TEC/Peltier based chilled water cooling system
TEC/Peltier based chilled water cooling system
Some useful tips are available here. Perhaps I need to upgrade to a 4 peltier system and control all four switches to select which ones are active.
Some useful suggestions here. Perhaps I’ll need to upgrade to a 4 peltier setup and manage all four switches so I can choose which ones are active. It would only require two for any CPU—one running at startup and another adjusted as needed. So why would you need four, especially if you’re also cooling the GPU? If your goal is to run everything on a single loop, that’s not ideal. You’d likely need separate loops for the CPU and GPU, particularly if you plan to overclock the CPU. Unless you’re only using one GPU and one CPU, my experience has been with two GPUs. Two peltiers can handle either an overclocked CPU or two GPUs with full coverage water blocks, but not all at once in the same loop. Running multiple GPUs on a standalone radiator loop would provide more than enough cooling for impressive GPU overclocks at half their original temperatures. I recommend testing before committing fully. Balancing the heat from the peltiers is trial and error, just like overclocking. I wouldn’t suggest using any heat pipe cooler that’s less capable than the Cooler Master Hyper 212+, as that would be the bare minimum. If you go with four units, you’re essentially talking about four heat pipe coolers, four cold plates, four peltiers, four water blocks, two water pumps, and one very powerful single 12V rail power supply—dedicated to running the peltiers. This totals a significant investment. This isn’t a ready-made solution; it demands considerable effort from you. You’ll also need an insulated reservoir for each loop to hold the cold water, or else it won’t work at all. Some have tried without one and given up, so persistence is key if you want success. I’ve shared much in this discussion about peltier cooling, but the Exploring Below Ambient thread addresses some issues that didn’t work out.
Some useful suggestions were shared. Perhaps I’ll have to upgrade to a 4 peltier setup and manage all four switches to select which ones are active. Only two are needed for any CPU—one for startup and another to be controlled as required. This would make sense if you want to cool the GPU as well. Running everything through a single loop isn’t ideal; separate loops for CPU and GPU, especially if overclocking is planned, would be better. Unless you’re using just one GPU and one CPU, my experience has been with two GPUs. Two peltiers can cover either an overclocked CPU or two GPUs fully, but not both in the same loop. Running multiple GPUs on a dedicated radiator loop would provide sufficient cooling for significant overclocks at lower temperatures. I recommend testing before committing fully. Balancing the heat from the peltiers is trial and error, just like overclocking. I wouldn’t suggest using any heat pipe cooler that’s less capable than the Cooler Master Hyper 212+, as that would be the bare minimum. If you go with four coolers, four cold plates, four peltiers, four water blocks, two pumps, and a powerful single 12V rail power supply (dedicated for the peltiers), it will cost a lot and require a lot of effort. This isn’t a ready-made solution—it demands significant work from you. You’ll also need insulated reservoirs for each loop to store cold water; otherwise, performance won’t be optimal. Some builders have tried without them and failed, leading to frustration. I’ve discussed much in this thread about peltier cooling, but some ideas didn’t work. My build will use a 2500k and a GTX 670. I’m considering a res-pump-tec-tec-cpu-tec-tec-gpu-res or two separate loops. It will be heavy, but I have two 1000W single-rail power supplies (83A) that could work, or a Silverstone 1200W 104A one. The latter would handle three Tecs but might push the limit for four. It’s only a few extra dollars over the Xigmatek Gaia, so it makes sense to upgrade. This project will be slow, requiring time to gather parts and test everything. This is currently number three on my to-do list—there’s a long list of items to prepare and assembling a gauge cluster is still in progress.
The rig I plan to construct will use a 2500k and a GTX 670. I’m considering res-pump-tec-tec-cpu-tec-tec-gpu-res or two loops as suggested. It will add weight to the case, but I have two 1000W 83A single rail power supplies that could work, or a Silverstone 1200W 104A supply. The Silverstone can handle three Tecs, though I think it might be pushing it for four. It would only cost a bit more than the Xigmatek Gaia, so I might go with that upgrade.
This will be a slow build, requiring time to gather all components and perform testing. Right now, this is the third item on my task list. I have a parts checklist ready and am working on assembling a gauge cluster as well.
I’d start with the proposed CPU configuration first and proceed with any overclocking plans you have for the CPU. The cooling needs will depend on how much you plan to run it at 24/7.
What are your main goals for the Peltier cooling?
4Ryan6 :
faalin :
The rig I plan to construct will use a 2500k and a GTX 670. I’m considering a res-pump-tec-tec-cpu-tec-tec-gpu-res or two loops as you mentioned. It’ll add weight to the case, but I have two 1000w 83A single rail power supplies that could work, or a Silverstone 1200w 104A one. The Silverstone can handle three TECs, though I doubt it would be ideal for four. It’ll only cost a bit more than the Xigmatek Gaia, so I think it’s worth the upgrade.
This will be a slow build, requiring time to gather parts and complete testing. Right now, this is the third item on my to-do list. I already have a parts checklist ready and am working on assembling a gauge cluster as well.
I’d start with the suggested CPU configuration and proceed with any overclocking plans you have. The cooling needs will depend on whether you choose the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ with push/pull fans and fan controllers.
Falin thinks the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ with push/pull fans and fan controllers matches the performance of a Xigmatek HDT-S1283, which is a heat pipe cooler they are currently using. They're confident it will work well for you.
Hi everyone!
It's been a while since I shared any updates, so I thought it was time to update on my recent gaming stats concerning temperatures and similar things.
Currently, I'm playing Crysis 3 at one level below the full settings using 580GTXs in SLI. The GPUs have radiator cooling, and at a room temperature of 24°C, the highest recorded temp reached 43°C, compared to 80°C in stock air.
From a CPU perspective, I only use the second peltier. When running a 2700K load at 4500MHz, the overclocked temperature was 31°C, with a water temp of 13°C—about 11°C lower than the room temperature.
This configuration is performing well across GPU/RadBox and CPU/TecBox cooling. The GPUs are handling half their original load, and even with one peltier, the CPU stays well below ambient.
I'm still thinking about possible improvements and reducing the cooling system further, but right now it's functioning so effectively I don't want to make any changes just yet.
Hope everyone is doing fine! Ry
I see the thread might have stopped, but I'll add a couple of cents to this. Just to let people know it can be done, my rig. [email protected] turbo, C-Loop water cooling with two Tek P's and no condensation, full tower case, HD-7950 VaporX sapphire. 45c when running the TV tuner, drops to 37c when turned off, average around 24c. Around 31c to 35c ish for gaming. PSU-700w.
Note: Room temperature varies between 68 and about 80 degrees F due to the in-wall gas heater. TEK responds to voltage, I think 12v is too high; 5-9v seems better.
The thread hasn't stopped—just running the setup to test everything. It's great to see someone exploring this cooling option!
In my view, 12v is too high; 5-9v works better. Ideal?
Could you clarify a bit more? If you're okay sharing details, it would help others considering this solution. Some photos of your setup would be appreciated. Also, could you list your Peltier specifications?
What temperatures are the readings from your CPU? What range does your water temperature actually reach?
I've observed that 12v causes the thin wire to overheat, so I should switch to a thicker gauge to manage the power and current from that 12v circuit. Using a resistor in the line has made it safer with 7v instead. The cable I'm using now is a fan power connector for one of the Tek models, and I plan to replace it with another one later.