Water Cooling Technology

The introduction of a CPU fan revolutionized the idea that computer components have become powerful enough to need a cooling mechanism. In recent times however, with the increasing number of high performance components like the GPU (Graphics Accelerator) and the Northbridge (CPU and Memory interface), fans are not able to handle the load. Instead, water cooling technology cools components by running water through the system.

Concept of Water Cooling Technology

• A water cooling technology uses the law of thermodynamics pertaining to the movement of heat. By running cool water though pipes into specialized compartments around various hot spots in a computer, the temperature of these areas is reduced as the water absorbs the heat and transfers it to a radiator that flushes this heat into the atmosphere. In concept, it is similar to a cooling system employed in a car engine.

Advantage over Heat Sinks and Fans

• Current heat dissipation techniques use a heat sink along with a fan to push the heat out of the system. The heat sink absorbs the heat from the chip and distributes it along its numerous ridges that eventually heat the air around it. The fan fit on the top pushes this hot air outside through a drought mechanism. Water is used in water cooled systems because of its greater heat absorbing capacity as well as the short time it takes to cool down as compared to air.

Cooling Concepts and Water Blocks

• In a computer, heat is produced due to massive electron flow from one chip to another. As a result, direct contact with water cannot be allowed. In order to achieve this, water blocks are used at the points of contact with components. A water block is a layer that can take the direct heat from the chip and pass it to the running water. They are usually made from metal conductors and kept porous to allow water passage through them.

The Pump--Heart of the System

• The water flow inside the system is maintained by a centrifugal pump. In some cases the pump can be submersed and kept inside a coolant reservoir. This helps to increase pumping efficiency. The main attribute of a pump is that it can move the water in a constant speed while letting the water reach from the lowest points to the highest point. This is especially necessary in cooling tower like servers.

Advantages of Water Cooling

• Water cooled personal computers are silent. They perform better than air cooled personal computers of the same construction. Using water cooling technology permits you to over clock the central processing unit without the nasty after effects. Over clocking basically pushes the central processing unit to function at a higher level as compared to factory specifications, and hence needs efficient cooling.