Freon cooling set-up

[trevinom]

Just wanted to get people's input on how many barebone (I'm talking MB, CPU, HSF?, HD) systems a standard refrigerator can keep cool. I would think at least a 3 or 4. What do you think?
I have a older 70's, avocado colored refrig that is running in my garage 24/7. Was thinking of saving a few bucks on cooling for the barebones, and came up with a freon-based cooling system..basically a refrigerator. It will keep the whole barebones system cool. I could save money on the HSF if I can run them barebones systems without one, and it's already on anyways...so I don't have much to lose. I could fit a couple in the freezer and I was thinking 2 or 3 in the frig part.

Any thoughts?

 

[CyGoR]

You should always keep the HS!! The cpu needs a bigger surface to cool, no matter what the surrounding temps are (well, you'd have to go sub-zero big time for that). A fan isn't needed, but I think the cheapes HSF combo will be enough.. I don't know how HD's feel about such low temps though.. all other components are fine with it.. 3 or 4 systems could work with one refrigerator... Good luck

 

[bunker]

I might be a little concerned about condensation in a fridge. I don't know squat about it, but that's something to consider .

Edit: to clarify, if it's warm and humid outside and you open the door for any length of time, condensation could build up on some of the parts.

 

[dxkj]

This has been brought up in the past, especially when the Vapochill and Promethia (sp?) came out. The problem with just sticking a few systems in a refrigerator is condensation. I would be extremely worried about frying everything.



Basically cold air (with some moisture in it) hits the hot components of the computer and some of the moisture condenses onto the computer...

 

[CyGoR]

You could place the mobo's etc in an oil (like salad oid).. oils don't conduct and it will be cooled by the refrigerator

 

[Slatzman]

Originally posted by: dxkj
This has been brought up in the past, especially when the Vapochill and Promethia (sp?) came out. The problem with just sticking a few systems in a refrigerator is condensation. I would be extremely worried about frying everything.



Basically cold air (with some moisture in it) hits the hot components of the computer and some of the moisture condenses onto the computer...

You are thinking backwards...warm moist air hits something cold and it condenses, I wouldn't think anything would condense on the warm parts, any ambient moisture would condense on the cold parts of the fridge, ie the walls or plastic cases

Slatz

 

[trevinom]

I don't think I've ever left the frig door open for any considerable length of time because it is right behind the door that leads into the garage, so unless the frig door is closed, you can't get in or out.
I don't remember every getting anything from the frig that had condensation on it either, only accumulated condensation after sitting out of the refrigerator for a while after being in the frig.

My main concern, at this point, I would think, is how many units would it take to overcome the cooling system's ability to remove the heat.

Has anybody already tried this by chance? Anybody have results?

 

[RaySun2Be]

Immerse them in mineral oil. Any one remember the old Dr. FFreeze project? He immersed a PC (except for the P/S) in mineral oil, ran the oil over air-conditioner coils to cool it way down. Major problem was the oil got too thick for his pump. I wish I had saved off his webpages, they disappeared a few years ago.

 

[trevinom]

Originally posted by: CyGoR
You could place the mobo's etc in an oil (like salad oid).. oils don't conduct and it will be cooled by the refrigerator

I thought you were sh*tting me about this, but dang, you are right. I could just place the dang thing in oil

You're brilliant

 

[Overkiller]

there is actually a material (think like baking soda in a cup that is placed in the refrigerator) which i read about in MaximumPC a few months ago that gets rid of the condensation to a level where pcs can be placed in fridges (that is the sole purpose of this product, to make a fridge livable for a pc). It lasts a few months ( i want to say 5-6) and it's pretty cheap. I'd go check out the MaxPC forums and post there

 

[aberant]

do keep us updated on this wont you, i've got two spare fridge/freezers atm........

 

[Jalapeno]

You guys are nuts. If you put a processor without a heatsink in a fridge it will go "poof" in seconds. Air is the WORST heatconductor. What you need is

THIS! (on page 6) and immerse your system in it. You can even throw your power supply in, as well.

That is the stuff the old "CRAY" Supercomps used, anyone remember? The only drawback is the price - around $500.00 a gallon, last time I checked...

 

[Jalapeno]

Ooops, almost forgot:

Here are the instructions!

 

[JonB]

The oil Dr. Freeze used was medical quality Mineral Oil. Perfectly clear and pretty thin and pourable when warm, but it became thick as pancake syrup when chilled to 0 degrees C. Making if flow over the heat sink became a huge problem for him. Plus, as I recall, he didn't really get that big of an overclock for the amount of effort.

If you want to test the refrigerator's capacity, put a few 100 watt light bulbs inside and see if it can keep up. My rough guess would be that each light bulb it can handle would be equivelant to a motherboard. If you put the power supply outside, then you could do a lot more.

I doubt the bearings in a hard drive would like the low temperatures. Better get some long IDE cables.

 

[Silverthorne]

Originally posted by: Jalapeno
Ooops, almost forgot:

Here are the instructions!

That was some good reading.

 

[n0cmonkey]

totl.net put an old system in a fridge with a bunch of liquor to see how well it over clocked. Closest thing I can find on their site right now is their potato powered webserver...

EDIT: here.

EDIT2: I must have read this a half dozen times by now, but I'm really tired so I have to enjoy it again. Choice quotes:

(*)Note: The Freezer used is a Lec Power Larder, chosen for its superior freezing ability. Its dial can be raised to a freezing factor of 11, where most freezers can only manage a pathetic 10. A large portion of the success of this experiment can be attributed to this (rather than the skill of the technicians).

Spirits were found to be a superior coolant to Lager, affording an incredible -67 degrees C! . . . Two ToTL technicians caught "siphoning excess coolant".

A short celebration followed, during which all the inferior coolant was unfortunately destroyed.

And of course the entire last page, but you all can visit and read that for yourselves

 

[HayHauler]

Originally posted by: Silverthorne

Originally posted by: Jalapeno
Ooops, almost forgot:

Here are the instructions!

That was some good reading.

Hell yea! And I'm still at work, reading this shtuff...hahahahaha

Hay....
:moon:

 

[trevinom]

Originally posted by: Jalapeno
Ooops, almost forgot:

Here are the instructions!

That has got to be the best reading i've done in a while. Never imagined someone would go to those lengths.
Thank You.

I think I'll stick to air cooling and no OC'ing

 

[myocardia]

I think that's a good idea, Trev. Here's a link to the Speeze page on newegg: link. There are hsf's on it for $3.99 each.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: Overkiller
there is actually a material (think like baking soda in a cup that is placed in the refrigerator) which i read about in MaximumPC a few months ago that gets rid of the condensation to a level where pcs can be placed in fridges (that is the sole purpose of this product, to make a fridge livable for a pc). It lasts a few months ( i want to say 5-6) and it's pretty cheap. I'd go check out the MaxPC forums and post there

it's called silica gel , you can buy large cans of it from hunting specialty stores like cabelas, gun owners use it to keep moisture out of thier gun cabinets during the off-seasons. (really saves on how often you have to clean/oil your guns)

 

[JonB]

It's even cheaper (Silica gel) at Craft Stores or the craft section at Wal-Mart (in the US).

It changes color as it becomes moisture saturated, so you take it out, spread it on a tray in a warm oven and dry it out for another cycle.