Liquid cooling PCs, why so expensive?

[Pengwuino]

Liquid cooling PCs, why so expensive??

So I was thinking about getting a new computer which means new water cooling system :D teehee! I was pricing out systems and noticed that some are just so ridiculously expensive. For example, looking at the components vs. stuff I can find on amazon...

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2..._Pump_1321_GPH_500733-01.html?tl=g30c107s153"

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002HFTIY/?tag=pfamazon01-20

The water fountain pump has a higher flow rate, similar pressure, etc. So why does the pump for the pc water cooling cost so much more? I'm wondering if it's simply because they know people are willing to spend enormous amounts of money on these water cooling systems so they can jack up the price.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...g_Reservoir_8_Total_Ports.html?tl=g30c97s166"

Radiators costs $100+! Anyone with experience in this area... do you know why these parts cost so much?

 

[JaredJames]

Well I'd suspect it's more to do with running water through a piece of electronics not designed for it.

As such, the last thing you want is a leak. So it needs to be designed and manufactured to a high standard.

Especially when you consider you can't see inside most computers and people rarely check, so you wouldn't spot a leak until it's too late - generally when there's a short or fire.

So my vote goes to safety.

 

[Pengwuino]

So my vote goes to safety.

Ah, if that's true, then I'm happy because all my equipment would be external to the actual system. Hell, I want to build a reservoir simply because I want the option to drop ice cubes into it if I ever wanted to :p

Although on second thought, I actually noticed submersible water pumps, so I figure that wouldn't be a concern :D

 

[JaredJames]

Ah, if that's true, then I'm happy because all my equipment would be external to the actual system. Hell, I want to build a reservoir simply because I want the option to drop ice cubes into it if I ever wanted to :p

Although on second thought, I actually noticed submersible water pumps, so I figure that wouldn't be a concern :D

I'd watch getting things too cold.

The last thing you want is condensation on the inside.

Cold pipe, warm potentially moist air isn't a good mix with electronics.

You'd need to build it at an angle so condensation run off perhaps?

 

[Pengwuino]

I'd watch getting things too cold.

The last thing you want is condensation on the inside.

Cold pipe, warm potentially moist air isn't a good mix with electronics.

You'd need to build it at an angle so condensation run off perhaps?

No it would never get to condensation temperatures. I would only put in ice cubes and only when I know I'm going to be really revving the system up and the heat dissipation.

 

[JaredJames]

You should be ok then.

As long as there are no leak risks and it's isolated you should be fine.

My personal thoughts would be with an external pump and then one section of pipe (so there are no joints within the computer) running in, through the required systems and then back out.

 

[Pengwuino]

I was thinking about how to integrate a Peltier cooler into all of this... TEEHEE.

 

[pergradus]

there are non-conductive fluids you can use in place of water that are designed for this.

also, when you first set-up the system, get all the plumbing hooked up to the heat sinks and run the system for a day or two and observe if you have any leaks. if not, then without disassembling anything install it and you're good. if you do have a leak, tighten things up and give it another run.

you should be able to build your own system for cheap, using standard plumbing items, all except for the heatsinks which will have to be designed to sit on the hardware properly.

 

[xxChrisxx]

Use oil not water. You can run entire setups fully submered in dielectric oil.

We used to use it it as an electrical insulator on high power downhole (7kV+) connectors as when cooling was required.

 

[pergradus]

Use oil not water. You can run entire setups fully submered in dielectric oil.

We used to use it it as an electrical insulator on high power downhole (7kV+) connectors as when cooling was required.

oil is more viscous and will strain the pump, also i do not think oil will conduct heat as efficiently as a water-based fluid.

 

[xxChrisxx]

oil is more viscous and will strain the pump, also i do not think oil will conduct heat as efficiently as a water-based fluid.

Depends on the oil and pump. It's just a case of finding the right one for the job.

Most oils won't be as efficient as other coolants, but you don't run the risk of cooking your setup if it all goes horribly wrong.

 

[Pengwuino]

there are non-conductive fluids you can use in place of water that are designed for this.

also, when you first set-up the system, get all the plumbing hooked up to the heat sinks and run the system for a day or two and observe if you have any leaks. if not, then without disassembling anything install it and you're good. if you do have a leak, tighten things up and give it another run.

I know, I've built a couple of systems already. The systems were pre-built into the case and was expensive :(

Use oil, not water.

You can run entire setups submered in dielectric oil.

I'm not doing that non-sense! I wouldn't want to use it as the coolant either since it has a smaller heat capacity than water.

 

[Joasase]

Dont they use liquid nitrogen?

 

[JaredJames]

Just get some 5mm copper pipe, run it between the fan and the heat sink for the CPU (get good contact on the heat sink) and then out to an external pump. Job done.

To improve things a bit, I'd use car engine coolant diluted with water (in other words, exactly what you'd put in the engine).

Dont they use liquid nitrogen?

No, personal computers rarely, if ever, use nitrogen.

 

[Pengwuino]

Just get some 5mm copper pipe, run it between the fan and the heat sink for the CPU and then out to an external pump. Job done.

To improve things a bit, I'd use car engine coolant diluted with water (in other words, exactly what you'd put in the engine).

That sounds silly. You don't want air to be a medium in your heat exchange (which it would be between the heat sink and pipes.

No, personal computers rarely, if ever, use nitrogen.

Only if you're awesome.

I only ever see them used when people want to find 'theoretical' limits to CPU overclocking. They'll just have a tank of LN being poured directly into the core for a few minutes and they push the CPU to its limits.

 

[xxChrisxx]

The premixed antifreeze in engine coolant would lower heat capacites and wetting performance. As you don't need to worry about your PC freezing! A setup with deionised water and a water wetter would be better (a racing coolant).

 

[JaredJames]

That sounds silly. You don't want air to be a medium in your heat exchange (which it would be between the heat sink and pipes.

The copper pipe would be touching the heat sink (if worked properly you could run the pipe through the heat sink). Direct contact, not air based.

The fan just adds a bit extra cooling.

 

[JaredJames]

This is sort of what I'm thinking of:

Just replace the copper heat sink in that with a standard CPU one which you drill / adapt yourself.

The fan that would be on top of the heat sink would just boost cooling.

So something like this basic setup, but with the above copper pipe running through it:

 

[Pengwuino]

The copper pipe would be touching the heat sink (if worked properly you could run the pipe through the heat sink).

The fan just adds a bit extra cooling.

I'm fine with water blocks, I haven't had a leak at a water block in about 10 years. I'm wondering if there are sensors that can detect water leakage. I'd probably put pads around joints and setup a sensor on the pads to detect water leakage.

 

[JaredJames]

I'm fine with water blocks, I haven't had a leak at a water block in about 10 years. I'm wondering if there are sensors that can detect water leakage. I'd probably put pads around joints and setup a sensor on the pads to detect water leakage.

I'm a tad pessimistic when it comes to things like this. Just the threat of a leak is enough to make me think twice. There's a fair bit of money in that box.

 

[jhae2.718]

Is water cooling worth it? I'm working out the details for a new build this summer.

 

[xxChrisxx]

Is water cooling worth it? I'm working out the details for a new build this summer.

Can be, it stops the need for colossal fans and heat sinks. So you don't go deaf from fan noise.

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm a tad pessimistic when it comes to things like this. Just the threat of a leak is enough to make me think twice. There's a fair bit of money in that box.

That's actually a good thing for me. I plan on going somewhat cheap on everything else in the computer. I hope to recoup the cost of the water cooler simply on the extra horsepower i can pull out of the CPU when overclocked (not that that's all that legitimate of a way of reducing costs :P). Way back before I was doing water cooling, I had a computer that was so loud that I could hardly stand it at times. So I went the other way, getting water cooling mainly for noise reasons.

Is water cooling worth it? I'm working out the details for a new build this summer.

Depends. Is there cheaper ways to improve the temperature of your CPU so you can overclock it? Sure. Are there cheaper ways to lower the noise level of your case as a whole? Sure. Both at the same time? Debatable. And the coolness factor? + [tex]\infty[/tex]