TEC/Peltier CPU Chilled Water Cooling

[4Ryan6]

I would like everyone to know that I am duplicating this set-up Ryan has because I saw it in action myself last year. It does work and work well I might add.

I will be adding pictures once I have it up and running.

ArthurH, I've been defending this cooling solution for so long it sometimes seems like I'm all alone shouting to the world, even though it's been in operation over 9 months, but you have personally witnessed this cooling in operation, and I appreciate your confirmation!

Thank You! Ry

 

[4Ryan6]

3770K NOT DELIDDED 45c max core temperature at 4.5ghz, with this cooling!



3770K NOT DELIDDED 69c max core temperature at 5.0GHZ, with this cooling!

 

[threefingeredjack]

I do live in the states in South Carolina, the original peltier link did not work, but this one does and that peltier is fine and a good price too.

As to whether the motor voltage controller will work? IDK

I control the cold output with the TRUEs cooling fan, I do not allow my computer to stay on all the time, only when I use it, so it's only drawing power to run the peltier or peltiers when it's running, so I do not need the voltage controller.

For your information gathering, my reservoir is not insulated to the point of long term cold retention, it's insulated for short term cold retention, meaning after it's been turned off for 12 hours the water temperature inside the reservoir is still below, but very close to ambient.

The reason for this is it avoids any cold booting problems and once the machine is powered the water temperature begins to drop, and continues to drop until it reaches and equalization point usually 7c ~ 8c below ambient room temperature.

A traditional radiator loop starts at ambient and increases heat in the above ambient zone until it reaches an equalization point above ambient, whereas mine starts close to the same but goes in the opposite direction to below ambient.

In the beginning I did play with controlling the voltage, but it caused the peltier to stall, getting what you can use from the peltier constantly, will require a constant voltage, at least in the way I am using the peltiers output, keeping it in a range of constant cold output.

I know some of this doesn't make any logical sense, the peltier is what it is, and sometimes reacts peculiarly, but you can milk what you want from it and enjoy the benefits, as long as you discover how to get what you want from it, without it stalling.

Once I discovered it's cold output could be controlled with the cooling fan on the Thermalright TRUE, there was no further reason to experiment with voltage regulation, so if you are going that route, please share what you discover.

And that, is exactly, why I've been asking you all these questions little pearls of knowledge which would have otherwise cost me several hundred pounds when I came to needlessly insulate this mineral oil case, and then several more when I cold started my CPU. I would never have thought about it had you not said.

Still gonna play with controlling the peltier, not that I have the PC on all the time, just because I'd like to have the control over its function. Thinking of marketing these things if it works, so I want to play with the option of an adjustable set-up. Ie, currently I have a processor and single GPU. All in all, thats about 240w dumped into the oil. Add to that the other bits such as RAM, other assorted MOBO chips and general ambient absorbtion through the sides, I've estimated about 300w overall I need to shift out. This is all at max capacity. Say I was to throw another GPU in there. Nobody is going to want a system in which a small change such as an additional GPU leads to a total overhaul of their cooling system. Admittedly, a GPU upgrade carries with it about £150 worth of additional waterblock, but I'd like a system with a little knob on the side, which reads "MAX POWER" or goes from 1-11. At least that way, you can tune the peltier to your system over a couple of days, then leave it at that opperating setting, then, a year or so later when you add a second GPU or overclock something, you can click up a notch and still stay atop the problem.

I'm really tempted to get the 400w monster from that Ebay seller as a result of this thinking.

Cheers though! You've been fantastic, I'm putting it all together and I'll let you know how it goes

 

[4Ryan6]

Great! Looking forward to your results!

 

[thequn]

LOL Ryan Why you scaring everyone away! lol

 

[4Ryan6]

LOL Ryan Why you scaring everyone away! lol

???

 

[toolmaker_03]

hello was reading his threed and thought that i would place my two cents worth noticed that a 400W TEC might be in this build some time in the future. I have been playing around now for some time with the TEC's that i have and have noticed that the 250W TEC produced great results with only the CPU or one video card the 400W got colder but was hard to control I found that 4 100W TEC's gave even better results with two componits connected to the system and it is easy to maintain stable temps. well this is what i noticed maybe you will have better results. good luck

 

[4Ryan6]

hello was reading his threed and thought that i would place my two cents worth noticed that a 400W TEC might be in this build some time in the future. I have been playing around now for some time with the TEC's that i have and have noticed that the 250W TEC produced great results with only the CPU or one video card the 400W got colder but was hard to control I found that 4 100W TEC's gave even better results with two componits connected to the system and it is easy to maintain stable temps. well this is what i noticed maybe you will have better results. good luck

Interesting!

Would you care to elaborate further on your tests including, peltier sizes IE, mm x mm, voltage, amperage, and peltier specs of all the peltiers you've tested?

Would you also elaborate on how you tested 4 100W TECs to arrive at your conclusion?

 

[toolmaker_03]

Ok the TEC's are 254W 18amp 16V 50mm X 50mm, 435W 30amp 16V 50mm X 50mm, 100W 10amp 16V 40mm X 40mm, my set up currently, is much like yours, water blocks on one side and air coolers on the other, i am working on incorperating the EXP little rads to shrink the build, but regardless, there is a few places online that do match these findings as well, I found the info while serching for a way to control the larger TEC, but if you are determined, give it a try, you are a pretty smart guy, you might figure out how to controle that beast.

 

[4Ryan6]

Do you have a purchasing link to that 435w 50 x 50?

 

[toolmaker_03]

got it on ebay about 5 months ago it is not for sale there now. but the company is still there. do you want that?

 

[toolmaker_03]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-462W-15-4V-30A-TEC1-12730-50-50-TEC-Thermoelectric-Cooler-Peltier-/321219920830?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aca3303be#ht_3164wt_1267
here is one that is close
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Awesome-400W-Thermoelectric-Peltier-Cooler-12-VDC-TEC-/310158610445?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4836e4d00d#ht_2177wt_1267
here is one that is a little larger

 

[4Ryan6]

I found a 400w but it was a 62mm x 62mm 24v, not really what I would experiment with.

Now that 2nd link you provided is a possibility!

 

[toolmaker_03]

the top link is a 50mm the bottom is a 50mm as well edit

 

[4Ryan6]

the top link is a 50mm the bottom is a 62mm

Check again, both links are 50mm x 50mm

 

[kauedg]

I received my TECs two days ago. One day ago I fried a lousy PSU while testing. Good, one extra fan, extra wires and connectors! Got -22C tho... Waiting for the appropriate PSU (12V ~ 20A) to arrive now.

What are the peltier specs and size?

Here I am 3 months later. These are my TECs:

1x
15.3V ~ 97W

2x
12V ~ 72W

All are 4cm x 4cm x 0.3cm.

Right now I have a setup running on a Celeron I bought only for testing. I have made a peltier cooler just like the one in your setup, using the 92W piece, just to test how much it can cool the water (no processor in the loop). It's been running for the last 30 minutes and the water reached 22C, with no insulation whatsoever on the system.

It's a weak TEC. I will order one of that you use in your system (http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2408/exp-01/245W_Potted_Peltier.html?id=UoKzGG26) and see how it goes... My peltier PSU broke and I will have to buy another. This 92W runs from the 12V rail from the ATX PSU and it runs good, not warming up the wires. Here are some pics...

 

[kauedg]

Right now I'm looking for "stronger" 40mm x 40mm TECs. This one just won't do it.

 

[4Ryan6]

What you linked is exactly what I am using and is very demanding on your power supply so make sure you get the power to power it from either the 8pin M/B connector or a PCI-E connector as they are 14g output wires, the molex cabling is only 18g wire, and that power draw will destroy them.

 

[kauedg]

What kind of PSU do you suggest to power the peltiers? Do you know another peltier module with higher Qc than this one?

 

[4Ryan6]

What kind of PSU do you suggest to power the peltiers? Do you know another peltier module with higher Qc than this one?

It needs to be a single 12v rail, with the amperage load handling capability only 2/3rds met by the peltiers, and only run the peltiers on the power supply nothing else.

Load example if the power supply can handle a 62a total load, then only run 40a of peltiers, could be 2 20a peltiers.

That way the power supply can cruise under the load never kicking into high cooling mode, if you max the power supplies amperage load you'll shorten it's lifespan and force it to run maxxed out.

Peltiers are a constant load, never forget that!

You need a good quality power supply like PCP&C, Corsair, Silverstone, Seasonic, Enermax, Etc.

 

[toolmaker_03]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermoelectric-Peltier-Refrigeration-Cooling-System-Kit-Cooler-fan-TEC1-12715/181203778003?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D261%26meid%3D2974387984234226327%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D221311210647%26&tfrom=221311210647&tpos=unknow&ttype=price&talgo=origal

Thought that you would be interested in this unit looks like I have seen this some ware before. Maybe you have inspired someone to give it a try.

 

[4Ryan6]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermoelectric-Peltier-Refrigeration-Cooling-System-Kit-Cooler-fan-TEC1-12715/181203778003?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D261%26meid%3D2974387984234226327%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D221311210647%26&tfrom=221311210647&tpos=unknow&ttype=price&talgo=origal

Thought that you would be interested in this unit looks like I have seen this some ware before. Maybe you have inspired someone to give it a try.

Wouldn't surprise me this thread is linked from a lot of other websites, once the true capabilities of this cooling are fully discovered by others, it should catch like wildfire!

 

[toolmaker_03]

I have seen a few of them come and go over the years but your setup seems to be more functional or it works better than the production models I have seen thus far.
I am still working on mine, I have almost finished the radiators they are now configured into a single module or loop. The case loop is as well I have that hardware down to a single loop for everything. The only thing left for me now is to build the TEC module for the rig, and connect it to the system.

 

[kauedg]

Somewhere earlier in this thread I said about an add-on Peltier module for already assembled watercoolers... =)

 

[toolmaker_03]

Really because that is what I am currently making, that way if I need to work on the TEC unit or add upgrades to it I can remove the TEC module and attach the radiator module to the system and keep playing games. I am finishing the radiator module now for the system, just a few more upgrades and it will be done. I will have pics of the system as each module gets compleated.