Posted 09/24/09 at 08:00:20 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Researchers at Purdue University claim to have developed a new kind of cooling technology. Tannaz Harirchia and Suresh Garimella are using boiling liquid inside microchannels on specially fabricated chips to more efficiently cool components.

Fluids do not behave in the same way in microchannels as they do elsewhere, allowing for increased heat exchange. “Allowing a liquid to boil in cooling systems dramatically increases how much heat can be removed, compared to simply heating a liquid to below its boiling point," the researchers wrote. The device constructed at Purdue is basically a small one inch square heatsink. After liquid has boiled off in the microchannels, a small compressor disperses the heat, returning it to a liquid.

The technology has possible applications in both PC and automotive cooling. PCs are relying on numerous fans, or bulky water block cooling. Similarly, cars use both air and water cooling to remain in working order. Both these areas could see advancement if this microchannel cooling technology takes off.

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Posted 09/10/09 at 07:46:43 AM by Paul Lilly

Stock cooling is for chumps, but until cooling manufacturers either update their existing coolers with socket 1156 brackets or come out with new products that support the Core i5 platform, you might not have much choice. Enter Asetek, who just launched a liquid cooling system capable of cooling every major Intel socket currently available.

“Asetek’s robust liquid cooling can now easily be configured for any Intel desktop motherboard. A single mounting ring enables flexible manufacturing in both high and low volume PC manufacturing settings,” said Gary Baum, Asetek's SVP of Marketing. "The new retention ring helps our OEM customers reduce inventory costs by providing a single solution to support Intel's entire mix of socket types."

The one-size-fits-all mounting bracket features a single mounting ring and multiple screw inserts so there's no fumbling  around the box to find the correct part.

No word yet on price or availability, but if past products are any indication, expect to see Asetek's new liquid cooler used primarily in OEM systems.

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Posted 10/29/08 at 03:56:43 PM by Andy Salisbury

The masterminds at Puget Systems have decided to make the most of their extremely popular YouTube video, and offer a DIY kit so that the public can create their own mineral oil-cooled PC. Puget is claiming hat they’ve been using the system featured in their video for over a year now with no hardware issues.

Each kit will come fully loaded with an aquarium tank and cover, motherboard tray and IO panel, power/HDD LED’s, a power switch, SSD hard drive mounting bracket and a power cord with an extension to reach the bottom of the tank. That’s the base model, and it’ll run you $312.50. There’s also a higher end version with a radiator aimed at systems that are packing heavier hardware, such as quad-core CPUs, and any video card higher than an 8800GT. That version will run you $375.

So if you’re not worried about voiding the warranty on every component that you submerge in the liquid, head on over to Puget Systems’ site and pick up a aquarium to sink your hardware into. But keep in mind that once you submerge your hardware there will be no going back. According to Puget, “Mineral oil is very difficult, if not impossible to clean from your components once they are submerged.”

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Posted 09/30/08 at 06:15:09 PM by Andy Salisbury

We may or may not recognize it, but fluid is a very integral part of our everyday lives. It decides everything from our fuel economy to (in some cases) how cool our computer runs. Until now, there was only one key way of deciphering the mechanics of fluids, and that was the Prandtl equation, developed in 1904. Sadly though, the Prandtl equation has many limitations, including only having the ability to calculate only two-dimensional problems, and a steady flow (such as that of a car traveling slowly). Thanks to a breakthrough by MIT’s George Haller, that’s all about to change.

A recently developed new equation, which is a product of four years of work by Professor Haller, will apply to three-dimensional and unsteady flows. This was confirmed with the aid of Thomas Peacock, the Atlantic Richfield Career Development Associate Professor at MIT, who lead experiments in order to validate the equation. Professor Peacock states, “This is the tip of the iceberg, but we’ve shown that this theory works.” The new work will probably go down as one of the greatest scientific advances of the decade, if it survives the peer review that will come.

This innovation in the mechanics of liquids will have an overwhelming influence on many industries, including aerospace, automotive and even computers. With these breakthroughs in calculating how liquids will act and perform in different environments, there’s no doubt that your PC’s liquid cooling system will soon get an overhaul.

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Posted 06/25/08 at 10:11:24 PM by Paul Lilly

From the same company who brought enthusiasts sub-zero CPU temperatures through its Vapocill cooling sytem, and, more recently, was chosen by HP to handle cooling duties for the Blackbird 002, Asetek now sets its sights on the Radeon HD 4870 and becomes the first to offer a liquid cooling solution for ATI's new flagship videocard. Not settling for simply being first, Asetek looks to set the bar high by touting a GPU temperature reduction by as much as 26 degrees, while operating at a fairly quiet 30 dBA, all in a single-slot cooling package.

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Posted 11/08/06 at 02:46:49 AM by Josh Norem

Can a CPU water cooling unit from Thermaltake keep your case cool and quiet?

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Posted 11/08/06 at 02:04:46 AM by Josh Norem

Swiftech’s dual-radiator Apex Ultra water-cooling kit is the current cooling record-holder (in our Lab, at least), so when the company told us it had a Micro kit that was designed to fit in tight, cramped cases, we were intrigued. Like most hardcore PC users, we assumed a small radiator couldn’t get the job done—at least without making a ton of noise. Boy, were we ever wrong.

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Posted 10/10/06 at 06:16:56 PM by Michael Brown

Afraid of killing your machine in one water-related mishap? Fret no more! Sapphire has heeded your call.

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