coolpacks..

mb2 · Post by **mb2** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:25 pm

i seem to remember there was a bit of a buzz about coolpacks (or whatever u call them?) around here a while ago..
now, i have a mATX case, so i have no 5 1/2" drive bay to hang any sort of elastic de-coulping setup from, and a coolpack seems to be the most effective option.

now, my Q is, where can i get one in the UK (specific place ideally)
i need one ideally as close to the size of a 3.5" HDD as possible - only a tiny bit wider than a 3.5" HDD will fit on the floor of the case.

if i have a low rpm fan blowing across it (i plan to, 92mm, but intake is highly restricted) then do i need to have a heat-conductive surface or would i be ok with like a cloth or something to dampen the vibration?
if i can't get a coolpack what would the 'next best' be in terms of dampening whilst conducting a little heat?

Slaugh · Post by **Slaugh** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:46 pm

Are you talking about "AcoustiPacks" from Acousti Products. They make standard, deluxe and pre-cut sound-dampering kits that fits inside your casing. If that's what you're looking at, follow this link to find out where you can get it in UK. There is also a review on SPCR. Sorry if I misunderstood you.

andywww · Post by **andywww** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:44 pm

Or, if by coolpacks you mean those gel things that you stick in a freezer and then use in the place of ice, well i have no idea where to get those in the UK specifically

but a retailer with like everyday kitchen supplies should do it.
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ultraboy · Post by **ultraboy** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:49 am

andywww wrote:Or, if by coolpacks you mean those gel things that you stick in a freezer and then use in the place of ice, well i have no idea where to get those in the UK specifically but a retailer with like everyday kitchen supplies should do it.
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Or, at pharmacy store. This is a gel type and no need to put it in freezer. Hdd probably doesn't like the frozen one.

Spod · Post by **Spod** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:05 am

Allders do coolpacks of about the right size and consistency, though other stores with big kitchen departments probably do as well - Debenhams, maybe BHS. If you're lucky, you may even find them at your local supermarket, though it's not exactly the time of year.

Krispy · Post by **Krispy** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 7:49 am

I got some in the market for 99p ea. Have also seen them in pound shops, but as already stated it might be wrong time of year.

What are you going to do about condensation? These things usually get wet when they cool, so they will probably drip, on what? Also chilled air may condensate inside case etc.

Take care & good luck!

Spod · Post by **Spod** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:08 am

I think mb2 wanted the ones with the gel, for their consistency at room temperature, not their ability to stay cold after taking them out of the freezer. Don't put cold things in your computer, kids, unless you know how to deal with the condensation issues. For most users it's not worth it.

Krispy · Post by **Krispy** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:31 am

Spod, I am not daft enough to be putting these in my computer

, I got them for my automatic cat feeder! That's why I raised the subject of condensation.

I think anyone relying on these for cooling would be asking for trouble.

hvengel · Post by **hvengel** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 12:54 pm

I also think packing a HDD in these would cause problems. The Cool Pack would heat up and then hold the heat around the HDD. It would over heat if you used the computer for more than a few minutes at a time.

alleycat · Post by **alleycat** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 7:41 pm

Coolpacks are a great way to quieten a HDD; I've been using them for months. Some points about their usage:

1. DO NOT put the coolpack in the refrigerator/freezer - it is used at room temperature.

2. Just place the HDD on the coolpack in the bottom of your case and leave it there. The coolpack will then absorb the vibrations from the drive. Ensure that the edges of the coolpack aren't allowing vibrations to be transmitted to anything in the case.

3. The coolpack will slowly absorb heat from the drive, however, it releases heat from the surfaces which aren't in contact with the drive, resulting in better thermal dissipation than when the drive is in free air. In fact I've found my drive temperatures are the lowest ever.

4. In addition, the high thermal mass of the coolpack means that temperature changes are very slow and even, which is no doubt even better for drive longevity. It takes over two hours for the drive temperature to reach maximum. This also means that periods of high HDD usage will have little overall effect on drive temperature.

5. Once the coolpack has warmed up, the gel becomes quite liquid, so I don't think consistency matters. Just get the thickest ones you can find (as long as they fit nicely in your case).

It is a warm summer day here in Australia, and with no airflow over my HDD/coolpack, my drive temperature is 33 degC according to MBM. The only thing I can hear are the birds outside my window.

mb2 · Post by **mb2** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:06 pm

thanks for all the replies..
the reason i thought coolpacks were a good idea was because i have no room to suspend the hard drive (proper mATX case), and so wanted something to go between the HDD and case floor to dampen the vibrations.. and i also thought that having a little heat-conductivity would be nice.. from my experience the chips on the underside of HDDs can get pretty toasty, so i dont really want to put them on something which will just make them even hotter.. alleycat has nicely summed up the good points

"everyday kitchen supplies should do it."
thanks.. i was looking for more specificity really

like one of the right size, perhaps one somebody had already used, obviously u'd have to be in the UK to suggest where to get one.. but anyway, may have to take a trip down to allders.

a little off topic but hey.. "I got them for my automatic cat feeder!" ah, we just recently got one of them, with hard cool packs that go on the bottom, its torture for the poor cat though, rotating slowly as it does, as soon as she can see/smell a little bit of food she is deperately sticking her nose in trying to get at it, but can't fit her head in to actually eat anything for atleast another 10 mins lol.

postul8or · Post by **postul8or** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 3:34 pm

Only issue I had with this method is that I wanted to put a cool pack on top of the drive (not only under it) but I decided against covering that "do not cover hole" on the drive.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 4:57 pm

Here's another use for these gel-pacs......I cut a hole in the motherboard tray, and fit an appropriate sized gel-pack against the back of the motherboard itself. It really gets hot there....you'd be surprised. Anyway the gel-pac transfers heat from the board to an aluminum vent I added.
In use the vent temp rises considerably......and I get a cheap way to noiselessly lower the board and cpu temp. It works.....

Six photos

greeef · Post by **greeef** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:04 pm

postul8or wrote:Only issue I had with this method is that I wanted to put a cool pack on top of the drive (not only under it) but I decided against covering that "do not cover hole" on the drive.

To my knowledge, that hole is only to ensure the air pressure is equalised in the drive. I doubt it'd make much difference if it were sealed and sitting in your house, but it would be very easy to make a channel for the air.

@bluefront - I dont suppose you did before and after measurements on cpu temp with that coolpack mod?
I'm tempted, but it would be a lot of work. Got a big heatsink lying about doing nothing.

Is there anything more efficient in heat transfer than a coolpack, but equally "flexible"

griff

postul8or · Post by **postul8or** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:47 pm

greeef wrote:
postul8or wrote:Only issue I had with this method is that I wanted to put a cool pack on top of the drive (not only under it) but I decided against covering that "do not cover hole" on the drive.
To my knowledge, that hole is only to ensure the air pressure is equalised in the drive. I doubt it'd make much difference if it were sealed and sitting in your house, but it would be very easy to make a channel for the air.

@bluefront - I dont suppose you did before and after measurements on cpu temp with that coolpack mod?
I'm tempted, but it would be a lot of work. Got a big heatsink lying about doing nothing.

Is there anything more efficient in heat transfer than a coolpack, but equally "flexible"

griff

That is true, I could probably put a stick or something to leave some breathing room.

I wonder if you could grease the coolpack with the silver CPU compound to transfer heat better! A little messy, but on some level perhaps it's an improvement!

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 3:37 am

greeef.....After cutting the hole in the MB tray, I tested temps with and without the gel-pac in place. Idle temps were slightly lower with the gel-pac.....and at max use (CPUBurn) I measured a CPU temp reduction of almost 3C.

The big problem with these gel-pacs is to find one without any air bubbles in the pac......any large air pockets renders the thing almost useless for heat transfer.

j-azn · Post by **j-azn** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 8:13 am

anything chance there would coolpacks for the size of sonata?? if so.. would it be recommended for a 3hd setup??
need some guidce..pls help..

mb2 · Post by **mb2** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 7:43 am

I wonder if you could grease the coolpack with the silver CPU compound to transfer heat better! A little messy, but on some level perhaps it's an improvement!

i very much doubt it.. i'd imagine the plastic holding the gel stuff together would be the main impedance to thermal transfer.. and adding another thermal layer would just make things worse i would imagine..
but hey feel free to try..

mkk · Post by **mkk** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 am

Are there ESD safed cool packs?

coolpacks..

coolpacks..

Coolpack

Re: Coolpack