Thread: Phase change cooling-just for fun

Hey guys. so I've been bored, and I was going to add water cooling to my gaming rig. As I was looking at price and other considerations, I decided a single-stage phase changer would be much more cost effective. My target temperature is -40° Celsius. (yes, negative forty) This will include ovedocking my Q6600 to 4.5 Ghz as well. Cost should stay in the $400 to $500 range. For those unfamiliar with the concept, here's a diagram.


Basically, the compressor (a 1hp for me) forces a gas such as propane, (or R134a in this case) into the condenser, which cools and compresses it to a liquid. The liquid flows down a tiny tube (.03 inches or less in diameter)eventually coming to the evaporator. In the evaporator, the liquid expands quickly into a gas, absorbing heat from the processor to overcome the enthalpy of vaporization. The coolant then flows back into the compressor as a gas.

Anyway, I'll start building two weeks from this Friday (next payday).

This should be interesting to see, you may want to consider wearing a t-shirt should it engulf the room, you wouldn't want to freeze

Best of luck with it though, good to see you back also, i know we didn't talk much, but you will always be the guy who i thought was ranma

My biggest concern is the semi-hazardous gasses I'll have to store. I think I might have to get a permit, but R134a isn't too bad. Oxy/Acetyl torches are worse. If I was building a double cascade, you'd be right to worry.

Originally Posted by Tsen

My biggest concern is the semi-hazardous gasses I'll have to store. I think I might have to get a permit, but R134a isn't too bad. Oxy/Acetyl torches are worse. If I was building a double cascade, you'd be right to worry.

Wow... you're actually gonna have to get a permit for a computer cooler. Damn... lol. Is this a gaming rig, or is it simply computing the meaning of life?

I want to see pictures when you're done... this sounds freaking amazing!

ps. -40 celcius... wow. That's about -52 Fahrenheit for those who aren't very keen on the conversion rates. Dayum...

It's a sort of gaming rig. I mean, it can run Crysis at medium-high settings. But to be honest, I game maybe two hours a week, tops. I used to game more, but I don't have time or desire anymore. So it's mostly to say I can. And, as always, to one up the script-kiddie computer science majors who think they're 1337.

Originally Posted by Tsen

So it's mostly to say I can. And, as always, to one up the script-kiddie computer science majors who think they're 1337.

hahaha... damn. That's funny, and always a good reason.

"Just 'cause I can."

I wanna hear how it turns out.