CPU/GPU Coolers and Heat pipes

[froyo]

One thing I'm really interested in modding or frankensteining together is a CPU and GPU cooler. Are there any well documented attempts at this either on this forum or elsewhere on the internet? Does anybody have any advice on their construction (welding, bending, drilling)?

I'm thinking of getting my hands pretty dirty here, maybe using and existing pipe arrangement but CNCing my own fins. I would definitely like to make my own pipe & fin arrangement, but maybe after I've played around with some existing coolers.

EDIT: Just found this: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/project-o-mostly-without-h.665/

 

[Phuncz]

Funny you should mention my topic, after reading your first sentence I was thinking: I am interested in that as well !

Mainly because of the "shared cooling capacity" thing that watercooling also has, along with less overhead. It could work through heatpipes, many passive cases do this. Personally I envision a triangular or square shaped cooler, like the Mac Pro (see my avatar icon). But since I'm not good with 3D or thermal design, I never got past "that would be a cool idea".

 

[Ceros_X]

One thing I'm really interested in modding or frankensteining together is a CPU and GPU cooler. Are there any well documented attempts at this either on this forum or elsewhere on the internet? Does anybody have any advice on their construction (welding, bending, drilling)?

I'm thinking of getting my hands pretty dirty here, maybe using and existing pipe arrangement but CNCing my own fins. I would definitely like to make my own pipe & fin arrangement, but maybe after I've played around with some existing coolers.

EDIT: Just found this: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/project-o-mostly-without-h.665/

Check out this build as well: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/antimemetic-fully-passive-gtx-1080-sff-scratch-built.1414/

 

[froyo]

Funny you should mention my topic, after reading your first sentence I was thinking: I am interested in that as well !

Mainly because of the "shared cooling capacity" thing that watercooling also has, along with less overhead. It could work through heatpipes, many passive cases do this. Personally I envision a triangular or square shaped cooler, like the Mac Pro (see my avatar icon). But since I'm not good with 3D or thermal design, I never got past "that would be a cool idea".

The Mac Pro trash can was what inspired this! I noticed your avatar while looking around the forum .

Check out this build as well: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/antimemetic-fully-passive-gtx-1080-sff-scratch-built.1414/

Thanks for sharing! I also found that while searching around, it's a super bold build.

 

[ColorZepppelin]

I'm also interested in this kind of project. I think there are no good guides for bending heatpipes, would like to know if it's possible to do by hand tool and to find a way of making the fins. How to flatten heatpipes too would be good to know.

 

[Runamok81]

@ColorZepppelin Don't know if their are any good guides, but tools exists.
Have a look at this heatpipe bending tool from impactics.

 

[aquelito]

No need to mess with heat pipes if you can get your hands on some flat coolpipes

http://uk.farnell.com/amec-thermasol/mhp-2040a-150a/heat-pipe-ultra-flat-2-0tx150l/dp/2290481

 

[Phryq]

No need to mess with heat pipes if you can get your hands on some flat coolpipes

http://uk.farnell.com/amec-thermasol/mhp-2040a-150a/heat-pipe-ultra-flat-2-0tx150l/dp/2290481

So what if you covered the entire back of a heat-sink with one of these, in order to spread heat evenly across the side panels? I was thinking of doing that with a 'flat vapor chamber' but maybe this is cheaper / as effective.

 

[zovc]

So what if you covered the entire back of a heat-sink with one of these, in order to spread heat evenly across the side panels? I was thinking of doing that with a 'flat vapor chamber' but maybe this is cheaper / as effective.

Wait, what heat sink are you spreading this evenly across?

 

[Phryq]

Wait, what heat sink are you spreading this evenly across?

A 'case heat sink'. As in, my computer-case lid would have fins or pins, possibly for passive cooling.

 

[Chrizz]

A 'case heat sink'. As in, my computer-case lid would have fins or pins, possibly for passive cooling.

Something like this?

 

[Phryq]

Right, same idea, but I want to make it myself because

1 - Using a flat vapor-chamber to spread heat evenly across all fins.
2 - Putting fins/pins on the lid means the heat-sink is much bigger.
3 - Building the case around my motherboard means much smaller case (the size of my motherboard x 4" tall.
4 - Bi-directional heat-pipes if possible will twice as efficient.
5 - Serrated fins give more surface area.
6 - Anodized fins radiate better.
7 - I want an external power-brick, to reduce heat within the case.

Between all these ideas, I think I can make a system waaay better at cooling than anything commercially available.

 

[msystems]

-I just got a few of those flat heatpipes actually. It wasn't cheap finding them in the US. I anticipate they will be useful for moving heat around the 90 degree case edges to make use of all the surfaces and also for dispersing heat off of the GPU backplate. They are so thin they could also be used to move heat under the motherboard VRM area.

-One thing I can't find a lot of is complete heatpipe assemblies for sale.. I wish there were more. Lately the most promising thing I have found is the chinese direct sites like Aliexpress where there are lots and lots of heatpipes, a few assemblies, and also copper products like blocks, shims for sale.

Now the HDPLEX assembly is the nicest one I have seen but it is pretty large and expensive. It has 8 large round pipes and a very solid copper base. The fins though, I don't care for and I wish that the top was flat with a simple X shaped adapter plate for an 1150 socket so the user can mount whichever heat sink they want (if any) directly over the heatpipe assembly.

For example the streacom assembly (while not designed to) can still accomodate a socket 1150 heatsink mounted on top of the retaining plate because the pins can just pass through the plate mounting holes. http://www.streacom.com/wp-content/uploads/fc8_alpha_heatpipes.jpg


-Regarding cooling the CPU and GPU together you need to consider the orientation of them in the case. In a standard or flat case, the GPU cannot be heatpiped to the CPU (with the most direct route at least) unless it is flipped over. So I imagine you'll need the 3M PCIe riser for this build, and your PCIe case slot will have to be effectively rotated 180 deg. with a new slot for the retaining clip drilled out of the opposite side to flip the card.

 

[zovc]

Cooling the CPU and the GPU with the same "cooling system" will also guarantee that your cooler part is almost always as hot as your hotter part.

 

[Phryq]

No need to mess with heat pipes if you can get your hands on some flat coolpipes

http://uk.farnell.com/amec-thermasol/mhp-2040a-150a/heat-pipe-ultra-flat-2-0tx150l/dp/2290481

Sorry going a bit off-topic, but connect these to your CPU, GPU, and make your entire case out of this. Then solder on some heat-sink/fins.

Wouldn't that be the best thing in the universe?

Could it bend 180 degrees over 1" (to wrap it entirely around the computer).

 

[Kmpkt]

You guys should go through the thermal design blogs over at Celsia if you're wondering on how to optimize design on heat pipes etc. Some pretty awesome and very practically applicable design tips.

http://celsiainc.com/heat-sink-thermal-management-blog/

I particularly like these three:

http://celsiainc.com/blog-design-considerations-when-using-heat-pipes-pt-1/

http://celsiainc.com/design-considerations-when-using-heat-pipes-pt-2/

http://celsiainc.com/blog-how-does-bending-affect-heat-pipe-vapor-chamber-performance/

 

[Phryq]

Kmpkt, I'm reading those now.

so it says that e.g. 63 watts requires an 8mm heatpipe. But what if you're using 8 heatpipes; must it still be 8mm?

And it looks like 8mm heatpipes have a huge performance boost if they're vertical with the heat-source at the bottom.

And a 6mm pipes is twice as good as a 3mm, but an 8mm is more than twice as good as a 6mm. So 8mm seems to be where it's at.

So if you have a motherboard with the CPU (or GPU) on the lower part of a vertical case, connected to a heat-sink higher up, with multiple 8mm heatpipes, you'd get very good heat transfer.

I wonder why we always see round and flat heat-pipes - how about square or triangular? Then we could stack them.

Reading the other links now... I remember reading these before. I'm starting to go in circles with my ideas about heat transfer.

Here's the same site talking about vapor chambers,

http://celsiainc.com/vapor-chamber-one-piece-design/

I would attach one of these to my hot-spots, and solder fins directly onto the vapor-chamber.

Something like that curved one above could allow you to cover the entire motherboard in vapor-chamber goodness, with fins stuck on, you'll have a very Frankenstein, but very powerful and relatively small computer.

^^ My case is 1 big vapor chamber.

 

[Phryq]

Honestly, won't that make the most ultra-cool and tiny case? Just wrap the motherboard in a vapor-chamber with fins on it!!

If no one else will do this, I think I'll have to (problem is I know nothing about IRL materially stuff).

 

[msystems]

Thought some more about this and where to find supplies, heres some parts I found from China..

A pure copper Socket 1150/1155 retaining block:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/115...2295488005.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.65.6QKYIj
Note all of the pictures on the bottom of this page showing possible layouts.

6mm ROUND heatpipe terminating block plates:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fre...2806140092.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.83.mWytdS
^ Note that this one is designed for round pipes, but there is also a variant for FLAT heatpipes is here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/56-...2603359671.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.26.rt06r8
^The product description is complete crap, but based on it being sold in "lot 3 pieces / lot" then I can only assume this is for a flat heatpipe to be pressed against the wall or base of an aluminum enclosure. This solution is preferrable to terminate the heatpipes because it takes up a little less room and is less expensive, but one must flatten the heatpipes precisely to fit.

6mm bulk heatpipes -- Straight, to be bent to size:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5PC...2798623987.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.20.3XO7wP
These look to be good for modding. Super long and not pre-bent.

Heatsinks to terminate 6mm heatpipes:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Com...32447556779.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.6.U9inZ4
This could be useful when there isn't a good place to terminate the heatpipes. Or it could be used creatively, routing a few of the heatpipes to a different place, perhaps to the exterior or over a fan duct. Just because this has 3 receptacles doesn't mean that 3 heatpipes necessarily need to be socketed.

and One complete 1150 CPU socket assembly I found
This one looks very similar to Streacom's original FC5 cooler in the above post #10.
https://content.hwigroup.net/images/products_xl/129591/21/streacom-fc5-od-fanless-black.jpg

 

[zovc]

How does one bend heatpipes? Google wasn't very helpful to me.

 

[Phryq]

Based on some of the above reading, is seems 8mm heatpipes is way more efficient than 6mm; not sure why that's so.