In an operational system, tubes carry coolant to and from water blocks.

IMAGE COURTESY DARRIN GATEWOOD

The final component of a liquid-cooling system is the liquid itself. Many people use
distilled water, since tap water contains contaminants that can cloud the system or clog
the channels in the water blocks and radiator. Specialized additives can add color to the
fluid, making it more visually appealing when used in a clear case. They can also lower
the freezing point or surface tension of the water, making it a more effective coolant.
Finally, some additives have antimicrobial or anti-corrosion ingredients, which can
increase the life of the system.

If you decide to install a liquid-cooling system in your computer, it's a good idea to let
the pump circulate the fluid for a while so you can check for leaks. Keep your computer
turned off during this test period so you'll be less likely to damage your hardware if a leak
does occur.

Once you're sure that everything is watertight, boot up the computer. You can check the
temperature of your components in your computer's BIOS menu or by using a third-party
application that monitors temperature. If necessary, you can also apply smaller heat sinks
to RAM chips and other higher-temperature components in your system.

If you like the idea of liquid cooling but don't want to research individual components,
you can buy a ready-to-use unit or kit. Self-contained units can plug directly into a
computer's expansion slots or power supply and provide liquid cooling to one specific
chip. Kits include all the parts you need and instructions for assembling them - just make
sure the parts included are compatible with your computer's hardware. Some companies
also sell high-end PCs with liquid cooling factory-installed.

Check out the links on the next page to learn more about PCs, thermodynamics, liquid-
cooled computers and related topics.

WHEN WATER JUST ISN'T COLD

ENOUGH
If you want to cool your PC's parts even more than a liquid-cooling system will allow,
you can use Peltier devices in place of standard water blocks. A Peltier device is
a thermoelectric device. When you apply electricity to it, heat moves from one side to
the other. In other words, one side of the Peltier device gets very cold while the other gets
very hot. The cold side of the Peltier device can cool a microchip, while water from the
liquid-cooling system draws the heat away from the hot side.
Some people prefer systems that use these devices because they cool a PC's components
well below ambient temperature. However, they do require extra precautions. Since the
cold side of a Peltier device is colder than the surrounding air, it's prone to
accumulating condensation. Without ample protection against condensation, a Peltier
system can lead to a short circuit.

Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

 How PCs Work

 How Laptops Work
 How to Keep Your Laptop Cool
 How Computer Memory Works
 How PC Power Supplies Work
 How Car Cooling Systems Work
 How Motherboards Work
 Can computer chips be air-conditioned?
More Great Links

 CPU Cooling with Liquid Nitrogen

 Overclock.Net: Water Cooling Guide
 Koolance: Liquid Cooling 101
 About Temperature
 University of Georgia HyperPhysics: Heat and Thermodynamics
Sources

 Burek, John A. "Water-cool your PC." CNet. 8/24/2005.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11319_7-6291064-1.html
 Burns, Simon. "Liquid Metal So Cool it May Be on Ice." The Inquirer. 8/4/2005.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=25164
 Case, Loyd. "Build It: A Liquid-Cooled P4 System." Extreme Tech. 5/20/2004.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1596182,00.asp
 Case, Loyd. "ExtremeTech's Best of Computex." 6/3/2005
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1823785,00.asp
 Case, Loyd. "Notes from the Lab." Extreme Tech. 5/10/2004.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1611148,00.asp
 Devhardware. "Water Cooling Basics." 3/15/2005.
http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Hardware-Guides/Water-Cooling-Basics/
 Loh, Victor. "CoolIT Systems Presents Peltier and Liquid CPU Cooling."
3/14/2006. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1937653,00.asp
 Melchiore, Dave. "How to Water Cool a Computer." Xoxide.
http://xoxide.com/water-cooling.html
 Modthebox.com. "Introduction - Pumps."
http://modthebox.com/review221_1.shtml
 PC Powerzone. "Peltier Cooling."
http://store.pcpowerzone.com/peltiercooling.html
 Puget Custom Computers. "Liquid Cooled Computers."
http://www.pugetsystems.com/liquid.php
 "Rich's Liquid PC Project." http://russellware.com/liquidpc/
 Schmidt, Patrick and Max Wilson. "Thermaltake Tide Water Tackles CPU Heat."
Toms Hardware.
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/04/13/thermaltake_tide_water_tackles_gpu_he
at/
 Volkel, Frank. "Strip Out the Fans, Add 8 Gallons of Cooking Oil." Tom's
Hardware. 1/9/2006. http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/01/09/strip_out_the_fans/
 Xoxide.com. "Water Cooling Equipment." http://xoxide.com/watcoolcas1.html