Thread: COOL carputer with AC?

I can't remember who it was (must have been at least 9 months ago), but someone did this in a very ghetto fashion. They ran a thick plastic tube back to the back (yep right across everything).
My best protection for my computer in the summer is I underclock my CPU. If I don't it will just keep overheating and reset. I've got my 2600+ underclocked to 1800+ for the summer.

1 word: peltiers.

Im being ignored!

Seriously though... when winter comes around, woudn't your HEAT start shooting down that same 'tube' or 'duct' or whatever you have placed next to the computer?

Originally Posted by bergeron76

I'd be incredibly impressed to see a water cooled CPU that uses the vehicle's cooling system (antifreeze), pumped through it.

Now I could be wrong, but your antifreeze is going to be a whole heck of alot hotter then your computer. Engines can run upwards of 220 F inside the cooling pockets. According to This Article optimal coolant temps range from 200 - 230 degrees. It also says that engines put out 5,000 F in the chambers which is devided up among HP, Coolant, Oil ...

If you want to cool your computer with ac, try This Thats a liquid cooling kit for your computer from tiger direct for 141... I'm sure there are others, cheaper, and others better... but you could put that unit inside an ac duct to cool the water pocket module, and that would pipe super cool water back to your cpu... I wouldn't mess with the humidity argument... its just plain too risky either way.

Well I felt I had to edit this as I took another look at that kit and the radiator would be kinda big to put in your ac duct... but you could pipe the cold air through it or place the pump in your duct as it should be small enough, but you may over cool the pump causing it to fail prematurely. Youd definitely have to look further into it, but atleast I have offered my opinion. I have a laptop, so this unit wouldn't do me any good, and I havn't had problems with cooling yet.

Originally Posted by justintime

Im being ignored!

Seriously though... when winter comes around, woudn't your HEAT start shooting down that same 'tube' or 'duct' or whatever you have placed next to the computer?

I would imagine... you would have to either take the duct away from your computer or remove the piece from the duct so that you wouldn't heat it. If you ran a new duct all the way to the back, you could just have a butterfly type valve or something someplace along the way to shut off the heat when its winter. Personally I wouldn't want to have to run my ac all the time just to cool my computer, that would suck... gas aint cheap here in the willywags.

Originally Posted by dmcdlrn

Now I could be wrong, but your antifreeze is going to be a whole heck of alot hotter then your computer. Engines can run upwards of 220 F inside the cooling pockets. According to This Article optimal coolant temps range from 200 - 230 degrees. It also says that engines put out 5,000 F in the chambers which is devided up among HP, Coolant, Oil ...

You're not wrong.
I make this same exact point whenever someone gets the idea of watercooling their PC by tapping into the vehicle's existing cooling system. Nobody listens to me.

Realistically, though. A small radiator could be placed in order to receive airflow, thus cooling the water or coolant as intended. This could easily be placed in-line with the ventilation system in the car.
It could also be placed at the front of the car, with the radiator in the front to receive maximum airflow (no fan needed!). The problem with this, is the long run of tubing needed to get the coolant to the PC inside the car would run through the nice hot engine bay (assuming a front-engine vehicle, of course). That could easily negate the cooling from the radiator.

Truth, thats why this liquid cool system designed for a computer might work... you could run that up under the hood, but again, you deal with the heat of the engine bay heating the cooling lines back up on there way back.

Your best bet would be to vent out of the car in the trunk... like cut a small hole, or tie into the pressure regulation vents allready in place stock, and just port your "radiator" out there with a fan... it would pull cooler air from the passenger compartment into the trunk and out the hole.

I don't know... like I said, I have a laptop so it wouldn't work for me, but I just couldn't let the engine coolant one go, and being a newbie I feel I must start by saying I might be wrong so that I don't upset people

It could also be placed at the front of the car, with the radiator in the front to receive maximum airflow (no fan needed!). The problem with this, is the long run of tubing needed to get the coolant to the PC inside the car would run through the nice hot engine bay (assuming a front-engine vehicle, of course). That could easily negate the cooling from the radiator.

If your carputer is in the trunk, you could even create one in the rear of the vehicle. By using a fiberglass airscoop and putting in the trunk, you could pull air in and have your entire computer/cooling setup contained in the trunk. You'd have to create an output vent somewhere though.



This is offtopic, but I just saw Star Wars III, and it kicked some major ***.

well with that in mind, the thing to worry about is water/snow/ice damage depending on where you live... if the radiator for the kit you get can handle water and you seal it off then your golden. I'd just vent it up through the back deck or something... the trunk will accumulate heat, but if your using the computer... chances are you either A. have windows open, B. have AC on, or C. your just chillin showin off your system and you can leave the trunk open... but the thing is the trunk will heat up cause its enclosed... the cab won't cause you can control it. Makes me want to install a pc into my trunk... if only there were space there!!!