questions about phase change cooling

[GoAt]

looking to go with phase change later down the road (hopefuly within the year) and my question is:
how much power does the machine draw?
does it run constantly?
is the compressor basicly an A/C compressor?
do i have to recharge (freon) the unit?
should i invest in an extended warranty?
will my power bill sky rocket?
how loud is it?
do i HAVE to get a new case (lian type) or could i just mod my exsisting case to support it?
how is it on electricity? (starting to get the point?)
i live in Florida so it is very humid here, will condensing be an issue?
do they have machines that support both CPUs and GPUs at once?


edit
1337 POSTS BABY!!! PWNAGE

 

[Rukee]

how much power does the machine draw? Depends on the unit, most run off the mains and don`t use the computer`s power supply, some do.

does it run constantly? yes, whenever the computer is on.

is the compressor basicly an A/C compressor? yes, like in a refridge.

do i have to recharge (freon) the unit? only if you should damage the unit and get a leak.

should i invest in an extended warranty? depends on the cost, but if it should need refilling, some A/C shops should be able to repair and refill for you.

will my power bill sky rocket? not ski rocket, but it is like a fridge so if you run it 24/7 you may notice a diffrence.

how loud is it? Depending on the unit, I`ve had them almost silent to damn near unbearable. The Vapo LS was very loud and also made some like loud water gerggling sounds when not under load that could be heard a couple rooms away.

do i HAVE to get a new case (lian type) or could i just mod my exsisting case to support it? Most you can MOD to make fit.

how is it on electricity? (starting to get the point?) Most don`t like to restart hot.

i live in Florida so it is very humid here, will condensing be an issue? Yes it will, condensation will be very hard to control, but not impossable. Expect to lose a chip or two to pin rot, maybe even a motherboard too.

do they have machines that support both CPUs and GPUs at once? Only with multipul units, I had three Vapos wired together for a three in one unit all within one case.


I would not run them 24/7 unless you had some sort of folding program to load the CPU, idle CPU`s are more prone to condensation. OCZ is set to launch a new phase-change machine that will be around $300.00.

 

[GoAt]

my CPU does not run all day.
working days perhaps 4 hours,
days off. all day.


downloads will be handled on another machine that can run over night.

i suppose if the lines running to the CPU start collecting water i can wrap it in plastic and route it somewhere out of the case.

this pin rot you speak of, im sure there are solutions out there to prevent it.

 

[Nachimir]

I suppose you could use some kind of paste or foam to insulate around the CPU socket and minimise condensation.

 

[Rukee]

I used to fill the socket with dielectric grease, but still there are hidden sections under the socket lid that will trap air, so then I started removing the top slidding section before filling. It`s that trapped air which contains moisture or any air leak around the mounting clamshell that will eventually start to rot the pins when frozen. If left unattended it can kill both the CPU and motherboard. It`s not the line going to the CPU you have to worry about, if that line gets moisture then you need to insulate it some more with closed cell foam (foam you can`t blow through)it`s under the CPU itself that you worry about, I`ve even seen the moisture get forced right thru the back of the motherboard and it turns all green like a fungy around all the liitle gizzmo`s and shorts them out.
Vapochills use a series of heater tapes inside the clamshell and on the back of the motherboard to try to warm those areas to help reduce the risk, but it`s always there, and was the #1 reason I stopped running them.
If you`re not into overclocking you really don`t need one, and even then you don`t need or want one, most newer a64 chips OC excellent on air but have a cold bug and they don`t want to boot into subzero temps. There are some that don`t, so you have to know which chips to look for or get a used one that`s known to not have the cold bug. Most people who have a phase-change have them strickly for benching, not for everyday usage.