Is this safe?
Is this safe?
Hello, I'm currently assembling my initial gaming PC, which falls within a budget range of $400. It's a G3258 750ti MSI H81M-P33 model.
Anyway, I can't afford a CPU cooler right now, so I was considering a homemade air conditioning solution—a cardboard box filled with frozen bottles, equipped with intake and exhaust holes, and a squirrel cage blower to draw air through the mini tower.
Moisture and dust shouldn't be an issue since I'll cover the intake of both boxes with cloth. My main concern is protecting the motherboard from excessive cold temperatures; I know that overheating can warp it, which happened to my 360, prompting me to take this approach.
It's helping keep the 360 E cool to the touch, especially during winter when it gets very hot. I'm confident it works but, as this is my first PC and I have limited experience, I'm seeking advice.
Thanks for your time.
Air is a poor conductor of heat. That's why heatsinks are necessary. They soak up the heat and distribute it across a larger area, allowing more air to assist in cooling. Without a heatsink, only the tiny surface of the CPU lid would touch the air, requiring extremely cold surrounding air to maintain the temperature. Although I can't give precise figures, it would likely need to be significantly colder than what a regular AC unit provides.
Currently it's around 80 to 100 degrees, but it's not necessary to focus on keeping the CPU cool. Does the method used affect this? Should there be a specific surface temperature that needs to be quickly absorbed by the heat sink and then removed by a fan designed for this purpose? I was planning to use a 360 heat sink with my AC setup, as it is essentially a micro gaming PC. With room temperatures between 90-95, it stays stable without freezing or glitches after about 6 to 8 hours of continuous use (sometimes up to 12 hours). Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.
Hi
The retail CPU includes a heatsink fan that works well unless you're overclocking, but it's not ideal for shipping.
It comes with an Intel guarantee, making it preferable to an OEM model that was moved from a bulk transport tray in poor packaging.
However, it seems the package wasn't handled properly.
The CPU is likely to slow down significantly due to inadequate cooling.
If it fails, no one will replace it if you discover the damage.
Regards
Mike Barnes
Well, if you've already done this, you really messed up.
Major errors, worst to bad:
1 No CPU cooler, the CPU would slow down or shut off. Frozen bottles would start dripping and ruin your PC—no matter how much you think you're safe.
2 Likely bought a very poor PSU.
3 Not the latest (6th) generation.
4 750Ti instead of 950
Air is a poor conductor of heat. That's why heatsinks are necessary. They soak up the heat and distribute it across a larger area, allowing more air to assist in cooling. Without the heatsink, only the tiny surface of the CPU lid would touch the air, requiring extremely cold surrounding air to maintain the temperature. Although I can't give precise figures, it would likely need to be much colder than what a regular AC unit provides.
No, it's not safe. However, I'm confused... as others mentioned, the G3258 includes a heatsink and fan. Shouldn't we just use those instead? They're not the best, but they're significantly better than what you're imagining.