Peltier?

[PenumbralFigure]

I've been browsing the cooling forum and have heard a bunch of people talking about a "Peltier." I'd like to know what they are, and how they are applied in a computer.

Also, i'd like to know the difference between watercooling and chilled liquid cooling.

Sorry if these are newbish questions, i'm just starting to get into xtreme cooling. :D

Also, sorry if this was posted in the wrong forum.

[Premmer]

I've been browsing the cooling forum and have heard a bunch of people talking about a "Peltier." I'd like to know what they are, and how they are applied in a computer.

Refer to the following links as a starter:

http://xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=38367

http://systemcooling.com/mcw5002-64t-01.html

[n00b 0f l337]

http://www.hardwareasylum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=891

[PenumbralFigure]

Thank you both. Apologies if this has been asked before and you are annoyed by repeat threads.

[n00b 0f l337]

Not a problem. Well constructed questions are always good!

[PenumbralFigure]

Is it possible (or rather, sensible) to mount a peltier on your GPU? I'd assume so, but it won't hurt to ask.

[wittekakker]

U can mount hem everywere if there is space enough to mount. There have been people mounting small TEC's (=peltiers) on their GPU. I think u can ven buy gpu blocks with a TEC right out the box.

[n00b 0f l337]

Its very much possible, you need a coldplate between the gpu and the tec to spread the heat from the GPU. And you need to cool the hotside. With todays GPU's its not possible to air cool the peltier though. Water is the only option.

[PenumbralFigure]

Its very much possible, you need a coldplate between the gpu and the tec to spread the heat from the GPU. And you need to cool the hotside. With todays GPU's its not possible to air cool the peltier though. Water is the only option.

My original plan was to straight watercool, but then i read those links about TECs and am considering changing my plan a little to include a TEC.

[n00b 0f l337]

If you havent watercooled before. Do not jump to tec.

[PenumbralFigure]

If you havent watercooled before. Do not jump to tec.

Reasons being...?

[n00b 0f l337]

Too many people kill hardware doing the jump. Take it from me, its not worth trying. Its like getting ur first computer and then doing liquid nitrogen 3 days later. It doesnt happen with positive results.

[PenumbralFigure]

So, should i try straight water first, then TEC? (After a couple water builds or something)

[n00b 0f l337]

One water build is enough, but be good with cleaning up water spills, know your basics, be able to dismantle a water loop efficiently.

There's some basic skills and ideas to get down before you start playing with thermoelectrics.

[PenumbralFigure]

Could you kindly clue me in to some of these "skills and ideas" that i need to get down before TECs?

[n00b 0f l337]

Just general water cooling stuff. Hard to describe it really, I know plenty who have asked me. And I have told them that. The few that did not take my advice, killed hardware.

[Bloody_Sorcerer]

what you truly need is just the experience of working with the equipment involved; you can have all the theoretical knowledge in the world, but if you forget to plug your pump in or some similar mundane thing like that, you're toast. when you just watercool, potential disasters are less... disasterous.
crawl before you walk. TECs aren't something to :banana::banana::banana::banana: around with; they can burn your house down.

[PenumbralFigure]

Do you think it's useless to set up a watercooling setup in a (basically) back-up style computer? It's hardly used, but rather new.

Even though i think i could set up a WC system fine first try, i don't want to risk my current rig, so i was going to buy a cheap WC kit and put it in an machine that won't be a big deal if it got fried.

[n00b 0f l337]

Dont do acheap wc kit. Do something that all you need to do is upgrade your block to use tec's. That is your goal eventually it seems.

[PenumbralFigure]

D'ya think if i took much care in setting it up, it would be fine to risk putting it in my current rig? I and my father would be quite angry should anything get fried...

[n00b 0f l337]

Thats what I mean about the first thing. If you have any doubt in ur mind, that you can fry a part, then your not ready for tec's. Any time I assemble water cooling I know I will not fry anything. It may leak, but I know I wont fry anything.

[PenumbralFigure]

Interesting and good point. It's just the fact that the money spent on this machine, and it would only take one simple leak on a block to make it all go down the drain.

[n00b 0f l337]

Not true really. Water has gotten all over my parts. I've WASHED my mobo before to get crap off it. ;)

[Gimmpy224]

yea, when i recently built my loop I made it to get the best w/c temps I could get but also able to handle some extreme cooling :-D like chilled liquied or possibly a TEC or two.

[Holst]

Not true really. Water has gotten all over my parts. I've WASHED my mobo before to get crap off it. ;)

I killed a motherboard by getting just a few drips under the chipset BGA package with the system on...

Water is dangerous and you shouldnt take it lightly.

With the right research some people can build a TEC system as thee first watercooled rig.. several guys on here have done so.

That said .. trying it without fully understanding whats involved is a recipe for disaster.

Most watercooled systems can be upgraded to TEC or chiller if you choose the right components.. generaly this will be safer as its not such a steep curve.. but you still need to research or you end up spending double if you have to replace everything to fit TEC.

[n00b 0f l337]

Yeah I'd agree to some of that holst. But really, water is not too bad. If you find it early, or its just lying on a flat spot of your mobo, your fine. Dry it off, rubbing alcohol the area, then hair dryer. I washed my mobo once because i tripped and got anti freeze all over it. Washed it off, alcoholed-it, and hair drier it. Was back running in 2 hours.

[PenumbralFigure]

BTW, what's the difference between water cooled and chilled liquid? I'd assume that chilled liquid is WC'ing just with a cooling element.

@Holst: Trust me, i'd do every ounce of research i could before setting up a watercooling or TEC rig. Though, i think i'm ready with the knowledge i have to setup a WC rig, extra research couldn't possibly hurt.

@NoL: :D Nice story! Glad to hear you didn't damage the board. :banana:

[Bloody_Sorcerer]

i had a puddle of water on my 6800 for several days from a leaky barb on my storm. i just wiped it off with a kleenex while the system was running and stuffed 2 more kleenex in to catch future drips. its all still happy.
I dumped a can of root beer on a thunderbird rig a while ago while running; it just kept going.
I had a can of mountain dew dumped through my top exhaust fan (while my machine was on) and had mountain dew sprayed EVERYWHERE (including inside my psu). wiped up that which i found and turned it back on.
It's all a matter of luck with spills; some stuff doesn't care, some stuff gets ticked off really really easily.

[PenumbralFigure]

Sad news: My father says he doesn't want me watercooling my rig because "it's unnecessary." Yeah, so is his purchase of an $18,000 airplane.

[n00b 0f l337]

Bah. My folks were like that too. Is it your money you'd be spending?

[PenumbralFigure]

It would be, though, i don't much money as of yet. I was going to job-hunt and then after i get enough money i'd get the WC setup goin'. The only thing is, it's my father's money i'd be wasting should anything get fried. Even though, it's currently still under warranty, i don't know if it covers water damage.

[PenumbralFigure]

And what a spot of luck this is!

My father just informed me that he has put his name up to receive three computers.

Specs include (Though, as of yet, not 100% sure what parts):
Dual-core CPU 2GHz/1.7GHz
ATI 128 MB GPU
2 GB RAM
80 GB HDD
24" Monitor

He also told me that should we get one or three (depends on how many GM decides to give to him), i can do WHATEVER i want to one. He specifically stated i can watercool one! :D

Though, under one condition. Should we get three, i can use one to WC, but i must sell both the others to fund the system.

[n00b 0f l337]

Hahahaha....
Good job! Now get selling.

[PenumbralFigure]

Hahaha! Only time will tell when/if we get these computers. I just cannot wait to find out!

[wittekakker]

Why not buy phase change then. That must be possible when u sell 2 pc's.

[PenumbralFigure]

I would, but i'm not ready for THAT leap yet.

I haven't even done a watercooling system! :P

[Gimmpy224]

psh id go phase change lol

just need to make sure u know what your doing


and how the hell are you getting 3 comps free?

[PenumbralFigure]

I didn't say they were free, i just didn't want to disclose the price.

Let's just say it's one HELL of a deal.