Question Should I buy a mini airconditioner to cool my PC connected through poly plastic tubes?

[SeriousGaming101]

This is my current super tower:
https://www.newegg.com/white-therma...&cm_re=thermaltake_900-_-11-133-327-_-Product

I currently have a 360mm AIO with 6 fans (push/pull) configuration on both sides and my GPU already have 3 fans. I want my PC to get cooler without making custom water loops.

I have this idea to buy a mini air conditioner with low wattage and connect with a plastic poly tube into my PC:

Something like this:
https://www.google.com/search?q=air...AUIESgC&biw=1920&bih=969#imgrc=t45TIJ362VKhBM:

Any thoughts?

I think doing this will cool all the components including the motherboard and ram too.

 

[Gmoney06ss]

I mean it may work, but why really? The cost of an ac unit and running costs will be fairly steep. How bad are your temps now that Make a you think it's needed? Or just tossing ideas around? I think a nice loop would look better, perform well and be cheaper in the long run.

 

[rubix_1011]

I have this idea to buy a mini air conditioner with low wattage and connect with a plastic poly tube into my PC:

Let me guess: you saw it on JayzTwoCents' YouTube channel?

Please realize, these guys do stuff to get clicks, not because it's a great idea or economically feasible. Does it work? Sure, to some degree...but you're also paying a lot more for the A/C unit as well as the additional power it consumed.

currently have a 360mm AIO with 6 fans (push/pull) configuration on both sides and my GPU already have 3 fans. I want my PC to get cooler without making custom water loops.

What is your intended outcome here? What are your expectations?

You are going to spend a lot of money on a stand-alone air conditioner, but you are using an AIO cooler?

 

[hftvhftv]

No, using an air conditioner to cool the inside of a computer is going to cause condensation to build up, leaving you with a broken, warranty voided computer.

 

[USAFRet]

Absolutely bad idea.

That wall AC unit you linked requires cutting holes in the exterior wall to vent outside.
It is noisy.
It is power hungry.
It will almost certainly cause condensation inside your system.

Unless your system is actually at the top end of temps and it is actually thermally throttling, "cooler" does not give better performance.
Going from 75C to 65C grants you exactly zero performance gain.

 

[rubix_1011]

No, using an air conditioner to cool the inside of a computer is going to cause condensation to build up, leaving you with a broken, warranty voided computer.

No, it isn't. I've actually done this when I deconstructed my 5000 BTU window air conditioner unit before I made it a chilled glycol cooler for brewing fermentation control.

Please do not spread this incorrect information without proof.

 

[hftvhftv]

No, it isn't. I've actually done this when I deconstructed my 5000 BTU window air conditioner unit before I made it a chilled glycol cooler for brewing fermentation control.

Please do not spread this incorrect information without proof.

Really? I thought that having cool air blowing onto warm/hot components would cause condensation to form. Especially if the air inside the PC is lower than ambient due to an AC unit.

 

[TJ Hooker]

No, it isn't. I've actually done this when I deconstructed my 5000 BTU window air conditioner unit before I made it a chilled glycol cooler for brewing fermentation control.

Please do not spread this incorrect information without proof.

Just because it didn't for you doesn't mean it can't. If blowing refrigerated air into the case causes any component or part of the PC to become cooler than the air in the room, and then air from the room comes in and hits that component, it can cause condensation.

 

[rubix_1011]

If blowing refrigerated air into the case causes any component or part of the PC to become cooler than the air in the room, and then air from the room comes in and hits that component, it can cause condensation.

Not necessarily. You still have to calculate the dew point and condensation based on the environment. Just 'being cooler' than the ambient room temperature isn't the entire picture. It also needs to include airflow over the surface as even though condenstation can occur, evaporation likely occurs before liquid collection occurs. Airflow increases this, especially cool, dry air being moved by an air conditioner. Some of the driest places on Earth are often Artic tundra regions - areas where the wind is fierce and temperatures are very low.

Consider a car windshield on a windy winter day. The car inside has the heater on high and people breathing causing a humid-rich environment.

Why does the inside window fog up but not the exterior of the window? Airflow and dewpoint of the relative environments.

 

[USAFRet]

For a couple years, I had a roll around AC unit. (south east Virginia)
Waste air vented directly outside, and cool air blown into the room.

There was usually a puddle on the top, right at the vent blowing into the room. I'd hate for that moisture to be blown into a PC.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Linus has converted a AC unit into a chiller for extreme overclocking, but thats about the only use for it.

It would just waste money and time. It would be extremely loud and cumbersome.

 

[hftvhftv]

Not necessarily. You still have to calculate the dew point and condensation based on the environment. Just 'being cooler' than the ambient room temperature isn't the entire picture. It also needs to include airflow over the surface as even though condenstation can occur, evaporation likely occurs before liquid collection occurs. Airflow increases this, especially cool, dry air being moved by an air conditioner. Some of the driest places on Earth are often Artic tundra regions - areas where the wind is fierce and temperatures are very low.

Consider a car windshield on a windy winter day. The car inside has the heater on high and people breathing causing a humid-rich environment.

Why does the inside window fog up but not the exterior of the window? Airflow and dewpoint of the relative environments.

Air conditioners ideally output air that has 50% humidity, if you live in a climate where it's very dry, the air conditioner is going to cause condensation to build up, because it's filling the air with moisture. While yes it's not guaranteed to happen depending on the room's ambient conditions, it can happen, so that's why I'd say diverting air conditioned air into your PC is a bad idea. Finally, when you turn off the air conditioner after you're done using your PC, the inside of the PC turns into that warm car on the inside, with the rapidly warmed up air surrounded by chilled components, leaving you with a PC that's dripping with moisture, much like a turkey that's been taken out of the freezer.

 

[rubix_1011]

I'm not telling anyone not to do this and simply that I already had done this ONLY because I had an A/C unit on hand before doing the work on it below...I'm telling you what I experienced and that I never once saw any indication of condensation build up. Not only am I the guy saying 'it isn't going to be an issue' I'm the guy that also tested this in my own house. If you've used an air conditioner in your own PC case and experienced something otherwise, by all means, speak up.

The A/C unit is far better at maintaining glycol temps for beer fermentation using a submersible pump, temp controllers, 50 feet of 1/2" copper tubing and some thermal wrap. It should be noted that when chilled glycol (25-30F/ -4 to -1C) you will see condensation on copper tubing, but this chilled coolant is far colder than the air an air conditioner would pump out - liquids do a much better job at absorbing thermal loads.

The temps on the thermal controller shown below are the beer wort temps which is ideal for ale fermentation. There is also another temp controller setup for the cooler glycol to maintain coolant temps within a 2 degree F temp.

If I were to do an extreme watercooled build, this is how I would do it.

I suppose if you setup your PC and A/C unit outside on a humid day and wanted to keep your gaming rig cool in the hot summer sun and muggy atmosphere, I guess there is a possibility that some condensation could occur on surfaces that are able to get cold from the air and not also being heated by the PC being on, but then again, it would likely be warm enough anyway where evaporation would overcome condensation.