How cool is too cool?

[Dirk Diggler]

My current GPU idle temperature is 6C - this is a Founder's Edition 1080ti on air. Considering that this is just the start of the Scottish winter, I'm starting to wonder if I'm taking a bit of a risk?

The PC is in my garage, so I don't get any heat or noise. How low could the temperature plummet before I risked damage to components? I'm thinking that there's electronics everywhere out there like in cars and traffic lights etc.. so maybe there's no risk?

 

[pastymuncher]

I think the biggest problem you could have is condensation as the pc components heat up. I have had a water temp as low as 3.4 degrees C and had no problems with the cpu and gpu that are cooled by it but I only have my rads exposed to the colder air while the actual pc is in my computer room. Just keep checking the motherboard, memory etc for condensation as they warm up. If you get any then you will have to think of another solution.

 

[bremen1874]

You’d only get condensation if parts of the PC were below ambient temperature. Running a PC in the conditions mentioned that’s never going to happen.

if anything running the PC in cold conditions will be of benefit. Just be careful if you bring it into the heated part of the house as that could temporarily result in condensation.

 

[Quartz]

Just keep checking the motherboard, memory etc for condensation as they warm up.

Detecting that is going to be difficult when he's not in the same room.

The PC is in my garage, so I don't get any heat or noise.

Is the PC on 24/7? If so, I don't think you have anything to worry about the PC itself. That said, have you protected it against roof leaks, insect and animal incursions, and the like?

 

[_tucker_]

That’s some pretty decent temps haha. should be absolutely fine as mentioned above it’s only if it’s not at ambient temperature would it cause condensation so as long as it’s left where it is and turned on it will be fine. Just keep an eye on it when you first switch it on if your in doubt.
I would be cautious in frosty conditions as that may draw in damp air from outside.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Thanks for replies.

I can leave it on 24/7 if that's an advantage, although maybe I'm just wasting electricity by doing that? If the PC components are at ambient, then what's the risk when switching on?

Frosty conditions, yea good point. I'm not sure what I can do about that.

I have had a water temp as low as 3.4 degrees C and had no problems with the cpu and gpu that are cooled by it but I only have my rads exposed to the colder air while the actual pc is in my computer room

This was how my setup was, and I moved it to air because well as you can see it doesn't need to be under water to be kept cool - even in summer the fans can be 100% and I hear nothing. Every time winter comes around, I get paranoid about water freezing hence why I switched it.

It seems it hasn't alleviated the paranoia 100%

 

[EsaT]

I would be cautious in frosty conditions as that may draw in damp air from outside.

Frost or any form of condensation can form only on cold surface meeting air that's warmer/has higher dew point.

And the colder the air is, the less water it contains.
Sahara desert is damp place compared to arctic -20C air mass, with half dozen to dozen times as much water in every kilogram of air.

3-4 grams of water in kilogram of air:
http://weather.uwyo.edu/cgi-bin/sou...AR=2019&MONTH=11&FROM=0900&TO=1300&STNM=60680
Vs. ~0.6 grams of water:
http://weather.uwyo.edu/cgi-bin/sou...AR=2019&MONTH=11&FROM=0900&TO=1300&STNM=20292
Clear as day, isn't it?

 

[EsaT]

If the PC components are at ambient, then what's the risk when switching on?

There can be condensation on them, if they've contacted warmer/higher dew point air after cooling.

Covering PC and monitor well with something air tight would prevent them from contacting any air other than what's already inside.
That would leave only water content of like 0.1kg of air which could condense.
(cubic meter of air at 0C weights ~1.3kg)

Going scientific on that, originally 0C (fully saturated) air would dump ~0.3 grams of water when cooling to -20C.
Starting from fully saturated 20C air there would be ~1,5 grams of water in it and dumping fair gram of that when cooled to 0C.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

@EsaT I can't make it air tight as I need to let cool air in to cool the components.

I can't see the components contacting warmer air as they should "heat" at the same rate as ambient. I think the risk would be when moving into the house which will be 20C, no?

 

[EsaT]

@EsaT I can't make it air tight as I need to let cool air in to cool the components.

Not to mention it being rather hard to use monitor if its covered...
Problem isn't when PC is running, it's after you power it down.

Again when bringing cooled down computer to inside, it's the usual wait until it warms to room temperature thing to avoid risks with condensation.
Using some cover could help also in that by preventing PC from getting in contact with warmer and more water containing air during time warming to room temperature takes.

 

[Quartz]

Not to mention it being rather hard to use monitor if its covered...

It's only the system unit in the garage.

 

[Bluntwrapped]

6c is great. I’d be interested to see your temps after a few runs of heaven. Your 1080ti should boost quite a bit higher than usual if it stays below 50c.

 

[Doobedoo]

Ice cool.

 

[LuckyBenski]

6c is great. I’d be interested to see your temps after a few runs of heaven. Your 1080ti should boost quite a bit higher than usual if it stays below 50c.

I've found the clock speeds continue to shift as low as 30°. Mostly the steps seem to be at 10° intervals. Haven't ever got my WC system below living room ambient of 20 though

I would definitely aim to keep the entire system at 5° or above. You don't want to risk frost, even for short periods IMO. Whether that's using some way of enclosing that portion of garage on the coldest days or adding a space heater... Leaving the PC on will help a little if you limit just how much air it gets too.

What did it do last winter?

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Last winter I had it under water. The PC was in the office and only the radiators were in the garage. I had to leave the PC on 24/7 to ensure the water didn't freeze, and that's what's prompted me to go to air as I can now leave the PC power plan to sleep after 2 hours of inactivity. I also work away from home and can now switch the PC off for the weeks that I'm not there.

I'm not too bothered about performance as the gains as so low in terms of FPS, it's all about having a silent experience and zero heat being generated in the office.

 

[3t3P]

My 470s wouldn't put out a video signal once when I'd been away and the PC was freezing. Only when the house warmed up and the PC would they post an image output.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Yea, I think I'll move it back in for the winter as even when it's powered up it isn't getting much warmer.