Ambient Temp Controlled Pelt?
 

Have any of you seen this: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthrea...2&page=1&pp=20 ??? This guy is claiming that they have come up with a device that sits in a PCI slot that adjusts the power to the pelt to keep it just cold enough to not have any condensation. Pretty brilliant really. Makes me wonder if this could kill WB development altogether. If something could keep your CPU as cold as possible before condensation, what method of cooling could be better without condensation? Never need to buy a new WB... He also claims that because you are only keeping the CPU around -2C under ambient that water temps don't really matter, a BIX can handle it. Very interesting. Man do i feel like the shmuck with the beast I'm currently building :evilaugh:

It would be interesting to know what kind of data the PCI card measures to prevent condensation. I am no weatherman, but there are other factors that must be considered other then temperature...(humidity).

I am wondering if this PCI card takes the power from an alternate power supply and controls it, or is it simply using the PC power supply? Either way you have to give em credit for trying. It would also be nice as it could help to keep those energy costs down.

there is also an israeli compeny that make thouse units and they are allready up for sale i think , it named Activecool
nice product but not too shibby for us OCers , only a 72W tec wich is what makes this unit stink from my side :)

Titan151: post #34, page 2 (http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost....5&postcount=34)

No humidity sensors, just a coldplate temperature sensor.
and yep, external PSU definitely required!

Its all a bit vague. The guys posting the info are not the designers/engineers couldent get much constructive comment out of them so i gave up.

Very nice idea tho but you have to ask yourself - why not just buy a vapo and go sub zero? its not like it will cost much more.

If you're at or above ambient then you won't get condensation regardless of humidity.

In answer to the original poster, I don't think this will kill WB development, peltiers add additional costs to watercooling that many people will not be prepared to pay. Not only cost of purchase but running costs can be quite high (you'd be looking at 200W extra power requirement as a minimum I'd guess) to say nothing of additional noise from whatever power supply you use to power the TEC. Also greater complexity tends to give more chance of failure.

the Israeli unit was also offered by Thermalright (??)
tested one, not useful for the enthusiast market due to low power

thermaltaco I think Bill.

Presumably the peltier still has to be cooled though; not much good if one keeps PC under load (vrooom)

I would be interested in such a device for a video card though. Maybe combine this PCI card with the Swiftech MC50-T? Cool the ram from the traces :)

the Israelis put a MCX4000 on it with fan speed control
ok up to the point that a 72W TEC can go

GFX cards put out about as much heat as CPUs these days though pH...

Seems really pointless to active cool just to shave off 5 or 10 degrees (if that). As long as you're going that far, might as well go below ambient.

Below ambient can cause condensation, depending on humidity and ambient temperature. Charts available, Google.

Nikhsub1 variable pc has been making these things for years.

also, it only sits in a pci slot, doesnt actually have any traces connecting to the motherboard.


Jon