Build your own laptop water cooling rig

While most people's response to an overheating laptop would naturally be to send it in for repairs, Instructables member "Jack Ruby" decided to do things a little differently and take matters into his own hands, creating a water cooling system that is at once highly impractical and oh so right. As Mr. Ruby himself says, however, mixing water and electronics isn't always the best of ideas, so this strictly a proceed at your own risk deal. That said, if you're brave enough to risk electrocution and an even more damaged laptop, you can build the entire rig for far less than the repair bill would cost, and lay claim to the only computer mod that makes use of a gerbil hydration unit. Just don't blame us when you get "delayed" on you next visit to the airport.

[Via MAKE:Blog]

[Ken @ Dec 4th 2006 12:17PM]

That has to be one of the poorest implement cooling mods I've ever seen.

I've been thinking of building up a watercooling kit for my laptop as well. I must admit though, I would never let look as ghetto as this.

[Gil @ Dec 4th 2006 12:27PM]

"White and nerdy" material.

[Victor @ Dec 4th 2006 1:56PM]

Dear God, I own the same laptop, a 1998ish Compaq Presario 700US. I got mine for free, so I can't complain, its runs MCE 2005 nicely. I've been wanting to do that for several months now, but the only laptop even with enough room for a water cooler would be one of the giant monsters with the full size keyboard and the multiple 80mm fans in the bottom. Then go get a mini pump, make a copper radiator, and tube it....

[christopher @ Dec 4th 2006 2:07PM]

For laptop cooling to really work, it has to be a skin that stretches over the unit and follows it when the lid is either open or closed. I'm thinking much thinner tubes of greater number on the top and bottom, and fan assist for the stock laptop blower.

-C

[asher @ Dec 4th 2006 2:24PM]

a true "chic magnet" device.

[Chris @ Dec 4th 2006 2:35PM]

Or, you could go the elegant route and open it up and use better thermal paste between the chip(s) and heatsink and replace the fans with better ones but why let a good chance to "Tim Taylor" it up pass by. All it's missing now is Nitro.

[nicleT @ Dec 4th 2006 2:41PM]

For better results, cool the bottom of the portable not the top.

[rockintom99 @ Dec 4th 2006 3:40PM]

My god, that is a beautiful piece of electronics.

[Lady Dreadnought @ Dec 4th 2006 6:50PM]

I've given this some serious thought, and I've decided that I'm not impressed. It's the same sort of hack gimmickry that caused some of us (not me, but others I know) to make fishtanks out of their toaster Macs and Cubes. It's kitsch. Impractical, time-consuming and indicative of a critical lack of sunlight, but kitsch, in a cutesy, semi-snarky way.

But when was the last time any of us committed geek-types cared about cutesy?

[Matt Hadder @ Dec 4th 2006 8:34PM]

Hmmm, what about a hopper (ie foam coffee cup) with a hole in the bottom going to the inside of the unit (hopefully near the cpu)... Fill said device with dry ice and enjoy!

The cooler full of dry ice you'd need to carry around could double as a seat.