WaterCooling
Latest
IBM solar collector will concentrate the power of 2,000 suns, keep its cool
Modern solar collectors can concentrate only so much energy for safety's sake: too much in one place and they risk cooking themselves. An IBM-led group is working on a new collector dish that could avoid that damage while taking a big step forward in solar power efficiency. The hundreds of photovoltaic chips gathering energy at the center will be cooled by the same sort of microchannel water cooling that kept Aquasar from frying, letting each chip safely concentrate 2,000 times the solar energy it would normally face. The collector also promises to do more with sunlight once it's trapped: since the microchannels should absorb more than half of the waste heat, their hot water byproduct can either be filtered into drinkable water or converted into air conditioning. As you might imagine, IBM sees more than just the obvious environmental benefit. When a receiver will generate about 25kW of energy while costing less to make through cheaper mirrors and structures, a fully developed solar array could be an affordable replacement for coal power that delivers greater independence -- picture remote towns that need a fresh water supply. IBM doesn't estimate when we'll see production of these collectors beyond several prototypes, but the finished work will likely be welcome to anyone frustrated by the scalability of current solar energy.
Custom PC desk / case combo ditches glass, metal for wood
Desk case PC mods have lit up our radar before, but a modder by the name of Pirate -- who's no stranger to us -- has dropped the typical glass and metal enclosure for medium-density fiberboard. Though the material choice was an effort to avoid buying a new desk, it created a need for a robust cooling system. Five fans (three exhaust, two intake), a radiator and a liquid-cooling system keep the rig at roughly 88 F (31 C) with ambient temperatures hovering around 79 F (26 C). As for horsepower, the workstation features a Core-i5-2500k processor and a Radeon HD 7950 graphics card sporting a water cooling block on an Asus Gene IV microATX motherboard. Visuals are piped to three displays in an Eyefinity configuration that are held by a modded ergonomic stand. Pictures of the build process in excruciating detail await you at the source. Update: Ben Willock commented to let us know that it's sporting a Core-i5-2500k processor, not a Core-i5-2000k. We've updated the post.
IBM's water-cooled supercomputer saves energy and helps with your heating bill (video)
IBM's SuperMuc has had a good week. Not only has the three petaflop machine been listed as Europe's fastest supercomputer, but it's also apparently the first high performance computer that's entirely water-cooled. Rather than filling rooms with air conditioning units, water is piped around veins in each component, removing heat 4,000 times more efficiently than air. The hot water is then used to heat the buildings of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre where it lives, saving the facility $1.25 million per year. After the break we've got a video from Big Blue, unfortunately narrated by someone who's never learned how to pronounce the word "innovative."
EVGA's GeForce GTX 680 Classified tempts overclockers with watery siren call
Judging by a sneak Computex preview, EVGA's intentions for the upcoming GTX 680 Classified graphics card are not a thorny mystery. With an optional water-cooling block and voltage control inputs, there's plenty here to seduce the hardcore modder. The company isn't talking numbers just yet, but if terms like "14-phase power design" whet your appetite, then you're in luck. In any case, like its other Classified mates, it's apt to be the company's top GeForce GTX 680 performer. So, if you're plugging in the pumps and hoses for that next mod, you might want to leave a slot -- or four -- open for this one.
Bit-tech's Mod of the Year contest underway: finally, something you're comfortable voting on
Like ponies to little girls, we always have a soft spot for mods here at Engadget. Who could forget Angel OD's liquid-cooled Wii, for example? Or Peter Brands' Frankendesk of a PC, the L3p D3sk? Well, it seems like we're not the only ones whose fancies got tickled by these things, as both made the list of nominees for bit-tech's Mod of the Year 2011 competition. The contest is serving up its biggest field to date with 25 projects. Entries include a PC that doubles as a mini Warhammer Dreadnought and another computer encased in a Star Trek Intrepid Mark II Class starship replica. If your tastes lean more toward the older than old school kind, Jeffrey Stephenson's got one of his wooden mods included in the bunch, as well. Naturally, you can check out the rest of the entries (and cast your votes) at the source below. [Thanks, Antony]
Corsair's Sandy Bridge E-compatible liquid coolers get plumbed in and tested
You'd be crazy to embark on a Sandy Bridge E upgrade without anticipating all the costs involved. Some might argue you'd be crazy, period, but that's only because they're haters. The fact is, if you can drop a grand on an i7-3960X (or $600 for a more sensible i7-3930K), then you can probably find some spare brass for a decent liquid cooler. So, which to get? The crew at HotHardware just reviewed Corsair's LGA2011-compatible H80 and H100 water systems, spiced up with a look at Intel's own RTS2011LC cooler for comparison. They concluded that both Corsairs were a cinch to install and easily surpassed Intel's offering by allowing higher stable overclocks without excessive decibels. However, they also cautioned that the hefty $90-$120 investment in a Corsair or any other high-end liquid cooler won't necessarily yield quieter performance than an air system, because you end up with fans and a water pump chugging away in your rig. See the source link for the full results and then click 'More Coverage' for Bit.tech's review of the H80.
Dutchman integrates a 4.5GHz water-cooled rig into his d3sk
Cooler Master's 2011 Case Mod Competition looks to be the gift that keeps on giving. After serving up a Tron lightcycle and an architectural marvel, it's now playing host to a mod that redefines the idea of an all-in-one PC. Peter from the Netherlands has managed to fit a pretty bombastic set of components -- 4.5GHz Core i7-980X, two ASUS GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards in SLI, over 12TB of storage with an SSD boot disk, and two PSUs providing 1,500W of power in total -- together with a water-cooling setup and the inevitable glowing lights inside one enclosure, which just so happens to also serve as his desk. The three-piece monitor setup is also a custom arrangement, with a 27-inch U2711 IPS panel being flanked by two 17-inchers. Admittedly, this isn't the first water-cooled and over-powered desk we've laid eyes on, but that shouldn't prevent you from giving the links below a bash and checking out the amazingly neat design of Peter's l3p d3sk.
Digital Storm's liquid-chilled gaming PC includes 4.6GHz Core i7-980X, equally chilling price
Mmm, overclocking. If you've been looking to treat yourself this holiday season, there's hardly a better way than with a shiny new gaming PC. Better still, a shiny new gaming PC with a liquid-chilled processor... one that just so happens to be warrantied with a 4.6GHz clock speed. Digital Storm's Hailstorm desktop is now available with a so-called Sub-Zero cooling system, which is described as a series of TEC peltier coolers that work in conjunction with other high-end liquid cooling components to keep Intel's Core i7-980X from boiling over. On the high-end rig, you'll also get 6GB of DDR3 memory, a trio of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (1.5GB) GPUs, a 1200-watt power supply and a bank-breaking $6,903 price tag. Cost-conscious consumers can opt for two lesser systems, with a $4,390 build being equipped with a Core i7-950 and the $3,899 unit creeping by with only a single GTX 460 GPU. But hey, what's a few grand among friends? Promo vid is after the break. %Gallery-108029%
Overclocked, liquid-cooled Mac Pro trades noise for speed
I wonder if it's only a matter of time before Apple decides to go to a liquid-cooled solution rather than keeping with bigger and faster fans. In any case, one technically adept person over at Asetek didn't want to wait for that day. He went about not only water cooling an older 8-core Mac Pro, but overclocked it as well. The result was a much quieter system, with the same speed as a newer Mac Pro and at lower cost. I haven't noticed a Mac Pro to be all that noisy, but the quieter the system the better, especially when it's on or under your desk. What this guy didn't explain, though, was how much time and money it cost to outfit the older Mac Pro with water cooling. Would the time, effort and cost there still make it a worthwhile mod? Check out his full video after the jump.
Kingston dives headfirst into water-cooling with HyperX H2O memory
Even in the niche world of PC overclocking, liquid-cooled memory never achieved popularity, but don't tell Kingston that -- the vendor's now selling premium sticks of DDR3 where water is a prerequisite. Unlike OCZ's fin-tastic Flex series, the new Kingston Hyper H20 modules keep their cool via tube alone, which admittedly means more space in your case as you carefully bump their clocks up from the stock 2,000MHz (or 2,133MHz) and CL9-11-9-27 timings at 1.65 volts. While you can't (yet) get them in a lovely shade of 2.4GHz blue, the modules do come in both dual-channel (4GB) and triple-channel (6GB) kits starting at $157 and $235 respectively, and we imagine if the above cooling design is marginally successful, you'll soon see it for sale on its own. PR after the break, memory available to purchase at our source link.
IBM's zEnterprise architecture makes mainframes cool again, also efficient (video)
There's a good chance you think mainframes are about as cool as pocket protectors, your parents on Facebook, and COBOL... the latter of which, of course, is largely executed on mainframes. If so, stand still while IBM blows the doors (and the dust) off of your mainframe misconceptions with its new zEnterprise 196, offering 96 5.2GHz cores, 3TB of RAM, and hot swappable I/O drawers for when you need to change pants in a hurry. All this is said to boost performance by 60 percent compared to its predecessor, the z10, while also reducing energy consumption by a claimed 80 percent -- though that could be compared to people sitting in tanning booths performing calculations with abacuses for all we know. However, you can drop consumption a further 12 percent by opting for the water cooling system, nice if your AC unit is already struggling. IBM will start shipping these behemoths sometime in the last quarter of this year and didn't mention pre-orders, so get ready to rent the biggest truck you can find and camp out in Armonk if you want yours on release day.
Level 10 gaming chassis gains Asetek liquid cooling solution
We're guessing that most Level 10 owners spend more time dusting off their chassis than actually using it for "computing purposes," but those that have been pinching their pennies in order to snag one now have yet another reason to do so. Asetek, which knows a thing or two about system cooling, has teamed up with iBuyPower in order to deliver the first and only liquid cooling option for what's quite possibly the planet's most astounding PC enclosure. The pain? Not a dime, as the option is now standard equipment on systems that include the case. Huzzah! %Gallery-85267%
Zenith 5-S-29 radio case mod explained in excellent, water-cooled detail
The trusty old desktop rarely gets the love it deserves these days. Losing gamers to consoles and casual users to laptops, it's left only with a loyal band of enthusiasts, but what a gorgeous bunch they are. Gary from the Bit-tech forums has put together the above case mod, inspired by the styles of early 20th century electronics, and reminded us all that big can be beautiful. He's managed to fit an entire water cooling setup inside, while leaving no detail undocumented in a thorough, pic-heavy walkthrough of the project. We'd have considered the stunning wooden case enough by itself, but Gary has taken care of the little touches as well, as exemplified by the spare PCI slot covers matching the external construction. Hit the source link for images of the build and the insides laid bare.
iBUYPOWER launches Core i7-packin' Paladin XLC desktops
Nearly a month to the day after iBUYPOWER launched its gamer-centric M865TU gaming laptop, the outfit has now given the desktop gamers in attendance something to consider. The liquid cooled Paladin XLC series is comprised of three well appointed models, the XLC V1, XLC V2 and XLC V3. All three of 'em are stored in the monstrous Coolermaster HAF 922 (the V3 gets a HAF 932), while even the lowest end model gets a Core i7-920 processor. Other specs include up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, as many as three NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 GPUs, upwards of 1TB of HDD space, optional Blu-ray support and Windows Vista Home Premium. The trifecta can be ordered now for $1,399, $2,159 or $4,299 in order of mention.
Water-cooled Aquasar supercomputer does math, heats dorm rooms
Not that we haven't seen this trick pulled before, but there's still something magical about the forthcoming Aquasar. Said supercomputer, which will feature two IBM BladeCenter servers in each rack, should be completed by 2010 and reach a top speed of ten teraflops. Such a number pales in comparison to the likes of IBM's Roadrunner, but it's the energy factor here that makes it a star. If all goes well, this machine will suck down just 10KW of energy, while the average power consumption of a supercomputer in the top 500 list is 257KW. The secret lies in the new approach to chip-level water cooling, which will utilize a "fine network of capillaries" to bring the water dangerously close to the processors without actually frying any silicon. While it's crunching numbers, waste heat will also be channeled throughout the heating system at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, giving students and dorm room crashers a good feel for the usefulness of recycled warmth.
Liquid-cooled desk contains full-fledged PC, won't be sold at Ikea
We've heard of productive work spaces, but this thing has feng shui written all over it. The geeks and gurus over at Popular Mechanics were able to mix their construction and PC building skills in order to create the rather astounding desk that you see above. Aside from serving a purpose as a desk, looking fantastic and being next to impossible to keep clean, it's also a full-fledged computer. Packed within is a half-gallon of glycol, twin 300GB VelociRaptor hard drives, a GeForce GTX 280 GPU, seven fans, a Sony Blu-ray drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 3GHz Core 2 Quad processor and copious amounts of "win." Check the read link for a how-to guide... if you dare. [Thanks, Jay]
Project Monolith case mod takes water cooling to unbelievable extremes
It's not often that pictures truly are worth a thousand words, but this is one of those rare exceptions. We won't even bother explaining what kind of hardware is packed within Project Monolith, but it's clear that its creator is at least partially off his rocker -- not that said condition is a bad one. Hit the read link for loads more images, but don't expect it to get any easier to comprehend.
Fujitsu's water-cooled LifeBook N7010 with secondary 4-inch touchscreen now shipping
When you pack a 16-inch laptop so full of technology that it requires water cooling, well, you have to expect some compromises. First, the Fujitsu LifeBook N7010 is nearly 2-inches thick and weighs 7 and a half pounds. Then there's the little limitation of that 1 hour battery life. In return for your suffering you do get a built-in Blu-ray drive, a digital television tuner, 1.3 megapixel webcam, HDMI output, 4x USB, Firewire, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, ExpressCard/54, fingerprint scanning security, and multi-touch touchpad. Oh, and it run Vista atop a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo P8600 processor, up to 4GB of memory, a 320GB disk, and 256MB of ATI Radeon HD 3470 graphics. As for that multi-function (media control, application launcher, etc.) 4-inch LCD touchscreen sporting 480 x 272 pixels, Akihabara News says it "seems responsive." So there. Shipping December 26th in Japan.P.S. The US version is shipping immediately (starting at $1,499) but without a TV tuner (naturally) or water cooling (odd). %Gallery-39317% [Via Akihabara News]
Kegerator-based cooling system gives your PC a buzz
Okay, so Jared Bouck's kegerator-cooled PC doesn't really sip on Hennessy, Bud Light or even Milwaukee's Best, but it sure does a good job of pretending to be 21. Essentially, this here mod is more for show than anything, but when all's said and done, you do have a liquid-cooled gaming rig and a nearby locale to stock your favorite beverages. After all, it's common knowledge that you can't stray too far to replenish your fluids during an all-night WoW raid, right? With $180, a bit of patience and some good old fashion work, you too can replace that vanilla cooling setup with one the boys are sure to swoon over.[Thanks, Tom]
NEC intros water-cooled all-in-one Valuestar W PC
NEC's dabbled in water-cooling before, but it now looks to be making the technology a bit more commonplace, with it helping to keep its new Valustar W line of all-in-one PCs both cool and quiet. Available in both 22 and 19-inch models, the PCs top out with a Core 2 Duo E4400 processor, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT graphics, a 500GB hard drive and, apparently, a Blu-ray burner / HD DVD reader, with a digital/analog TV tuner thrown in for good measure. If that's a bit too much for you, you can scale things back all the way to a 1.6GHz Celeron 420 processor, with a 320GB hard drive and a standard DVD burner. From the looks of it, both options (and a few in between) are available in Japan now, with them setting you back between ¥210,000 and ¥340,000 (or roughty $1,800 to $2,900).
