Mineral Oil Submerged Computer

[crookbounty]

Would it be possible to do this kind of cooling with a X2 5200+ and an 8800GTX? Also, would it be possible to enclose this in some kind of air tight container and have tubes leading out of the container to some kind of cooling devices for the oil to keep condensation out of the container? How much OCing could I do with just the oil with no cooling devices?

[akelly999]

i have an idea and wondered if anyone has tried it. what if you used paraffin wax instead of mineral oil. the melting point is low so there would be a phase change cooling effect so long as some of the wax is still solid. plus you can give your feet some heat therapy in the process...

[kitizz]

i have an idea and wondered if anyone has tried it. what if you used paraffin wax instead of mineral oil. the melting point is low so there would be a phase change cooling effect so long as some of the wax is still solid. plus you can give your feet some heat therapy in the process...

hmmm, lol, i think viscosity is your main concern here. If it gets too thick, it will not circulate well at all

[Danik]

I am also planning to build submerged pc. I got All the parts i need for it. The miniral oil i am going to use is ASTM D-3487 Type II. This oil is used on High Voltage Substations, and it's clear. Actualy you need special rubber for seal on this type of oil.

[freakboynv2000]

Has anybody come up with a clean way to mount IDE drives besides external usb cases? I want to build one but I am at a loss as to how to house my cdroms and hdds.

[glj12]

Has anybody come up with a clean way to mount IDE drives besides external usb cases? I want to build one but I am at a loss as to how to house my cdroms and hdds.

Build a plexi glass housing for it and place it underneath the lid of the aquarium lid. But for me, I didn't use plexi-glass, but its just a thought. See: http://leetupload.com/tutorials/1337_fleet

In regards to the "have to use a radiator so it won't crash" thing, that's completely false. You can leave this mineral oil machine on 24/7 with absolutely no cooling mechanism, and it will remain completely stable. The link above is my project for the mineral oil beast, and its been runnings a server with no coolant, (not even air conditioning, and I'm in the mid-west, so it gets awfully hot here).

As for a CD-ROM drive, why not go with an external USB one?

[wildwill]

Has anyone done extensive testing on the oil sumerged pc. will it destroy the capasitors or have any other adverse effects on the pc. please tell me i an seriously thinking of using it for colling on an above average pc.

[PCC- Builder Dan]

We're doing that now, actually- the machine is being used as a desktop box running Vista, we're seeing what will happen in a couple of months.

[Jack Ruby]

I just wanted to post up the email I sent to the Puget guys last night. It might add something to the discussion

Nice work! I’ve been kicking around the idea of building a mineral oil cooled computer since I saw a veggie oil one about a year ago.
How did you mount the hdd? Or the Cdrom? Did you seal the cpu like toms did?

At any rate, you asked for a pump/reservoir unit. I would suggest a cheaper (and possibly more appropriate) method is a stop by your local auto parts store.
You could pick up a nice radiator for cooling engine oil or transmission oil for 25 bucks
That’s what I used here: http://www.instructables.com/id/EDZO09MXA3EV2Z4CFS/
Also, for a cheap pump (about 30) you could use an aftermarket fuel pump. Fuel pumps run on 12v and are designed to be lubricated by the fluid they pump. Plus they can stand up to the viscosity of the oil, which a water pump shouldn’t be able to do for long.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/EW3/Displ...ycleCount=1995

[glj12]

We're doing that now, actually- the machine is being used as a desktop box running Vista, we're seeing what will happen in a couple of months.

Same here, running it currently as a knoppix server for cs:s 24/7 with no air conditioning in the room, and no radiator.