CPU cooling trick: safe? would you do it?

[fatherboard]

Before you read: if you have an allergy to "different ways of doing things" you are gracefully advised to press the exceptionally useful "ignore" button on my profile, that will save you tones of time.

There are dual block water coolers for dual CPUs, makes sense, right? 2 CPUs, 2 blocks, 2 pumps, 1 radiator, so far so good, but ...

... what if a crazy idea crosses your mind to give each one of the CPUs a dual block, like 2 blocks for one CPUs = every CPU gets 2 blocks, so one full product of these for each CPU, with a little twist: the second block doesn't go to a CPU but is somehow, hopefully a safe way, put on an ICE COLD surface, assuming the liquids are mixed in the radiator (already asked the factory awaiting confirmation), this could theoretically make the CPU a lot cooler.

This idea came from a need, not some theoretical curiosity, because both MB manufacturer and cooler manufacturer have expressed 9965 could work if not under extreme conditions. It will be the extremest condition, hence the need and the idea.

1) would you do that? have tried something similar?
3) what could possibly go wrong?
2) and if you were to do it, what safety measures would you put in place

After (1) extensive research, (2) confirmation from factory and (3) gathering of responses about similar attempts, the idea could be tested in a few weeks, if you're interested to see if it works let me know. I hope (hinting to a specific very responsive manufacturer) such a product would be soon released: one block for the CPU the other "leg" for ice cooling.



PS: if this content appeared rather disturbing, upsetting, clinically insane, or simply stupid, please consider using the wonderful button "ignore" on my profile. This would save you tones of time.

 

[thulle]

So, what's gonna cool the ice cold surface?

 

[fatherboard]

So, what's gonna cool the ice cold surface?

It's a home thing, one guy, so for now for a first test, just ice cubes from the freezer under a type of metal that keeps the cold the longest and doesn't generate too much moisture.
If I get this to work and prove the difference in result (in a safe way), the manufacturer could consider it.
I have confidence in one specific manufacturer who blew my mind twice with the speed at which they addressed my concerns. It might be a sheer coincidence and timing with my needs, but we're both moving in the same direction, that makes them the idea manufacturer.

 

[thulle]

But what surface are you imagining it would be used for? Are people gonna go refill their server-room bathtub with ice daily?

 

[fatherboard]

But what surface are you imagining it would be used for? Are people gonna go refill their server-room bathtub with ice daily?

It's a proof of concept. I have no idea what big server rack people would do. I'm doing this for myself.
Once this works, I might change it to a less kitchen like set up and a more convincing set up to look at, what, no idea. Happy not to know it now. I don;t need to.
I'm too lazy to spend more time on an elaborate set up if I don't have to, I'm truly confident that manufacturer will do it faster than I will. I'm happy to test it for them.

At this stage I care about safety, I've no idea if there are electronics in the blocks, if the massive difference in temperature in liquids will cause some rare reaction in the pumps, it;s very very early stage, but it will definitely be tested in a few weeks, I'm reaching out to you to make the test safer.

 

[rtech]

You should really stop creating new topic each time some new crazy idea pops into your head. Create one thread fatherboard insane asylum or whatever and stick just to that topic. Otherwise you will get attention you secretly crave. Is there way to not be notified if certain user creates new thread?

 

[fatherboard]

You should really stop creating new topic each time some new crazy idea pops into your head. Create one thread fatherboard insane asylum or whatever and stick just to that topic. Otherwise you will get attention you secretly crave. Is there way to not be notified if certain user creates new thread?

Interested, have something to add -> respond
Not interested, your time is better spent elsewhere. Sabotaging threads you're not interested in is wasting your time.

I wonder why do uninterested people respond.

 

[thulle]

I have no idea what big server rack people would do.

They won't do anything with, since no-one has a huge magical ice surface that makes heat disappear. Goes against basic physics.
Of course you can transport heat to a cold surface, that's not a "cpu cooling trick" - that's what coolers do, often to a radiator that then shifts the heat into the air. But you want a cooling solution where you transport the heat into some surface, but you don't even have an idea what that surface should be, and that's where you kinda are wasting everyone's time.

Try removing the fans and dipping the whole radiator in ice water, it has so much surface area that the cooling will be exceptional, much better than the second small surface mount.

 

[Jelle458]

So you want to cool one CPU plate, then run that very cold water into a radiator to... dissipate it into the room?

For these kinds of cooling you don't use a radiator, as that just equalizes the thermals anyway.

Assuming the very cold water from the plate with no CPU go into the radiator, the radiator, by design, dissipates it into the room, heating up the water, giving you a very small practical benefit, but if you need to somehow keep that plate cool, you would waste a lot of energy to do so, assuming you don't want to refill ice every hour.

Go full custom waterloop instead, and get a good 360 thick radiator per CPU, and you shouldn't have problems.

 

[kapone]

 

[nilfisk_urd]

you are describing a loop with a chiller or a peltier element.

 

[fatherboard]

Try removing the fans and dipping the whole radiator in ice water, it has so much surface area that the cooling will be exceptional, much better than the second small surface mount.

Just asked the factory if the radiator is (partly) water tight, will let you know, happy to try, even to loose a few coolers while testing.

 

[nilfisk_urd]

https://shop.alphacool.com/en/shop/chiller/devices/13031-alphacool-es-chiller-1000-serverrack-5u?currency=1

With this thing, you can set the coolant temperature to 8°C

 

[fatherboard]

a chiller or a peltier element

https://shop.alphacool.com/en/shop/chiller/devices/13031-alphacool-es-chiller-1000-serverrack-5u?currency=1

With this thing, you can set the coolant temperature to 8°C

Thank you, I didn't know this existed (a chiller or a peltier element). If I ever decide to switch to custom loop and racks (unlikely), this will help a lot.

This apparently requires a custom loop.
Custom cooling for different machines will take me too much time to learn and do. Paying someone else to do it is a bit tricky where I am.
AIOs are a less professional but a handy plug-&-play solution that does the job. If I can cheat for better cooling, I will.

After extensive research earlier this year, I made a decision to rather spend money than time on certain things, including cooling.
It's therefore acceptable for me to replace AIOs even every year. Since I'm not trying to become a server expert, my time is better spent on what the machines should be doing than building and maintaining custom loops. Unless I'm over-estimating the task.

Having said that, even if I end up not using a professional solution, I still appreciate knowing what experts use, it may come in handy later. So thank you again for letting me know.

 

[mattventura]

The risk of any sub-ambient cooling is that you can get condensation on your parts. You have to either insulate everything or have temperature controls in place.

 

[Blue4130]

Of course it will cool, but the problem is you will need to keep refilling the ice. There are better ways unless you are just going for a benchmark run.