Water-cool vs TEC

[kallenin]

Hey,

What's the cost/performance run-down on the two? I've seen the Thermaltake SubZero4G go for about $100, while the water-cooling kits I've seen are upwards from $200, but they cool the whole system.


I actually have my own TEC element, which I bought at Fry's Electronics (i.e. outpost.com), but I'm scared to used it on my comp, esp sice the weather in my living place is freaky. Lately, it's been particularly humid from late summer rains, but in the winter, it'll get toasty and dry since they love to blast up the heaters in the dorms here. Is it too risky to do TEC on my own? Also, will a PC Toys Quietmaxx 6500 (i THINK it's 6500 - whichever one worked for the socket 423 and socket A) remove the heat from the heatsink quickly enough?

-Kallenin

 

[LCARS]

You kinda want to use the water cooling system with the TEC to remove the large amount of heat flux to the outside of the case.

Plus HFS's weren't really designed to deal with that high heat flux.

 

[kallenin]

Ah i get it. So I'm probably safe tossing in the TEC to a water-cooling system....but I'd still have to worry about condensation, right? Also, I've never seen a water-cooling system myself up close (if I ever get to dragging myself out of my room maybe I would...), but can you mount the cooling block to the CPU with the TEC in the way? Or is the cooling block just like a heat sink with a pipe through it, i.e. it fastens onto the CPU with retention clips just like any other HSF combo?

-Kallenin

 

[LtBlue14]

you want a cold-plate between the TEC and CPU
and by cooling block do you mean waterblock? many fasten with the 4 holes in the motherboard (for P4), others with the same retention clips as a normal HSF. nothing tricky about it, really. it's just like mounting anything else

as for worrying about condensation with the TEC, yes you would have to insulate around the CPU to prevent condensation which could cause a short...search the forums or google for ways of doing this

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