[jaydee]

Originally posted by DigitalPirate
Alright jaydee,
Let me ask you this. What do you suppose happens since CPUs continue to decrease in size? Heatsinks can only spread a over a limited area, known to me as the heat bloom. This is why all the good WBs have such thin bases, right?

No not even close, but this is why the best AIR coolers have such a THICK base.

Even with new heatsink technologies, copper has an upper limit on the amount of heat that it can pass at ambient temps. So either we move to different materials for heatsinks, which surpass the saturation limit of copper at ambient, we supercool the copper, increasing the amount of thermal differential, or we move the heat away from the source, allowing it to be dissipated over a far larger area at ambient temps, like a radiator.

The upper limit has not even come close. Also there IS new materials coming out that is twice as conductive as copper. See other thread HERE that YOU started . Move the heat away from the source to be disipated over a larger area? Heat pipe wold be better at this and less chance of failure. No water, no pumps, no leaks, no maintenance. Phase change system WILL dramatically get better and cheaper over the next few years. And you thinking to small. Once phase change unit could cool many computers and be stored in its own sound deadened room. But this is still not much of an option. Also do not forget about the heat spreaders on the newer CPU from AMD and Intel.

Before I start sounding like a college professor, I'll say I don't like lecturing, since by your other posts you have been around the waterblock several times.

Ok

I reject your conclusion that phase-change systems will be de rigueur anytime soon. They still have too many issues, such as the possibility of leaks(easily solved), component failure, and condensation(easily fixed). The possibility of component failure is far too great, though.

not any greater than water cooling. Frig's last how longthese days? Air conditioners? They don;t break nearly as much as water cooling gear. The biggest failure of the system is the pump.

Compressors will become quieter, but they may stop working, or jam, and oops, bye-bye CPU.

Never heard of C.O.P.?

Before phase-change can be mass-marketed, it must be silent, like heatpipes. If joe customer has the choice between a supercooled PC and the same one that is silent, he's going to take the quiet one.

Water cooling these HOT CPU's is NOT, I repeat NOT going to be silent. The more heat involved the the more air your going to have to push through that rad, the more air to push the louder the fan. Water cooling is not a answer to a silent computer.

I would in his place, and I've seen enough other people do the same thing. By the way, I run a Xeon DP system that happens to be watercooled right now, but am waiting for Cathar to try fitting a couple of his beautiful Cascades to Xeon mounts. So I am partial to WC, as it has not let me down yet. Yes, any active component can break, and as Murphy's Law tells us, the possibility of a piece breaking is inversely proportional to it's importance. [/b]

I have 3 water cooled systems and over 60 waterblocks I have made over the last 3 years and know the advantages of water cooling and the dis advantages.

Also do not forget the more moving parts you add the more chance somthing will break. Air coolers have one breakable part that can be changed in minutes. Large companies are NOT going to settle for water cooling because of price and cost of maintenance. It just isn't going to happen.

With advances in thermal materials and advanced in CPU design that will increase power and lower wattage I see nothing strong to indicate water cooling will go mainstream. It is simply to impracticle. There will be better options that have yet to even be though up IMO.

I could be wrong though. And I definatly CAN wait to find out being this really will not be an issue for years to come. I will still be using a XP system in 3 years and will start considering a Athlon 64 around then when 64bit software slowly starts creeping out.