Is more better?

[Cra$h 0veride]

He everyone, I'm new to the peltier idea and wanna give it a go but first, I have a few questions.

1- What wattage of a peltier would I need for my athlon 64 3500+?

2- What difference would it make to have two lesser powerful pelts one on top of the other as opposed to one more powerful pelt?

3- What would be the cheapest power supply solution for my application?

Thanks alot for your time

:toast:
Cra$h

[n00b 0f l337]

3 - Cheapest psu is a good one found cheaply on ebay.

2 - Pelt stacking WORKS, but it is hard to pull off, pulls a lot of energy, and requires a very good watercooling setup. Along with most likely direct die water on the top pelt. If your an experience pelt veteran its a tough job.

1 - What wattage? Hard to say, I dont know AMD's heat very well, but a 320watt would work well, or a 437watt at a lower voltage for around 320watts at a higher effiecny. Finding a block to fit a 62mm peltier though is nearly impossible, and requires a DIY custom job. A 50mm is hard to do, but possible.

[Cra$h 0veride]

One more question, is it necessary to have a plate between TEC and CPU or can the pelt be directly on the cpu?

[Holst]

Try and buy a voltage ajustable PSU if you can.
The amperage and votlage you require depends on the TEC you use.

Pelt stacking DOES NOT work!!!
NOL . you show me a guy with a WORKING* stacked pelt setup on something similar to a A64's wattage and ill eat my hat (its a big wollen one)
You can build a setup with TEC in paralell (next to each other) but you will have to make custom blocks and stuff ... but very effective if you can do it.

226 watt TEC will work well on A64, and you can use commercially avalable blocks.
A 437watt pelt and a winch labs waterblock are very good, but they went out of buisiness. Second hand might be worth looking at.
If you can make a custom waterblock then you have more options, 320 or 437 prefered as NOL says.

You MUST use a coldplate between the CPU and TEC.
Both for heatspreading and TEC clamping force... without one your temps will suck!

I suggest you read ALLOT more about TEC before you buy anything.

* - WORKING - defined as giving better temps with the TEC's stacked than with the smaller one removed.

[n00b 0f l337]

Check my guide on HWA for the concepts. I'm gonna run stack stacking sometime. But I saw one with -40c unloaded -30c loaded..... I dunno were it was...

Was a 600watter freezing over a 320.

[Holst]

If you have the time id love to see the link.

[mdzcpa]

I've never seen stacking work with any real effectiveness either. I'd also like to see the link:)

[Cra$h 0veride]

Another question,

What would the difference be in terms of temps when comparing air vs liquid cooled, if I had a 226 watt pelt on my athlon 64 (heatsink for air would be thermaltake CL-P0024)

http://www.thermaltake.com/coolers/comboCool/cl-p0024tower112/cl-p0024tower112.htm

[n00b 0f l337]

1) flaring hot heatsink
2) number 1 leads to not workage

I gotta find that damn link

[Holst]

Yep, aircooled 226watt TEC = Hot heatsink + unstable CPU + High electricity bill.

As I said before - You need to read some more about TEC.

[Wutske]

I think, in some way it might be possible to stack pelts, but not at such high wattages, because to topmost pelt must have higher capabilities than the one on the cpu (226W on the CPU and something like 500W on the other pelt).
The other problem is that pelts get ineffecient at certain (low and high) temps.

The cheapest PSU solution is to find a PSU for computers that has enough amperes on the 12V rail (226W/12V = 18.8A). Downside is: you need to put some load on the 5V and 3.3V rails to have efficient 12V rails and you can't adjust the voltages.

[n00b 0f l337]

Oh theres ways to mod for all of that. Just gotta know what your doing. Otherwise, the main problem with pelt stacking is something i stress alot. Efficiency. Run a 437watt tec at 320 ish watts ontop of a 320 at 226 or less. ;)

[Bloody_Sorcerer]

I think, in some way it might be possible to stack pelts, but not at such high wattages, because to topmost pelt must have higher capabilities than the one on the cpu (226W on the CPU and something like 500W on the other pelt).
The other problem is that pelts get ineffecient at certain (low and high) temps.

The cheapest PSU solution is to find a PSU for computers that has enough amperes on the 12V rail (226W/12V = 18.8A). Downside is: you need to put some load on the 5V and 3.3V rails to have efficient 12V rails and you can't adjust the voltages.
you need WAY more than 18.8amps for a 226Watt TEC; they cool 226watts, but they draw closer to 300 watts.

[Holst]

Oh theres ways to mod for all of that. Just gotta know what your doing. Otherwise, the main problem with pelt stacking is something i stress alot. Efficiency. Run a 437watt tec at 320 ish watts ontop of a 320 at 226 or less. ;)

I just dont beleive it will work at all.

lets say your cooling a 226watt pelt (300 watt "real" output) with a 600watt (say 850watt output)
That makes 1150watts + 100watts for the CPU.

I CANNOT find the spec for a TEC over 437watts anywhere at all (anybody know of a bigger pelt than this? .. got a link?)
But for arguments sakes lets say its huge - 100mmx100mm

That still requires a waterblock measuring only 100x100 to remove 1kw, possibly 1.25 or more.

I think that in EVERY case a single monster 600watt pelt will give LOWER temps alone than stacking a smaller pelt under it.

I just dont think you will be able to keep the hotside cool enough with watercooling.

TEC manufacturers just dont make stacked pelts over 25-35watts!!
They do this for a reason.
Staking is only goot for when you need a high deltaT with a low heat load.
With PC pelt cooling delta T is NEVER reached, due to our high wattages.. so stacking gains you nothing.

[n00b 0f l337]

Sorta holst. And not a 600 on the 320.
A 437, at 320, on a 320 at 226.

Stacking may not be the best for comps, but it works. And a 600 watter won't do as well as a 600 watter running at a 300 ish in a comp. ;)

[n00b 0f l337]

SORRY FOR DOUBLE POST!
FOUND THE LINK!

Turns out he wasnt planing to cool much, so he used an 80watt and a 226 at full blast, and he was looking at some mean pelt number. And direct die water would probalby help with a bigger heatload.

http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=5789&page=2&pp=25&highlight=peltier+stacking

[Cra$h 0veride]

Is a 226w pelt at 12v enough for my athlon 64 ? Or would I be best to run it at the max of 15.2v ?

[n00b 0f l337]

Once again, better idle temps, worse load temps

[Cra$h 0veride]

So what is the best voltage to run the 226w on my athlon 64 then ? (for best load temps)

[n00b 0f l337]

Get a bigger tec, like a 320 off ebay for $15 and run it at 226.

[Wutske]

Get a bigger tec, like a 320 off ebay for $15 and run it at 226.
Just out of curiosity, why does a 320w tec @ 226 perform better than a 226w@226w ???

[Korpse]

Is more better?
More is ALWAYS better ;)

[n00b 0f l337]

Korpse. Thats not true if you read the threa dbefore posting.

[Premmer]

Just out of curiosity, why does a 320w tec @ 226 perform better than a 226w@226w ???

The ebay 245/320W peltier is rated at a 243.5W of cooling power when operated at its maximum voltage of 15.4 per Thermal Enterprises documentation. I don't know why there is any reference to 320W. If some does, please post a response.

The 226W peltier is rated at 226W of cooling power when operated at its maximum voltage of 15.2.