Aqua PC builds.

[SuperMorto]

We all get those moments when you see something cool and think..... Oh...... its so simply why didn't I think of that?

Here is mine:


Mineral Oil PC Project - YouTube

Aqua PC - YouTube

The Oil PC - Mineral Oil vs. Vegetable Oil - YouTube

Amazing.

[SuperMorto]

Aquarium computer submerged in Mineral oil + Radiator No3 - YouTube

[L4G]

there are some really cool fish tanks out there which would make a build like this even better, check out LN2 Cooling and you'll see some scary temperatures

[krnasaur]

Something about mixing liquids and computers makes me worry.

[Rbstr]

Something about mixing liquids and computers makes me worry.

Why? If it's not electrically conductive and doesn't dissolve the boards, what's it going to do?

[Fenrys]

Burn out your fan motors.

[Ailos]

Burn out your fan motors.

If you get the expensive fans, they'll have stepper motors in there, but why would you need fans when you should be using pumps?

[Rbstr]

It takes a pretty special kind of idiot to decide he can put a computer in mineral oil and then not think that the fans aren't going to like it.

I've never encountered a fan that you can't unplug.

[krnasaur]

So I dont get it. whats the advantage of dipping it in a large tank of mineral oil opposed to a standard water cooled system?

[Ailos]

So I dont get it. whats the advantage of dipping it in a large tank of mineral oil opposed to a standard water cooled system?

THe idea is that it looks like an aquarium - basically, the inside of your case is filled with mineral oil (not conductive) instead of air, and as the fans and other parts move the mineral oil moves around too, making it look like something that's alive. Trouble is, mineral oil is much more viscous than water, so the fans will always struggle, it also has a lower thermal conductivity, so the heat stays in the oil, and the entire oil tank will eventually heat up to unsafe levels. So the only way to actually keep a computer submerged in oil cool is to add a water cooling circuit to the CPU/GPU/HDDs... but then yeah, why in the world wouldn't you just have normal water cooling?

[Shanesan]

So the only issue, in the end, is figuring out how to cool the oil itself? Can't you create an external tube which goes from one side of the case to the other that runs oil through it? The separation from the rest of the oil would cool the oil, much like you can cool water in a nuclear reactor, right?

[Fenrys]

Or any other measure that increases the surface area of the case. Either use a bigger fish tank, or shape the shell into ridges, or pump air bubbles into the oil (bonus points for looking cool), etc...

A nuclear reactor sucks up water from one side of a lake, then spits it out on the other side of the lake. The entire surface of the lake acts like a bong cooler (evaporative cooling).

[Goku]

I think these are very cool although I just prefer air due to not having to deal with any maintenance. Slightly lazy I guess, but if you have the spare time for this stuff go for it.

[Ait'al]

I have a book that sort of goes over things you might improvise on a farm. It has how to use copper tubes to make cooling devices... This would be easier than water cooling for DYI's since you can just submerge I would think and you could improvise things, hypothetically, more easily. I would think this would be superior if it get any results. Just make cooling devices submerge them in the tank or connect it to the oil, outside the case, as you make it flow(whichever is more affective).

I would just wonder what efficiency it has and if the oil would cause problems with connections. Can you avoid cleaning it to make changes or new connections. Can you connect them and then let them sit till the oil is removed on it's own or does it eventually disrupt the connections where they are physically separate (PCI, SATA, etc). What are the downsides?

Anyone know how much performance you could get from it? I don't see why cooling it would be difficult? How much could you hypothetically get. And if it's technically friendly to change(AKA just liquid in a container) you could change it to better liquids later. Water cooling requires lots of devices and can potentially short the system. That makes me worry. Non conductive would be fun however.

Improvising flow would be, hypothetically, easy I would think....(Just takes knowledge) Just run tubes down to the base and modify to your needs. I'm sure you could read up on how flow in a rectangle works, or circle etc. Or you could learn. All of the improvisations you would want would be considered at minimum high school science.

How affective is this and as other places noted what problems can you run into? Do any of the oils eventually erode anything on the board if it even matters. Do any types of mineral oils have adatives that could cause problems? And What other liquids easily work as conventient substitues. Something mentioned propalyne alchohol or something. Don't know it conducutivity so... Any other options. 8)

Not to mention if you really improvise features, as you could with this design, how cheap could you do it and with what benefits? Obviously you need to make coolers that don't hog to much electricity.

Edit: http://www.triadproductscorp.com/product-portfolio <--- coil examples. How small and how much would several of these and what size would be needed to use a PC fan multi bay fan bus or so that can use molex connectors or something from the PSU(I'm assuming if you don't have enough power you could make a smaller one by hand). I think that is 5 volts right? You could replace fan plugs for these coils and have some temp control. I wonder how much cooling you could get floating them in different parts of the aquarium! MOdify to multiple molex connectors if you need. NOt sure what power you need for what temps for something like this so... But the idea could be interesting if it can help. If not make a coolent box with a lot of them in a small space and slowly flow the oil in and out or whatever would increase efficiency. Not sure if you could increase cooling that way but.. at least you have a power source potentially.

http://www.gmilburn.ca/2005/06/15/petes-homemade-air-conditioner/
http://www.gmilburn.ca/2005/06/15/spencers-homemade-air-conditioner/
http://www.gmilburn.ca/2005/06/15/the-black-beauty/
http://www.brainright.com/OurHouse/Construction/CoolingSystem/
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/kill-watt-brewery-build-compilation-158348/

I would imagine a two tank system could be useful...

...... What about something weird like a two tank system using the principles of how you take two pop bottles and make a whirlwind between them for flow? So as much mechanicle flow of water in the system over the components? Would that be weird? Obviously you need to consider how much and then shape of the containers and how to achieve it, but.... Could you create equilibrium or would you need to pipe it back up? What about an Archemedes screw or low slant pipe running up and use already used in home power(like how they used the house fan to cool water in the link above) to create the motion. So you are using already existing power. Or use something like that. 8) bottom cools, top receives cool water! What would be most efficient. With a priority for low or minimum power use(nothing more than the PSU/house appliances combined with mechanical forces.) and maximum cooling for overclocking. 8) I wonder what could be done.

Heck how much could the flow help create energy to force it back up? it wouldn't be perpetual but it would be minimizing the effort from electrical devices potentially. 8p Low power use over no power use. Or would you have to do some funky plumbing to make it work that way. That would/could be your radiator btw...

I would think, ultimately, having a system to change all the pressure at once at increase the whirlwind affect would be cool(I'm not necessarily talking about enough to create a visible whirlwind physically, just the flow) to change the potential cooling. Not sure what would be best per situation though... And how many ways could you set it up? Would they need to be on top of each other or can you do the same with plumbing between or in any way with an extended system. I would think you could but you might have to create a unique system for it.... Twisted plumbing to go with the flow? No idea how that works though so..

In a system based on any substantial physical flow I would think you would need clamps added to the connections. 8p Probably not hard to improvise. Just don't use conductive materials.

Wall of text... But this is cool so. 8p