Micro refrigerated ThermalTake Xpressar case promises to outcool liquid cooling
By Donald Melanson 
posted Sep 22nd 2008 1:33PM
posted Sep 22nd 2008 1:33PM
Still somehow not satisfied by the vast array of PC cooling options at your disposal? Then perhaps ThermalTake's new Xpressar case will suit your excessive ways, with it boasting what the company claims is the first DC inverter type micro refrigeration cooling system to be used in a PC case. That system, which is more or less a reworked air conditioner, promises to keep your components 20°C cooler than your average liquid cooling system, and a full 40°C cooler than a regular air cooling system, although the folks at DarkVision Hardware seem to be a bit skeptical of ThermalTake's testing methods. You also won't be able to use any old motherboard with it, with only a handful from ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI supported, but the case itself seems to be more than accommodating enough for the rest of your components. No word on a price just yet, but you can pretty safely bet you'll be paying a premium to be a part of this particular "world's first" endeavor.
[Thanks, Thomas]
[Thanks, Thomas]
'Micro refrigerated ThermalTake Xpressar case promises to outcool liquid cooling', well I would hope so, seeing as its no doubt gonna cost 5 or 6 hundred dollars.
This thing would likely cost $1000 or more judging from the quality of morksmanship.
My thing is, I'd perfer to simply buy an off-the-shelf PC and add a video card to it.
HP quad Core + NVIDIA GTX 280...and that's it
I could get both for less than $1300 and not have to worry about the price of the individual parts.
you might as well have a fridge plumbed into your pc at that price. looks nice but even for that price I would expect more than a cool pc. possibly a happy ending?
I just wish it didn't have to look so geeky. I'm all for building my own PC's and a bit of modding etc., but why must it looks like a dorks wet dream?! Lian Li have the right idea but they can still be bettered!
Samboini - see this.. http://inventgeek.com/Projects/Minifridge/overview.aspx
im still confuzzed about condensation
I'd expect it to be more than that. It'll probably have an obscenely low margin as well so no one will stock it and everyone will drop ship from TT (which means that anyone considering buying one of these should go with the cheapest shipping method available from your retailer as TT is completely incapable of getting DS orders out the day they're placed, and sometimes incapable of doing it within 2-3 days).
5 or 6 hundred dollars?
meh ... Your monthly electric bill will go up that much just keeping this rig juiced up, so I wouldn't sweat the cost of the case ...
@Flashpoint
Please read the article before commenting. This is a case with cooling not an entire PC.
Go to a computer store and get some silver thermal get for 5 bucks and watch your cpu or gpu drop -10c idle and at least -5c when max load.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a minifridge and stick your computer in it?
Somewhere, a Transformer is missing his chest plate, as it seems to have been inexplicably attached to the top front of this case.
Maybe CERN should have used this to stop the LHC overheating...
I'm afraid they use far more complex and powerful systems...
is it wrong i hear "London Calling" whenever i see your screen name?
'allo, 'allo...
Lol. Nice idea but no. The LHC magnets need to be cooled, not the computers. :P
And its not because they overheat, its that they wont work if they aren't at absolute zero.
Anyway, yet another pointless way to cool your PC. Good airflow case with 2 or 3 120mm out takes and 1 or 2 120mm intakes + a decent aftermarket CPU cooler is enough for ANY PC. Don't kid yourself on. This is a waste of money. So is water-cooling. Its all e-penis rubbish.
wait...people watercool to get better temps? I though it was all about those green UV reactive hoses/fluids.
Meh. It's just a small phase change setup that sits inside the case. This is far from the first one. Not only DIY, but I believe at least one has been commercialized.
VapoChill and Prometeia i believe
Exactly and unless they solve the condensation beast this thing will be an “epic fail” like the vapolchill before it. Believe me I know (see top left below pic):
http://www.eternal-champions.com/images/ldm_master_builder!.jpg
CPU, MB and GPU was in mortal danger!
Wasn't that ion cooling system compatible with ThermalTake cases only?
great!
no need for a usb cooler for the beer!
What about precipitation from the cold air?
You mean condensation:P
that would be the purpose behind using the special Asus motherboards I would assume. All solid, sealed capacitors, insulated circuitry, etc...Also very expensive.
hey an OS X branded case! whodathunk
More like XboX
The only think surprising to me here is that this hasn't been done before.
It makes perfect sense why this hasn't been done.
Rapidly cooling air that may have moisture in it would cause condensation to form on the internal components.
If you read a couple of posts up from disciple83, a good point it made on how this case can be used.
You absolutely have to have specific type of motherboard and components that can take this.
Read later posts (that were posted before yours) and you will see that is not a first
I didn't say it was a GOOD idea, I was just surprise it wasn't done before, which it apparently has, so I am no longer surprised.
umm... is this moar firster?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/112916-3/fun_tech.html
Sounds perfect for me. Sign me up.
This is far from the first to do this. Vapochill was the first company to do it commercially. They offered both standalone units and cases.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/peripherals/review/2005/03/09/Asetek-VapoChill-XE-II-Refrigerated-PC-Case/p1 for example.
It seems they only sell the standalone units now though.
http://www.asetek.com/content/view/51/101/
cool.
PC by day, AC by night!
little known nerdrock cover band AC/PC's hit song i believe
^takes the cake [and eats it too]
They'll probably make it so that when you want to open the case you will press a button that will slowly warm the inside of the case to room temperature.
As sweet as AC for your computer sounds it does bring up one issue. AC cause a lot of condensation because of the cold air they produce. Last time I checked water+running electrical equipment doesn't mix well.
I was going to say the same thing.. uh.. refridgerator = condesation = screwed components.. I'd really like to see how they are handling this problem.
You need a specially design motherboard to operate within the case.
RTA...
it operates at 20deg C...that's about 85F. Condensation will not be a factor. It has nothing to do with motherboards, it has nothing fancy.
likely the only reason they're not allowing just any motherboard in there is for space/design reasons. the refrigerant lines are pre-fabed and can't be moved easily. you have to know exactly the location and size of the cpu pad.
That's all well and good for the motherboard that it's insulated and all, but what about the other components you throw in? They'll be suseptible to condensation.
two words... noise level.
I dunno, the aircon in my car is pretty quiet, and this thing is probably about that size. I can't even hear it over the sound of the air blowing, usually, and you'd get that on a fan-cooled pc.
Still, not worth the premium when you figure in the expensive mobos you have to use.
It really is one cool case.
the tree huggers will love it ;)
Perhaps I could just put my tower in my refrigerator and work from there, eh? Seems to be a little cheaper.