Hair brained idea?

[Darkmatterx]

Summer is here and my room is getting warm... to warm. Even with central air my computer is heating up my room which is pushing my cpu temps to over 63 just playing WC3.
Its a P4 3ghz OC'd to 3.2+ BTW.

I am using a good HSF and have 5 low noise case fans (not including the 2 in PS) and I'm not sure what else to do. My case temps just idling in xp are around 36 according to speedfan although I'm not sure if thats totally relyable due to using an Abit IC7 board.

Since I can't afford a good watercooler I'm not sure what my options are. I did have 1 crazy idea.....

I have a window AC that I'm not using atm... I could just install it and cool my whole room, but what if I removed a fan in the back and covered the AC vent and ran a tube to the back of the PC case? All the air would run through the tube and into the PC case. My 2 main concerns are burning out the AC due to the extra force needed to push the air through the tube to the PC and condensation.

Any thoughts?

 

[endyen]

In theory, at least, the condensation happens at the ac unit. The cooled air has very little humidity left.
The restriction on outflow shouldn't be a problem either. It would limit the amount of air moved, and therefore the workload of the fan.

 

[Darkmatterx]

So, since the central air isn't keeping my room cool enough and I'm going to need more AC anyways, do you think this is a viable option to keep both my room and PC cooler?

 

[Snaggle]

Running air conditioners is very expensive and noisy too,so watercooling is likely cheaper.Short term you should try a duct with a noisy case fan to your cpu or just open the side of your case and hit it with a fan or buy earphones open your door and such all the cool air in with a fan.Good case fans with earphones to save you from the noise is the only real alternative to watercooling...at least on a budget.

 

[Coyote]

I like your AC idea and have been thinking along similar lines. My gaming pc sits in a room w/o AC, so it's back to stock speeds.

If you try the AC thingy, let me know how it works out please.

Thanks

Barton 2500+
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
BBA 9800 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[justaguy]

Wouldn't using the portable AC keep your room cool enough that you don't have to pipe air into the case? If your CPU isn't cool enough with a room temp in the 60's, you have other issues.

p.s. I need to update my sig, b/c my temps are higher due to warmer weather too.

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[Darkmatterx]

yes I could just run the AC normally, but I could get better PC cooling/OCing if I ran it into the PC first.

 

[hogfather]

To be honest, if it were me, I'd have the ac (not that its' an issue in wales, of course!) for the room, and leave the pc to cope.

XP2000, 512 ddr 2700ram, GF4 MX440, XP Pro

 

[justaguy]

Yes, you could do it that way. If you do, you definitely are more extreme than I am. But hey, if you do, post your results. If it goes well for you that would be awesome!

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[Darkmatterx]

its not really that extreame. You can get the tubing and plastic and tape at any hardware store.

 

[endyen]

Using a 1500 watt part to cool a 300 watt part seems a bit extreem to me.

 

[Darkmatterx]

Well I need to use it either way. And since its the computer thats heating my room I might as well cool the room through the PC. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[Schmide]

You should buy a flexible dryer duct and channel the output of the computer out of the house; thusly, eliminating the heat source for the room.

Dichromatic for your viewing plesure...

 

[Darkmatterx]

unfortunatly my room is shaped so that its not viable to put the computer near the window. small PC fans wouldn't be able to push the air through a long tube to the window. The air would just stagnate in the PC case and the fans would burn out eventually from the workload.

 

[justaguy]

If the computer can't be near the window, how are you going to cool it with the A/C? Are you going to run duct work across your room from the A/C or are you going to run an air conditioner without it being in a window. If you do, you'll need to set up some sort of condensation drainage system. Usually AC drains outside and there's no need for special arrangements, but if you're not putting the A/C in the window, you'll have a wet floor. It sounds like a lot of work for a few MHz, but it's your project... And if your computer is really what is causing your room to be too warm, you're still better off watercooling the computer because the short-term cost of H2O is cheaper than the cost of running a 1500W air conditioner in the long run-plus you get the benefit of awesome cooling for your OC.

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[scamtrOn]

you can do water cooling for ~$100. every thing will fit in your case and your pc will remain portable. not to mention doing what you have in mind isn't systematic.

its also summer here in kansas and i'm using this water cooling system i'm talking about. it does more than a fine job keeping my system cool. i'm sure if it can keep mine cool, it can keep yours cool.


if this interests you, let me know and i'll show you the parts.

</font color=red><b><font color=orange>my sys:
mobo: Abit AN7 @ 442 FSB
CPU: AXPm 2600+ @ 4100+
ram: corsair xms @ 1:1 running 2.5-3-3-6
HDD: two raptors on raid 0
vid: 9800pro @ 467mhz GPU and 834mhz ram<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by scamtrOn on 05/14/04 03:45 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Darkmatterx]

Water cooling won't work well for me right now. As a student I take my system home with me when I have breaks. I'm guessing a water system is not something you want to lug around, either for weight reasons or damage reasons.

As for the question about the AC, I was going to run a smallish ventilation tube along the wall to the PC. I bet I can get some cheap at a hardware store.

 

[scamtrOn]

the weight isn't a concern so as long as you are careful enough not to drop the case, you shouldn't be worried.

</font color=red><b><font color=orange>my sys:
mobo: Abit AN7 @ 442 FSB
CPU: AXPm 2600+ @ 4100+
ram: corsair xms @ 1:1 running 2.5-3-3-6
HDD: two raptors on raid 0
vid: 9800pro @ 467mhz GPU and 834mhz ram<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by scamtrOn on 05/14/04 03:45 PM.</EM></FONT></P>