Building a Cool Box for multi-GPU-PC's [in function]

[rappet]

The Coolbox is finally realized!
Only need to paint a few parts of the body (below the glass) and clean the glass,
But it is use... Today I did some cabling ... took me two days to get neat and in place.
I'll post some photos of the result soon.
Cheers,

[Notiusweb]

Four thoughts, or as they say, my 4 cents:

1- put a dehumidifier in there and run it with the AC before you stick the PCs in there and see how much moisture it collects, just as a test
2- put a bucket of white rice somewhere in there, it naturally absorbs moisture and requires no power.
3- put a smoke detector, on the ceiling in that box, that is battery powered to alert you of an electrical fire
4- put some external fan somewhere to extra circulate the air in there, whichever direction scientifically makes it cooler

Also, could you buy mini-fridges and gut them space wise (shelves, racks) and stick a PC in there as an extra layer of cool-boxage?

[rappet]

Four thoughts, or as they say, my 4 cents:

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it

1- put a dehumidifier in there and run it with the AC before you stick the PCs in there and see how much moisture it collects, just as a test

I have a (automatically) dehumidifier to keep the balance, and a hydro- and temperature meter to monitor.
Good point though about testing it, but then for a good test I need to heat up the air inside.

2- put a bucket of white rice somewhere in there, it naturally absorbs moisture and requires no power.

Good idea (and handy when getting hungry... haha)

3- put a smoke detector, on the ceiling in that box, that is battery powered to alert you of an electrical fire

Why did I not think about that yet, I planned to get a fire-extinguisher anyhow, andI have a smoke detector nearby (but indeed one in the box is logical to do)

4- put some external fan somewhere to extra circulate the air in there, whichever direction scientifically makes it cooler

Can do when I think the circulation needs to be manipulated. I was thinking of using kind of 'smoke'to see the airflow. JayzTwoCents has a vid on that using incence.

Also, could you buy mini-fridges and gut them space wise (shelves, racks) and stick a PC in there as an extra layer of cool-boxage?

Funny guy, you... thinking of the rice and now of cold beers nearby I guess.. haha.
I intend not to cool the space under 21 Celcius (Room temperature, and therefor Fridge(temps) is not what I am thinking of.. but the cold beer sounds lke a good idea
btw: Cooling not under 21 Celcius I expect no condensation problems on the hardware.

I'll keep you posted.
Thanx again for your 4 (and a half cents)

cheers,

[Tutor]

Hi guys,

Finally I started with actually building the CoolBox. ... .

Someone has a good thought about this?

cheers,

Looks good.

[Notiusweb]

Hey Rappet, is the cool box up and running? Can you walk in it like a sauna?
I had a thought of what you can do with any moisture that may build up....you funnel it into the watercooling tubing you will be setting up!
Oh man, I kill me sometimes...

[rappet]

Hey Notiusweb,

Thanx for asking... that's funny idea, man you are killing me
yet it is full in function

I was planning posting after finsihed the Coolbox, but then... it might take a while finishing the details,
such as a last layer of white paint on, I have to install lighting (lamp in middle ceiling looks dreadful now; I will add other lamp in middle and LED around the edgdes, 3d printed small logos as thin handles to slide the glass panels, a custom figure-printed plastic on the lower part of the glass, and few more details.
As I am writing this post the Coolbox is doing it's work; 3 pc's are rendering and the airco is keeping the ambient air inside the Box on 21 celcius,
when the air is getting too dry I ahve a humidifier in the room too add moisture to the air and keep the balance. I have set a few a humid and temp sensor to monitor the box and the room seperately.
I am very satisfied with the result... it works technically and now I have to find time to finish it for the eye and make it looks 'aauahw'.

Below a few pics of building and at bottom one from today...
I will follow up when having finished the details... and then I will take better 'showroom' photographs

making the construction:

Coolbox (1).JPG

installing the total setup and assembling the coolbox:

Coolbox (4).JPG

Cable management under the hood (space below is for 4 cabinets):

Coolbox (6).JPG

Doing it's job as posting this (btw: no visible cables from Box to desk :

Coolbox (5)_tonemapped.jpg

greetz,

[smicha]

Rappet,
that looks great. Have you measures how much energy the AC draws for these computers on?

[rappet]

Rappet,
that looks great. Have you measures how much energy the AC draws for these computers on?

thanx... no, I did not measure the AC powerdraw...
I could measure it one day
I have the tool for it

[rappet]

Just sharing experience with the Coolbox if it might interest you ;

Without having the AC on, I sometimes got a System Warning on the renderslaves of mobo and cpu temps getting too hot.
Having the AC on in the closed Coolbox makes a 10 degrees Celcius difference on the CPU temp of the slaves; 50C instead of 60C...
that is more then I expected coz' I expected temps drop intensively outside the PC case, but this is the temps inside the PC case.

On the master PC I did the OctaneBench test with AC on and off and monitor the temps of mobo/cpu.
Start temps were both times appr. 40C,
AC off: cpu= 48C , mobo= 53C, gpu's=83C (*), score 388,77
AC on: cpu= 45C , mobo= 52C, gpu's=83C (*), score 395,49
(*) (both gpu's=83C ofcourse coz' of set temp target)
Not too much difference here, but then this master PC has good case airlfow, and the temps on slaves were during constantely and longtime rendering.

I plan to do some testing and compare having the PC cases with side panels closed and open...
with open sidepanles the airflow in tside the PC might be less optimal, but on the other hand the AC will cool the ambient air and then also more directly inside the PC? (then dust might be more problem having no panel with filter.. it is all about pros and cons )

Cheers,

[smicha]

Interesting and useful. Thanks for sharing rappet.