I gathered that Linus is a popular guy, and wasn't really expecting an immediate reply, but I'm hoping that the details of this catch his (or writers') attention, and they'll either build something that kinda works with the TEC systems they've already demonstrated, or reach out to me to help me try something that's probably not the greatest idea in the first place (and not make a video about it).
I'm actually a firm believer that an insulated (plywood would work well) box with a window air-conditioner mounted in one side might actually be the safest/cheapest sub-ambient temperature rig for the "common enthusiast" (perhaps even the back wall of a test bench with a 4-sided shroud/cover - with a hinge and pneumatic shock if you want to pimp it up) because it's also maintaining low relative humidity at the components, is electrically tested and sound (not going to start a fire), and is a proven/refined/efficient technology. A 1000W computer system running full load is only pushing out ~3400BTU/h - just over half the capacity of the smallest window A/C units in the consumer market. Even that system will face limitations, though (like heating the room it's in like no computer system before it, and being as loud as a window a/c unit not in a window). Maybe need to start a new thread for that.
I'm not oblivious to the point that TECs have noise associated - something's gotta take the heat it's pumping, in addition to the heat it's generating (which is more than the heat that it's pumping). Still, just 6 x 120mm fans worth of rad should be able to dissipate the heat being generated by a solid gaming system (and the TECs) without sounding like a full-blast hair-dryer (which even the air-conditioner solution above would drown out - "silence" is a relative term). TECs are also lightweight, and have no moving parts - something that very large water systems and refrigerant/compressor systems cannot boast - that second power supply's wattage has got to be worth something, after all.
Heck, if the loop described in my last reply (blocks->TEC hot->rad->TEC cold->loop) was combined with an electrostatic precipitator, you could get the whole system down to the noise/moving parts of the coolant pumps...might actually make a super reboot of
especially since the electrostatic precipitators would also keep the inside dust free - no more cleaning rads behind mobos: just wipe collector plates every few weeks. dig deep enough, and one might even be able to lose or mitigate the pump noise, too (using convection)...perhaps just two 9x rads, walls/frame, drawer slides and soft tubing, this time?
I'll definitely post questions when I get to them, but I think I'm mostly just sharing ideas, hoping to generate dialogue - innovation happens (most often when people bounce ideas off each other): why not right here? This thread is perhaps trying to focus on a completely silent killer system in a box, which TECs could definitely be a part of...