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Water cooling Power Supply

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  • 13-03-2007 3:49am
    #1
    DanGerMus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭


    Well Lads i've finally got sick of my power supply keepin me up nigts. it's grand when using pc but i just want it to be silent. So i goin to water cool it. Its a Sharkoon SHA700 700 watt if you hadnt guessed. Only thing i need to know now is what exactly needs to be cooled on a PSU i read a site a while back where this guy replaced the heat sinks on the transistors inside with copper tubing thermally glued to a plate of copper. you think this will do. is there anything else that needs cooling inside? Any way INFO needed before this weekend when i'm just gonna get down and do it. Pics and report will follow of course.


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    #2
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    I know this might sound very pessimistic, but are you sure you want to build a custom water-cooling solution for a power supply. Its just asking for trouble.

    Either way, the Germans seem to use a simple anodized copper tube that goes around the psu in a loop. Heatsinks are attached, the heatpipes are brazed to the tubing. Not very efficient, considering 2 low speed 120 mil fans do a better job.


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    #3
    L31mr0d
    Registered Users Posts: 8,067 ✭✭✭L31mr0d


    got a linik to the tutorial or thread you are going to follow? Or are you making this up as you go along.

    Isn't there watercooled ready powersupplies already on the market?

    EDIT, some watercooling psu tutorials

    http://www.digital-explosion.co.uk/index.php?articleID=65

    http://www.zfz.com/projects.asp?a=cat&artCatId=3


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    #4
    DanGerMus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭DanGerMus


    Hey guys, well thanx for the comments. Krazy i'm well aware of the risks and to be honest i'm just into fiddling with my pc and after my new build i've finally ironed out all other issues and the PSU is currently the loudest thing in it and so, is the next thing on the list. Maybe i'm being a bit ambitious but it's a hobby and i'll learn a bit as i go. The psu was relatively cheap anyway at €100. But i will also now consider adding low speed fans if the water is just too much hassle. L31mr0d the first Tutorial you linked is where i got the idea in the first place and i'll use it for guides. Thanks for the second link too it's kinda the direction i want to go eventually. Already have a few cooler block desings in CAD but no way to produce them. As for buying new PSUs there expensive and hard to find. recon i'd avoid a lot of spending even if i destroyed my PSU. Well maybe...


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    #5
    po0k
    Registered Users Posts: 15,815 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    sell the PSU.

    Do some research into quality passively-cooled switched power supplies with a power-factor as close to 1.0 as possible.
    water-cooling one isn't advisable, and some air-flow will still be needed.

    If the fan is keeping you up, replace it with a proper fan.


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    #6
    Endurance Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,240 ✭✭✭Endurance Man


    Something goes wrong and that psu blows up its taking everything down with it :p. Its a mad idea, you could just buy a watercooled psu.


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    #7
    DanGerMus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭DanGerMus


    Again i'm aware of the risks and i'm not gonna risk my PC until i think i've got it right. Links to retail watercooled psu's would be appreciated. Also anyone who's posting to tell me not to do it, dont bother. The thread is for suggestions on how to do it.


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    #8
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    happygandalf wrote:
    Again i'm aware of the risks and i'm not gonna risk my PC until i think i've got it right. Links to retail watercooled psu's would be appreciated. Also anyone who's posting to tell me not to do it, dont bother. The thread is for suggestions on how to do it.

    As long as you are aware of the damage you can do thats cool. It would be a interesting project.

    Heres a website that offers 2 watercooled power supply's.

    http://www.watercooling.de/catalog/default.php?cPath=1_17_599

    One has a fan that activates when the psu gets hot under heavy load and the other use's the same approach as the passive thermaltake psu's with external heatsink/block as well as watercooling. But the general consensus here seems to be that the water alone is not really capable of cooling a high end pc on its own, considering the vast amount of components within a psu that produce high outputs of heat its not that surprising.


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    #9
    Endurance Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,240 ✭✭✭Endurance Man


    http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=2409&cat=0&page=
    http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Kustom_PCs_Shop_Power_Supplies_ATX_7.html

    Couple there.


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    #10
    DanGerMus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭DanGerMus


    Hey guys thnx for links. if they were a lot cheaper i'd consider buying. think i'm starting to form ideas. From the first link here i saw that the guy was cooling the mosfets only and i know a little about electronics, so i guessed that these couldnt possibly be the only heat makers. But they are the biggest worry. i've had a good look inside the PSU and there is a nice bit of room for at least putting larger heatsinks on the mosfets and then maybe installing a low flow fan. maybe in the side. or i have a P180 so if i installed the larger heatsinks and then made extra venting in the side oposite the side with the power switch and cord socket on it, i could put a fan blowing air straight accross it instead of down and out the side. loads of room for it. i'm gonna try and get a thermometer that will allow me to find out just what gets hot this weekend. Then i'll know for sure what to cool


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