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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Overclocking > Heatsinks & Air Cooling > Fridge for a cooler? please read!!

Fridge for a cooler? please read!!

Forum Overclocking : Heatsinks & Air Cooling Fridge for a cooler? please read!!

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so im just wondering,i see many many on youtube using 4-500$ watercooling setups that dnt supercool there proseccors so why not get 3 120mm by 500 mm by 25mm raditaors and a stronger pump and run them into a minifridge with the resevoir in the ice chestpart and keep the fridge on coolest settings . this way you can run 2 radiators to the cpu and 1 to the gpus and ram? i mean you have a mini freidge thats 200 max some modding here there 50$ into glues and such for tubing and watercooling starter kit over all itd be a bit more but would this owrk way way better than the enclosed pc case watercoolers?

Reply to robthatguyx
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You would destroy the PC doing that. This would create condensation throughout the PC. You don't want your PC to get that cold.

Reply to aaron88_7

only the radiators would be in the fridge the pc itself would be sitting inside a case how would it get condinsated?

Reply to robthatguyx

I've heard this discussed for at least 30 years, if you find an answer, I am sure you will be world famous.

------------------------------ The power supply is the most important component in any computer. Without a good quality one, you usually wind up with a really expensive door stop.
Reply to tlmck

well one day when i get good amounts of money a shall make a youtube video lol

Reply to robthatguyx

depending on the mini fridge it will do one of 2 things... if it's a little fridge that holds a 6 pack or so that thing is peltier powered and isn't much of a fridge and the results would be nothing... it may end up burning out... if you used a real fridge that's still the smaller kind you will burn out the compressor on the fridge... either way your PC isn't going to get any cooler... I'm pretty sure there is a sticky thread about this somewhere and I will edit when I find it.


http://www.overclock.net/faqs/1053 [...] ooler.html <-- from the water cooling sticky thread info/faq/etc


Message edited by slhpss on 01-03-2012 at 08:19:22 PM
------------------------------ https://plus.google.com/photos/1082 [...] 2523933889

my most awesomer htpc
Reply to slhpss

robthatguyx wrote :

well one day when i get good amounts of money a shall make a youtube video lol


When you get good amounts of money you could just buy a "Phase Change" cooler and save yourself a lot of time and trouble and get much lower temps.

Reply to Max Collodi

slhpss is exactly correct. In fact, I have that exact same link in the watercooling sticky as it gets asked in the watercooling forum at least a couple times a month.

You could modify a fridge, freezer or A/C unit but you'd be working your way into phase change or water chiller territory...different properties at work. A common house hold fridge or freezer (even a deep freezer) are only designed to remove heat from the case using on/off cycles of the compressor. Once the desired thermostat temp is reached, the cycling only continues as-needed to maintain those temps. If you run a PC inside, it is CONSTANTLY producing heat watts, which forces the compressor to run non-stop...which will cause it to fail as they aren't designed for this kind of constant load. Also, they are only designed to remove small amounts of heat, where a common PC can easily generate 300 watts of heat (usually much more in a high-end PC) of heat at full load.

The 'can I cool my PC in a mini-fridge' question gets asked over and over through the years...the answer is still the same...'No' to how you are asking the question; 'Yes/Possibly' to questions you aren't asking.

------------------------------ Watercooling Info:
Tom's Hardware Watercooling Sticky
Build Log | Project: Askew
Stuff 4 Sale

Reply to rubix_1011

A slight diff than most post on this. Most ask about sticking the PC in the fridge - Not a good idea. You are asking about just using the fidge to cool the coolant. As others have pointed out, you can only dissipate so much heat before overworking the fridge.

If you want to try, one suggestion is that you use one raidiator outsid to first cool the coolant down to room temp, thena rad in the fridge to cool down to sub-ambient temp. Set the fidge setpoint to warmer than normal and take down slowly to find a good point where the fridge is not on 100%. On condensation - You do NOT want this to take place on the pipes going into the computer so need to insulate them. Should not have a condensation problem on the HSF itself. Condensation is more a problem when dewpoint and ambient temperature delta is low.

Just a comment on Relative Humidity. It is a function on Ambient temp, dewpoint and barametric pressure and is a calculated value. Home use RH displays are not really accurate and very by as much as 5% from unit to unit and varies more at the end points..

Reply to RetiredChief

well so much for that idea lol , what would happen if you were to run the radiators infront of a airconditioner , myne runs 24hours a day more than half the year keeping rthe house at 65f degrees

Reply to robthatguyx

robthatguyx wrote :

well so much for that idea lol , what would happen if you were to run the radiators infront of a airconditioner , myne runs 24hours a day more than half the year keeping rthe house at 65f degrees

 

I actually tried using an air conditioner, the problem is the air conditioner compressor cuts on and off to bring the entire room to a set temperature then cycles on and off continuously going from super cold to barely ambient.

 

It's a slow process to get the entire room cooled down to the set temperature range and then the compressor shuts off and the air is flowing through the cooling coil until it's heat rises enough to cut the compressor back on.

 

That on off action is not noticeable in a large room but when it comes to the cooling coils warming up to the point of kicking the compressor back on, that super cold is gone and the airflow is not cool enough to keep the entire cooling sufficient, you would have to override the compressors cut in, and probably freeze the coils and ruin the AC.

 

From my own experience it seemed like a great idea, but was not a sufficient cooling solution at all.

 

When it comes to overclocking purposes you need a steady temperature to depend on, your overclocked settings may work at one temp and not work 5c higher, so you need as consistent a temp as possible.


Message edited by 4Ryan6 on 01-03-2012 at 10:40:49 PM
------------------------------ Cooling Fan Roundup
Thermal Compound Roundup

 

Reply to 4Ryan6

You might want to open a similar thread in the watercooling forum if this is the route your are going- we've had this question asked a lot as well.

 

Your best bet for a cheap, good option is a slush box- a radiator or heat exchanger inside a cooler full of ice water. You'd also want a more reasonable 24/7 operation option in addition to this, as well.

 

Edit- 4ryan6 has an excellent write up on a slush box type of project...go check that out.


Message edited by rubix_1011 on 01-03-2012 at 10:40:38 PM
------------------------------ Watercooling Info:
Tom's Hardware Watercooling Sticky
Build Log | Project: Askew
Stuff 4 Sale

Reply to rubix_1011

On sticking the rad so that the ac blows on it. A 2nd ary probllem is the delta between on/off cycles in terms of expansion/contraction of parts. would probably see a good 10 c delta.

Reply to RetiredChief

The real solution is to move to the artic and run your radiators below the ice... just make sure you use some high grade anti-freeze as the coolant... then you will get awesome temps

this gives me an idea for my next build.... ;)


Message edited by slhpss on 01-03-2012 at 10:48:51 PM
------------------------------ https://plus.google.com/photos/1082 [...] 2523933889

my most awesomer htpc
Reply to slhpss

:lol: If he lived in the Artic he could just stick his PC outside the window with a stock air cooler.

------------------------------ Cooling Fan Roundup
Thermal Compound Roundup

 

Reply to 4Ryan6

On a somewhat related note, I found this old gem.

http://revision3.com/systm/cool

------------------------------ The power supply is the most important component in any computer. Without a good quality one, you usually wind up with a really expensive door stop.
Reply to tlmck

i think it will work nicely

you can try this thing too
that is
1. addition of some common salt in freezer's iceing tray and alow it to go below 0'c
2. Put your radiator in this tray and close the fridge (will need to make some hole in door for pipes)
3. You are good to go.

Only thing required is a very good quality fridge.
You can add common salt to your setup too (i.e, in reservoir)

------------------------------ khuda ko dikh raha hoga,
na dil tujhse judaa hoga
teri taqdir mein mujhko,
woh ab to likh raha hoga
Reply to truegenius

would a normal minifridge even cooldown below 0?

Reply to robthatguyx

Would it work if he used a SWAMP cooler instead of an AC unit? I personally run (used to run) my swamp cooler all the time in the summer...

Also are you asking this because you are living in a desert like me (Vegas)

Reply to mouse24

I could work, but only if you cycle your PC with the pump....

Ryan, I think its you who has that water setup with the gallon jugs? Still got those pics handy?

------------------------------ The voice of REASON
Do NOT feed the TROLLS!
Always a DEMON!
Reply to 4745454b

robthatguyx wrote :

would a normal minifridge even cooldown below 0?



hello!
seems like you have bunked your chemistry classes.
a normal fridge can freeze water to ice. right
adding salt to that ice will result in melt down of ice but keeping temp below 0'c

------------------------------ khuda ko dikh raha hoga,
na dil tujhse judaa hoga
teri taqdir mein mujhko,
woh ab to likh raha hoga
Reply to truegenius

You can freeze salt water. I believe it's freezing point is around 28F? Might be 25F.

------------------------------ The voice of REASON
Do NOT feed the TROLLS!
Always a DEMON!
Reply to 4745454b

no, i am not talking about freezing salt water, it is only to get more cooling from liquid state of water which is movable

------------------------------ khuda ko dikh raha hoga,
na dil tujhse judaa hoga
teri taqdir mein mujhko,
woh ab to likh raha hoga
Reply to truegenius

4745454b wrote :

I could work, but only if you cycle your PC with the pump....

 

Ryan, I think its you who has that water setup with the gallon jugs? Still got those pics handy?

 

This Cooling Solution will allow temps lower than anyone would even need for a stable 24/7 overclock.

 

If someone is after lower temperatures than what this cooling solution will allow then you may as well go to LN2, and you can forget a 24/7 operation going that route, this is the maximum you can get from water cooling any lower temperatures, would freeze the water.


Message edited by 4Ryan6 on 01-04-2012 at 12:34:48 PM
------------------------------ Cooling Fan Roundup
Thermal Compound Roundup

 

Reply to 4Ryan6

no dnt live in the dessert actually far from it its 21 degrees outside haha,just when i get good amount of money saved i want too build a massive iverkill gaming pc instead of just a hardcore machine , as all massive overkills go you need massive overclocks

Reply to robthatguyx

why not go the route of phase change cooling if you're looking for overkill..

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/ [...] tml?tl=g49 <-- cpu and gpu

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/ [...] tml?tl=g49 <-- cpu only


Message edited by slhpss on 01-04-2012 at 07:34:57 PM
------------------------------ https://plus.google.com/photos/1082 [...] 2523933889

my most awesomer htpc
Reply to slhpss

it seems ok but when you look at it you dont go HOLY like, with the minerall oil submerged pcs thats something to go holy over. sadly its not much anybetter than air tho

Reply to robthatguyx

ok.. get an aquarium pc and set the leads from the phase change in the mineral oil... lol

http://icecoolcomputers.blogspot.com/ <-- I can't see it cause blogspot is blocked where I work but someone has done phase change + mineral oil


Message edited by slhpss on 01-04-2012 at 08:08:23 PM
------------------------------ https://plus.google.com/photos/1082 [...] 2523933889

my most awesomer htpc
Reply to slhpss

Mineral oil (and oil in general) has less thermal capacity than water...

Why do people get all excited about mineral oil submersion when they don't have any clue how actual watercooling works to begin with? Just because it is even more foreign of a concept to most people, does not make it better.

If that were the case, watercooling people would actually be oil cooling people- we tend to use the best thermal transport solution readily available...which happens to be water.

Please, let the refrigerator/freezer and mineral oil submersion thing go...

Reply to rubix_1011

i know but i like the look of mineral oil cooling, let alone its thermal properties arent as good as air or water it still looks cool to me

Reply to robthatguyx

You still will need some way of cooling the oil- it will only transfer heat VERY slowly via convection and will easily overheat unless you make strong efforts to move the oil away from heat producing components effectively and then cooling the oil. A few people have done this by basically cooling the oil the same way you would with a watercooling loop- via pump and radiator. However, you have to carefully consider components that aren't effected from contact with oil as o-rings and some plastics degrade very quickly in this type of environment.

Reply to rubix_1011

Quote :

it still looks cool to me



Hence why all the rice rocket kids have spoilers on the back of their cars... Free tip, you don't want something that's going to life your drive wheels off the ground.

------------------------------ The voice of REASON
Do NOT feed the TROLLS!
Always a DEMON!
Reply to 4745454b

lol rice burners to many of them around where i live thinkin there cool with hondas and eclipsses dropped, i get what your saying witch is why i opened the thread. i want it o look good and be powerful as can be such and such a ricerburner to a nissan gtr both looks good but only one will perform good

Reply to robthatguyx

Nissan GTR != rice burner?

I don't care how it looks, I want performance. Yes that even means driving a rice burner.

------------------------------ The voice of REASON
Do NOT feed the TROLLS!
Always a DEMON!
Reply to 4745454b

GT-R isn't in the same category as Honda; it's an actual sports car categorized with Porsche 911, BMW M3, Corvette, Viper, etc. given performance numbers. It's designed to do what it does, from the factory, not after you bolt on Ebay parts for cheap looks.

Let's keep the thread on topic, though.

Reply to rubix_1011
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