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Two questions about cooling (one is about materials)

T

TechnicalFreak

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Hi
First question: A friend of mine has this HP system, C2D cpu, nVidia graphics card.
3 Fans total: CPU, GPU and an exhaust fan (I'm not counting the PSU fan).
Problem is that even when idle it wants to rev up, or in other words cool down..
I said to him "Well you have your system in a computer furniture, with limited space for airflow to circulate". Was I right about this, because when it starts to rev up I put my hand behind the system and can "feel" hot air from the exhaust fan.

I know that HP doesn't know much about ventilating a case, but it has some small "holes" on the side door. But I feel that it's where the location of the entire case is that creates this heat problem. So any good solution??


Second question: If I was to build an heatsink, what would be like the "best" material you could recommend? I was thinking copper, maybe CNC a waterblock for cpu/gpu or give it a really really good lapping on it (I was thinking the best way is by using measurement tools by C.E. Johansson, it will be so flat, no air can get in between..).
 

mc-dexter

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I'm no expert but i can be full of idea's if you can find and upload of a pic of his case or one what looks just like it then like i said upload it n we'll see whats what. also could do with a pic with side panel of and on.
 
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Putting in a couple, like 2, fans to help with circulation wouldn't be a bad idea. Nor would cutting a whole in the side of the case for intake or exhaust.
However with the second question, im not sure on that.
 
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+1 get some more fans in there to increase airflow. don;t bother trying to custom make a new hsf, just buy a bigger one for the cpu.

You need to upload some pics of the case so peeps can give you some real advice
 
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Everything should run at top speeds while it boots up, and calm down afterwards. This is normal for the most part. Being an HP case, better cooling certainly isn't going to hurt it, and is definitely recommended.

Also, copper is one of the best elements for cooling. If you're fabbing your own, I wouldn't mind seeing something like a hybrid waterblock with direct touch heatpipes :)
 
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A perfectly flat water block is not ideal.

Stepped and or bowed blocks offer the greatest performance due to the increased mouting pressure they offer.
 
T

TechnicalFreak

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Thanks for the replies everyone. I will upload a picture(s) of my friends system.
However he (or I in this case) can't modify the system (since he is paying monthly for it).
I did once try to open the side "door" of the case, and the fan would still go up.. I'm thinking that someone, who ever assembled the system did something wrong. He doesn't want to give it in for repairs because it would be the third time he does it then, can't blame him for that.

@aspire: When you mean "stepped" or "bowed", do you have any example or similar I could use?
The question of why I want to know about the heatsink material, is because a company has gone bankrupt (right word?) and I have got a real good deal on raw materials:
Steel
Aluminium
Stainless Steel (some "pre shaped" objects)
Copper
Titanium (too expensive, and not so much of it..)
Zinc
Led (Pb)

For me it's the copper that is most interesting. However, the price for copper 1Kg copper is unknown for me. I'm just guessing to get like atleast 10Kg to work with. A friend of mine has both a lathe and milling CNC machine and various tools. So, first thought - build a heatsink for either aircooling or a waterblock. However "IF" I was to construct a waterblock, I do not want to copy any one else's material (zalman or similar)..

This is the main reason I was asking for a good CAD program in the software thread.
The second reason is because as of today - I have no job. So, I either go look for some shit job and take it. Or.. I start to make use of what I can do.


Thanks again for all the replies (and thankful for any replies given).
 
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just remove the sidecase drop a few 80-120 mm fans in there pointing out the case and move it away from the furniture should run at 3-7c cooler, no problem
 
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oh and copper and aliminum are very close these days with cooling tendencies even thought copper with nudge out aliminum by a few C
 
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Wait, your planning buying 22lb's of copper?

That seems like way overkill considering that usually copper is only used for the base of the block, and either brass, delrin or plexi is used for the top piece. This piece of copper should likely weigh in at about 4 oz.

A step or bow on a block means that the center of the block has a bit of a plateau in the center and a bow means the center of the base is being pushed outwards so it is convex towards the processor.

oh and copper and aliminum are very close these days with cooling tendencies even thought copper with nudge out aliminum by a few C

The thermal conductivity of copper is nearly twice that of aluminum...

Also aluminum is a no-no when water cooling, say hello to galvanic corrosion.
 
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Wait, your planning buying 22lb's of copper?

That seems like way overkill considering that usually copper is only used for the base of the block, and either brass, delrin or plexi is used for the top piece. This piece of copper should likely weigh in at about 4 oz.

A step or bow on a block means that the center of the block has a bit of a plateau in the center and a bow means the center of the base is being pushed outwards so it is convex towards the processor.



The thermal conductivity of copper is nearly twice that of aluminum...

Also aluminum is a no-no when water cooling, say hello to galvanic corrosion.

of course, i was just pointing out, you should know that if your water cooling but air cooling im just basis my decision on the many studies of such as the pure thermaalirght copper edition compared to there aliminum edition in where there pure copper edition only lowered the temp by 1-2c compared to the aliminum of course the aliminum ediution had a copper bottom. but almost all heatsinks do
 
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of course, i was just pointing out, you should know that if your water cooling but air cooling im just basis my decision on the many studies of such as the pure thermaalirght copper edition compared to there aliminum edition in where there pure copper edition only lowered the temp by 1-2c compared to the aliminum of course the aliminum ediution had a copper bottom. but almost all heatsinks do

The difference in that case is due to the fact that it's the heatpipes which do the majority of work. After that it's simply a matter of having enough fins to dissipate the heat.

Take an older style heatsink, the kind where it was a solid piece of metal machined into a heatsink. Make one in copper and one in aluminum, make then the same volume. The copper one will perform twice as well.
 
T

TechnicalFreak

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Thanks for the replies.
Well I'm buying so much copper, so if I was to make several heatsinks and/or waterblocks. I will most likely buy other materials when I'm at it..
 
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