Why not immerse the whole thing in liquid nitrogen?

Quartz · 14 Oct 2015 at 11:34

I remember seeing pictures of whole PCs being immersed in oil to provide superior cooling, and I'm wondering if the same could be done with liquid nitrogen (or liquid argon or neon)? ISTM that this would remove any condensation problems. Or would it cause problems with the motherboard?

On Holiday · 14 Oct 2015 at 11:49

I'm no expert, but too much cold is bad too

AFAIK it's only the processors that are exposed to LN2, rather than PCBs and other components.

wazza300 · 14 Oct 2015 at 11:54

It would do what the terminator t2000 does when its immersed in ln2,become very brittle and shatter

Rroff · 14 Oct 2015 at 12:00

Stuff like regulators, etc. are only rated down to -25C operation, submerged in liquid nitrogen they'd quickly drop a good bit below -100C IIRC.

Glanza · 14 Oct 2015 at 12:14

Only viable for overclocking challenges, day to day running is a big no no.

brendy · 14 Oct 2015 at 12:18

Just run your pcs from my living room, the wife leaves the door open and the draught would cut a man in two, plenty cool for the most overclocked pc.

Tute · 14 Oct 2015 at 21:15

Yeah the components would become mega-brittle. This is why you don't expose the CPU directly to LN2 and instead have it in a container mounted on top (IINM).

Now, submersion in oil or de-ionised water is another matter, and certainly possible.

Rroff · 14 Oct 2015 at 21:23

Tute said:
Yeah the components would become mega-brittle. This is why you don't expose the CPU directly to LN2 and instead have it in a container mounted on top (IINM).

Now, submersion in oil or de-ionised water is another matter, and certainly possible.

Unless you are shooting for a WR LN2 is a bit of a waste of time anyhow - at that end of the scale huge temperature deltas are needed for increasingly smaller increases - for any other intents and purposes even a phase/peltier system regulated to stay above the dew point will get you close enough there will be no significant difference in real world performance.

ZXSpectrum · 15 Oct 2015 at 12:02

wazza300 said:
It would do what the terminator t2000 does when its immersed in ln2,become very brittle and shatter

You mean T1000

wazza300 · 15 Oct 2015 at 12:04

T1000 is Arnie?

Lol the liquidy one I mean

Matt26LFC · 17 Oct 2015 at 17:35

wazza300 said:
T1000 is Arnie?

Lol the liquidy one I mean

t800 was arnie the 1000 was the liquid metal dude

Anywho, Even if everything freezing wasn't an issue LN2 boils off, so you'd need LN2 on tap to keep it filled, this isn't an issue for Mineral Oil.

Jumper118 · 18 Oct 2015 at 02:30

Most chips on the motherboard have a cold way before -190c and aren't rated any lower than -10 or -25. So your keyboard and mouse wouldn't work. Also has well and skylake cold bug around -130c if its a really good one, so even the CPU would work. Memory doesn't like being too cold either.

Doug2507 · 24 Oct 2015 at 22:08

Rroff said:
Unless you are shooting for a WR LN2 is a bit of a waste of time anyhow

Rubbish! Don't need to go for WR's to have fun with it!

VKleita · 26 Oct 2015 at 08:05

Matt26LFC said:
t800 was arnie the 1000 was the liquid metal dude

Anywho, Even if everything freezing wasn't an issue LN2 boils off, so you'd need LN2 on tap to keep it filled, this isn't an issue for Mineral Oil.

I thought Arnie was T101?

Sorry going a bit of a derail here!

As others have explained, it's simply a case of good idea, just not practically/dangerous/expensive/mental

Heisenberg · 26 Oct 2015 at 08:17

T800 model 101

ZXSpectrum · 4 Nov 2015 at 16:59

Heisenberg said:
T800 model 101

Correct..

lude1962 · 6 Nov 2015 at 14:06

resistors probably wouldn't be if submerged in LN

thomolithic · 12 Nov 2015 at 12:07

Tute said:
Yeah the components would become mega-brittle. This is why you don't expose the CPU directly to LN2 and instead have it in a container mounted on top (IINM).

Now, submersion in oil or de-ionised water is another matter, and certainly possible.

Á la http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12315158