $15 radiator, put it in a bucket of ice water, and play around..lol

XeroHouR · #2 (**permalink**) 27th September, 2004, 11:17 PM

i thought abotu water cooling a giant pelt on a radiator once. then i learned why that would suck. I think one day im gunna move my box over to the AC vent, crank it up and see what i can get

woodeirl · #3 (**permalink**) 28th September, 2004, 12:26 PM

tell us about what you get when you try that idea out bud

DiabloAbogado · #4 (**permalink**) 28th September, 2004, 02:16 PM

be careful though. Doing that would lower the water temp, not the ambient. This would create a situation for water to condense on your tubes and/or your waterblock.

The AC vent would lower water and case temps, thus not posing a risk.

alexkerhead · #5 (**permalink**) 28th September, 2004, 03:52 PM

Alright, I will do it, I hope for good results, then I will buy a small fridge for my soda and stuff, and run a raiator in there...muhahahahahaha

Kaitain · #6 (**permalink**) 28th September, 2004, 04:50 PM

You'll need to make sure that you either pump water through the fins outside the radiator, or you get a rad with quite thick and widely spaced fins. Otherwise water actually forms quite a good insulator when trapped in small spaces, just ask any owner of a wetsuit

As a general rule of thumb, the temperature of water inside the radiator will be about 5 Celsius higher than that in the bucket, in a pumped system.

alexkerhead · #7 (**permalink**) 28th September, 2004, 09:34 PM

It will be full of ice..

Logan · #8 (**permalink**) 29th September, 2004, 07:13 AM

Alex,

I actually had an idea I was kicking around. If you have one of those little college dorm refridgerators (you know, the "Beer Fridge"?) or you can get one at Wal-Mart for like $50, take it and drill a couple of holes through it and run your tubes and then turn the fridge down as far as it will go and mount your radiator and reservoir inside it.

alexkerhead · #9 (**permalink**) 29th September, 2004, 10:12 PM

lol, I said that earlier.. sort of..lol

Quote:

Alright, I will do it, I hope for good results, then I will buy a small fridge for my soda and stuff, and run a raiator in there...muhahahahahaha

Logan · #10 (**permalink**) 30th September, 2004, 06:56 AM

Ohhh. Must have missed that. Lol. It's a heckuva idea though.

Kaitain · #11 (**permalink**) 30th September, 2004, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexkerhead

It will be full of ice..

Makes no difference. Water's only a good coolant if it's moving across the surface it's trying to cool.

Kaitain · #12 (**permalink**) 30th September, 2004, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

Alex,

I actually had an idea I was kicking around. If you have one of those little college dorm refridgerators (you know, the "Beer Fridge"?) or you can get one at Wal-Mart for like $50, take it and drill a couple of holes through it and run your tubes and then turn the fridge down as far as it will go and mount your radiator and reservoir inside it.

Careful with those, some of them are actually cooled by a peltier between two heat sinks. Not only do they take a day to cool your beer, but will definitely not do much to dissipate a hundred watts of heat being pumped into their "cold" side. If you can find a small phase-change fridge, fine. Just check that it has the power to pump that much heat.

alexkerhead · #13 (**permalink**) 1st October, 2004, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaitain

Makes no difference. Water's only a good coolant if it's moving across the surface it's trying to cool.

uh, explain why ice cold water wont make a difference please?

DiabloAbogado · #14 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 01:01 AM

I understand what Kait's saying, but I think it'll cool it down because the rad is metal and will transfer the energy (heat into the ice, thus lowering the metal's temp) to make a balance. Also, you'd have to change the ice often. I can only reiterate, becareful, because you may have to insulate your tubing.

alexkerhead · #15 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 01:05 AM

lol, i can handle the insulating.., but I am going to do a small fridge instead, not a pelt fridge, but a compressor pridge, so I am ordering a nice fridge for under my desk, and i will be able to have cold drinks and a cold pc..^>^

DiabloAbogado · #16 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 01:12 AM

Lol! Definitely let us know how it turns out!

NeVeRmiNd · #17 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 08:15 AM

Wouldn't putting your system by the AC vent cause condensation? I've seen my bathroom vent with droplets of water on it all the time, but never any of the other vents. (Perhaps from the heat of the hot shower water)?

danrok · #18 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeVeRmiNd

Wouldn't putting your system by the AC vent cause condensation? I've seen my bathroom vent with droplets of water on it all the time, but never any of the other vents. (Perhaps from the heat of the hot shower water)?

Should be safe so long as the PC is running.

It would be safer to move the PC away from the A/C when it is not switched on.

Condensation is caused by warm humid air coming in to contact with a cold surface or cold air.

alexkerhead · #19 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 11:43 AM

I would love to have a floor a/c vent, but ours are central ceiling units...cries

Razorfish · #20 (**permalink**) 2nd October, 2004, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexkerhead

I would love to have a floor a/c vent, but ours are central ceiling units...cries

That would be cool (no pun intended) you could cut a hole in the bottom of the case and mount the radiator in the floor of your case had have the AC vent blowing directly into the bottom for your case, cool water and cool case!