Sign up for a new account or log in here:
also @ TechSpot: Codemasters announces £125,000 special edition of GRID 2
Looking for an unconventional case to show off and a matching cooling solution to go with it? Boutique PC maker Puget Systems has announced a new revision of their unique aquarium PC, which submerges your machine's components in mineral oil to keep them cool -- needless to say it's not for the faint of heart. The Aquarium PC V4 is available as a do-it-yourself kit for adventurous users who would like to experiment with alternative cooling solutions.
The company first started offering a DIY kit for mineral oil submerged computers in 2008. Since then, they've apparently seen enough demand for the aquarium PC that they decided to purchase a laser cutting machine to start manufacturing the kits entirely in-house. This allowed them to bring down costs and create a much more finely tuned product.
Puget explains the difference with their previous V3 kit: "Instead of large bulky bracing, we cut it down to only what is necessary. Instead of dual pumps with complicated interconnects, we run a single more powerful pump. This leads to a dramatic decrease in complication, assembly, number of parts needed, […] and less points of possible failure"
The V4 kit will run you $596 plus shipping and includes a 12-gallon tank and cover, acrylic motherboard tray, 7 slot I/O shield, power cord, power/HDD LEDs, power switch, PCI SATA and power bracket, 3-inch brushed nickel wire handles, hard drive mounts that go above the surface, Watercool MO_RA3 Pro radiator and a radiator stand, submersible Swiftech MCP35X pump, 5 feet of half-inch tubing, and all necessary screws, barbs, and fittings.
Mineral oil may look like water, but it behaves very differently. Since it's non-conductive, the electronics do not short out. Puget says that heat generated by the PC is transferred into the mineral oil at a rate over 5 times better than air. The mineral oil is then pumped through the radiator to dissipate the heat into the ambient air.
Although cooling your system with mineral oil is considered safe, Puget does offer a word of caution reminding users that soaking their hardware in mineral oil will void the warranty on them, and that mineral oil is very difficult -- if not impossible -- to clean from components once they've been submerged, so think it over before taking the plunge.
User Comments: 24
Got something to say? Post a comment-
lchu12 said:
lolz, and I was wondering where do the fishies go to...
-
sure would suck to replace an item if something went bad!
-
Where is the fish? LOL
It would be cool to have a separate compartment on the front for fish. You wouldn't be able to see a divider between water and mineral oil. However you wouldn't want mineral oil anywhere around your fish or water anywhere around your PC.
-
lchu12 said:
Maybe a seperate LCD, for a Aquarium Screensaver? Insaniquarium anyone?
-
Now I can overclock an Atom to 4 Ghz.
-
gwailo247 said:
Now I can overclock an Atom to 4 Ghz.
LOL.
-
I'd be on it sold if it had a fish safe section.
-
I think i will buy this and take an i7 to 10 GHz per core.
and ^ I cant even imagine an atom working at 4GHz...is it even possible? haha
-
PC EliTiST said:
Truly impressive! I couldn't even think it was possible.
Oil... lol! If I start playing BF-3 due to its heat will produce, can I throw a few potatoes in it to take french-fries? Playing & Eating, sounds convenient.
-
Oil... lol! If I start playing BF-3 due to its heat will produce, can I throw a few potatoes in it to take french-fries? Playing & Eating, sounds convenient.Thats an idea, tell your spouse you have to play games in order to fix dinner. LOL
-
I researched this for my degree just under two years ago. Seems lengthy amount of time to finally post something about it? Just saying.
-
cliffordcooley said:Oil... lol! If I start playing BF-3 due to its heat will produce, can I throw a few potatoes in it to take french-fries? Playing & Eating, sounds convenient.Thats an idea, tell your spouse you have to play games in order to fix dinner. LOL
LOL
"Is something burning? Do you smell that?"
"That's the smell of deep fried awesomeness!"
-
spydercanopus said:
Now I can toss this bottle of Jerkins and just dip my hand in the computer.
-
^Jergen's
Seen setups like this on youtube months ago. its cool to look at for maybe 5mins.
-
ikesmasher
TechSpot Enthusiast
Member since: Jun 2009, 168 posts
I think i will buy this and take an i7 to 10 GHz per core.
and ^ I cant even imagine an atom working at 4GHz...is it even possible? haha
OMG it's mineral oil, not Liquid Helium!
-
This mod needs fluorinert.
-
"Now I can overclock an Atom to 4 Ghz. "
Man if you did that it would be almost as fast as a Bulldozer at 6GHz!!!
-
Let's build an aquarium for the google data center...
-
Placeholder said:
Is there a laptop version...?
-
Is there a laptop version...?
Yes but your hands will be permanently moisturized.
-
This has been around for along time and most of you are acting like you have never seen it before. And you call yourselves enthusiasts lolz.
-
This has been around for along time and most of you are acting like you have never seen it before. And you call yourselves enthusiasts lolz.
Maybe you should read the article again. Its a new design for a concept that has been around for awhile.
- Do you only get excited when tech first comes out?
- Do you not get excited when tech finally becomes affordable to you?
Who here is calling themselves an Enthusiast other than the label you are giving them.
Please make yourself known and claim the title of Enthusiast therefor gaining the right to downgrade other Enthusiast.
-
stewi0001 said:
I'll pass on this, seems like too much a hassle to put in new parts.
-
Larjeet said:
This is the same Idea as a high powered Radio dummy load where the resistors are dipped in oil to keep them cool . aka known as the cantenna [link]
Most Popular
| Trending | Featured |
Featured on Cases
Subscribe to TechSpot
Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.