thinking of adding a peltier to cool my cpu

[shaolin_thumbs]

Have watched a couple of videos on you tube about using a peltier too cool my CPU. It seems fairly straightforward but I don't understand why you need a coolant loop for the cold side of the peltier. Could someone please help. Thanks in advance.

 

[4745454b]

TECs aren't something I would call straightforward. Because they involved a phase change you need to insulate the socket. To me this is the big reason why I don't run one. There are some people now who use a TEC to cool a water loop so perhaps that's what you are seeing.

TECs work by applying a charge across a special plate. One side gets really cold and the other really hot. The cool side normally cools the CPU though as I said it can cool a water loop. While the hot side still needs a heatsink and fan so it doesn't get too hot and burn up.

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

TECs aren't something I would call straightforward. Because they involved a phase change you need to insulate the socket. To me this is the big reason why I don't run one. There are some people now who use a TEC to cool a water loop so perhaps that's what you are seeing.

TECs work by applying a charge across a special plate. One side gets really cold and the other really hot. The cool side normally cools the CPU though as I said it can cool a water loop. While the hot side still needs a heatsink and fan so it doesn't get too hot and burn up.

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

yes thankyou 4745454b ,this is my intention and you have answered my question exactly as I wanted so thanks again. One other question though is would I be able to put a CPU cooler/fan on top of the cooler block on the hot side?(thus blowing /cooling the mobo?

 

[4745454b]

Correct. The hot side of the TEC should be the same size as the CPU, so most CPU coolers can be strapped to the hot side of the TEC to provide cooling. This can get tricky if you are using it to cool a loop because now the TEC isn't always on the CPU, but can be anywhere in the loop. But yes, you can strap a CPU cooler to the hot side. Ryan46 pointed out in his testing that you don't want to cool the hot side too well. The TEC works be having a hot and cold side. If you cool the hot side too much with a top of the line air cooler then the cold side won't get as cold. So I'd start with a stock type of cooler and go from there.

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

Correct. The hot side of the TEC should be the same size as the CPU, so most CPU coolers can be strapped to the hot side of the TEC to provide cooling. This can get tricky if you are using it to cool a loop because now the TEC isn't always on the CPU, but can be anywhere in the loop. But yes, you can strap a CPU cooler to the hot side. Ryan46 pointed out in his testing that you don't want to cool the hot side too well. The TEC works be having a hot and cold side. If you cool the hot side too much with a top of the line air cooler then the cold side won't get as cold. So I'd start with a stock type of cooler and go from there.

thanks again I was going to buy another liquid cooling loop for the hot side but if a cpu fan/heatsynch will do all the better 8) PS Why cant you put the cold side of the peltier straight onto the cpu?

 

[4745454b]

You can. In the olden days you used to. But as I said in my first point a TEC is a phase change cooler, so you have to insulate the CPU socket against moisture. If you don't the cold side will get so cold it will create frost and the moisture will kill your CPU/motherboard. If you have the TEC outside the case cooling a water loop you don't have to worry about this as much. But when you used a TEC 20 years ago you would mount the TEC right to the CPU and strap a CPU sink and fan to the hot side. Assuming you put enough grease on the board you were good. If you didn't, uh oh.

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

You can. In the olden days you used to. But as I said in my first point a TEC is a phase change cooler, so you have to insulate the CPU socket against moisture. If you don't the cold side will get so cold it will create frost and the moisture will kill your CPU/motherboard. If you have the TEC outside the case cooling a water loop you don't have to worry about this as much. But when you used a TEC 20 years ago you would mount the TEC right to the CPU and strap a CPU sink and fan to the hot side. Assuming you put enough grease on the board you were good. If you didn't, uh oh.

MANY MANY THANKS AGAIN YOUR ADVICE IS INVALUBLE.. If I was to put the peltier outside my case cooling the loop ,how would I do this?Im guessing the peltier isn't waterproof ... was going to buy L.E.T and kneadable eraser to insulate mobo but I guess this would be necessary if peltier is outside case

 

[4745454b]

If you are using a TEC to cool a water loop then no, you don't have to insulate the board. Not normally anyways. You will need to find out what your dew point is and make sure you stay above that. You can also put a loop in your tubing so any condensation flows to the bottom of the loop, but you'll need to come up with a way to handle it there. I haven't looked at TECs in awhile so I'm not sure how it works anymore. Easiest is probably to find a CPU block and still mount it in the case as normal.

I thought you watched videos that explained all this?

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

If you are using a TEC to cool a water loop then no, you don't have to insulate the board. Not normally anyways. You will need to find out what your dew point is and make sure you stay above that. You can also put a loop in your tubing so any condensation flows to the bottom of the loop, but you'll need to come up with a way to handle it there. I haven't looked at TECs in awhile so I'm not sure how it works anymore. Easiest is probably to find a CPU block and still mount it in the case as normal.

I thought you watched videos that explained all this?

yea video explained inside fitting other video 'mentions' external fitting but not how
Think i'll fit onto CPU thanks again for yor help

 

[4745454b]

Good luck. Insulating the socket always scared the crap out of me. One reason why I never tried it. Sounds like you do know this, so I hope it turns out well.

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

Good luck. Insulating the socket always scared the crap out of me. One reason why I never tried it. Sounds like you do know this, so I hope it turns out well.

 

[shaolin_thumbs]

Thanks man , I'm hoping it'll work out as well as I hope to ,will post results !