Cooling a Mineral Oil Machine

[iamMINT]

So I'm about dead set on building one of these things. I've built plenty of PC's before and I already know exactly what I'm going to do as far as hardware, tank, and so on. Though, the one bit I'm a little stuck on is how to cool these. I know you need to pump the hot oil out, send it through a radiator to cool it, and send the cold oil back in through a water cool loop. I'm just not really sure what I'd need to do that, as I'm not super familiar with water cooling and loop

[DominicNikon]

i thought people didnt do oil cooling machines any more

[Enderman]

You are aware of all the difficulties with mineral oil PCs, right?

The cost, weight, problems with cables, non-reusability, etc...?

 

I don't understand how you could know everything there is to know about a mineral oil PCs without even knowing basic watercooling...

[ARikozuM]

You want to cool your oil-cooled PC?

[W-L]

8 minutes ago, JohnBRoark said:

So I'm about dead set on building one of these things. I've built plenty of PC's before and I already know exactly what I'm going to do as far as hardware, tank, and so on. Though, the one bit I'm a little stuck on is how to cool these. I know you need to pump the hot oil out, send it through a radiator to cool it, and send the cold oil back in through a water cool loop. I'm just not really sure what I'd need to do that, as I'm not super familiar with water cooling and loop

Usually you submerge the pump into the oil and have it pump out of the tank into the rads for cooling. However just note that you want to replace all rubber seals with nitrile to ensure they don't break down as they are chemically resistant to mineral oil.

 

[iamMINT]

Just now, Enderman said:

You are aware of all the difficulties with mineral oil PCs, right?

The cost, weight, problems with cables, non-reusability, etc...?

 

I don't understand how you could know everything there is to know about a mineral oil PCs without even knowing basic watercooling...

I don't know every possible thing there is to know about mineral oil computer building, and I'm still planning it out. I was just saying I know what system I'm wanting to put in there. Though, I don't see why the fact that I don't watercool too much would make me under qualified to build a mineral oil machine. I know full well that it's really heavy, rather expensive, and awfully hard on your cabling. Yet, something about the challenges it faces makes me still really want to build one of these things. 

[iamMINT]

3 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

You want to cool your oil-cooled PC?

Well, oil sucks in heat really well- though since it's so thick and doesn't move around very well, it's hard to keep it cool. That's why'd you pump it out into a radiator to cool the hot oil, and pump it back into the system cool to keep it at decent

 

3 minutes ago, W-L said:

Usually you submerge the pump into the oil and have it pump out of the tank into the rads for cooling. However just note that you want to replace all rubber seals with nitrile to ensure they don't break down as they are chemically resistant to mineral oil.

 

Thanks! I appreciate the response. That answers what questions I do have about keeping the oil at a good temp. 

[Enderman]

9 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

You want to cool your oil-cooled PC?

Mineral oil cooled PCs are submerged in oil, but you need something cooling the oil or else the temperature just rises until it boils.

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Enderman said:

Mineral oil cooled PCs are submerged in oil, but you need something cooling the oil or else the temperature just rises until it boils.

I know. I meant a joke where he has his oil-cooled PC and wanted an air cooler or something to further cool it.

[iamMINT]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

I know. I meant a joke where he has his oil-cooled PC and wanted an air cooler or something to further cool it.

People will put fans in there just for the look of it, though I never really said about air cooling oil, which I don't plan to do. 

[DarkBlade2117]

10 minutes ago, JohnBRoark said:

I don't know every possible thing there is to know about mineral oil computer building, and I'm still planning it out. I was just saying I know what system I'm wanting to put in there. Though, I don't see why the fact that I don't watercool too much would make me under qualified to build a mineral oil machine. I know full well that it's really heavy, rather expensive, and awfully hard on your cabling. Yet, something about the challenges it faces makes me still really want to build one of these things. 

Hard line water cool your PC, it'll still be challenging, will look a ton better and you can reuse everything.

[W-L]

7 minutes ago, JohnBRoark said:

Well, oil sucks in heat really well- though since it's so thick and doesn't move around very well, it's hard to keep it cool. That's why'd you pump it out into a radiator to cool the hot oil, and pump it back into the system cool to keep it at decent

Thanks! I appreciate the response. That answers what questions I do have about keeping the oil at a good temp. 

If you had enough surface area it is possible to passive cool the system just with a glass tank, I know there was a mineral oil build using huge aluminum heatsinks that would cool it passively very well. 

[Ryoutarou97]

3 minutes ago, JohnBRoark said:

Well, oil sucks in heat really well- though since it's so thick and doesn't move around very well, it's hard to keep it cool. That's why'd you pump it out into a radiator to cool the hot oil, and pump it back into the system cool to keep it at decent

 

Thanks! I appreciate the response. That answers what questions I do have about keeping the oil at a good temp. 

I would highly recommend against it, but if you really want to then it's pretty much a regular custom loop IIRC except for the lack of water blocks and that the pump's inlet being left open to the oil.

 

Just now, JohnBRoark said:

People will put fans in there just for the look of it, though I never really said about air cooling oil, which I don't plan to do. 

Liquid cooling is pretty much air cooling so you're still going to need fans (although like all loops you get to run them super slow. It's great. I have to put my ear about four inches away from the exhaust vent to hear my build. Essentially you're looking at a ~$300 premium over liquid cooling the same parts which, by the way, are almost certainly not going to be reusable. There's a good reason that most people don't do these, but if you really want to then I've got a couplet for you:

 

Best of luck

It's gonna suck

 

(but afterwards will look and stay cool)

[iamMINT]

3 minutes ago, Ryoutarou97 said:

I would highly recommend against it, but if you really want to then it's pretty much a regular custom loop IIRC except for the lack of water blocks and that the pump's inlet being left open to the oil.

 

Liquid cooling is pretty much air cooling so you're still going to need fans (although like all loops you get to run them super slow. It's great. I have to put my ear about four inches away from the exhaust vent to hear my build. Essentially you're looking at a ~$300 premium over liquid cooling the same parts which, by the way, are almost certainly not going to be reusable. There's a good reason that most people don't do these, but if you really want to then I've got a couplet for you:

 

Best of luck

It's gonna suck

 

(but afterwards will look and stay cool)

Yes, I know it's going to suck quite a bit. Though, I guess that's why I like the idea of it so much.

 

I don't plan on putting expensive parts in here for that entire reason. The whole idea is just a grey market AMD machine since the idea of dumping high grade equipment into oil scares me a little bit. I'll probably end up using it as just an excuse to use Linux again, though will see.