Computer in a refrigerator or freezer

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Conumdrum

Conumdrum

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A full sized Fridge has problems removing heat from a Mobo placed inside. Reason being, a fridge is designed to cool the stuff inside to xx, then cycle if the temp rises above xx.

If you put a CPU/GPU etc into the Fridge, the compressor will be working very very hard all the time to keep temps down.

Another issue, is while your away and shut the PC down, the Mobo etc will go sub ambient, and the warm parts when you shut down will collect ice/moisture. Meaning the ga between your CPU and mobo, each capacitor and inside the hot GPU. So, when you turn it on, all the ice xtals will melt. Water, bad mojo. You look into spending a few hours making custom insulation for everything? Coating the bottom of your CPU in Vaseline?

Anyway, besides the hassles of sub-ambient cooling, imagine a very inefficient frdge compressor running all the time. E-bill can be huge. Meh, your rich and have a Sub-Zero fridge, and smoking a mobo at $200+ isn't a biggie, what the heck.

Been kinda proven time and time again on many top forums, fridges for PC cooling is a fail.
 
rubix_1011

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No, it will not work. This has been discussed at great length with the same outcome. Your typical home freezer/fridge cannot continuously (nor, is it designed) remove heat from a source...they are meant to remove heat and maintain temperatures. The amount of heat wattage being removed by the freezer is far exceeded by what a PC would be outputting.

Now, if you have a large industrial freezer, say the size of 20'x20' (or even smaller) for a retail store or something, you would be fine as they can remove the amount of heat vs. area. But as far as your home freezer or refrigerator, no.
 
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Outlander_04

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If the micro refridgerator in a computer case works then Im not completely convinced by the arguments against the computer in a freezer .
Sure condensation could be a problem but there are definite work a rounds that could solve that
 
Conumdrum

Conumdrum

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A Phase change system has a compressor etc just like a fridge. But it takes the freon etc and pipes it right on top of the CPU chip, resulting in incredibly low temps, -80C etc for a dual or triple system. They use high power compressors used for industrial cooling and have radiators, fans, etc.

A house fridge just can't handle pulling 500 up to 700 watts of heat out all the time. It sounds so simple till you start getting into the complexities. Buy a cheapo hot plate (college style one electric burner). Hook it up to a killawatt monitor, adjust the watts to about 600 watts (20% will not be lost as heat), put it in the fridge, and monitor temps for a day. And monitor how much electricity the fridge pulls too.

Anyway, it's something you can try to do, it's your stuff. Phase change is a big big leap

Here is what we are talking about.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=104454
 
rubix_1011

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LOL...you can go ahead and try it...let us know how it turns out. But, I have read plenty of threads of people trying it and nothing comes of it but trouble. Condensation leading to icing, leading to melting...leading to shorts and the compressor failing because it runs non-stop. I know...I once thought it would be a great idea myself and then started to look into it more closely.
 
RetiredChief

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The problem with the condensation comes from opening and closing the door, never open door, no condensation (Hard to change DVD with out opening door). Condensation is formed by warm, moist air hitting a cold (Below dewpoint) object. Note: warm air could be 35 C, and form dew on an object that is 20 C. Other points are valid.
 
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Outlander_04

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Exactly . Air movement in and out + the moisture on the things people normally put in fridges is the cause of condensation and icing . If the door was never opened and the cables sealed where they exit I cant see this being a problem .

The dvd issue is easily solved by using an external drive on the desk

And you could buffer the temperature in the fridge by using thermal mass . A pile of bricks loosely stacked so air can circulate would chill down over a few hours and help steady internal temperatures .
I agree the additional power drain of the fridge is an issue but it probably only adds about 25% to the system power cost.

Thanks for the link Conundrum .
I was looking at it and remembered I had a summer job about 20 years ago making beer chillers . Beer gets pumped through a tube in a water bath with a freezer coil in it . And then it winds up chilled as you drink it .
....
 
Conumdrum

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Give my test a try. I'd like to see it work. One problem is a fridge is louder than my current PC. E6600 GTX 280 and NB all watercoled with a Thermochill PA rad, top pump/res and quiet fans.

I'll say again, a fridge is not meant to cool the wattage of a modern performance PC.
 
4Ryan6

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If you were water cooling putting your radiator assembly into a fridge would definitely lower your temp below ambient room temperature then you don't have the added problems of condensation.

I have a friend water cooling directly from his tap to his CPU cooling block, his water flow valve controlled, no need for a radiator or reservoir, lets the flow drain down a floor drain, basically uses no more water than a leaky toilet, and the water is constant ground temperature.

Probably the best water cooling solution on the planet, it does waste fresh water but if its budgetable, it works and his OCing results are amazing.
 
Conumdrum

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True rubix. What if he put it through a RO system? Like we buy to put under the sink for good water? Wow what a concept. But filters ain't cheap and possible buildups could be ugly. I could imagine running WC pipes to my PC from the next room bathroom into my PC/Man room. OMG. Wife says NO. Filters are NOT cheap. But I like the concept, your incoming water in most houses are from underground, about 65F or so.

And the flow rate to the drain would be at least 1 GPM. Lots more than a slow leak. 1 GPM x 60x24xx30 is 43,200 gallons. You figue the monthly charge..........
 
rubix_1011

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What about watersofteners? I don't really know how well they do at filtering out hard deposits, but I would think it is still a possibility. Ionizing filter?

You would probably be better off doing something unique like coiling copper tubing around your cold water pipe to circulate a closed loop in your case and let the cold water pipe act as a wicking radiator coil.

tubingcoil.jpg
 
arthurh

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I hate to repeat myself.



http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/251984-29-need-watercooling-advice-gods
 
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Asp184

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Now, I doubt that many people are still viewing this thread but, if anyone is how about this:

Put the PC in the fridge.
Put a dehumidifier in the fridge.
Problem solved!

Plus, if your a tech guru, you could probably rig the fridge/freezer so that it wouldn't be trying to function as a fridge by keeping the temp at a specific point but as a cooler...

I want to go the Arctic Circle and try OCing there! That is, if I can find any outlets...
 
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codfan747

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I frequent this site needing to find info ranging from bsod, cpu/gpu and ram overclocking, and I just wanted to say that until this thread i've never felt like I needed an account, but Asp184 haha you challenged me to say. Yeah there are still people pondering the question as to whether or not i could put my pc into a deep freezer, haha thanks for the info guys I'll try to leave the crazy cooling idea's to the people with the money, and the people with the guts to find new and different ways to cool their computers,
thanks
 
idroid

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I am just gonna trow an idea.... why dont you build your WC system inside your fridge (multiple radiator and two powerful pumps ) drill some holes in it to pass the tubing and seal them with some kind of aslant ?
 
4Ryan6

4Ryan6

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Wow! Talk about a thread ressurection!

It's amazing the things that have happened since this thread was first posted!

I have a what you could call a micro-mini fridge water cooling completely operational, fully functional, and used everyday, scroll to the end of This Thread for more info.
 
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