cooling question

[kleinesarschloch]

i have an older computer with the foloowing specs:

pentium-s 166MHz
QDI i430VX motherboard
64MB ram
2.4gig fujitsu hd
soundblaster awe 64
generic nic

i will be installing this thing in my car for the purpose of playing mp3's. i live in arizona where it gets a little hot every once in a while, so i am not quite sure how well my box is going to respond to the heat. the cpu only has a passive heatsink on it, which i will be replacing with a regular one. does anyone have any suggestions or tips on how to effectively cool this box?

 

[Roots]

Hey I live in AZ too

I'm not an expert by any means, but I would start out by placing your PC in a part of your car with minimum exposure to the sun, and in the coolest place possible. Also if you or anyone else in your car smokes your system will go dead in no time, so keep that in mind. Where exactly were you planning on putting your PC?

 

[kleinesarschloch]

it will be an mp3 appliance. i've researched this topic a lot, but there is very little information on how computers behave in this hot weather. there is no smoking in my car, thats for sure, and the box will be mounted in the trunk, which has no exposure to the sun.

 

[huesmann]

It's still gonna get to 115º plus in the summer. How were you planning on powering the sucker--power inverter or 12-volt hookup to the battery? Also, are you planning on permanently mounting it in your car?

 

[Apotherix]

Sounds like a good idea to me, something to do with all the old computers everyone was lying around.

You might want to look into some compatible case fans if you can find them, maybe a CPU fan, just to keep the air moving. Also, is there much ventilation on the trunk?

 

[kleinesarschloch]

Originally posted by: huesmann
It's still gonna get to 115º plus in the summer. How were you planning on powering the sucker--power inverter or 12-volt hookup to the battery? Also, are you planning on permanently mounting it in your car?

a vector inverter rated at 350W. the computer + inverter will be permanently mounted in the trunk with no contact to sunlight. the pentium cpu i have only has a passive heatsink, so i assumed it's not as sensitive to heat as modern cpu's would be. i guess it doesn't help that my car is black, and after sitting in the sun for 10 minutes it's like sitting in a furnace. i run the a/c all the time in the summer, but i am not sure how much (if any) cold air gets to the trunk.

 

[kleinesarschloch]

Originally posted by: Apotherix
Sounds like a good idea to me, something to do with all the old computers everyone was lying around.

You might want to look into some compatible case fans if you can find them, maybe a CPU fan, just to keep the air moving. Also, is there much ventilation on the trunk?

the car is a vw golf, and the trunk is part of the car basically, with a cover on top that prevents sunlight from reaching the trunk. the cover can be removed, which would probably provide more airflow, but possibly allow sunlight in there. the case i have already has one fan that is mounted in the side of the case, directly above the cpu.

 

[huesmann]

I'd add a fan to your heatsink. I'd also see if you could run a small duct from your A/C system to the trunk.