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Topic: Affordable Cooling for Cards? (Read 3618 times)

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May 19, 2013, 07:42:45 PM
#37
I have been thinking of using a kitchen-vent. The kind you have above your stove.
It should create a draft that sucks in fresh air all the time. To make it more efficient, a box/skirt could be added to make sure the air is drawn in from as low as possible. (cold air sinks).
-Not totally sure on how they cope with being always on though, but a duct fan should also do the same job.

You have to make sure that there is enough air coming in so that you don't create a low-pressure where the fan will struggle to move air out, but the garage probably has some vents already.

BTW: you might wanna add some form of light material at the vents to filter away some dust/pollen etc. - Like polyester wool for loudspeakers.
cp1
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May 19, 2013, 06:48:06 PM
#36
A little window unit draws like 500 W.
sr. member
Activity: 302
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May 19, 2013, 06:23:34 PM
#35
I'm think i need an AC, because i have 20" fan facing the rig and temps still go up to 90C... I can't cut a whole in garage, it's a condo so not much i can do and there's no window.

I was thinking:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-Mini-5-000-BTU-Mechanical-Window-Air-Conditioner-HWF05XCL-L/17477197#Item+Description

then enclosing the rigs into some kind of 'box' and point cold air from the AC into it(using some kind of hose or something), so the cold air ony goes directly to the enclosed box where the rigs are, then big fan sucks out all the air of the box.

here's the mockup:



Do you think it will work?

I'm also concerned about the power consumption to run AC 24/7, what do you think it will be if my rate is 0.11 per kwh?

Thanks!

I thought about doing exactly what you have drawn up here. I haven't done it yet but was thinking I would build the box out of that blue Dow Styrofoam 4x8 sheet insulation probably 3/4". Use Aluminum Ducting tape to tape off all the corners http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-Tape-324A-2-1-2-in-x-180-ft-Cold-Weather-Foil-Tape-3240024500/100048600 .
You may or may not have to build some sort of wood frame for it as the 3/4" sheets are pretty riged. Building the box out of the styrofoam would make it light and easy to move around or out of the way.

As for the A/C you can stop by Wal-Mart and look at the unit most of the time it will tell you the energy consumption on the signage.


cp1
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May 19, 2013, 02:32:29 PM
#34
Why don't you put the cold side of the AC in the box.  Your garage will still get really hot of course.
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May 18, 2013, 07:30:37 PM
#33
I'm think i need an AC, because i have 20" fan facing the rig and temps still go up to 90C... I can't cut a whole in garage, it's a condo so not much i can do and there's no window.

I was thinking:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-Mini-5-000-BTU-Mechanical-Window-Air-Conditioner-HWF05XCL-L/17477197#Item+Description

then enclosing the rigs into some kind of 'box' and point cold air from the AC into it(using some kind of hose or something), so the cold air ony goes directly to the enclosed box where the rigs are, then big fan sucks out all the air of the box.

here's the mockup:



Do you think it will work?

I'm also concerned about the power consumption to run AC 24/7, what do you think it will be if my rate is 0.11 per kwh?

Thanks!

anyone any ideas on this mockup?
newbie
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May 18, 2013, 06:03:45 PM
#32
WOw scifimike12 amazing info thank you
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May 18, 2013, 03:15:45 PM
#31
Yep, forgot to mention. I will add exactly that.
legendary
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May 18, 2013, 03:10:57 PM
#30
If possible, remove the metal grate from the card exhaust.


In many cases this is not possible as the metal plate is used to secure the card, but it can reduce the temps with few degrees.

A step further would be to attach on the same end a fan to help pulling the hot air outside, (a push-pull configuration).
Something like this:


With this combination I have reduced the temps with about 10C (running at 60C now).
Discalimer: only works with a blower (referene) style fan.
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May 18, 2013, 02:42:09 PM
#29
Disclaimer: only works with a blower (reference) style fan.

If possible, remove the metal grate from the card exhaust in order to improve the air flow.


In many cases this is not possible as the metal plate is used to secure the card, but it can reduce the temps with few degrees.

A step further would be to attach on the same end a fan to help pulling the hot air outside, (a push-pull configuration).
Something like this:


With this combination I have reduced the temps with about 10C (running at 60C now).
sr. member
Activity: 286
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May 18, 2013, 01:51:37 PM
#28
I put 3X 7970 directly in the line of fire of my AC w no case and some risers, works like a charm hottest card is 72C.
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May 18, 2013, 10:16:16 AM
#27
I'm think i need an AC, because i have 20" fan facing the rig and temps still go up to 90C... I can't cut a whole in garage, it's a condo so not much i can do and there's no window.

I was thinking:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-Mini-5-000-BTU-Mechanical-Window-Air-Conditioner-HWF05XCL-L/17477197#Item+Description

then enclosing the rigs into some kind of 'box' and point cold air from the AC into it(using some kind of hose or something), so the cold air ony goes directly to the enclosed box where the rigs are, then big fan sucks out all the air of the box.

here's the mockup:



Do you think it will work?

I'm also concerned about the power consumption to run AC 24/7, what do you think it will be if my rate is 0.11 per kwh?

Thanks!
sr. member
Activity: 329
Merit: 250
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May 10, 2013, 10:11:19 AM
#26
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?


OK, after several hours of work I put xtreme Plus II on 7950 and let the glue dry overnight.

three cards have temp of
66, 61, 54 @ less that 50% fan

VRM temp (I see two VRM sensor on each card)
81, 78
69, 73
69, 74

TPU shows cards are running at 0.96v (I set in MSI AB @ 1.06v)

and the result is mining scrypt coins, so I guess you will have better temp if it's SHA256 coins.
hope this helps.
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Activity: 329
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May 10, 2013, 10:02:12 AM
#25
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?


today I just ordered 3 Accelero Xtreme II for my 7950s (with EK adapter, it will fit the card no problem)
It's on clearance sale  Cheesy
I'll let you know the result.

It should cut down on power consumption by a huge margin. 79XX series benefits greatly from water cooling.

IIRC, the power savings from a watercooled 7970 was because the waterblock keeps the VRM temps as cool as the GPU core, which runs more efficient. This Accelero does not do that, and people often times see higher VRM temps.

true for Full cover water block, but not for GPU core.
sr. member
Activity: 314
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May 09, 2013, 02:39:02 PM
#24
This one from EK looks really cool equipment http://www.ekwb.com/ ... and they have support for dual gpu cards water cooling
Also they have a nice cooling configurator at http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/ ... did someone tried their watercooling ?
legendary
Activity: 952
Merit: 1000
May 09, 2013, 12:27:49 PM
#23
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?


today I just ordered 3 Accelero Xtreme II for my 7950s (with EK adapter, it will fit the card no problem)
It's on clearance sale  Cheesy
I'll let you know the result.

It should cut down on power consumption by a huge margin. 79XX series benefits greatly from water cooling.

IIRC, the power savings from a watercooled 7970 was because the waterblock keeps the VRM temps as cool as the GPU core, which runs more efficient. This Accelero does not do that, and people often times see higher VRM temps.
sr. member
Activity: 329
Merit: 250
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May 09, 2013, 06:16:43 AM
#22
They should work well, I have a couple of those on the Nvidia cards I use for gaming. A bit pricey for Bitcoin rigs though. I'm a slave for price/performance ratio so I'm just using a couple of huge old fans.

well, at the price of 45 each I guess is reasonable Cheesy



It should cut down on power consumption by a huge margin. 79XX series benefits greatly from water cooling.

I was halfway down that road, and changed my mind.
I am still not comfortable to use water around rigs Undecided
2D
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May 09, 2013, 12:31:59 AM
#21
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?


today I just ordered 3 Accelero Xtreme II for my 7950s (with EK adapter, it will fit the card no problem)
It's on clearance sale  Cheesy
I'll let you know the result.

It should cut down on power consumption by a huge margin. 79XX series benefits greatly from water cooling.
full member
Activity: 174
Merit: 100
May 08, 2013, 10:38:23 PM
#20
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?


today I just ordered 3 Accelero Xtreme II for my 7950s (with EK adapter, it will fit the card no problem)
It's on clearance sale  Cheesy
I'll let you know the result.

They should work well, I have a couple of those on the Nvidia cards I use for gaming. A bit pricey for Bitcoin rigs though. I'm a slave for price/performance ratio so I'm just using a couple of huge old fans.
sr. member
Activity: 329
Merit: 250
Bitcoin may be the TCP/IP of money.
May 08, 2013, 02:59:41 PM
#19
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?


today I just ordered 3 Accelero Xtreme II for my 7950s (with EK adapter, it will fit the card no problem)
It's on clearance sale  Cheesy
I'll let you know the result.
hero member
Activity: 924
Merit: 1000
May 07, 2013, 12:45:01 PM
#18
portable a/c on craigslist for $150, a $20 box fan, and Mike's watercooling setup are great ideas.
I have a portable A/C and a $20 box fan.   The $20 box fan takes 10-20C off my multi gpu setup.  The A/C i have yet to use for actual mining (just cooling down my apartment).

Power is no concern as I get electric included in one of my apartments.
sr. member
Activity: 303
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May 07, 2013, 12:01:37 PM
#17
I don't get it. That liquid cooler looks like it's only good for the GPU itself. What about cooling the VRMs?

That's why I recommended getting the fan bracket + 92mm fan.  Or... you can get the basic bracket and rig a couple of your own fans onto the card (not that hard to do).
2D
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May 07, 2013, 11:58:55 AM
#16

I don't get it. That liquid cooler looks like it's only good for the GPU itself. What about cooling the VRMs?
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May 07, 2013, 11:26:03 AM
#15
It would be funny to see it running inside of a fridge.  I don't think the fridge would last long, and condensation would be terrible.  But it would make for a good picture.

That's what the freezer section is for! Tongue
cp1
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May 07, 2013, 11:06:31 AM
#14
It would be funny to see it running inside of a fridge.  I don't think the fridge would last long, and condensation would be terrible.  But it would make for a good picture.
zvs
legendary
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May 07, 2013, 10:41:48 AM
#13
i have some $200 fan, for about 20 gpus

window that opens from top and bottom, put fan in bottom,  seal the area around the fan, open the top up about 6-8 inches

two windows would be better  Wink
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Activity: 84
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May 07, 2013, 10:37:19 AM
#12
A watercooling setup would be close in price though compared to the portable AC, and will definitely use tons less power, so that is also something to consider.

You might want to try just replacing the thermal paste and thermal pads on the GPUs with some higher quality stuff to see if that doesn't help with the heat first, since that will only cost probably around $30-40 for all 3.  If the temps are still higher than where you'd like or if the room heat is still not where you want it, then add in the AC or watercooling system.

Also, taking the metal mounting bracket off (if possible) may help a bit.
legendary
Activity: 952
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May 07, 2013, 10:16:16 AM
#11
Ya I'm going to agree with others here: cooling just the GPU core is NOT going to fix all your problems. You can switch to an Accelero or a homemade watercooling block, but that's not going to do much to cool the rest of the cards. Specifically, watch the VRM temps. If you swap out the stock cooler for that watercooling block with no VRM cooling and those high ambient temps, you're asking to burn out your VRMs while your core stays nice a cool.

GPU fans and box fans do a great job at blowing the hot air away from your setup, but in your case, you need to find the coldest air you can, and blow it into the GPUs. Ambient temps have a huge impact on mining temps, esp now that summer is basically here. I'll agree with the portable AC idea.

Ideal would be a full watercooling block, something that also cools the RAM and VRMs. Then have an AC blowing into the rad and then a big box fan blowing the hot air outside of the garage. Ambient -> AC -> RAD -> Box Fan -> outside
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May 07, 2013, 10:02:37 AM
#10
Portable AC unit would probably be the easiest/cheapest (depending on the number of cards).  Those usually come with the large hose and window mount to vent the heat outside.
cp1
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May 07, 2013, 09:57:11 AM
#9
Unvented AC will help, but keep in mind that it'll heat the rest of your garage, and that may be annoying. Do you own the garage so that you can cut a hole in the wall?  Even if you don't you can make it look like a dryer vent.
legendary
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May 07, 2013, 01:13:51 AM
#8
Ignore all these coolingthegpu tips. If you're ambient is high, you need to find a way around it. The options:

1) Get the smallest AC unit you can find. Doesn't matter if you can't vent the heat, as long as its blowing the cold air into box then its going to create a cheating heat evelope around the cards
2) Get some 'clothes dryer exhaust ducting'. I use it to transport all the heat from my desktop straight out the window. You can do the reverse and put one end at a window and the other at your inlet. Again = false low ambient but not as good. Helps to have additional fans blowing through the the tubing to increase flow if it gets too long.
3) Put the box in a windowsill in doors. If you don't want the heat inside, create a bubble. Ie put put a tarp around the whole window.
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May 07, 2013, 01:11:17 AM
#7

Really great info man.


I'd like to know the cheapest way to water/liquid cool a 7870xt or 7950, is this it?   I need to liquid cool 3-6 gpus....And this looks like its per video card / cpu..   I'm looking to find something slightly cheaper per video card...any ideas?
sr. member
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May 06, 2013, 11:39:19 PM
#6
Not a problem.  I have a couple of 7950s being cooled by a Thermaltake WATER2.0 Pro and a Corsair H110 with those GPU brackets.  One hits 42°C and the other is 38°C with LTC.
newbie
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May 06, 2013, 11:05:04 PM
#5
WOw scifimike12 amazing info thank you
legendary
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May 06, 2013, 10:39:49 PM
#3
I would recommend a giant fan, like the one pictured above.  They are pretty cheap, and it should do the trick.
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May 06, 2013, 10:09:43 PM
#2
I've been looking into something like this:

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail/index/sArticle/502/sCategory/2182

Does anyone have any experience with this product?
member
Activity: 91
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May 06, 2013, 10:02:17 PM
#1
Hi,

I have 3x7950 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7542562&CatId=7387), on the hot day they run at 80C stable(at 80% fan), and the hot day is when it's 80F oustide,  my rig is in garage and when it's gona get to to 100F+ in the sun, the head will go up another 10C or so, because even right now it's really hot in garage and once i open the doors for like 5 minutes, the temp drops to 72C~.

Right now i have additional fan to blow all the hot air away from the cards, but at this point it's all hot..


Here's my rig setup:



I would like to cool down the cards, because again summer is coming and it's gone get hot!!!.

What would you recommend? an AC? bigger fan? water cooling or something? I'm really looking for something affordable or "do it yourself" type.

Thanks in advance.
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