Water Cooled Laptop

[Gobi Jerboa]

Overview:

My hope is to create one of the first water cooled laptops that is 100% self contained. (I.E No tubes routed out the back of the laptop to a Radiator or external source of power).​

Laptop:

MSI GT70 20C-065US.​

Plan:

My plan is to expand the HDD bay into the DVD bay by removing some of the case. This will allow room for me to place a custom made reservoir/pump combo. If necessary I will expand the base of the case to allow for more room. I will be using acrylic tubing and will need to make a custom water block for the CPU and GPU.​

Obstacles:

1. Space

Obviously space is going to be a HUGE issue. The radiator/Fan combo is going to be the biggest constraint I am feeling but the pump reservoir combo is a close second. I'm currently making measurements and placing them into a log they should be available soon.​

2. Water Blocks

This will be the first and probably only time that I will be making my own water blocks. Tons of research is going to be needed to be taken and It might not even be possible to make one that is in such a small form factor to fit inside my laptop. (Even if I do modify the case to make it larger)​

3. Rad/Fans

This radiator is going to probably going to be the thinnest radiator ever placed into a computer I need some experiments to see if if the amount of heat transfer that is going to be taken place in combination with the amount of cooling the small fan will be doing will be enough to show a significant temperature difference from the stock cooling.​

4. Tubing

Tubing is going to be a bit of a problem but solvable I think. My plan is to use acrylic tubing. I want something that I can heat up and bend and still have it be sturdy and stationary. Space, Space, Space and not the to infinity and beyond kind.​

5. Power

The only source of power is going to be 2 SATA power connectors. I don't even know if the battery will have enough juice to run this set up without the power being plugged in. (Because MSI has a utility which will allow the laptop to draw power from both the battery and the power brick if necessary.) If the battery can't output the power for the pump and the fan AND of course a noticeable overclock there is no point in continuing since it would no longer be mobile.
​

Process: (As I edit the now section down below the comments will be place here as a build log)

1/5/2013

Just a quick picture of the inside of a MSI GT70. Mine obviously has 2 HHD bays and not some mSSDs.
​

Now:

1/7/2013

Right now I am exploring my case a bit to see if I can even make the modifications I believe are going to be needed to make everything fit. Taking measurements and what not. Hopefully I can update soon.​

Closing Thoughts:

Please leave any and all thoughts, concerns, question, remarks, etc. I would like this to not only become my project but the project to all of those on TPU. Thank you.​

 

[Nordic]

If you are doing this to reduce temps significantly than I think your expectations are high. If you are doing it for the cool factor of having a watercooled laptop, more power too you. Watercooling is still air cooling, the water just brings the heat to a bigger more efficient radiator.

 

[MT Alex]

I really don't like to be a naysayer, and I usually try and build the confidence of new members, but: No way in hell.

 

[Steevo]

How about magnetic circulated fluid in copper pipes, and a larger copper plate bound to a vented large alloy base for the radiator instead?

Or use a small cross section of fins after the primary heat source, to drop the highest temps for high wattage loads, and circulate the rest of the coolant back through the base?

 

[MRCL]

...I'm following this. It sounds nigh on impossible, but where would we be if we didn't attempt the impossible.

 

[sneekypeet]

maybe you should just follow Aseteks lead...
http://www.asetek.com/laptop.aspx

 

[Steevo]

Look how thick the laptop is though, and its weight is going to increase as well.

 

[Sasqui]

If you have a optical drive bay you can sacrifice, that might buy you space for a "radiator".

Crazy DIY project, but kudos if you can pull it off!

 

[Vario]

How about a phase loop cooled laptop: Sure it ways about 30 pounds and the battery is a car battery but you might be on to something here.


edit: still a cool device though