# Exhausting PC heat to outside



## superchad

well its summer and running my computer setup is heating up my room, i can make it bearable during the day with fans pointed at me, but at night it takes time to cool down making sleeping a pain at first

anyways i am wanting to exahust the heat from my computer (FX-8350, GTX 570, Corsair AX850 (soon to be 2 GTX 570s)

thats at 100% load on the power supply about 960 watts potential heat (power supply is 87% efficent at that level, thus, 13% lost as heat, therefore 110 watts from the power supply, of course i want this setup to be good for max potential and not just typical to make room for upgrades to my computer that dont overload the system

anyways the system will consist of 6x 3-inch diameter flexible ducts and 9 140mm Silverstone FHP-141, some of the fans might even be hooked into the computers power supply and PWM control on the computer, to control the fans based on system load and thus manage noise

the system will have 2 "exchange boxes" the 1st box is where the air from the computer goes, the small ducts connect the box to the computer, with fans in the box to pull air into the box. then fans in the box push that air into the 6 ducts

the 2nd will take all the air from the ducts and exahust it out the window

the second box will have a way to shut off the exahust system (block it off for storms, during the night when not in use, and during the winter) and i plan to have an opening in the box to open it up if it gets cold in my room (mostly for winter)

i have put together a basic diagram of the system as well as some sketches made in paint of how the 2nd box will work and the layout of the ducts

shown below is my basic sketch, its a bit large, drawings are not to scale

top left is the block diagram, below that and on the left is an illistrustration of the front of my desk next to my wlal, the orange circles are the ducts and how they will fit on the desk, all the ducts will connect to the side of the 2nd box.

to the right of that is a top down view of the system showing approx locations and the approx distance to the window for the heat to travel

to the right of that are 2 different designs for the 2nd box

on the left is the smaller version, more basic, has the right amount of area for the air to flow correctly (i think around 37 square inches, 30 from the angled section, the other 7 are hooked into the side and make a 90 degree angle to the exahust fans).

to the right is the large box version, designed for more potential air (i plan to pull my monitors heat with 4 ducts in the future) but im wondering if the smaller one may work better

both boxes must have an angled piece due to an air register on the floor, prefered to have a spot to hook in 4 new 3 inch ducts in the future (to the right of the desk leg)

unless there is a better material, the boxes will be mostly or completely made of cardboard, perhaps i could use a plastic tube for the 1st one, but the second will highly likely have to be cardboard



please leave any comments, suggestions, and questions for clarification about this, i have tried to explain it the most i could, but its not always easy telling others what you want.


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## billbartuska

Good idea, bad execution.

Issues:
Bugs/rodents - you'll need a screen
You're connecting your house to the outside. The house likely will have either positive pressure or negative pressure from the furnace/AC. Since furnace blowers are much more powerful than computer fans, the furnace will overpower them and move the air whichever way it wants to.
You need to make a "loop". Fans to intake the same amount of air you're trying to remove. Then the furnace won't matter.
A 110V blower would be much much more effective.
Sheet metal ducting is cheep and easy to configure and assemble, pre-made straight runs and ells. You could attach the pieces with duct tape and disassemble then for winter storage.


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## superchad

well I will be using my existing screen in my window, so bugs and rodents shouldn't be an issue.

positive and negative pressure? please explain more about this, there is no vent connected to the system, and the only one that is near it is an output vent. how loud and how many amps does that blower use? the goal is to make it not use tons of power, the air isn't run much during the summer. this is in the second story of a 2 story house with Central Air, and the air is not running a ton, the only thermostat is downstairs so my room is the hottest in the house. also the design of it is to make at least 1 of the fans controlled by the CPU optional fan, so it runs at the same RPM and thus the same airflow. might do it with other fans, plugging them into a chassis fan connector.

all the fans are planned to be Silverstone FHP-141s, 42.8 to 171cfm and 0.23mm to 3.7mm static pressure, from 500 to 2000rpm they will likely be run from 1200 to 1500rpm

for convince (since getting under my desk to disconnect/reconnect is a pain) the system will be semi-permanent. i could block off the window and have a flap that i could open to let the air go into the room in the winter if needed to heat the room up, or leave it exhausting to keep my computer cooler in the winter since i sleep better in a cold room anyways. i also could restrict the amount of air going out in the winter so some air goes out and some goes into the room, i think the amount of cold air entering would be minimal if designed well.


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## billbartuska

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> positive and negative pressure? please explain more about this, there is no vent connected to the system, and the only one that is near it is an output vent.


A house is a "sealed box" when the windows are closed and the heat / AC is on.
The only inlets / outlets to the house are:
Combustion air for the furnace (in and out).
Fresh air for the house (inlet)
Hot water heater (outlet).

HVAC systems are designed to maintain a slight positive pressure on a house. They do this by in taking a slight amount of fresh air at the furnace. By adding a significant amount of additional exhaust from your computer you likely will "unballance" the air flow into and out of the house.


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## nleksan

Have you ever had an external door go "WHAAM!" and slam shut with WAY more force than you were using to shut it? Or, a door thatis ssuddenly very difficult to pull open? or even an interior door that slams itself shut, suddenly and when no one is nearby?
Those are all examples of how the internal and external air pressure can differ, regarding a house.

My recommendation, having done something similar, is to NOT overconplicate the whole thing. All you really need is a single duct, something to move the air, and attachments on either end.

What worked best for me was a very simple setup consisting of:
- Aluminum ducting
- R12 rated Duct Insulation
- MDF Board for the window mount
- Inline Duct Fan 8/10/12" (Can move hundreds and even thousands of CFM)
- Weatherstripping

You can use an inexpensive solar panel kit to power the Duct fan, which I mounted on the exterior side of the MDF window mount. I ran the wire between the Duct and the insulation, making it hidden.
The Duct fan I used (now is in one of my central air ducts) had a switch that would reverse the direction of airflow. In summer, it would exhaust, but in winter it would intake.

Total cost is not bad, and the solar panel means zero running costs.


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## superchad

billbartuska:

the return air in my room is on the ceiling, also is there a way to prevent that and have it not unbalance the air? i am assuming there are some leaks in my house anyways, what would the effect on the inside temp and the system be with the exhaust system?

is there a different way to hook up the system, maybe have it exhaust into the heat/AC system so the air stays in the house?

nleksan:

yes i have had my room door shut harder than i closed it when my window has been opened, i would think that implies opening the window increases pressure in my room? and true

its not over complicated, a single duct is not possible, it would take up way too much space under my desk and would be right where my legs are, the other ducts fit to the left of the left leg of the desk and dont interfere with my legs, hence the need for 6 three inch ducts and the 2nd transfer box, the first box connects the various vents of the computer to the 6 ducts. its desgined to match the approximate area of the fans that will pull air from the computer and make sure air flows (2x 140mm fans) and to not make it too restrictive, i dont want to restrict air from the computer CPU fan (140mm, PSU, and 2 GPUs) resulting in build up of pressure and the computer running hotter.

yeah but how much power do the duct fans use? and how loud are they, the goal is to make it not too loud and not use tons of power thus increasing the electricity bill. how much is the solar panel, and it would have to either put electricity into the grid or charge batteries because it would not be used at night.

, again the computer is almost 1000 watts, and i want the capability of 1650 watts for future PC upgrades (corsair AX1500i), with monitor cooling added about 2000 watts of heat should be removable so i can keep everything cool.


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## billbartuska

[quote name="superchad" url="/t/1491826/exhausting-pc-heat-to-outside/0_50#post_22326693"the return air in my room is on the ceiling, also is there a way to prevent that and have it not unbalance the air? i am assuming there are some leaks in my house anyways, what would the effect on the inside temp and the system be with the exhaust system?

is there a different way to hook up the system, maybe have it exhaust into the heat/AC system so the air stays in the house?[/quote]

No, you'd have to close off both the supply and return outlets. But then the room would be under negwative pressure and you'd have to supply some makeup air fron the outside. Fine when the Heat / AC is off, but with either on, you'd get none.

You could vent to the return outlet.


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## superchad

what would happen if you closed off the return outlet but not the supply outlet and closed the door?


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## billbartuska

Since the house probably has negative pressure, your exhaust would be working against that. Have a look at the size of the blower in your furnace. Think your 140mm fans can overpower that?

And when the heat / AC was on you'd just be sucking it out of the supply and exhausting it outside. A window AC would be cheaper to run than that!


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## mtcn77

Vacuum cleaners are typically in the range of 1400 watts of power, typical washing machines spin at 2200 watts. I am left wondering what you are using the pc for.


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## superchad

billbartuska:

well they can run at 171cfm and 3.7mm static pressure they are THICK fans, the goal is to have it mostly sealed so the only openings are in the computer itself. air from the computer is ducted to the window, the air input is not connected to the system or computer, it just puts air into the room so it would not be just exhausted, since the exhaust system would simply blow out the hot air that warms the room up, removing heat from the room that is currently there

how would they overpower the fans? there nowhere near the fans.

well hot air is being put into the room heating it up, would be better to exhaust it outside and not heat the room up.

mtcn77:

1400 watts is not unheard of for a PC, my PC has potential heat of 960 watts (if i max out the power supply and factor in power supply inefficiency), but probably closer to 500 to 550 watts right now and maybe like 700 to 800 watts after i add my second GTX 570, not factoring in heat from the power supply. i plan to upgrade down the road to higher end, and if i max out the power supply i want (recently released Corsair AX1500i) that would be 1650 watts of heat, rounded to 1700 watt., i am using it for gaming, as many do, as well as general internet browsing during the day, the monitors also use up a fair amount of heat.


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## mtcn77

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> billbartuska:
> 
> well they can run at 171cfm and 3.7mm static pressure they are THICK fans, the goal is to have it mostly sealed so the only openings are in the computer itself. air from the computer is ducted to the window, the air input is not connected to the system or computer, it just puts air into the room so it would not be just exhausted, since the exhaust system would simply blow out the hot air that warms the room up, removing heat from the room that is currently there
> 
> how would they overpower the fans? there nowhere near the fans.
> 
> well hot air is being put into the room heating it up, would be better to exhaust it outside and not heat the room up.
> 
> mtcn77:
> 
> 1400 watts is not unheard of for a PC, my PC has potential heat of 960 watts (if i max out the power supply and factor in power supply inefficiency), but probably closer to 500 to 550 watts right now and maybe like 700 to 800 watts after i add my second GTX 570, not factoring in heat from the power supply. i plan to upgrade down the road to higher end, and if i max out the power supply i want (recently released Corsair AX1500i) that would be 1650 watts of heat, rounded to 1700 watt., i am using it for gaming, as many do, as well as general internet browsing during the day, the monitors also use up a fair amount of heat.


Well, you are not just using the pc for browsing and gaming, you are using it for heating and at times inconvenient to you. For reference, a horse typically has 1 horse power and that makes 750 watts.








My Nexus 7 can browse the internet, play videos on its 16 wh battery for 8 hours. That makes 2 watts per hour. Now, don't get the idea that I haven't used any inefficient hardware, but those days have long been past from HD5770 then on.
How about you get a 750Ti, or two and call it even than not and be suffering 3rd degree heat stroke.








Gtx 570 is great and all; however you aren't using it for anything in particular such as gpgpu, just for casual surfing. Remember the rule:
Energy can neither be created, nor destroyed, so don't use inefficient hardware and dump heat all over your system.
The psu cannot help you, if you demand more of it. Seasonic remarks that the difference between operating at 40 and 50 celcius for their psus is 20 percent loss at ac:dc conversion. I hope I rephrased that right.
And I think you are designing the aerodynamic factor wrong. Heated air expands and has lower pressure, so pulls the cool air from the window to the pc due to pressure shift. What you should do is tape all entrances that are not cooled actively and have more fans directed into than outside the case - best case example is the Silverstone Raven that lets air rise from bottom up without any side vents.


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## superchad

well the goal of the PC is not for heating, for gaming AND general use including browsing, i might use it for video rendering some day, no sense in having a separate computer for browsing and general use, wastes space and creates a hassle switching between computers and moving files around, i just use my main computer for everything, also i want to reduce heat not downgrade my computer.

thats nice about your tablet, no idea why you are telling me about it, i dont see me buying a tablet anytime soon, even if it makes my room 30 degrees cooler, there too limited in what they can do, touchscreen keyboards SUCK, and tablet screens are TINY. i want to use my two 21" monitors and a keyboard and mouse, i have a QWERTY keyboard phone because i HATE touchscreen keyboards.

not getting a GTX 750TI for a few reasons
1. MONEY, that would cost $300 ($150 each)
2. only 1 RAMDAC, and i have 2 VGA only monitors (and no im not buying new monitors, dont even suggest it), thus requiring 2 Geforce 6xx series or Geforce 7xx series cards just to run my dual monitor setup (and NO, active adapters wont work, they dont support my resolution), also two GTX 760s would use less power than two GTX 570s, but that would be $600
3. no SLI for GTX 750Ti so two of them is out of the question anyways
4. INFERIOR performance for games, especially over 2 GTX 570s

you say im not using it for anything in particular? games is particular, i am NOT just casual surfing, again like i said i am not downgrading my computer and reducing game performance.

[email protected] on high settings can be pretty demanding, especially if you try to do 3840x1440, which is my total resolution. if i can reduce the heat (and after i get my second GTX 570) i might set up all 3 monitors and run at 5760x1440 (same amount of pixels as 3840x2160, aka 4K) though if i upgraded graphics cards then that would require 3 new graphics cards, 3 GTX 760s, or a $900 cost, and at that point the only benefit would be increase performance as it would use more power and generate more heat than 2 GTX 570s

again i am not using 2 different computers, what i have is here so why not use it.
Quote:


> The psu cannot help you if you demand more of it


not sure what you mean here


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## mtcn77

Quote:


> The psu cannot help you if you demand more of it


Temperature goes up, conversion efficiency goes down. Just like a heart attack, first the sweats then KO. The solution that I know of, is not to pass the threshold in the first place. I remember using my hd4890, after a period of time in game until vrm's gained enough heat, they would spontaneously feedback onto their conversion efficiency and heat up some more. The card would go even louder the more you noticed it.
Anyway, I see you are captivated by your problems. There is no other way, until you realise there really isn't another way. If you have already begun selecting fans to revert the performance, I can tell you that tertiary solution will make it worse. If you speed up the air inside the case, that is the same as heating it up: both dilute the air, so won't make good convection, also pc will collect more dust due to the vacuum effect and the convection surfaces will build up grime.
You should reconsider your perspective, heat can't be overlooked. Gtx 570's aren't of the the best of build quality in terms of heat. Nvidia has gone public about their products not being "value" oriented as much as "performance". Your situation goes into that category, I'm afraid.
Power density is a very predominant dilemma in current computer performance, unfortunately. Somehow, somewhere a component will heat up and waste resources. You should reduce the voltage and keep positive air pressure inside the case.


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## billbartuska

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> billbartuska:
> well they can run at 171cfm and 3.7mm static pressure they are THICK fans,...A typical furnace blower is 500-2000CFM at 10-20 mm pressure.
> 
> the goal is to have it mostly sealed so the only openings are in the computer itself. *air from the computer is ducted to the window*, the air input is not connected to the system or computer, it just puts air into the room so it would not be just exhausted, since the exhaust system *would simply blow out the hot air that warms the room up,* removing heat from the room that is currently there
> 
> And when you exhaust this hot air, where is the air that replaces it going to come from?


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## ladcrooks

mistake


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## ladcrooks

*nleksan*

*Have you ever had an external door go "WHAAM!" and slam shut with WAY more force than you were using to shut it? Or, a door thatis ssuddenly very difficult to pull open? or even an interior door that slams itself shut, suddenly and when no one is nearby?*

Its a poltergeist


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## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> billbartuska:
> 
> the return air in my room is on the ceiling, also is there a way to prevent that and have it not unbalance the air? i am assuming there are some leaks in my house anyways, what would the effect on the inside temp and the system be with the exhaust system?
> 
> is there a different way to hook up the system, maybe have it exhaust into the heat/AC system so the air stays in the house?
> 
> nleksan:
> 
> yes i have had my room door shut harder than i closed it when my window has been opened, i would think that implies opening the window increases pressure in my room? and true
> 
> its not over complicated, a single duct is not possible, it would take up way too much space under my desk and would be right where my legs are, the other ducts fit to the left of the left leg of the desk and dont interfere with my legs, hence the need for 6 three inch ducts and the 2nd transfer box, the first box connects the various vents of the computer to the 6 ducts. its desgined to match the approximate area of the fans that will pull air from the computer and make sure air flows (2x 140mm fans) and to not make it too restrictive, i dont want to restrict air from the computer CPU fan (140mm, PSU, and 2 GPUs) resulting in build up of pressure and the computer running hotter.
> 
> yeah but how much power do the duct fans use? and how loud are they, the goal is to make it not too loud and not use tons of power thus increasing the electricity bill. how much is the solar panel, and it would have to either put electricity into the grid or charge batteries because it would not be used at night.
> 
> , again the computer is almost 1000 watts, and i want the capability of 1650 watts for future PC upgrades (corsair AX1500i), with monitor cooling added about 2000 watts of heat should be removable so i can keep everything cool.


Both these gentlemen are correct.

Here are the logistical issues you face:

Problem: Computer is heating up room.

Solution 1: produce less heat by running at lower power. As you say, this is not an option.
Solution 2: exhaust heat to the rest of the house/building. This would be ideal, frankly, as it would not change the house air balance and would remove the heat from your room. If your room has a supply vent and return vent, ducting the PC so that it blows right at the return vent would work IF the HVAC is actually running. If the return vent is just a "pass through" grate in the wall to the hall outside, blowing the hat air into it might still help. Basically you are spreading the heat to the rest of the building.

Problem:: if return vent is a duct back to HVAC then you get no help if HVAC isn't running.

Solution 1: vent to a hallway some other way. Cam you make a small vent through the wall?
Solution 2: vent to outside as you suggested. This is full of problems. If you try to just vent, you will just cause hot outside air infiltration into the building somewhere else OR the duct will back flow hot air into your case. Adding an air supply line from outside would probably make it worse in the summer, because you would be using hot outside air to try to cool your computer (doesn't work well)

The most efficient solution IF outside temps are cooler than CPU temps, would be to install a water loop with radiator/fans outside. It sounds nuts, but it would remove the air flow concern and would transfer the heat directly outside similar to how an HVAC does it (but without the. Compressor/phase change)


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## billbartuska

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jhereg10*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> The most efficient solution IF outside temps are cooler than CPU temps, would be to install a water loop with radiator/fans outside. It sounds nuts, but it would remove the air flow concern and would transfer the heat directly outside similar to how an HVAC does it (but without the. Compressor/phase change)
> 
> 
> 
> No, No, A ground loop water cooling system.
Click to expand...


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## ladcrooks

the cheapest way would be to have a big external fan blowing from a distance aiming air out the window . You don't have to have it running high but enough to cause a draft, had to do that myself one summer when it was so hot


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## Maximus Thalos

After 5-6 grueling hours of working on my vent this is the what I came up with and it works great. The water chiller underneath was crapping out more BTUs than my 5050 walmart air conditioner was able to handle. A redundant battle of airflow. Not bad for dryer ducting, zipties, cardboard, and whatever that metal tape is. 8 fans in total not counting the fan in the chiller that was blasting heat into the room. The 4th duct isn't attached yet because I ran out of fan grills







In the winter I'll make a little stand to blast my chair with hot air and the single one will go under the desk to keep my hands toasty







When you build for seasons remember temps go both ways.










Do you guys now how much of a pain in the ass it is to cut out holes in 6 layers of cardboard with nothing but a dremel and a tiny box cutter?!


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## s74r1

funny i found this post as i was about to post my solution.

$8 in tubing and duct tape from home depot, and some free cardboard boxes i cut up. I need to add another tube to the top though since it's a bit of a bottleneck but it's working okay so far. I wrapped the tubing with some towels to insulate it too. temps get hot but nothing sturdy components can't handle.


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## Cyro999

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *s74r1*
> 
> funny i found this post as i was about to post my solution.
> 
> $8 in tubing and duct tape from home depot, and some free cardboard boxes i cut up. I need to add another tube to the top though since it's a bit of a bottleneck but it's working okay so far. I wrapped the tubing with some towels to insulate it too.


Haha man good job









I gotta say though, you're venting all of your GPU heat directly through your CPU radiator. All of the case heat, actually - that's gotta impact your temps. Wouldn't surprise me if it's as much as 5-10c worse than if you were intaking room temperature air instead of case air through it, at combined CPU + GPU load.


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## s74r1

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Cyro999*
> 
> Haha man good job
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I gotta say though, you're venting all of your GPU heat directly through your CPU radiator. All of the case heat, actually - that's gotta impact your temps. Wouldn't surprise me if it's as much as 5-10c worse than if you were intaking room temperature air instead of case air through it, at combined CPU + GPU load.


Thanks, and yeah definitely lots of heat through top radiator but my 240mm rad is pretty badass, i doubt my CPU temps will go above 75c core temp in normal gaming (MAYBE 80, which is about the max safe limit) which is okay with me. GPU temps are starting to worry me a bit though, 88c... clearly not enough airflow going out, so I need another exhaust tube or lower the power level on my GPU's. Edit: or crank up the exhaust fans to annoying levels to force more air out. CPU Liquid temps were already going upwards of 52c with CPU at 75c'ish core and not even under 100% load (light/medium gaming).


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## Cyro999

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *s74r1*
> 
> Thanks, and yeah definitely lots of heat through top radiator but my 240mm rad is pretty badass, i doubt my CPU temps will go above 75c core temp in normal gaming which is okay with me. GPU temps are starting to worry me a bit though, 88c... clearly not enough airflow going out, so I need another exhaust tube.


I would recommend that exhaust tube to be from the "back" box, before the air can be stolen away by the fan back into the case. Good luck









70-80 on a 2500k at 4.5ghz would worry me just because it seems suboptimal. Not sure what voltages you are using, but here's 4770k (ht off) @1.3v after like 20 minutes combined cpu+gpu load on air:



This is not delidded, and i can improve it some with my new fans and airflow setup as well as push harder on OC (to [email protected]?) and i'd expect better from a 2500k on a kraken x60 - just triple check that you're not gaining like 10-20c+ for some avoidable reason, if you care about it. Your room temps will be worse if you're doing this to avoid room heat, but that's only one of the factors. Hf


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## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Cyro999*
> 
> I would recommend that exhaust tube to be from the "back" box, before the air can be stolen away by the fan back into the case. Good luck


I agree with this as well. The current design dumps heat into that back box, which is then pulled back into the case and fed back to the GPU intake. It's a nasty little feedback loop cycling hot air back trough GPU, reducing delta T with each pass and raising GPU temps. I would modify the box so that back fan has fresh air and the heat from the back is also vented to the outside.


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## Cyro999

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jhereg10*
> 
> I agree with this as well. The current design dumps heat into that back box, which is then pulled back into the case and fed back to the GPU intake. It's a nasty little feedback loop cycling hot air back trough GPU, reducing delta T with each pass and raising GPU temps. I would modify the box so that back fan has fresh air and the heat from the back is also vented to the outside.


Yea this is probably double-good to cut off the GPU from that back fan. It can do fine with its own vent, i think.


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## s74r1

good suggestions! I may actually do that once I get another tube. that feedback loop is probably what's causing my GPU temps to be so high. I thought maybe with enough vertical airflow it would negate it but there's not enough of it.

Edit: maybe like this:


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## Cyro999

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *s74r1*
> 
> good suggestions! I may actually do that once I get another tube. that feedback loop is probably what's causing my GPU temps to be so high. I thought maybe with enough vertical airflow it would negate it but there's not enough of it.
> 
> Edit: maybe like this:


Yea that looks good to me


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## ladcrooks

Wow! This reminds me of the Blue Peter show here in the UK - couple of boxes, some tape,and they do use a lot washing up liquid bottles









Yep! it gives your room that industrial look


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## superchad

sorry for taking time to reply, been a little busy

mtcn77:
I am really not concerned about heat during a game, i do game but not all the time, it gets HOT just browsing the internet, and im not downgrading my computer or having a separate computer JUST for web browsing and typical use, nor am i using my laptop which cant make a simple Skype call without locking up frequently, its never worked right.

i would rather reduce performance with what i have by underclocking and undervolting than replacing with slower components (or even buying new more efficient parts) i can always bump clocks and voltage back up if needed for gaming.

billbartuska:
i have been thinking of ducting to the exhaust vent in my room (the system fan is always on) would that affect the system and make it have to work harder pumping hot air into it?

if i exhaust the air to the outside, what would happen if i block off the return air vent? my door is closed in my room

Jhereg10:
running at lower power is an option, i have downclocked my GPU and CPU, what ISN'T and option is to replace components with slower and lower end components, or even to upgrade to newer more efficient components (money reasons, id love to have a pair of GTX 760s or 660tis, but that isn't in the budget). and of course having a dedicated "Gaming" computer, and a "Casual Use" computer is not an option for various reasons.

also the HVAC system fan is always running, not sure if that means anything, also i have ruled out liquid cooling for now (wont be doing it unless I am rich) too much risk for leaks, and i cant afford replacing all my parts from a leak.

ladcrooks:
a fan blowing air out the window might work, but maybe leaving the door and window open, not the best for privacy, especially since my desk chair is right by my window.

Maximus Thalos:
so I am confused, does this work with central air? what exactly do you mean that temps go both ways?

s74r1:
does that exhaust to outside or to your air vent?


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## Maximus Thalos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> sorry for taking time to reply, been a little busy
> 
> mtcn77:
> I am really not concerned about heat during a game, i do game but not all the time, it gets HOT just browsing the internet, and im not downgrading my computer or having a separate computer JUST for web browsing and typical use, nor am i using my laptop which cant make a simple Skype call without locking up frequently, its never worked right.
> 
> i would rather reduce performance with what i have by underclocking and undervolting than replacing with slower components (or even buying new more efficient parts) i can always bump clocks and voltage back up if needed for gaming.
> 
> billbartuska:
> i have been thinking of ducting to the exhaust vent in my room (the system fan is always on) would that affect the system and make it have to work harder pumping hot air into it?
> 
> if i exhaust the air to the outside, what would happen if i block off the return air vent? my door is closed in my room
> 
> Jhereg10:
> running at lower power is an option, i have downclocked my GPU and CPU, what ISN'T and option is to replace components with slower and lower end components, or even to upgrade to newer more efficient components (money reasons, id love to have a pair of GTX 760s or 660tis, but that isn't in the budget). and of course having a dedicated "Gaming" computer, and a "Casual Use" computer is not an option for various reasons.
> 
> also the HVAC system fan is always running, not sure if that means anything, also i have ruled out liquid cooling for now (wont be doing it unless I am rich) too much risk for leaks, and i cant afford replacing all my parts from a leak.
> 
> ladcrooks:
> a fan blowing air out the window might work, but maybe leaving the door and window open, not the best for privacy, especially since my desk chair is right by my window.
> 
> Maximus Thalos:
> so I am confused, does this work with central air? what exactly do you mean that temps go both ways?
> 
> s74r1:
> does that exhaust to outside or to your air vent?


I was talking about the seasons. In winter the exhaust will be directed at me instead of out the window.


----------



## superchad

ok, so it works with central air then and will help my room stay cooler?

anyways i would still exhaust heat in the winter to make my room cooler (i sleep better in a cool room anyways)


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> running at lower power is an option, i have downclocked my GPU and CPU, what ISN'T and option is to replace components with slower and lower end components, or even to upgrade to newer more efficient components (money reasons, id love to have a pair of GTX 760s or 660tis, but that isn't in the budget). and of course having a dedicated "Gaming" computer, and a "Casual Use" computer is not an option for various reasons.
> 
> also the HVAC system fan is always running, not sure if that means anything, also i have ruled out liquid cooling for now (wont be doing it unless I am rich) too much risk for leaks, and i cant afford replacing all my parts from a leak.


If the HVAC fan is always running, then directing the hot air toward the return vent that pulls air from your room is absolutely the best course, and will give you the most consistent results in keeping the room cool. It will allow the HVAC to process that warm air, and the HVAC will adjust its operation to keep the entire area cool.


----------



## superchad

will it cause the AC to work harder?


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> will it cause the AC to work harder?


Both venting to outside AND venting to the return vent will make HVAC work a bit harder.

But believe it or not, dumping the heat to the return vent will have less of an impact on the HVAC than venting outside, when it's hottest outside.

Reason being, if you vent outside, the building has to suck in outside air from somewhere else to replace the air you are venting.


----------



## superchad

ok, well what i was thinking about doing was block of the return vent (thus creating positive pressure in my room, air would enter but not leave) then have the air leave via the window, would that help anything? my door is closed most of the day (privacy reasons) maybe seal the door a bit, so the air is pushed out of the room at the vent rather than return vent.

if that wouldnt work how much harder would it have to work?


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *superchad*
> 
> ok, well what i was thinking about doing was block of the return vent (thus creating positive pressure in my room, air would enter but not leave) then have the air leave via the window, would that help anything? my door is closed most of the day (privacy reasons) maybe seal the door a bit, so the air is pushed out of the room at the vent rather than return vent.
> 
> if that wouldnt work how much harder would it have to work?


Think of it this way...

If you do that (block off the return air to the HVAC) you will raise the pressure in your room (correct) but that will cause a drop in pressure somewhere else in the building, which will cause the HVAC to work slightly harder, and will also draw MORE air in from outside through other cracks in the building's envelope.

Think of your HVAC system as being just like a water-cooling loop. You can't just magically bleed off some of the air and exhaust it outside (no matter how you do it) and not expect that air to be replaced *somewhere* else through cracks in the building's envelope. And that air that leaks in will be hot and unfiltered, causing increased dust and increased operating costs to the HVAC.

If you have a hot room, you will always be better off moving the heat from that room to some other part of the building INSIDE the HVAC envelope than trying to exhaust it outside.


----------



## superchad

ok

so how much of an impact on the HVAC would it cause to exhaust it to the return vent?


----------



## Wirerat

A nice custom loop setup will barely emit any heat into the room.

My friend that has a beastly gaming rig in his 12x12 office used to complain about the heat from his pc heating up the room. He has a 3930 at 4.6ghz with 2 gtx 580s. It felt like a furnace behind his pc.

Now he has custom loop and that room is prolly the coolest room in the house.

There are beter ways to keep pc from affecting room temps.


----------



## superchad

im not even considering closed loop, more expensive and risk of leaks.


----------



## Cyro999

Quote:


> A nice custom loop setup will barely emit any heat into the room.
> 
> My friend that has a beastly gaming rig in his 12x12 office used to complain about the heat from his pc heating up the room. He has a 3930 at 4.6ghz with 2 gtx 580s. It felt like a furnace behind his pc.
> 
> Now he has custom loop and that room is prolly the coolest room in the house.
> 
> There are beter ways to keep pc from affecting room temps.


..A normal custom loop transfers heat to the water, which is then transferred out of it via radiators + fans into the room air.

It heats up a room just as much as air or any other form of cooling which essentially does the same thing in a different way.

It's the same logic - Delidding a CPU might make it go from 80c to 60c, but it still outputs the same amount of heat, because temperature and heat output are not the same thing.

I don't mean offense, but this is pretty horribly wrong and bad advice that goes against the laws of thermodynamics etc


----------



## Wirerat

When talking about heat being released from a pc there are more variables than x amount of wattage will release y amount of heat reguardless of temperature.

Because the wattage can be affected by the temperature.


----------



## billbartuska

You're confusing heat and temperature.
Heat is a measure of work, temperature is a measure of state.
Temperature in a unit-less number (there's no temp/time or temp/weight) while heat has units of time, or mass (ie. watts/hour, watts/pound, joules/day, etc.)

A CPU produces the same amount of heat no matter what its temperature is.


----------



## Wirerat

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *billbartuska*
> 
> You're confusing heat and temperature.
> Heat is a measure of work, temperature is a measure of state.
> Temperature in a unit-less number (there's no temp/time or temp/weight) while heat has units of time, or mass (ie. watts/hour, watts/pound, joules/day, etc.)
> 
> A CPU produces the same amount of heat no matter what its temperature is.


Yes. That doesnt mean it affects ambient temperature the same though. The volume of air comes in to play. Better cooling includes a larger volume of air to exchange with.

A larger volume of air takes more energy to heat up.


----------



## Cyro999

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> When talking about heat being released from a pc there are more variables than x amount of wattage will release y amount of heat reguardless of temperature.
> 
> Because the wattage can be affected by the temperature.


Indeed it can, but that effect is quite small

Having say 700w instead of 800w, won't turn a furnace into an icy room. If you're cooling using room air, both air and a water loop will take approximately the same time to heat the room by same amount

Quote:


> Yes. That doesnt mean it affects ambient temperature the same though. The volume of air comes in to play. Better cooling includes a larger volume of air to exchange with.
> 
> A larger volume of air takes more energy to heat up.


Yea, in a room with twice as much air volume and it all circulating, it'd heat up half as much. But we're not talking about changing the volume of air, only the type of system to transfer the heat output from the components to whatever volume of air you have


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> When talking about heat being released from a pc there are more variables than x amount of wattage will release y amount of heat reguardless of temperature.
> 
> Because the wattage can be affected by the temperature.


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *billbartuska*
> 
> You're confusing heat and temperature.
> Heat is a measure of work, temperature is a measure of state.
> Temperature in a unit-less number (there's no temp/time or temp/weight) while heat has units of time, or mass (ie. watts/hour, watts/pound, joules/day, etc.)
> 
> A CPU produces the same amount of heat no matter what its temperature is.


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Cyro999*
> 
> Indeed it can, but that effect is quite small
> 
> Having say 700w instead of 800w, won't turn a furnace into an icy room. If you're cooling using room air, both air and a water loop will take approximately the same time to heat the room by same amount
> Yea, in a room with twice as much air volume and it all circulating, it'd heat up half as much. But we're not talking about changing the volume of air, only the type of system to transfer the heat output from the components to whatever volume of air you have


Err... sorry to throw a wrench in the works, but some of what Wirerat said is correct. While CPU power consumption changes are negligible for typical max CPU temps, they may not be if you have a significant system change that allows your PC to run *much* cooler.

A user over at Anandtech did an experiment by varying cooling (without changing voltage) under full load, and found that varying CPU temperature from 47C to 96C resulted in a 23W increase in power consumption on a i7-2600K running at 3GHz. That's close to a 33% increase in power consumption (and heat generated) at full load simply by varying CPU temperature *just from the CPU alone.*

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2200205

CAVEATS:

1) He was making insane changes in max load temps, with a 50C spread in CPU temp at max load. Most users will never see this range because even a crappy IHS will keep temps somewhat lower than the max.

2) He was ONLY considering CPU efficiency and power consumption, and didn't add in PSU and GPU effects.

Add in similar effects for a GPU, and (if you have an inefficient one) the PSU.... reducing your PC temperatures by switching from an inefficient air cooling setup to a cooler-running water-cooled setup could in fact cut power consumption, heat generated, and therefore room temperatures. Assuming total power consumption with the better cooling dropped 50W, that's 50W/hr not being dumped into your room. If your HVAC was already struggling to keep that room cool, the heat buildup could make a difference in room temps over time.

Granted, if you are running an efficient PSU and a decent air-cooling system from the beginning, switching to a water-cooling setup will probably not result in a 50C drop in CPU temps at full load. So I'd say, in general the switch won't cause much of a drop in room temps. But in some cases, where you're switching from crap air cooling to great water-cooling, it could actually make the room cooler.


----------



## Wirerat

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Cyro999*
> 
> Indeed it can, but that effect is quite small
> 
> Having say 700w instead of 800w, won't turn a furnace into an icy room. If you're cooling using room air, both air and a water loop will take approximately the same time to heat the room by same amount
> Yea, in a room with twice as much air volume and it all circulating, it'd heat up half as much. But we're not talking about changing the volume of air, only the type of system to transfer the heat output from the components to whatever volume of air you have


the radiators in a wc loop are exchanging with a larger vomume of air. It work just like making a the room bigger.


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> the radiators in a wc loop are exchanging with a larger vomume of air. It work just like making a the room bigger.


Wirerat,

This is an area where you aren't correct, unless we're all just misunderstanding what you are saying.

Let's take situation A)

You take a room that is 10x10x10 and run 50 CFM of air from that room over a heat sink with a fan. You transfer 50Watts/hr worth of heat from the CPU that way.

If you change from a heat sink to a 3-fan radiator (Situation B)

You have a room that is 10x10x10 and are running 150CFM of air from that room over the radiator with 3 fans. You transfer MORE heat (watts/hr) (initially) from the CPU to the room that way. The room would actually heat up faster. It is not the same as having a bigger room. The radiator is more efficient at transferring the heat to the room, which would (initially <<< keep your eye on that word) make the room heat up faster.

HOWEVER, if you look at my other response, you'll see that transferring that heat away from the CPU faster results in lower CPU temps, and under some circumstances *might* result in lower power consumption by the CPU and (after temps stabilized) less heat/hr transferring to the room because of more efficient CPU operation (not because of the air flow being faster though).

EDIT: Source for all my blabbering: Haunted by my Mechanical Engineering Heat Transfer textbooks and two decades explaining heat transfer to process operations folks. I actually teach classes on heat transfer on a regular basis, and the relationship between heat and temperature throws a lot of people.


----------



## Wirerat

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jhereg10*
> 
> Wirerat,
> 
> This is an area where you aren't correct, unless we're all just misunderstanding what you are saying.
> 
> Let's take situation A)
> 
> You take a room that is 10x10x10 and run 50 CFM of air from that room over a heat sink with a fan. You transfer 50Watts/hr worth of heat from the CPU that way.
> 
> If you change from a heat sink to a 3-fan radiator (Situation B)
> 
> You have a room that is 10x10x10 and are running 150CFM of air from that room over the radiator with 3 fans. You transfer MORE heat (watts/hr) (initially) from the CPU to the room that way. The room would actually heat up faster. It is not the same as having a bigger room. The radiator is more efficient at transferring the heat to the room, which would (initially <<< keep your eye on that word) make the room heat up faster.
> 
> HOWEVER, if you look at my other response, you'll see that transferring that heat away from the CPU faster results in lower CPU temps, and under some circumstances *might* result in lower power consumption by the CPU and (after temps stabilized) less heat/hr transferring to the room because of more efficient CPU operation (not because of the air flow being faster though).
> 
> EDIT: Source for all my blabbering: Haunted by my Mechanical Engineering Heat Transfer textbooks and two decades explaining heat transfer to process operations folks. I actually teach classes on heat transfer on a regular basis, and the relationship between heat and temperature throws a lot of people.


my gpu in mysons rig is running at 60c since I changed his cooler. His room was blazing hot after few hours of gaming before I changed that ref cooler. His temps on that ref 580 were 90c. The dvi cable would burn your hand to touch.

How is it obviously cooler in his room now?


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> my gpu in mysons rig is running at 60c since I changed his cooler. His room was blazing hot after few hours of gaming before I changed that ref cooler. His temps on that ref 580 were 90c. The dvi cable would burn your hand to touch.
> 
> How is it obviously cooler in his room now?


Read my other post where I explained the part where you are right.









It's just that using a better cooler doesn't make it "just like having a bigger room because of more airflow" which is what you seemed to be saying here.


----------



## Wirerat

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jhereg10*
> 
> Read my other post where I explained the part where you are right.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's just that using a better cooler doesn't make it "just like having a bigger room because of more airflow" which is what you seemed to be saying here.


the temp of the rads are much closer to ambient. Thats not going to slow down the transfer of heat?

Something more is happening than just some tiny wattage reduction. Its too much of a delta in the ambient.

Im just trying to understand.


----------



## Bartouille

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *billbartuska*
> 
> You're confusing heat and temperature.
> Heat is a measure of work, temperature is a measure of state.
> Temperature in a unit-less number (there's no temp/time or temp/weight) while heat has units of time, or mass (ie. watts/hour, watts/pound, joules/day, etc.)
> 
> A CPU produces the same amount of heat no matter what its temperature is.


I'm no pro at this but I think heat has a correlation with temperature to a certain degree. I remember reading somewhere that heat (power consumption?) can be reduced with lower temperatures because there is less resistance in the chip. Is that true?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2200205


----------



## Cyro999

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> the temp of the rads are much closer to ambient. Thats not going to slow down the transfer of heat?
> 
> Something more is happening than just some tiny wattage reduction. Its too much of a delta in the ambient.
> 
> Im just trying to understand.


Your water temperature will raise or drop until it reaches equilibrium with heat transfer in/out, depending on your rad area, fan speed etc.

Also with extreme cooling like that, if you got say a 25% reduction in power consumption (using 600w instead of 800w, which would be 1.33x higher than 600), then you're heating the room like 25% less. It's a notable difference, but it doesn't change the laws of physics; 600w is still a ton of heat that's going into your water, and coming out of all of your rads.

Wirerat, if you take a 780ti at say full stock and it consumes for example 250w and runs at 90c with a low fan speed on reference cooler - then you get a water setup, skynet bios it and make it draw 1.3x as much power, it'd be like 40c cooler, but still heat the room 1.3x faster (approx)

With an air system, you often have pockets of heat, like the exhaust from a pair of blower GPU's, most of your heat is coming out of a small area. With a water loop, it's more spread out, it's often coming out of 2-3 radiators etc. But the overall effect on room temperature after half an hour or three hours would be basically the same

Quote:


> I'm no pro at this but I think heat has a correlation with temperature to a certain degree. I remember reading somewhere that heat (power consumption?) can be reduced with lower temperatures because there is less resistance in the chip. Is that true?


That's true and can make notable differences, but it won't turn a furnace into the coolest room in your house. The only thing i'd consider would be the area directly behind the GPU's receiving a disproportionate amount of heat with short-term loading of them - but it'd even out over time, or if your case was not trapped somewhere.

When talking about volume of air, it doesn't really matter how big of a radiator etc you are using to exchange heat. A room, lets say like 25 square meters, 2 meters high, has the same volume of air all of the time, and if your air540 has heatsinks and other air cooling stuff between your intake and exhaust, changing it to water radiators between that intake and exhaust won't really change anything.

I really don't get your logic when you say that changing cooling system is essentially like increasing the amount of air that a room can hold


----------



## Bartouille

It probably won't make any difference in this case. I just thought his statement wasn't fully correct.


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> the temp of the rads are much closer to ambient. Thats not going to slow down the transfer of heat?


Excellent observation. And the answer is... no.

Heat transfer is dependent on a few factors. The following changes will INCREASE heat transfer rates:


If you INCREASE the temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side.

If you INCREASE the surface area available for heat transfer

If you INCREASE the flow rate of the hot stuff (water or air from PC) or the cold stuff (air from room)
Any of these will increase heat transfer rate. There are other factors, but we can ignore those.

In the case of an air cooling setup, if you increase fan CFMs, or make the room cooler, or make the CPU hotter, or add a larger heat sink, all of those things will increase the amount of heat (H) transferred into the room per hour. But understand, *that's not the same thing as saying the air leaving your case will be higher temperature.*

Situation #1: You are running at 50 CFM in a 25C room with a 90C CPU and a stock heat sink. Let's assume the air exhausting from the case is at around 60C. Okay?

Now increase the CFM to 100 CFM. Assume the room is still 25C (more on that in a bit) and the CPU is still 90C and still a stock heat sink. Still with me?

Since the hot temp is the same as before (90C), and the cold temp is the same as before (25C), and the surface area of the heat sink is the same as before, increasing the air rate blowing across the heat sink from 50 to 100 CFM will INCREASE the heat transfer from the heat sink to the air blowing across it.

Still with me?

BUT there's more air moving across it per second, so the temperature of that air as it leaves the case is LOWER than before even though it's carrying away MORE HEAT PER HOUR from the CPU because more flow per hour.

So you have MORE HEAT TRANSFER but a LOWER CASE EXHAUST TEMPERATURE. This is why we say that you can't necessarily trust that heat transfer and temperature follow each other.

Now, I made several assumptions here, to show that relationship. But in the real world, there are some factors that mitigate that.

1) More heat transfer will decrease the heat sink temperature, which will tend to balance out after a bit by lowering the CPU temperature and the total heat transfer will probably equalize back to being EQUAL to what it was before you increased fan rate.

2) HOWEVER, running at a lower CPU temperature will cause a small decrease in resistance in the CPU, resulting in higher CPU efficiency and less heat production by the CPU. This will reduce watts used, an decrease heat transfer.

3) HOWEVER, the fan running at a higher speed draws slightly more current (depending on how it's being controlled) and may offset some of that by generating more heat. VERY small effect.

Net result will be a SMALL (very small) decrease in heat transferred from the PC to the room.

Now if you made a situation #3, where you are switching from a crap air cooler to a very good water cooler, you could see a much larger effect. I think that's what happened to you.

But to reinforce: You can have LOWER radiator temperatures and HIGHER heat transfer rates if you switch from a small radiator to a large radiator or speed up the fans. If you increase heat transfer rates, but don't change heat production by the computer, then the room will actually heat up faster, even though the exhaust temperatures from the PC may be LOWER.

All that make sense? I need my expletive diagrams to show this right...


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bartouille*
> 
> I'm no pro at this but I think heat has a correlation with temperature to a certain degree. I remember reading somewhere that heat (power consumption?) can be reduced with lower temperatures because there is less resistance in the chip. Is that true?
> 
> http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2200205


LOL. I just posted that same link about 4 responses back. Great minds think alike...


----------



## Wirerat

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Jhereg10*
> 
> LOL. I just posted that same link about 4 responses back. Great minds think alike...


Anyways thanks for all the info. I will never think suggesting water cooling is *terrible advice* though.


----------



## Jhereg10

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wirerat*
> 
> Anyways thanks for all the info. I will never think suggesting water cooling is *terrible advice* though.


If someone has a crappy air-cooling setup and their CPU is running hot even when unloaded, then switching to either a better air-cooling setup OR a water-cooling setup will both result in decreased CPU temperatures, better CPU efficiency, reduced power consumption, and less heat dumped into the room.

In that case, though, a better air-cooling setup is probably the better choice than a water-cooling system because it's simpler and cheaper. In the case you are citing, I suspect the original air-cooling system was not able to keep up with the heat generated, so putting in a water cooling system made a huge impact.

On the other hand, if someone has a decent air-cooling setup already and needs/wants to run their CPU cooler so they can overclock, then switching to a water-cooling setup will result in reduced CPU temperatures. And if that's your goal, then a water-cooled system is a *great* idea.

But if your goal is to switch from a *good* air-cooling system to a water-cooling system in order to lower room temperatures, that's probably a waste of money. Doing that will reduce CPU temps some, but will probably not have much of an impact on overall power consumption and will probably not have much of an impact on the amount of heat dumped into the room, EVEN IF the exhaust from the radiator feels cooler than before, what you really have is more heat transfer surface x lower exhaust temperature = about the same amount of heat being transferred into the room.


----------



## superchad

Jhereg10: what do you think the power consumption difference would be for increasing fan speed (and reducing CPU temperature) for an AMD FX-8350? could i reduce heat being put in my room by making the CPU more efficient? i was keeping fan speeds low due to both thinking pumping hot air into the room would heat it up more and also to reduce noise

for liquid cooling the main reason i have stayed away from it is due to the risks of leaking and frying everything, which i could not afford to fix

also i did manage to reduce heat a bit, i underclocked (from 4.0GHz to 3.5GHz) and undervolted (about 1.284v light load and 1.248v full load, to 1.236v light load and 1.224v full load) which should in theory shave off about 25 watts,

i have underclocked my graphics cards (i upgraded to SLI since i first posted this theread) from 732MHz to 600MHz and undervolted from 0.975 and about 1.0v to 0.95 volts, trimming off at least 20 to 40 watts per card (40 to 80 watts total)

i also discovered Nvidia inspector and multi monitor display power saver, which set up my cards to run at P8 or video mode (405 core and 324 memory at 0.913v) unless certain 3d programs are running or GPU load hits 30%

P8 i calculated i should see around 107 watts, which is about 113 watts less per GPU, or about 226 watts less heat for the SLI setup (basicly about the same heat as one card at full power) so the net heat under light load which is what happens most of the time is only about 25 watts less.

so the question is can i reduce heat into my room by improving the fan speed? maybe even by making my GPU fan speeds faster? though CPU first, GPU last, they are much louder.


----------



## hyp36rmax

Wow this looks complicated... I would have just put the PC into the hallway outside the room and run a longer DVI/HDMI, power chord and USB extension for the mouse and keyboard, and called it a day. Works even better if the hallway outside your room is larger and cooler.

Regarding liquid cooling, if you spend time studying and implementing it with high quality parts there are no issues.


----------



## xundeadgenesisx

This might be a stupid suggestion, but if you just want a cooler room you could always get a window air conditioner unit. It would be a little bit less of a hassle.


----------



## hyp36rmax

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *xundeadgenesisx*
> 
> This might be a stupid suggestion, but if you just want a cooler room you could always get a window air conditioner unit. It would be a little bit less of a hassle.


Yes this...


----------



## superchad

I would hardly call that complicated, it works and decreases temperatures a bit, well that is not an option for several reasons

1. I live with my parents, and my mom is a NEAT FREAK, she would get mad and probably move it and break it, maybe throw it away or throw it around without care to how much damage it would cause because of the way it would looks to her, its annoying how she gets mad when I don't respect things of hers the way she wants me too (such as not warming up the car for 5 minutes in the winter) but she can do whatever she wants to my things even if it costs over $1000 in damages

2. it would have to be in the office, the noise and lights would irritate my parents who have their door cracked open for our cat

3. the cat could get hair in it as she roams the house, but not my room

4. if the dog goes upstairs well....







she chewed up a power cord this week, bye bye computer

5. hope I don't have to push the reset button

6. my monitors, as stated earlier, are VGA ONLY, VGA degrades with lengths and its a long ways to the office, picture quality would go down the tube, I know because when I tried to initially hook up my monitor on my current desk the cable was too short, so I used an extension cable that would be about the length needed, the picture was soo incredibly terrible I ended up moving the computer closer to the monitor instead.

(no offense, but DO NOT tell me to get a new monitor, unless your going to make a IPS panel with a 1ms response time (or an SED display) and are going to pay for it)

7. putting DVDs and CDs in would be a pain in the rear.

8. no point in a cool looking computer in another room, cant see it

9. no audible indication of a fan or hard drive failure, so no ability to quickly turn it off to prevent further damage

10. would heat office up, irritating my parents

11. cost, buying multiple USB cables and hubs, audio cables, video cables, etc would be more expensive than a duct system.

anyways even with high quality parts there is still a risk of leaks, closed loop systems have been reported to leak multiple times, custom loops also require maintenance.

air conditioner is not an option, maybe less hassle, but also not even close to affordable, if I had the money to buy one and to pay the electricity to run it, I would buy one (my parents would want me to pay for that)


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## billbartuska

You changed something else too.
The card still produces the same heat, so if the room is cooler that heat must be going somewhere else.


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## superchad

no way the card produces the same amount of heat, less power = less heat, the multi display power saver and the undervolt of the CPU reduced the voltage and thus heat


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