I've used my laptop outside when it was cold outside, but I've never put my desktop outside to see what kind of results I can get. Would it be dangerous leaving it out there for twenty minutes to overclock and run 3dmark 06? It's around 15F outside, thanks in advance for your help.
Putting my computer outside for overclocking and benchmarking?
- Thread starter Smartazz
- Start date
VinDSL
Diamond Member
As long as the dewpoint is pretty low it shouldn't hurt - you don't want moisture condensing on your parts. Computer parts that is...
.bh.
.bh.
- Sep 28, 2005
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ROFLROFL... can we say condensation??? :X
True he's probably way below it, and at freezing, but as the CPU warms up area's around the board, and the cold air gets warmer, wont it condensend?
AHAHAHA... if your going to do this, id insulate your entire mobo. Condensation can get rather messy.
True he's probably way below it, and at freezing, but as the CPU warms up area's around the board, and the cold air gets warmer, wont it condensend?
AHAHAHA... if your going to do this, id insulate your entire mobo. Condensation can get rather messy.
- Sep 28, 2005
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provided the dew point at your location wasnt anywhere near 40F. Remember the moment your cpu hits that dew point, your gonna start forming water arround metal. Once that happens things will short out, one after another.
This is why i havent stepped into TEC yet on my water layout. i cant find myself diele greezing everything on my board.
This time of year you want the temp below freezing - warmer air often means southerly breezes which carry moisture. A low dewpoint is the key to avoiding condensation. I was gonna mention wind chill from fans but that only affects living tissue like plants and skin...
.bh.
.bh.
Zap
Elite Member
- Oct 13, 1999
- 22,377
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I do a lot of computer stuff in my unheated garage. Works quite well, except I have to "remember" that I can't clock as high elsewhere. 
EDIT: PIC
I have to wear sweats in there, so am guessing it is in the 50ºF range. I don't have a thermometer to back that up. I do know it gets freezing (for a while) in there when the garage door is opened for a car.
cold outside - PIC
EDIT: PIC
I have to wear sweats in there, so am guessing it is in the 50ºF range. I don't have a thermometer to back that up. I do know it gets freezing (for a while) in there when the garage door is opened for a car.
cold outside - PIC
Yup, metal contracts as it gets colder. Water, however, does the opposite - it's why beer cans will blow up in your freezer
Originally posted by: 3NF
Yup, metal contracts as it gets colder. Water, however, does the opposite - it's why beer cans will blow up in your freezer
I think that's why scientists were so worried about the Challenger space shuttle before it took off. It was cold that morning and some of the part contracted and they feared that it might cause problems. I don't know if that's what caused the disaster though.
I assume that the machine will be running while it is outside so it will keep itself a bit warm - but it will definitely have a chilled air cooling system...
Hello Jedi.
Water expands in a range just below freezing - below that it contracts again. It is these interesting properties of H2O that makes Earth a liveable planet.
.bh.
Hello Jedi.
Water expands in a range just below freezing - below that it contracts again. It is these interesting properties of H2O that makes Earth a liveable planet.
.bh.
- Sep 28, 2005
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blah i cant believe i got it mixed up. LOL... stupid tests coming up.
Anyhow, i still wouldnt recomend this type at this temperature, because it only takes a few sec, for condensation to start forming.
A laptop is different in design a desktop it. They get nearly as hot as a desktop CPU, and most are covered in plastic more then metal. They also dont have there fan running on consistantly to push the freezing air inside, so i dont see it damaging a laptop as long as you dont leave the thing outside there for a long period of time.
A desktop on the other hand, is a big heat exchanger due to its metal shell. Unless your using a antec p180, the inside of your case will try to exchange heat with the outside. This will drop your overall case temp, and could lead to condensation. That is the concept i was trying to get at to the op.
If you can isolate the AIR so it goes straight to your HSF and then right outside the EXHAUST without contact of anything else, this is definitely possible. Maybe a washing machine air duct can be used in this sort of test, but putting your entire comp outside in the snow, is seriously asking for some issues. :X
Anyhow, i still wouldnt recomend this type at this temperature, because it only takes a few sec, for condensation to start forming.
A laptop is different in design a desktop it. They get nearly as hot as a desktop CPU, and most are covered in plastic more then metal. They also dont have there fan running on consistantly to push the freezing air inside, so i dont see it damaging a laptop as long as you dont leave the thing outside there for a long period of time.
A desktop on the other hand, is a big heat exchanger due to its metal shell. Unless your using a antec p180, the inside of your case will try to exchange heat with the outside. This will drop your overall case temp, and could lead to condensation. That is the concept i was trying to get at to the op.
If you can isolate the AIR so it goes straight to your HSF and then right outside the EXHAUST without contact of anything else, this is definitely possible. Maybe a washing machine air duct can be used in this sort of test, but putting your entire comp outside in the snow, is seriously asking for some issues. :X
What if I take a radiator from a liquid cooling system and place it outside, but not the entire computer. This way the tubes get pumped outside to a couple 120mm radiators, cool the water very cold(I think liquid cooling systems usually have some additive to prevent the water from freezing, if not would it be safe to add something like anti-freeze to the liquid?) Anyway, so only the radiators will be outside the door and these two radiators have fans blowing cold air into them. This experiment sounds pretty interesting actually. Through this method, I'll be getting water colder than the ambient temperature running over my cpu and gpu. Would this still be a bad idea due to condensation, or should the computer be pretty much safe this way? Thanks.
Sure, you can use Zerex car anti-freeze. Zerex is safe for most materials and is nearly identical to all the special stuff you can buy for WCed systems - and what you don't use for your PC, you can use in your car. Zerex is the best standard anti-freeze, IMO.
Just mix it in the same ratio marked on the Zerex bottle for your local temperature range with distilled water and fill your system with the mixture.
.bh.
Just mix it in the same ratio marked on the Zerex bottle for your local temperature range with distilled water and fill your system with the mixture.
.bh.
Unless the ambient temperature is below the dew point, you shouldn't get condensation.
You get condensation once the temperature gets below the dew point. In this case, the computer will start out warmer than the dew point, and only get higher.
i think its not necessary, just AC up the room during the winter weeks and your temps will be way low
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