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View Full Version : Submerging A PC To Mantain Cool



Mister LinOx
July 20th, 2009, 08:13 AM
I stumbled upon a few videos and some information not too long ago and although they aren't brand new, I thought I would share.

Here is the best one I have seen so far: http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php

What do you think?

I think it would be nice to make a type of aquarium box for the PC, THEN put it inside of a bigger aquarium and have fish around it. Not sure about plausibility as I am sleepy, but sounds cool. :P

hessiess
July 20th, 2009, 11:51 AM
This comes up quite regularly, it looks cool, but you would probably need a heat-sink to cool the oil in the tank, and it wouldn't be very practical if you needed to move the system.



I think it would be nice to make a type of aquarium box for the PC, THEN put it inside of a bigger aquarium and have fish around it. Not sure about plausibility as I am sleepy, but sounds cool. :P

Would be possible but you would have to be absolutely certen that the oil the computer is in cannot somehow get into the fish tank.

3rdalbum
July 20th, 2009, 12:27 PM
Would be possible but you would have to be absolutely certen that the oil the computer is in cannot somehow get into the fish tank.

And vice-versa - oil is as deadly to fish as water is to computers :-)

handy
July 20th, 2009, 01:23 PM
There is an extended & interesting thread in the forums here somewhere, including pictures & the whole deal on this topic.

Good luck finding it!

Rainstride
July 20th, 2009, 02:41 PM
I stumbled upon a few videos and some information not too long ago and although they aren't brand new, I thought I would share.

Here is the best one I have seen so far: http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php

What do you think?

I think it would be nice to make a type of aquarium box for the PC, THEN put it inside of a bigger aquarium and have fish around it. Not sure about plausibility as I am sleepy, but sounds cool. :P

you should check out this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1181331

I built the oil pc you linked to and posted about it there.

HermanAB
July 20th, 2009, 03:25 PM
Howdy,

The practical problem is that oil tends to creep up and over the sides of the aquarium. It will also soak into the wires through capillary action it will eventually reach the other end of the cables and drip out.

So, it is a neat idea for a week or so and then it becomes a very messy idea and goes rapidly down-hill from there on. It may be fine for a place like Mr Lube, but not in the average office or bedroom.

If you want to experiment, ensure that you use parts that you can throw away after a few weeks of messing around.

wojox
July 20th, 2009, 03:29 PM
I saw a similar article in Popular Science

http://www.hardcorecomputer.com/

moster
July 20th, 2009, 03:56 PM
@Herman
You obviusly did not click the link. These guys running this computer for months.

Oil should be in theory better for hardware then air. Because there is no rapid temperature fluctuation. My CPU goes from 37-65C in few seconds on load, that would not happend in oil. And we all know that every material when you heat it extend, and when cool down shrink. Repeat that many times and you have a broken hardware.

koenn
July 20th, 2009, 05:12 PM
@Herman
You obviusly did not click the link. These guys running this computer for months.

from the link :


Overall, the biggest downside we have found is that the oil wicks down the cabling and makes a mess. Its amusing at first to find oil seeping out of your mouse, but gets annoying very quickly!

HermanAB
July 20th, 2009, 06:04 PM
I don't need to click the link to know what will happen. Liquid cooled mainframes is an old idea and yes, I am that old... ;)

Mister LinOx
July 20th, 2009, 06:19 PM
@Herman
You obviusly did not click the link. These guys running this computer for months.

Oil should be in theory better for hardware then air. Because there is no rapid temperature fluctuation. My CPU goes from 37-65C in few seconds on load, that would not happend in oil. And we all know that every material when you heat it extend, and when cool down shrink. Repeat that many times and you have a broken hardware.

I think last month made two years. :)

Rainstride
July 20th, 2009, 06:21 PM
Howdy,

The practical problem is that oil tends to creep up and over the sides of the aquarium. It will also soak into the wires through capillary action it will eventually reach the other end of the cables and drip out.

So, it is a neat idea for a week or so and then it becomes a very messy idea and goes rapidly down-hill from there on. It may be fine for a place like Mr Lube, but not in the average office or bedroom.

If you want to experiment, ensure that you use parts that you can throw away after a few weeks of messing around.

unless you go with a cheap wireless keyboard and mouse:D.

arcdrag
July 20th, 2009, 07:14 PM
There's a computer shop near where I live that has one of these built. Its a neat conversation piece, and a cool way to get some use out of obsolete hardware...but I don't think I'd see a point in using it for anything other than that.

moster
July 20th, 2009, 08:36 PM
@Herman
You are never too old for this sh*t :)

Seeping oil is because mouse is in lower position against motherboard PS2 port. I can hardly believe it can actually travel between wires. I was believing that mouse wire were sealed.

I will build myself wooden or oil computer case. I cannot stand noise anymore. And I cannot use low power computers either.

handy
July 21st, 2009, 04:19 AM
It sounds like the ideal design would have all components not meant for the oil, suspended over it so the oil that traveled via capillary action up to the supposedly oil free end of the cable could run back down the cables &/or drip back into the oil bath, or at least have a drip tray that was constantly funneling the oil back into the tank or at least into a reservoir.

Then you would have to have wireless keyboard & mouse, the monitor cable could pose a problem... I expect that there would be a way to seal the cable & stop the oil, it may not be simple though, the whereabouts that you want to seal it the cable could certainly increase the difficulty, like mid-monitor cable. Injecting some high-tech glue via a syringe would be what they would do in Mission Impossible... :)

If all else fails maybe you can cook with it.

moster
July 21st, 2009, 04:40 PM
There is two major problems directly correlated with same idea of why actually build this.

1. You cannot have visible computer case with oil in it and cool in the same time. That plastic do not disperse heat very good. It would be much better if case is made of iron, but then it wont be visible.

2. Already discussed. Oil leak.

So, if it leaves us with big iron tank beside computer table. Huh. I will enquire around for cheap coffins :D

Stan_1936
July 21st, 2009, 04:45 PM
Not true. If you you install a radiator, you can STILL go with the plastic case.

moster
July 21st, 2009, 11:19 PM
Yes, of course. But I do not like that idea. It is too complicated for me then.

Yvan300
July 21st, 2009, 11:24 PM
I think it's too much of a hastle. And under certain conditions, water coling is expensive, just spend that money on regular cooling methods.

Compucore
July 22nd, 2009, 12:42 AM
Or like the Old Cray SV2 spoer computers. They use the same technics as you are mentioning as well HermanAB.

:D

Compucore


I don't need to click the link to know what will happen. Liquid cooled mainframes is an old idea and yes, I am that old... ;)

moster
July 22nd, 2009, 09:11 AM
Well, I do not know how old I must be.. :) From my knowledge overclocking started when Celeron 300 MHz came. I do not know anybody who would submerge Atari :D Can anyone explain this little further?

handy
July 22nd, 2009, 02:38 PM
I overclocked most everything from 486 up.

Before them, I had to change the whole motherboard in an Amiga 1000 case & put the Nic Wilson designed & produced Phoenix board in, which was a really souped up Amiga at the time, running a 68030 CPU, more Chip & Fast RAM, & a variety of other enhancements I don't remember.

Haven't bothered for about the last 5 years as things are fast enough now. (for me) :)

moster
July 22nd, 2009, 07:02 PM
@Handy

Granted! You are old enough :) Although, it is hard to believe. I was believing that so old computers did not heated at all. Forgive me, I have computer only from 1997.

Lately.. I mean from 2005, I did not actually need to by new one... but, I was not yet on linux. Bah.

handy
July 23rd, 2009, 02:22 AM
@Handy

Granted! You are old enough :) Although, it is hard to believe. I was believing that so old computers did not heated at all. Forgive me, I have computer only from 1997.

Lately.. I mean from 2005, I did not actually need to by new one... but, I was not yet on linux. Bah.

The original Amiga's were only running at 7Mhz, & even the faster 68030 CPU's didn't even have heat-sinks! They have just kept squeezing more & more power into smaller chips, no wonder you could fry an egg on some of the things these days.