Custom Aquarium PC

[dxkj]

Meant to upload this a few months back. For now it is running an i3-2100 on a mini-itx board, with an orb cooler, SSD, etc.

The biggest goal of this build was to see how small I could go with a fully contained aquarium computer. I had built a Puget monster at one point, and it was somewhat ridiculous, especially when it cracked and spilled 10+ gallons of oil everywhere.

This uses ~ 2 gallons of oil (important when considering the stuff costs $15 a gallon non-bulk), and I can run the CPU burn-in for 5 hours without the temperature getting too warm. (CPU 150F, oil ~ 132F (estimates, forgot to write it down.)).

Considering adding a video card to this build so I picked up the cheapest pump on Koolance, and a 140mm radiator with a push/pull setup and did some testing.

100% CPU for 3 hours, oil is at 33C stable, CPU 51C
5% CPU , oil is at 29C and CPU is at 29C (speedfan numbers)


So definitely enough room to add some more heat.

I somehow knocked my bubbler loose so I will have to drain to fix, was using bubbles before to help manage heat, so no pics with that.

Havnt seen anyone make a full computer this small ( 2.5 Gallon Aquarium Computer, Smallest Ever! ), and once I add the card should be interesting to see, might swap in an I5-2500k and OC it a bit as well.


I changed the url tags to img tags so we could view them without a redirect
CnC Moderator Aigo

 

[CAxVIPER]

I've always wanted to do an oil cooled PC. Did the bubbler help much?

 

[dxkj]

I've always wanted to do an oil cooled PC. Did the bubbler help much?

It did help some, injecting more room temperature air into the liquid giving heat somewhere to escape, but it wasn't super effective by any means... it was enough that for normal use, of an i3-2100, it was sufficient... but not a heavy use long term solution.

 

[CAxVIPER]

Ever thought of grabbing a cheap pump and running it back through a rad?

 

[dxkj]

Ever thought of grabbing a cheap pump and running it back through a rad?

Just today I set it up with a 140mm high density fin rad in push pull config with a pump, it keeps the oil temps locked within 15F of room temp with the current setup, going to add more heat later and see how well it works.

 

[CAxVIPER]

I don't know what your ambient temp is but I assume it is a lot lower than 115F. Anyways awesome build, time to grab some parts and throw it in one of my old 5 gallon tanks. If my fish could live in oil I would put it in with them

 

[aigomorla]

full submersion setups are cool, but very messy!!!

I believe some guy on our forum even built a 100% scratch one, down to sealing the case entirely and all of mineral oil was cooled by pumping it to a radiator.

Also those air bubbles will reduce your cooling capacity by forming air pockets where thermal transfer will be reduced.
Its best to not run a bubble maker.

 

[dxkj]

Hot spots make sense, I dont have any thermal imaging equip to check that, but I do know it lowers the oil temperature in general vs no bubbles.

Anyway, a thing of the past now that I have a radiator cranking on it.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

All you need is some plastic fish and plants...

 

[ruhtraeel]

All you need is some plastic fish and plants...

Better yet, seal the oil aquarium (he didn't seem to have any spinning drives), put it in an even bigger one, fill that one with water, and then have real fish in it.