TEC build log start

[toolmaker_03]

http://imgur.com/cd15M1a
ok so I have finished all my testing and decided on a general build for this unit.
this build will be sealed inside of a chest so I will not have physical access to the computer case, I would like some input on the general idea that I am presenting, I use antifreeze so freezing the coolant is not a issue, and seeing as I am increasing the cooling capacity of my water cooling system, I have also chosen new clocks for my hardware, the CPU clock will run at 5Ghz, and the GPU's will be running at 930Mhz, I have already tested theses clocks and found them to be stable for my hardware.

 

[toolmaker_03]

anyway, this is how I am thinking this might work, when it is completed.
http://imgur.com/aPtEF3I

 

[toolmaker_03]

ok, so for me, I am at the scary part for this build, drilling a hole in the ice chest just big enough for the wire and tubing going through it, I will hope that I have accounted for every thing that I need, before measuring the trunk line size, and getting a hole saw that size to drill the hole.

with this I can dry fit all of the wire, and do the final cuts on all of the soft copper tubing going through the case.

I will then seal the hole and test the ice chest for leaks, if all goes well, I can finish the frame for the reservoirs, and finalize the build inside the ice chest.
after this, I will finish the minor modding left on the PC case for this build, and get the PC hardware installed into it.

then I can start the process of filling the system, drying the inside of the ice chest, and turning the PC on.

 

[toolmaker_03]

http://imgur.com/w0jSJrq

ok so this is the design for the hole that I will cut in the ice chest the center is 1 1/2" diameter with a 5/8" X 2 1/4" rectangle in the center of that for the larger wire extension ends.

 

[toolmaker_03]

the wire and tubing final trunk line
http://imgur.com/a/R8ry9

there are no braded wire going through the ice chest, because that stuff makes it impossible to seal around the wire with it on there.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Can I make a request?
Could we see the first boot of the PC live? Like, via skype or something? Please? Pretty Please?

I know it's a long way off, but I wanted to ask before I forget.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I have never done anything like that, I do have a camera in the ice chest, but I am using it to take screen shots of the inside of the ice chest.
that is about all I know how to do with a PC camera. but I will post pics of my BIOS before start up, the system just after start up into windows and what the inside of the ice chest looks like. the day before that, I will run a dry test through the ice chest, meaning that I will let the TEC's chill the water with no load on the cold side, or even power to the PC, I will allow the water to get as cold as the system can get it, around -25C, to make sure that no condensation forms inside the ice chest. then the next day I will start the system up.

 

[computers_are_freaky]

Cool (pun INTENDED :lol.
I would still like to see it though, if you have a half decent smartphone (anything with a camera and internet basically) you can use skype on that and just set in on a table or something pointed at the pc/desk.

This is actually what I do when I want to chat with my friends ingame, except I use a kindle fire, that way I don't use any of my valuable cpu power.

 

[toolmaker_03]

sealing the ice chest?
will be done in stages the first stage is easy I will pack eraser putty in between all the wires, then I will cover that in clay to make the foundation strong enough to hold the silicon, than I will cover the silicon in flex seal spray on rubber. wait about three days for it all to cure well.

the next section takes a little longer.
I will turn the vacuum pump and adjust my 2 X 1/4 turn valves so that I am holding just a slight vacuum on the chamber with the pump on and I will spray flex seal into the backs of all the connectors that are on the out side of the ice chest.
I will then release the vacuum on the ice chest and let it sit for 3 days again.
I will then try a vacuum test on the chest to see if it will hold a slight vacuum for 3 days. if it does not hold a vacuum I will use smoke to locate with wire connections are causing the issue. I will take the connector apart, solder the wires, and reassemble the connector. I will spray the connector with flex seal and try again to see if it will hold a vacuum.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I just found a great TEC, 12730's 50mm X 50mm, yea, i got them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12730-15-4V-30A-462W-TEC-TEC1-12730-Thermoelectric-Cooler-Peltier-50-50-1pcs-/111805303296?hash=item1a081d8a00:g:4XQAAOxydl5SJIpw#ht_2753wt_1191

well what good do the 12730's do me?
one i could change out the 12726's if there just barely are not enough cooling for my needs.
two if i am way off, and i need a lot more cooling, i was thinking that i could cascade them to drop the cold side temps on the 12726's.
i really do not have any idea about how well a cascade would work, but it would be a option should the situation arise.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I need wire labels. to do this right and not get the wire mixed up, I will need to label all the wire going through the ice chest.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I added a power supply to the build so now I have a power supply for the hot side water pumps and fans. I also now have a power supply for the cold side water pumps and displays.
so a total of 6 different power supplies on this build.

 

[toolmaker_03]

well minus the power usage issue here, this is kind of what I was thinking about the cascade effect of the TEC's would have on my water cooling, the hot side water loop can keep the 3 12726's at 40C on the hot side, if I cascade the 12726's with the 12730's, I think the water loop could hold the hot side of the 12730's with the load from the 12726's at about 60C, with would place the cold side of the 12730's at about 10C, so in theory I might be able to drop the cold side of the 12726's from the -25C that they can reach now, to a -45C after the cascade.

I do not think a cascade would work as well as adding another TEC assembly to the system, but I do not have 6 more CPU water block right now to make that kind of change to the system either.

I would only do this if the water on the system can not stay cool enough.

 

[toolmaker_03]

ok, so I have decided to add a 20 pin USB header extension cable to the build, I am also adding a USB motherboard extension cable.
I would like ideas, to what else I might need to be adding to the wire trunk line that will be going through the ice chest?
http://www.amazon.com/Motherboard-Male-Female-Extension-Cable/dp/B009B7IMOE/ref=sr_1_51?ie=UTF8&qid=1459798852&sr=8-51&keywords=sata+cable+extender

http://www.amazon.com/Dupont-10p-10p-Female-Motherboard-Extension/dp/B013HTWTZY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1459800129&sr=8-10&keywords=usb+motherboard+extension

 

[toolmaker_03]

for me, this is the scary part, once the hole has been drilled, the wire run through it, and the epoxy laid, there is no changing it.
http://imgur.com/a/DABNQ

 

[computers_are_freaky]

If the epoxy damages the foam, how is this for a solution:
Use a small lenght of pvc with an outer diameter the same size as the hole, the seal the rim of that to the chest with silicon sealant. After that, feed all the cables through and then find a way to "stopper" one side and fill it with epoxy. Then seal both ends with more silicon.
Just an idea I'm tossing out there, but I warn you I have no idea as to the physical feasibility of this idea, just a concept.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I would like ideas, to what else I might need to be adding to the wire trunk line that will be going through the ice chest?

I have 8 usb 2.0 extensions
2 usb 3.0 extensions
2 mobo CPU power 8 pin connectors
1 mobo power 24 pin connector
mobo power switch
mobo reset switch
mobo CLR CMOS switch
4 8 pin video power connectors
1 cat6 cable
1 audio cable
4 SATAIII cables
1 20 pin mobo usb 3.0 extension
1 mobo usb 2.0 extension
2 DVI video extensions

 

[computers_are_freaky]

I think that the front audio cable and the power and HDD LEDs are worthy candidates.
Front audio because, if you ever get or need a microphone, you would feel pretty bad if you couldn't use it, and it also allows for two ports (when added to the audio cable you already have, unless that is the front audio, in which case disregard this part) into which you can plug speakers into, so if you ever got a cool set of speaker and then wanted a subwoofer or crossbar or whatever, you could still use it.

LEDs because (mainly the power led, but hdd is not much more effort), and this is personal preferance, I find them very useful to diagnose my pc if it hangs or has other problems. I immagine, that there are of course better ways to do this, but my pc has blackscreened once, but by looking at the leds, I found that it was still on and the hdds where working, so I knew it was my monitor (cable came loose) but otherwise I would have had to shut down and lose my homework. Extensions for these guys are dirt cheap too, I got about 100 for less than a euro.

Again, this is only my personal opinion, and I know that these things seem trivial, but they could be useful in the future.

 

[toolmaker_03]

yes I have the power LED and the HDD led they are part of the power switch and reset switch but I did not list them as I consider the led as part of the switch.

as for a mic, yes, that would be a good added cable to the run, thanks.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I am also adding 2 more 8 pin power cables to the build so that I could add video cards in the future that need three power cables each.

 

[toolmaker_03]

I would like ideas, to what else I might need to be adding to the wire trunk line that will be going through the ice chest?

I have 8 usb 2.0 extensions
2 usb 3.0 extensions
2 mobo CPU power 8 pin connectors
1 mobo power 24 pin connector
mobo power switch
mobo reset switch
mobo CLR CMOS switch
6 8 pin video power connectors
1 cat6 cable
2 audio cable
4 SATAIII cables
1 20 pin mobo usb 3.0 extension
1 mobo usb 2.0 extension
2 DVI video extensions

 

[toolmaker_03]

so I have ordered the rest of the cable extensions needed for this build they will all be here by may 7.
I still have plenty of work to do on this build until then so I will finish the build shortly after all the wire is here.
I hope that I have accounted for everything this time :lol:

 

[toolmaker_03]

ok, so I do have a few other builds not listed because they are standard air cooled desktop computers, I get one about every 4 years to see what a normal computer is like, it's depressing.
there fine if I want to play flash games, or even some older games, but anything new, forget it. there just too slow for me. so I am back to playing PS3 games.
better than nothing I guess. I will get a PS4, when the PS5 comes out, I am not really a fan of consoles. but I do like FF games, a lot. so I will play FF XV.

 

[toolmaker_03]

ok, so how to keep the antifreeze thin while it is cold?

here is what I am doing right now, I have my freezer set to 18F that is -8C, I have 5 bottles of a antifreeze mix in the freezer, one is 70% antifreeze 30% water, one is 70% antifreeze 30% wetter water, one is 70% antifreeze 20% wetter water 10% water, one is 60% antifreeze 30% wetter water 10% water, one is 60% antifreeze 40% wetter water.
it is my hope that I will have one that is still as thin as it would be at room temperature, or at least close to.

I will continue this type of experimentation until I find a mix that works.

 

[toolmaker_03]

ok so antifreeze gets a little thick, but I found this stuff, so I am going to give it a run to see if it works any better, it has a anticongelante.
http://imgur.com/a/xAcRK

 

[computers_are_freaky]

I actually enjoy playing on my PS3 just as much as my PC. I just really like the feeling of sitting back on the sofa, booting up my console and playing an hour of mini-ninjas (it's a cute little third person fighting game for 7+ but the graphics are beautiful imo and I really enjoy the story and fighting mechanics, it's the closest game I have to a platinum trophy). Anyway, keep soldiering on and someday soon (hopefully ) your new mega-PC will be ready for action.