Stability of winter-air cooling? ;)

I'm just curious, I have a 1600+ AGOIA running at 2.2v at 24c @ 1995MHz (doesn't wanna do 191fsb heheh but 190's stable...for now) and well... I'm cooling it in an interesting way. I have everything in my system covered in this paper they use to cover lumber so that it doesn't get wet, to prevent moisture obviously... well anyways everything is covered but the heatsink, and I built an air funnel out of cardboard, put two fans on one end blowing through it, and stuck the other end into my computer, close to my hs/f to put cold air through it. well I haven't noticed any condensation, and I've been running my computer for about a week now with no problems (other than going past 190fsb heheh... didn't unlock the multiplier so I'm going fsb...obviously heheh) so far... is this ok? I mean I don't know much about condensation besides common sense (cooling with cold air running into a warm heatsink.... one would think it would create condensation on the hs...) so am I at risk? bad idea you think? (btw I'm in the snowbelt area of northwestern michigan, lower peninsula, so it's cold enough here to make a difference with outside air hehe) ...

so am I in danger of killin something? I love how cold my computer is, and I'm into unique cooling with a low budget... so if this is a bad idea, then are there any good ideas I could use? I've tried the mineral oil project on an old K6-2 system, overclocked that all the way it would go...(300 K6-2 to 504, 4.5x112 heheh) but well it's really messy... and I'm looking for something that'd keep me below ambient temps...so I was thinking about water cooling, and putting the reservoir outside my window in my room. Well this is long enough, hope someone has the patience to read through it all heheheh... thanks if so...

the next Dr Ffreeze (mineral oil project inventor heheh),
Delridas

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common sense (cooling with cold air running into a warm heatsink.... one would think it would create condensation on the hs...)

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lol, actually condensation is formed when warm humid air comes in contact with a cold heatsink ;)

nice common sense.. lmao.. hope you didn't mean that the way you said it :p

lol yah that's what I meant, my bad... so is this a bad idea? I just don't know if I trust the paper enough heheh

Also, covering the outside of the case with paper does nothing except insulate it - making it hotter.

btw thanks for making me look like a fool! heheheh (perhaps I am;))

I was mainly concerned with cold hitting warm, I never really messed with this sort of thing.

so would I get condensation under my heatsink because of the warm cpu?

-sorry to post more than anyone else on this thread lol

wow! Nice overclock and i hope everything work out for you ok!@

nonono I have the side off, everything inside covered but the hs/f...(not tightly covered, just kinda a canyon where the hs/f is) have the fan on the top of my case blowing out the air to circulate the air... only the hs/f is getting touched by the cold air...

should I include a picture of it? I even have a fan on the other side of the paper in the back of my computer to exhaust the hot air on the other side of the paper (not that it needs it, everything is cold... this is why I was curious if the paper is even helping really... heheh everyone seems to think I fell off the turnip truck a few min ago, maybe it's because of my description of this setup...(not good at describing things... hold on i'll take a picture) :P this idea may be farfetched but it has me running cold... I just wanna know if I'm in danger, I have some parts that I don't wanna lose, and I already sold that slimy k6-2 system so I can't test it on anything else ;)

I don't think you'll have a problem until you turn the fan off. If the cold air stops circulating (whether or not the computer is running) the case temp will rise much quicker than the HSF and core temp, then you'll get condensation. If you do decide to go back to standard cooling (or try something else crazy ;) ) then make sure you let it warm up as slow as possible (turn down the fan speed, cover part of the funnel to restrict flow, or wait till spring). Whatever you do don't turn it off long enough to warm up, then back on again on a cold day or you may be the first person ever to have a heatsink ice over! :D Props for creativity and a great OC!

edit: here's another thought, I wonder if you could run with no HSF on an especially cold day, or if temps cold enough might crack a core...?

Ask the originator of the concept.
Saps Winter Mod

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so would I get condensation under my heatsink because of the warm cpu?

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Could you please reread what korndogg wrote about this? Condensation is formed by WARM air hitting something COLD. Not the other way around. You are talking about COLD air hitting something WARM. Hence: no condensation.

I said (and I requote this) "so would I get condensation under my heatsink because of the warm cpu" I was thinking that since my heatsink is getting below ambient temperature, and my cpu core was ABOVE ambient (and obviously above the temperature of the COLD HEATSINK) I was just curious about condensation UNDER the heatsink! (this is an example of something WARM hitting something COLD) now I am still not sure if that will happen or not. Yet another person assumes I know nothing, when obviously they have a reading problem, or are just out to make me look bad. Jeez come on! EXCUUUUSE me if I don't know about this sort of thing, I'm sure every shmo joe you take off the street knows that condensation works the way it does. None the less I DID get condensation on my heatsink, and ya know why? Because I shut it off too fast and didn't let it warm back to ambient temps (the HEATSINK! ok?) so this COLD heatsink met my normal room temperatures (something WARMER) and it got condensation. SO! this is my reply to your statement. I don't understand how you could have misunderstood my question about condensation UNDER the heatsink (which is where the only warm area was) and I was curious as to if that would be enough to make it condensate. that is all!

I didn't mean to sound mean or patronizing - but you are asking the same thing over and over again:

Condensation happens when warm, moist *AIR* hits a colder *OBJECT*. So a room temperature computer getting cold air from outside will not get condensation *ANYWHERE*.

The difference in temperature between the cpu and the heatsink (which is extremely small by the way) doesn't matter since the water must come from the *AIR* which is at or below the temp of either object already.

There is the missing link!!! You emphasized AIR this time! last time you were capitalising 'WARM' and 'COLD'! all I heard were EXAMPLES of cold object meets warm air. I assumed this was one of many scenarios of condensation. I apologize for being arrogant and quite rude but you do understand this is my baby we're talkin about! :) No wonder why I was worrying and wanted to make sure everything would be ok! I wanted to make sure nothing would happen to it. Having no job at the moment (Christmas time believe it or not is a difficult time to find a job, they mostly hire people right on the spot for holiday helpers, and I must be horrible at timing), and quitting my last computer job a little after I bought these parts, you can understand, I hope, that I could not replace these with ease... I was thinking about not even trying it, because I'm a 'better safe than sorry' kind of guy. But right now I -am- sorry for getting rude. I guess looking like an idiot (even if it was my fault) makes one a little on the defensive. I know that right now redeeming any thoughts from anyone thinking I know anything about computers may be futile, but I did work at that computer repair shop for a while, so I do know the basics rather well. I love to do exotic things, shall I say -unique- things, (or at least uncommon) because I love the challenge. I tried the mineral oil thing after many people advising me not to, saying you might get hurt or whatever, and I did it anyway. foolish or curious, whatever the cause for my inspiration, I love to try new things. I hope I didn't make your day any worse, or anyone's more redundant while explaining this to me ;) thanks for all your input, and the paper makes no difference now, I understand that :) now, I have yet another question, and I will be completely open to any criticism and accept it: there IS condensation on the outside of my case, and I have a fan in my top panel of the computer, exhausting air. Question being, should I worry about the condensation forming enough to drip down into the hole where the fan is? I would think that one drop of water falling would just hit a blade of the fan and it would pretty much evaporate. but yet again, I could be wrong... any input would be great, and thanks again for humbling moments ;P

So what the heck are u going to do in the summer????

Since the inside of your case is below the temperature of the air in the room, its not surprising you get condensation on the outside of the case. But thats really nothing to worry about. It will only happen outside the case.

One thing to be careful of though - it IS possible to get condensation inside the case if you run your cooling setup for a while without the computer on, then open the case. Then the parts inside will be cold and when the warmer air from the room hits the parts, you'll get condensation. So just make sure you don't run the cooling system while the computer is off.

Id shoot for running at ambient. Go below and you risk condensation.

Well here's the thing Unreal, I just want to get below ambient because in my room it is REALLY warm (about 90f, since the parent's bedroom is under mine and they always have the heater on in their room, it shoots right up into mine, plus we have hot water heating running through each room... my parents just care about how the temps are downstairs since that's where they usually are, and not upstairs. I always have the window cracked open anyways! but so you see, I need to go below ambient! heh)

and to answer the question about summer time, I planned on seeing if I could gut out a fridge, or make my own (I think finding a small fridge would be easier)... I'm keeping my eyes out for one, then I will have more questions about that. For now, though, I'm gonna look for a job, and get some money, and then I'll set up my dream case for mineral oil ;) until then, thanks everyone, and thanks for all the input and patience russ



feeling much safer,
Delridas