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As more and more of us are going below zero with cooling and more and more threads are popping up on the subject I thought it was about time it had its own thread. Now before you say, it’s a cooling thread and that’s another section, I want to point out that only a few people are daft enough to think that the best way to cool their system is sub-zero for 24/7 use and it is for the most part a benchmark only cooling solution.
Now with that out of the way we can talk cooling, phase, dry ice or liquid nitrogen are the main types with liquid helium being another much more rare way. Phase is a mechanical way of doing it where much like an air con or refrigerator unit gas is compressed so it condenses and cools but instead of air or a box it’s piped to a metal plate to cool a cpu, or anything you can strap it to. Phase units can be chained together with the next being colder than the last, these multi stage units are often called cascades. ln2 and dice are much the same in terms of hardware used, a big metal pot, but differ in the range of temp that they can achieve with dice being -78c and ln2 being -195c. Well that’s about the point at which they evaporate but with enough time and coolant you can make things very cold. ln2 is poured direct into the pot while dice is solid and needs a solvent to become a usable solution. Some people use acetone, others say pure alcohol is better but as i have not yet used either i could not say.
For all types of sub-zero cooling one thing that is much the same is the fact it needs insulation. Objects at these extreme low temps are so cold that they can make snow from the air around it and we all know how well electrics and water play together. It is also I think the biggest fear someone has when starting with these types of cooling, I mean nobody wants to short something and kill a piece of hardware and that is a very possible risk. The theory is that if you can keep the air away from the coldest parts then you will not get condensation on your hardware.
With that in mind here is how I do mine.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_005213.jpg[/screenshot]
That’s it all; working bottom to top it goes together like this. Top left it’s the back plate with mounting screws, on top of that it is the neoprene sheet with the paper towel cut-out between it and the eraser putty. Then it’s the mobo with more putty on top, again another sheet of paper towel before the neoprene gets clamped on top by the head of the phase unit. I have painted the mobo with clear nail varnish too (liquid tape is a better, none permanent way) it’s in case the worst does happen and the mobo gets any condensation but so far in the many hours I have had it running I have not once seen that it is needed.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_023008.jpg[/screenshot]
So I start on the back by rolling out the eraser into a thin sheet and then cut it to the right size and shape. I take that sheet and press it down onto the pcb, it’s almost like kneading bread, sort of.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_023023.jpg[/screenshot]
Quite quickly you will have that done and dusted and you will be putting the back plate on, don’t just use the screws to push thru the eraser as it’s a pain to remove from the threads later, use a toothpick or hole punch or anything you can. Push it out from the front of the board so the holes line up right and then flatten the putty back down and push it from the back so the bolts go in easy. Once I have the back plate in place I start on the front, unlike the rear it’s not as easy to do so you can’t just do a flat piece. I find rolling it out like a sausage is best as it make it easier to fill all the gaps.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_031341.jpg[/screenshot]
Cutting it down into smaller blocks so I can build it up in two or more layers to ensure it is all covered, kneading it into the gaps as I go, a toothpick is handy to push it into the smaller gaps.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_031401.jpg[/screenshot]
This is the part you will spend the longest doing as most boards have the power circuitry around the socket like this, some don’t but most do.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_033923.jpg[/screenshot]
That looks like about enough of that to me.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_034216.jpg[/screenshot]
Insulation tape.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_034320.jpg[/screenshot]
Paper towel.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_034406.jpg[/screenshot]
Neoprene.
Now I am not saying that’s the best way to do it, or the only way just how I do it on this mobo, it is what I have found works best for me and allows for the easiest way to swap cpu. I do hope that some of the other guys post how they do theirs so we can all see other ways to skin this cat.
Now with that out of the way we can talk cooling, phase, dry ice or liquid nitrogen are the main types with liquid helium being another much more rare way. Phase is a mechanical way of doing it where much like an air con or refrigerator unit gas is compressed so it condenses and cools but instead of air or a box it’s piped to a metal plate to cool a cpu, or anything you can strap it to. Phase units can be chained together with the next being colder than the last, these multi stage units are often called cascades. ln2 and dice are much the same in terms of hardware used, a big metal pot, but differ in the range of temp that they can achieve with dice being -78c and ln2 being -195c. Well that’s about the point at which they evaporate but with enough time and coolant you can make things very cold. ln2 is poured direct into the pot while dice is solid and needs a solvent to become a usable solution. Some people use acetone, others say pure alcohol is better but as i have not yet used either i could not say.
For all types of sub-zero cooling one thing that is much the same is the fact it needs insulation. Objects at these extreme low temps are so cold that they can make snow from the air around it and we all know how well electrics and water play together. It is also I think the biggest fear someone has when starting with these types of cooling, I mean nobody wants to short something and kill a piece of hardware and that is a very possible risk. The theory is that if you can keep the air away from the coldest parts then you will not get condensation on your hardware.
With that in mind here is how I do mine.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_005213.jpg[/screenshot]
That’s it all; working bottom to top it goes together like this. Top left it’s the back plate with mounting screws, on top of that it is the neoprene sheet with the paper towel cut-out between it and the eraser putty. Then it’s the mobo with more putty on top, again another sheet of paper towel before the neoprene gets clamped on top by the head of the phase unit. I have painted the mobo with clear nail varnish too (liquid tape is a better, none permanent way) it’s in case the worst does happen and the mobo gets any condensation but so far in the many hours I have had it running I have not once seen that it is needed.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_023008.jpg[/screenshot]
So I start on the back by rolling out the eraser into a thin sheet and then cut it to the right size and shape. I take that sheet and press it down onto the pcb, it’s almost like kneading bread, sort of.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_023023.jpg[/screenshot]
Quite quickly you will have that done and dusted and you will be putting the back plate on, don’t just use the screws to push thru the eraser as it’s a pain to remove from the threads later, use a toothpick or hole punch or anything you can. Push it out from the front of the board so the holes line up right and then flatten the putty back down and push it from the back so the bolts go in easy. Once I have the back plate in place I start on the front, unlike the rear it’s not as easy to do so you can’t just do a flat piece. I find rolling it out like a sausage is best as it make it easier to fill all the gaps.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_031341.jpg[/screenshot]
Cutting it down into smaller blocks so I can build it up in two or more layers to ensure it is all covered, kneading it into the gaps as I go, a toothpick is handy to push it into the smaller gaps.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_031401.jpg[/screenshot]
This is the part you will spend the longest doing as most boards have the power circuitry around the socket like this, some don’t but most do.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_033923.jpg[/screenshot]
That looks like about enough of that to me.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_034216.jpg[/screenshot]
Insulation tape.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_034320.jpg[/screenshot]
Paper towel.
[screenshot]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o164/marsey99/cpu%20socket%20insulation%20for%20phase%20cooler/IMG_20121011_034406.jpg[/screenshot]
Neoprene.
Now I am not saying that’s the best way to do it, or the only way just how I do it on this mobo, it is what I have found works best for me and allows for the easiest way to swap cpu. I do hope that some of the other guys post how they do theirs so we can all see other ways to skin this cat.
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