A pc in a air vacuum?

[neilhartop]

This is in no way a serious idea. More of just a 'is it possible'?

I am always interested in unconventional ways people cool their pcs (submerging them in liquid as an example) and I wonder if anyone has tried building a pc within a vacuum.?

I remember an experiment at school where the science teacher put clock into a jar, pumped all the air out and when the clock alarm went off it was completely silent. Sound needs air to move so has anyone tried building a airtight pc with all the air pumped out? It would be completely silent and if there is no air the components won't get hot?

Is this something that's possible or just wouldn't work, even as a experiment????

 

[USAFRet]

and if there is no air the components won't get hot

The components generate their own heat. With no air to carry that heat away....meltdown.

 

[MalakiArtook]

i always though it would be cool to build a pc with the guts of a old mini fridge.

 

[Pinhedd]

This is in no way a serious idea. More of just a 'is it possible'?

I am always interested in unconventional ways people cool their pcs (submerging them in liquid as an example) and I wonder if anyone has tried building a pc within a vacuum.?

I remember an experiment at school where the science teacher put clock into a jar, pumped all the air out and when the clock alarm went off it was completely silent. Sound needs air to move so has anyone tried building a airtight pc with all the air pumped out? It would be completely silent and if there is no air the components won't get hot?

Is this something that's possible or just wouldn't work, even as a experiment????

That's the exact opposite of cooling a PC. Air convection is responsible for carrying thermal energy generated by the heat generating components inside of the PC away into the environment where it diffuses. No air => no convection => no cooling = no more microprocessor.

 

[FinalDrive]

I have thought about the build in a fridge, the only problem to solve is making sure the condensation does not short anything out. I have seen articles in the past about a build in a fish tank full of cooking oil, perhaps a mixing of the two ideas.

 

[USAFRet]

i always though it would be cool to build a pc with the guts of a old mini fridge.

Alternate title:
"How to kill a mini fridge."

 

[MalakiArtook]

well if it is sealed there wouldn't be and condensation in which case his original question would be doable.

 

[USAFRet]

well if it is sealed there wouldn't be and condensation in which case his original question would be doable.

A fridge internals are not designed for a continual heat source inside the box.
Run 30 seconds, idle for 30 minutes, run 30 secs, idle for 30 mins.
If it is running continually, the motor and condenser will die a quick death.

People have tried it. The fridge died.
You can try this without killing expensive PC parts.
Put 4 or 5 100w lightbulbs inside a small fridge. Turn them on and leave it. See how long the fridge lasts.

And being sealed? There is still air inside the box. Air with moisture. Moisture which will condense out onto the warm parts.

 

[neilhartop]

well if it is sealed there wouldn't be and condensation in which case his original question would be doable.

But because the components still generated heat, how could you get rid of that heat? What if there was a way to make inside the case (the vacuum) really cold? Like someone suggested a fridge. I guess you could run water cooling outside the vacuum thought that defeats the purpose...

 

[USAFRet]

well if it is sealed there wouldn't be and condensation in which case his original question would be doable.

But because the components still generated heat, how could you get rid of that heat? What if there was a way to make inside the case (the vacuum) really cold? Like someone suggested a fridge. I guess you could run water cooling outside the vacuum thought that defeats the purpose...

In a vacuum, there is literally nothing to make 'cold'. That is the very definition of 'vacuum'.
There is nothing to conduct the heat away from the components.

 

[leeb2013]

well if it is sealed there wouldn't be and condensation in which case his original question would be doable.

But because the components still generated heat, how could you get rid of that heat? What if there was a way to make inside the case (the vacuum) really cold? Like someone suggested a fridge. I guess you could run water cooling outside the vacuum thought that defeats the purpose...

In a vacuum, there is literally nothing to make 'cold'. That is the very definition of 'vacuum'.
There is nothing to conduct the heat away from the components.

apart from radiation, otherwise how could we feel the sun?!!

 

[USAFRet]

apart from radiation, otherwise how could we feel the sun?!!

If you have a heat generating device (a CPU) in a vacuum (a box with no air in it), it requires its own cooling situation.

 

[leeb2013]

apart from radiation, otherwise how could we feel the sun?!!

If you have a heat generating device (a CPU) in a vacuum (a box with no air in it), it requires its own cooling situation.

that may be true, but I was referring to;

"There is nothing to conduct the heat away from the components."

there is - radiation. Some heat will be radiated away.

 

[USAFRet]

apart from radiation, otherwise how could we feel the sun?!!

If you have a heat generating device (a CPU) in a vacuum (a box with no air in it), it requires its own cooling situation.

that may be true, but I was referring to;

"There is nothing to conduct the heat away from the components."

there is - radiation. Some heat will be radiated away.

OK....some minimal IR radiation may find its way to the inside surface of the 'box'. Heating up the box...not cooling the component that is generating the original heat.

 

[neilhartop]

thanks very much for the discussion guys!

Been very interesting and insightful, I can see that its possible to make the pc case air tight and suck all the air out, eliminating all noise entirely, but there isnt a possible solution to keeping the components cool.