Using mineral oil for liquid cooling is a viable option.
Using mineral oil for liquid cooling is a viable option.
Any non-conductive fluid turns conductive when it touches metals. It breaks down into ions, forming a water current and thus becoming conductive.
Whether it turns conductive eventually is likely another point of discussion. However, this could stop your motherboard from shorting.
The comments below suggest this could be quite costly, with prices reaching hundreds of dollars per liter. I was thinking about the fluorinert from 3M, but it wasn't named correctly. They mentioned using the whole motherboard in a tank and removing just the hard drive. It sounds like an interesting project for those who can afford it, offering something rare beyond LN2, Dry Ice, or phase change cooling.
Regarding mineral oil submersion, there are limited benefits to consider. This method has been frequently discussed on the forum due to its connection with the Puget systems fish tank project. It is mainly seen as a temporary fix rather than a sustainable cooling option. Additionally, the oil fully penetrates the PCB of components, making them unsellable again. Some reports also mention that it breaks down thermal paste and leads to problems with o-rings and grommets in certain cases.
Instead of using water, would that be feasible? In case of leaks or other issues, I feel secure. People usually place rigs in mineral oil, so would this approach be effective? I don’t see anyone doing it with just water and a killcoil, but others use different liquids.
Of course, many have successfully tried it!
Personally, I consider it more of a novelty or an interesting conversation topic (Is that a computer in your aquarium or are you just happy to see me?). :lol:
However, for raw cooling performance—especially with overclocked parts—it doesn’t perform very well!
Most people taking this route aren’t overclocking, so it’s probably not worth it.
The things you might not realize are:
Hardware warranty cancellation for everything submerged in oil.
The oil can’t stay static; the PC will keep running as the oil gets heated by the motherboard, CPU, GPU, and memory. The oil mass will gradually warm up, so you need a way to cool it down.
Typically, this is done with a radiator and pump to circulate the oil, along with fans in the radiator to use ambient room temperature as the cooling target—no actual oil temperature difference needed.
The oil can seep through the keyboard and mouse wiring due to fiber reinforcement, similar to how kerosene behaves, until it spreads across your entire desktop.
So, are you still interested in this kind of setup?
Remember, doing it correctly means investing in a good water cooling solution—pump, radiator, and fans—without risking the loss of warranty for all submerged parts.
4Ryan6 :
mancream :
Would using mineral oil instead of water be feasible? In case of leaks or issues, would I be safe? I've heard people place rigs in mineral oil so it might work. I don't see many examples, just water with a killcoil and another liquid.
Definitely, it has been done before!
Personally, I think it's more of a fun project or a great topic to discuss. (Is that a computer inside your aquarium or are you just happy to see me?). :lol:
But for cooling performance, especially with overclocked parts, it doesn't seem very effective!
Most people doing this aren't overclocking, so maybe skip that idea.
There are a few things you might not know:
Hardware warranty could be affected if anything is submerged in oil.
The oil needs to stay liquid; it can't be static. The PC will keep running while the oil warms up from the motherboard, CPU, GPU, and memory. You'll need a way to manage the temperature of the oil itself.
Usually, this is handled with a radiator and pump to circulate the oil, plus fans to cool it down. The radiator relies on ambient air temperature, not a significant temperature difference.
The oil can seep through wires like the keyboard and mouse, similar to how kerosene works in a lamp, until it spreads across your whole desk.
So, are you still interested in this kind of system?
Remember, getting it right means you won't need to buy a lot—just a proper pump, radiator, fans, and maybe a little oil management.
Thanks for the great and clear discussions on TEC cooling! I've read all your posts so far.
Now let's move to business.
From what I've gathered from your threads and comments about TEC cooling, you seem to be the expert in this area.
Have anyone managed to cool mineral oil with TECs? Specifically, have you been able to bring the temperature down to 10-15°C?
After deciding to chill my computer a lot, I've been checking forums for the past few days (or maybe not anymore). My initial idea was to build a custom water loop with TECs for extra cooling. But then I hit a wall with condensation since I need temperatures around 10°C or lower.
Then I read somewhere that putting the whole system in mineral oil would make condensation hard, if not impossible. Coincidence? Maybe I just got rid of my last fish and now it's time to try again.
I'm sure my wife might be shocked by the power needs, but I'll take the risk.
I really appreciate any feedback that helps me get started on this project.
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