Stupid "hot case" or sound cooling theory?
 

Hi guys!

I'm (STILL) in the process of designing & making a (super quiet)custom wood case. I'll be watercooling the CPU, NB, GPU & VidRAM & 3 HDD's.

NOW, Suppose I could cool all the components listed above. Lovely and cool.

But suppose I don't run a (case) fan. Or I run one triggered to come on only at a high temp. The case temp increases. Alot. What major issues would I be facing?

OH! I should explain my design a bit before you think I'm a total loon for not running a fan in a WC'd system.

I've designed a tunnel to mount 2 120mm fans and draw air from the front of the case through to the rad (mounted outside the case @ the back). The rad is outside for cooler ambient air. The tunnell ensures cool outside air (instead of warm case air) is ducted through the rad. The fans are mounted mid-case in the tunnel to avoid the "dead spot" that occurs at the centre of the fan when it is against a rad.
= Benefits =
= Rad is in cool, outside ambient air.
= Rad is fed cool, outside ambient air.
= fans & tunnel allow even distribution of air over rad surface.
= fans in the tunnel reduce fan noise, even at high rpm

So, ny round-about question is; with high case temps, yet adequately cooled CPU, NB, GPU & VidRAM & HDD's, what issues would I run into?

* Would RAM be effected?

* I have an antec 480w PSU. This thing runs HOT. The PSU atm draws air from inside the case. Hotter case air would heat the psu.

* Would case temp heat the blocks, effecting the water temp?

* Or the tubes? How readily does Tygon tubing absorb the heat?

Thanks! :D

Power supply might overheat eventually. Since you'll have radiator fans anyway, you might as well just use that airflow to cool your case as well.

New ideas...
 

Redleader - I was kinda trying to avoid using the warmer case air to cool the rads... but I suppose you're right - it depends on how hot the case air actually gets... If the case air does not get ANY hotter (because the CPU, GPU & VidRAM, NB, HDD's are WC'd) then I won't have a prob.

Hmmmm.... so the question becomes - Does the case necessarily get hotter?

I suppose I am expecting the HDD Waterblocks to remove most heat, however, I am not planning to completely enclose the HDD's - only their tops & bottoms. Therefore, I expect some heat to radiate into the case air. Correct?

The PSU should also radiate heat into the case. Although it is well ventilated & uses 2 fans, the walls still feel hot to the touch - therefore heat will be radiating into the case air. Correct?

Also, DVD & CDRW would produce some heat, especially when burning, Yes?

You're right - The PSU may be a prob...

I could seperate the PSU from the components & case ... perhaps using the Rad fan tunnel asa wall ...(thinkin out loud)... perhaps duct the PSU with fresh air... like the Rad... hmmm...

Anyone with WCing setups where EVERYTHING is WC'd have any experience with hot cases??

Any thoughts??

Thanks!! :D

You arent building the boxes yourself. You could build a nice block on the psu. Seen that once or twice. I dont think there will be cooling problems if you can get the rad to handle all that, and cool the psu somehow.

Phuzun, I am sooooo tempted to give WCing the PSU a go. But I don't feel really confident opening up my Antec 480W just yet. Especially as it is putting out a HEAP of heat - that would raise the water temps alot, I'm guesing.

It's definitely something I want to consider down the track though.

Thabnks!

I would worry about the mosfets on your motherboard getting hot.

peace.
unloaded

hell, just wc your PSU.. its really not as bad as it seems, although those toX packages (rectifiers, etc) are a bitch .. cos if u ain't careful the legs snap :P

i finished mine about, hmm _looks at watch_ a week ago :), and u know what, its true Silence IS golden :)

You putting this wc rig seperate from the case? You could run hoses far enough away from the case to use some powerful fans. Need a powerful pump though. Maybe multiple radiators.

As far as the power supply, there are two large heatsinks, you need to replace those with the blocks. You might want to talk to others more knowledgable with psu. There is some dangerous stuff in there. I dont like those either, only done fan mods to them. Always made paranoid.

I've seen a completely water cooled pc on hardocp. He had a res buried in the ground up in canada. Keeps the water cool enuf, and its to large to heat up. Had a huge pump aswell.

What unloaded said. I'd strap some spare HSs on the MB mosfets, and 2) I'd get a new PSU. I don't know if you're fond of your current one or anything, but my 400watt Sparkle runs very very cool, with a single 7v Panaflo. I'd not WC it, or not just yet.. it's easier than it sounds, but not something to fool about with.

logosmani: Pictures? :D
If you're talking about BladeRunner, I believe he's in the UK>?

Other than that, I don't see a problem. CD/DVD's create minimal heat. I've no case fans & the only time my case got hot was when I no pluggie in the pump for a few hours...stuff got REAL hot then (shortly before it, well, died).

Cheers :)

IMO...
 

Zero fans is a nice idea but very difficult to implement, especialy if you overclock(why H2o if you don't???). The mosfets and ferite rings get VERY hot on my KX7 at default v~core(1.750volt), also in the PSU there's more than just the mosfets to cool, it was'nt included in the main PSU article last time I looked but BladeRunner at zerofan.com (or .co.uk ?) had to include a way of cooling the large ferrite ring in his H2o'd PSU it was getting above 60~70Deg IIRC...

It's much easier to have a bit of airflow in the case. I'd use out~of~case air ducted in through the radiator, then have it blowing onto the mobo and venting out through the case top. The air does'nt get noticably warmer unless you have a huge heatload like TEC's or multi+blocks :D ...

Without airflow my mobo diode reaches temps of 33DegC+, with a small radial fan blowing across it does'nt go above 25DegC, if it was boxed up in a closed case it would get higher than 33DegC, probably nearer 40 :( ...

A bit of airflow might be nice. Find a silent fan than 7volt it. Maybe just have the psu fan and a single intake. I agree with the stagnant air. Better to get it out of there than to let it sit. I doubt you'll hear the fan over the HD.

I noticed today that if I rest my arm and face on my desk I get a huge headache from the humm emmitted through the wood.

BTW Anyone used a black ice extreme to cool multiple blocks? It should handle a gpu, chipset and cpu easily correct? No peltiers or anything. Maybe I will add a res later, something makeshift that I could drop a bottle of ice into.