Need block to fit over a TEC (Feltier) cooler (Socket 2011)

snedie · 27 Jun 2012 at 18:26

So in my new build I'm looking to get the most out of an Ivy Bridge CPU, best way to do that is with extreme cold. So Peltier coolers have gotten quite cheap these days and can be had for well under £20 for a 400Watt model, the only problem is mounting them to a CPU and then finding a suitable heatsink/block to fit on top of that.

Now I don't want a huge ugly ass heatsink sticking off my board hiding the epicness of my build () and would much rather put a water block on it instead. Does anyone know of a CPU block to fit Socket 2011 which can accommodate something 3.65mm under it?

Any leads what so ever very much welcome, don't be afraid to suggest things that require a bit modding on my part to get things to fit.

Freddie1980 · 27 Jun 2012 at 18:45

400 watt's is a lot juice you might want to add a resistor to your setup so you can control the amount of cooling your TEC gives you. As for a block I would have thought just getting some screws with long enough threads to mount the waterblock to your backplate would do the trick wouldn't it?

Biffa · 27 Jun 2012 at 18:56

To be honest mounting it isn't the only problem.

But, you would probably just need longer screws, the 2011 socket setup looks like it would work well for that sort of thing. As to using a Peltier.. your a brave man indeed. Direct TEC mounting is a pretty tricky thing to do. First you have the power issue, TEC's use a lot of juice, then you have the insulation issue.

You have to put dielectric grease into the socket, also insulate the back and front of the motherboard with some sort of plasticine stuff, then use neoprene to insulate even more! :eek:

doesn't sound like you want it "ugly" so that might be a stopping point right there.

Check this thread http://www.overclock.net/t/1228364/project-dual-tec-block-on-lga2011-i7-3930k/30

And this one for a whole bunch of stuff. http://www.overclock.net/t/1218698/a-list-of-threads-on-tec-cooling

Freddie1980 · 27 Jun 2012 at 20:04

If he plans to keep temps above ambeint he won't have to worry about insulation I guess nit depends on how exterme the guy wants to go but I would recommend a resistor so the tec isn't running at 400 watts all the time.

Biffa · 27 Jun 2012 at 20:38

Yes, but ambient temp changes all the time, you would need something that controls the temp depending on the ambients, its also not just about temperature, but the humidity levels during the day play a part. Check out this dew point calculator

Seeing as an overclocked SB-E is probably pushing 300W he might need all the power of a 400W Tec to keep it at the temps he needs.

Might be easier/neater going for a water chiller such as the Halea HC-500A, mind you even those aren't immune to the problem

Jokester · 27 Jun 2012 at 20:43

It would need to one hell of a size of a resistor to cope with that sort of power.

+1 to chiller, can give you similar levels of cooling but with better control if you want to avoid condensation issues.

snedie · 27 Jun 2012 at 21:46

Wouldn't be to hard to hook it up to a pot (potentiometer) to control the temps (power level). This thing will also be sharing a 1Kw PSU for the CPU and various other "little" things for the build. GPU's are getting their own 1Kw GPU too, might even throw some stuff onto that to save straining the other one if needs be.

However an automated system would be fantastic, only problem is it has to be 100% accurate to stop the temps dropping into the dew range. Any ideas on that part welcome too.

As for a water chiller I hadn't considered one, simply because I forgot about them. Although they cost a kidney and a left testicle, I'm sure the 10 year span it would probably last (?) would easily beat the electricity cost of the TEC, not to mention it's less likely to screw up my rig.

The "Hailea Ultra Titan 500", seems to do a fantastic job of keeping an i7-980 down at just 48c at 5Ghz, would imaging that an Ivy Bridge would be hitting well above that if I could get the temps down even that far. Are there any better chillers than that one, I can't imagine it making much difference between models mind you but if there is a price difference, I'm bothered?

Jokester · 27 Jun 2012 at 22:08

If you have a pot say controlling the TEC from even down to 50% power - it needs to absorb the other 50% - ie 200W. That's not a resistor you need, it's a small electric heater.

Biffa · 27 Jun 2012 at 22:37

Is one of those protects that starts of like a great simple cost effective idea but the more you look at it the more complicated and expensive and time absorbing is starts to get.

snedie · 27 Jun 2012 at 22:52

Biffa said:
Is one of those protects that starts of like a great simple cost effective idea but the more you look at it the more complicated and expensive and time absorbing is starts to get.

Yer I'm already looking more and more towards the water chiller. The fact it can be located a good distance away from the case (would probably have it next to a window so it isn't dumping hot air into my room) and only makes a noise for a half minute every so often makes it very appealing.

Given the case I'm using has mountings for four 360mm rads I don't see any reason I can't use ball valves to run a "dual cooling solution loop" for when I go to LAN parties or take the PC with me somewhere. Or for when I simply want to lay in bed watching something and don't want to be interrupted by a compressor buzzing away ever couple of minutes. Not to mention, it all adds to how awesome it all looks

Jokester · 27 Jun 2012 at 22:54

I used to use a Meanwell PSU which allowed you to vary the DC output, looking at their website you could use an SPV version (either 300W or 1500W, sadly nothing inbetween) and set up a control line to give you full 20-100% output voltage. Must be about £100 for the 300W so I shudder to think how much the 1500W version is.

snedie · 27 Jun 2012 at 23:02

Jokester said:
I used to use a Meanwell PSU which allowed you to vary the DC output, looking at their website you could use an SPV version (either 300W or 1500W, sadly nothing inbetween) and set up a control line to give you full 20-100% output voltage. Must be about £100 for the 300W so I shudder to think how much the 1500W version is.

Found the 1500 Watt, it isn't cheap, it's a no brainer to choose the chiller over a TEC if this is what it takes do use one, not to mention all the modding to the board required:

Code:

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