XFreeRollerX

I am thinking about phase change for 24/7 use... but there are a few things i am conflicted with

Is running a phase change system OK 24/7 365 days? I might use this rig as my one and main rig, and I fold on it which means it is under 95% CPU Load for weeks, months at a time, with reboots only when something needs to be installed

Could a phase change hold up to this? or would a TEC setup be better in this scenario?

Reason I am looking into "extreme cooling" is because with dual 240mm radiators, its not my heatload that is too high but rather the CPU block cannot remove heat from the CPU fast enough anymore, unless a new CPU block will beat my current one by 10*C, I think TEC or Phase is the next step.

Another issue I have is noise and form factor
Is there an option of phase (maybe buying a bigger condenser/heat exchanger) that will allow for slighly lower noise, maybe in the 30db range?
Form factor, would a unit be able to fit in a box that is like ~25cm wide (about the width of cases like TJ07, CM Cosmos, Lian Li V2000) given the length is also roughly the same as named cases.. I would think of putting the case on top of the phase box unit to make it a single chassis for better portability for taking places etc

And how much electricity would a phase change unit take? My current setup is running 300W under idle, folding 24/7 leaves my computer with a minimum of 380watts, add GPU load and we got quite a bit of power

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MADMAX22

Well energy draw is about the same as a wall unit I beleive.

I ran my machIIgt for 24/7 off and on for several years, I think the controller has logged something close to 6000hours on it. It still works fine I just dont have it hooked up at the current time being.

Noise wise they arent bad at all after startup. You dont hardly hear the compressor and the two fans are just like standard 120mm fans. My water cooling setup is louder then my phase change system was.

Most single stage phase units fit under the standard full size case with maybe a inch longer or wider depending on case roughly.

There are others that can chime in, maybe pm NOL as he is the guru, dont think he builds much anymore but can get you some seriouse info.

One thing portability is they are kind of heavy. Kind like a wall unit just a little lighter and you dont want to be toying around with them while they are still cold, wait for them to warm to room temp as it will put less stress on the joints and what not.

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XFreeRollerX

Thank you very much for that info +
How heavy? as long as I can lift it and carry it like 20 feet I will be happy.. 20 feet to my car, 20 feet to a table at a LAN.. pretty straight forward.

what exactly do you mean my this? Moving the unit when it is warm vs cold? does moving it damage it or something? I move my refrigerator around pretty vigorously when I do, hell Ive even dropped it from a foot and the compressor definitely did not like that at all, but if I am careful as I was with a PC case, what else is there to worry about?

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MADMAX22

Yeah I dont know the exact weight but it is feasable to move it too and from a lan. I just am not sure if I would recommend it. Maybe get some more opinions on this. I mean I moved mine alot, I even hauled it across country hooked up and stowed in a trailer. No issue.

Now that I think about it the cold thing was when mounting to a new cpu or such. When it is really cold the metal is naturally more brittle and if you are moving the head around say when mounting to a cpu or something like that then it can develope cracks in the flexible line. Atleast this was known for the machIIgt's and a few others.

If you just picking it up and taking off to a lan I am pretty sure it would be just fine. Just if your gonna change a cpu out then let it cool to room temp first.

PM Nol and get his opinion and input on some of this stuff. My info could be a little outdated lol.

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XFreeRollerX

Ohh I see what you mean now, thanks for clearing that up.

Yeah once I get everything set up and stoned in place I don't plan on moving the cold line or plate at all. Im going to do a build for a new computer possibly and once everything is dialed in, it is going to sit there peacefully.

Ill go ahead and PM NoL

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yomama9388

Well to add on to what madmax said, yes it is very possible to use for 24/7 use.

The noise really depends on the configuration of the unit, but overall it isn't to bad, just the sound of the fans that you hear.

The size, really once again depends on the unit. There are some nice phase change cases that will fit your needs perfectly.

and last but not least, the power. As I'm sure you can already guess the answer, it depends on the unit. Different compressors draw different amounts of power and the amount can vary pretty drastically between units.

So it basically all boils down to what you are looking for in a unit. I'd recommend going with a custom unit, but be wary of who you ask to build for you. I'd look around XS for builders.

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tehpwnerofn00bs

I'd definitely go for a custom build. It should be cheaper than a commercial one, but more importantly, it will be tuned to your system's heat output.

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XFreeRollerX

what happens if you over tune a unit to your heat output? lol

Can it be re-tuned?

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MADMAX22

Well yes and no, Nol knows far more about this portion then I do, well him and Before also two great phase changers.

There is tuning by the charge that you install, meaning how much refrigerant is added and what type. There is also the length of the capillary tube that is a big portion of it. As far as I know thats the two biggest tuning portions but there are alot more that you can use to change other factors to get it to run correctly.

You have a range also in tuning, say you tune for a oced quad at say 200w just for example, but you install it on a dual core that is using only 100w what can happen is that some of the refrigerant doesnt change into gas and you can send liquad refrigerant back to the compressor which is or can be very bad since you cant compress a liquad as we all know (mostly anyways 99.99999999% noncrompressible or something like that). Still there is a range that you can play with and you can have the best performance for a dual core but still handle a quad for a certain amount or be really good for a quad and still be able to handle a highly oced dual core.

Also I want to add there are others here that are really good at phase change knowledge and dont wanna leave them out just cant remembar all the names,

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Clinic

From the reading of this thread, it looks like, if I were you FreeRoller, I'd be doing some serious research. =P Lots to read up on.

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