Air conditioner to cool PC done right!

[overshocked1234]

I bet you guys thought this was another noob asking the age old question. 😉 But, here is my conversion from an A/C to a single stage phase change. Right now I'm borrowing a motherboard, so I just charged it with R-134a to avoid to many condensation issues that are involved with -40c at full load.

I used a 5k BTU A/C and ripped off the evap an just used the condenser and compressor. Then "did a few special modifications" 😀 and its good to go!

Runs at about -20c on full load and -40c on idle.

Pics:

Suction line is covered in frost all the way back to the compressor.

Sitting at idle with an i7...

 

[Pyroflea]

That's awesome! What precautions have you taken to avoid condensation damaging your hardware? Just wondering

 

[RJR]

I used a 5k BTU A/C and ripped off the evap an just used the condenser and compressor. Then "did a few special modifications" 😀 and its good to go!

NICE !!!!!!!!!! 😀

You better be at the SUMMER WARZ.........if you don't have a team by then come over to OCC and join just for the WARZ or start a team and I'll join yours if you get a few people 😉

 

[overshocked1234]

That's awesome! What precautions have you taken to avoid condensation damaging your hardware? Just wondering

Trust me m8, Ive gotten good at insulating boards...its all good.
First I put several layer several layers of nail polish on everything, then I spread a layer of dielectric grease or petroleum jelly everywhere around the socket and in the socket. Then I hit the whole area with a heat gun for a few seconds so the petroleum jelly melts and gets in all the cracks.
Lastly I put a layer of armaflex over that entire area.

 

[overshocked1234]

NICE !!!!!!!!!! 😀

You better be at the SUMMER WARZ.........if you don't have a team by then come over to OCC and join just for the WARZ or start a team and I'll join yours if you get a few people 😉

Thanks RJR!

Ill be at forum wars 2011. Gotta wait til Feb. though. )= Anyways, not sure ill have to much hardware to show for forum wars dude. 🙁 Im about to spend like a grand on making a cascade.

 

[jsc]

Cool!

No pun intended.

 

[4Ryan6]

Welcome back!

Standard AC operation cycles the compressor on and off charging the cooling coils, have you overidden that function to make the compressor constantly charge for your setup?

I'm going to try and see if we could possibly add and extreme cooling overclocking sub section to the overclocking section, as this type cooling is way past normal cooling, and is quite impressive by your efforts but takes some serious skill and dedication to accomplish, its definitely an ohhh and ahhh to the normal day to day overclocker.

Quite impressive!

 

[overshocked1234]

Welcome back!

Standard AC operation cycles the compressor on and off charging the cooling coils, have you overidden that function to make the compressor constantly charge for your setup?

I'm going to try and see if we could possibly add and extreme cooling overclocking sub section to the overclocking section, as this type cooling is way past normal cooling, and is quite impressive by your efforts but takes some serious skill and dedication to accomplish, its definitely an ohhh and ahhh to the normal day to day overclocker.

Quite impressive!

Well here's the wiring on the controllers. The top one controls the compressor and the bottom controls the fan.

Holding the thermocouple:

The way the compressor knows when to click off is when the evaporator on the system hits certain temperature. The thermocouple was originally jammed in between the fins of the evaporator when I bought the system. So i just took it out and jammed it into the condenser. (=

And an extreme cooling section would be GREAT! That would encourage a lot of higher level people to start posting on the forum as well.

 

[jedimasterben]

I swear, every time I see a picture of that setup, it looks more and more awesome!

It puts my pink duct tape LN2 sessions to shame!

 

[jedimasterben]

Welcome back!

Standard AC operation cycles the compressor on and off charging the cooling coils, have you overidden that function to make the compressor constantly charge for your setup?

I'm going to try and see if we could possibly add and extreme cooling overclocking sub section to the overclocking section, as this type cooling is way past normal cooling, and is quite impressive by your efforts but takes some serious skill and dedication to accomplish, its definitely an ohhh and ahhh to the normal day to day overclocker.

Quite impressive!

That would be great to have an extreme section! Awesome idea!

 

[4Ryan6]

The way the compressor knows when to click off is when the evaporator on the system hits certain temperature. The thermocouple is jammed in between the fins of the evaporator. So i just took that and jammed it into the condenser.

So what is the temperature difference at the CPU cooling block, from the cycle time of the compressor cutting in and out?

And how often does the compressor kick in and out?

 

[4Ryan6]

That would be great to have an extreme section! Awesome idea!

Its on the table right now, some moderators are for it, but if Administration says no, it won't happen, so keep your fingers crossed.

 

[overshocked1234]

I swear, every time I see a picture of that setup, it looks more and more awesome!

It puts my pink duct tape LN2 sessions to shame!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/First LN2 Run/100_0529.jpg

Hahaha, thanks m8!

Anyway, I hope you guys have time to use those screws I sent you sometime soon. 😉

 

[overshocked1234]

So what is the temperature difference at the CPU cooling block, from the cycle time of the compressor cutting in and out?

And how often does the compressor kick in and out?

The compressor doesn't cycle anymore. I took the thermocouple and put it into the hot part of the system (the condenser) so the compressor will always think that its to warm in the room. 😀

 

[4Ryan6]

The compressor doesn't cycle anymore. I took the thermocouple and put it into the hot part of the system (the condenser) so the compressor will always think that its to warm in the room. 😀

So whats the cooling block itself temperature?

Since the compressor is constantly running you have a solid and constant cooling block temperature is this just for benching or can you use this on a daily basis?

Is this the machine you're posting these replies with?

 

[overshocked1234]

So whats the cooling block itself temperature?

Since the compressor is constantly running you have a solid and constant cooling block temperature is this just for benching or can you use this on a daily basis?

Is this the machine you're posting these replies with?

The evaporator (the cooling block sitting on the CPU) is about the same temp as the CPU...maybe a few degrees cooler, but not much when it's idle. When its loaded the temperature difference is a little bit larger, but its still within 10c.

I'm using it 24/7 right now, but I'm going to take it off and throw on the water cooler in a few minutes. So yes, you can definitely use this 24/7. You have to put dielectric grease in the socket when running 24/7 though. Otherwise water will build up in the socket.

About a month ago I did a bench run for about 10hrs or so with ln2. I didn't put grease in the socket so water got in the socket and destroyed the socket. Still waiting on that board to get back to me from EVGA.

I'm thinking what I'm going to do next...its either going to be a cascade for benching or another small single stage for a GPU, or maybe an X6 system...What do you guys think?

 

[Reynod]

Good work.

I should get my old chiller rig out of the shed.

It is essentially a converted refridge drink fountain with a pump and runs cold (2C) water round the system.

I just have to make sure it doesn't ice up ... I lost a GPU under a Silverprop once as a result.

Superwatercooling ... just not extreme ice.

I mounted my mobo upside down with the water cooler ...

Good work overshocked.

 

[4Ryan6]

The evaporator (the cooling block sitting on the CPU) is about the same temp as the CPU...maybe a few degrees cooler, but not much when it's idle. When its loaded the temperature difference is a little bit larger, but its still within 10c.

I'm using it 24/7 right now, but I'm going to take it off and throw on the water cooler in a few minutes. So yes, you can definitely use this 24/7. You have to put dielectric grease in the socket when running 24/7 though. Otherwise water will build up in the socket.

About a month ago I did a bench run for about 10hrs or so with ln2. I didn't put grease in the socket so water got in the socket and destroyed the socket. Still waiting on that board to get back to me from EVGA.

I'm thinking what I'm going to do next...its either going to be a cascade for benching or another small single stage for a GPU, or maybe an X6 system...What do you guys think?

Impressive!

In South Carolina you have to be licensed to be able to buy, sell, or use freon, I would imagine its the same where you live, right?

So is HVAC a family business or are you directly a licensed HVAC business owner?

 

[overshocked1234]

Thats pretty nice reynod. Im surprised a drink fountain can hold a load like that.

So does it use a plate heat exchanger for the water, or how does it work?

 

[overshocked1234]

Impressive!

In South Carolina you have to be licensed to be able to buy, sell, or use freon, I would imagine its the same where you live, right?

So is HVAC a family business or are you directly a licensed HVAC business owner?

Na, freon is to expensive and hard to get like most of those other refrigerants.

R290 (propane) is just about as good as anything else you can get for these single stages and its cheap and accesible.

For this build though, I just used R-134a. You can get that at any auto store for people who fix there own a/c in there car.

At some point I will recharge it with R290 though.

 

[4Ryan6]

Did you make the CPU block yourself?

 

[jedimasterben]

Hahaha, thanks m8!

Anyway, I hope you guys have time to use those screws I sent you sometime soon. 😉

I hope so, but we haven't had time to sit down and install it all yet. It'll be a few more weeks maybe before we can get some more LN2 (I still haven't given the dewar back to my friend from two weeks ago though!), that will be the real test!

I just wish that we could keep a constant temperature with LN2 like you can with that SS!

 

[overshocked1234]

Did you make the CPU block yourself?

No, its made by Chilley1, a member of XS.

 

[overshocked1234]

I hope so, but we haven't had time to sit down and install it all yet. It'll be a few more weeks maybe before we can get some more LN2 (I still haven't given the dewar back to my friend from two weeks ago though!), that will be the real test!

I just wish that we could keep a constant temperature with LN2 like you can with that SS!

You should be able to keep a pretty constant temperature now...I think the issue before was that the pot wasnt being held down very well, so it was only making contact in a few areas. Wich made the CPU get really cold, but it would get hot very fast when it was under any sort of load.

 

[jedimasterben]

If only we still had that pink duct tape! Only when we replaced the CPU and couldn't use the same tape is when we started having the problems. The white duct tape and the Gorilla tape we've used stretches WAYYY too much, at least 3 times as much as the pink duct tape did.