Seeking guidance on an unusual homemade watercooling method.
Seeking guidance on an unusual homemade watercooling method.
Hello! Let me explain that it's homemade—not because I don’t have money for a cooler. It’s because the water at my workplace is really cold. Here’s the situation: I work in an area where I can get water from underground during winter. It’s kind of a village, and the water is almost ice-cold. I can barely touch it; after 10 to 20 seconds, my hand gets very red. Once I stop touching it for a minute, I almost get a serious injury. I’m considering using that water to cool the CPU. Some local people have made CPU housings from copper, and I see an image below. The cooling system will be removed from the PC case, so there’s no risk of flooding. Unless the copper housing explodes. What do you think?
It should also be mentioned that the cooling effects of ice cold water and regular water are the same. Ice water would heat up more slowly, yet it wouldn't lower the CPU temperature below room temperature. This is due to the main issue being the transfer of heat from the block to the water, and this thermal coefficient remains unaffected by water temperature. It would only become relevant if the water matched or exceeded the CPU's temperature. Heat flux depends on the temperature difference (dT) between the two sides, so colder water is preferable until it warms up, although it might cause condensation issues.
Peaceduke :
hello there! I want to clarify that this isn't because I don’t have the funds for a cooler—it’s simply because the water at my workplace is extremely cold.
Here’s what I’m dealing with: I work in an area where I can access water from outside, especially during winter. It’s a small village that gets its water from below the ground. The water is almost solid ice; after just 10 to 20 seconds, my hand turns red and gets very sore.
I’m considering using that water to cool the CPU. Some local people have made a CPU housing from copper, and I see an image below. (The cooling system will be removed from the case, so there’s no risk of flooding.) Unless the copper housing breaks down, it shouldn’t explode.
What are your thoughts?
Regular water won’t work here. If you opened your home’s pipe, you’d notice mineral deposits building up on the tiny fins over time, causing blockages quickly.
Distilled water is an option, but even that isn’t ideal because metals will eventually leach into it and cause corrosion when mixed with copper and aluminum alloys. That’s why specialized coolants are typically used—preventing both boiling and freezing, plus stopping corrosion between different metals.
It should also be remembered that the cooling effects of ice cold water and standard water are the same. Ice water would heat more slowly, yet it wouldn’t lower the CPU temperature below room temperature. This is due to the main issue being the transfer of heat from the block to the water, and this thermal rate remains unaffected by water temperature. It would only become relevant if the water matched or exceeded the CPU’s temperature.
Greens replied with a friendly greeting, explaining that the cooler is homemade due to lack of funds, not because he doesn’t have money. He mentions the water at his workplace is very cold, coming from below the ground in a village setting where water is almost ice. He describes how difficult it is to handle the water, often getting injured after just a few seconds. He suggests using local copper for the CPU housing and shares an image of what he plans to do. He also advises against using regular water, pointing out mineral deposits that can clog cooling fins over time. He recommends distilled water or special coolant to prevent corrosion between metals. He asks about the location of minerals—whether they only affect the interior or both inside and outside—and reassures that with proper precautions, the CPU should remain safe for at least a few months.
It should also be mentioned that the cooling effects of ice-cold water and standard water are the same. Ice-cold water would heat up more slowly, but it wouldn’t lower the CPU temperature below room temperature. This is due to the main issue being the transfer of heat from the block to the water, and this thermal factor remains unchanged by water temperature. It would only be relevant if the water matched or exceeded the CPU’s temperature.
That’s intriguing...
I believed ice-cold copper would be more effective than just water temperature. If copper stays cold (and water circulates quickly), it could work faster than typical cooling systems. So you’re suggesting it might not be useful after all?
Why not opt for an air cooler instead? It might be cheaper than what you're currently investing in, and it could offer improved performance.
Why not opt for an Air Cooler? It might be cheaper and provide better performance. I need to push the CPU beyond 5GHZ.
It should also be mentioned that the cooling effects of ice cold water and regular water are the same. Ice water would heat up more slowly, yet it wouldn't lower the CPU temperature below room temperature. This is due to the main issue being the transfer of heat from the block to the water, and this thermal coefficient remains unaffected by water temperature. It would only become relevant if the water matched or exceeded the CPU's temperature. Heat flux depends on the temperature difference (dT) between the two sides, so colder water is preferable until it warms up, although it might cause condensation issues.