In one of the most imaginative personal computer mods we ’ve seen this year , Chinese YouTuber octppus has pull off a wild engineering feat by transforming the heatspreader ( IHS ) of anIntel Core i9 - 14900KSinto a fully function water block .
or else of strapping a conventional cooler onto the processor , the YouTuber aim matter into his own hands ( and his CNC machine ) . By precisely cut up a internet of microchannels directly into the CPU ’s integrate IHS , he allowed coolant to feed right across the surface that matter most , the processor die itself .
The custom setup is quite clever , have inlet and outlet ports that are machine into the modify IHS , sealed with a gasket , and top off with a clear acrylic screen . This not only forestall wetting but also offers a uncommon opinion into the heart of the cool down system in action .
Traditionally , CPU water blocks are specialised cool down factor made from high - conductivity textile like copper or nickel - plated copper , designed to sit down on top of the mainframe with an intermediary thermal paste layer . in spite of appearance , these block have precision - engineered microfins or microchannels that maximize airfoil area and turbulency to expeditiously absorb high temperature , which is then carry away by coolant pumped through the system . Commercial water blockage are meticulously designed to optimise thermic transfer , minimize pressure drops , and ensure even cooling across the CPU ’s surface .
What make this creation unique is how it skip the intermediary steps entirely by obviate the traditional heatspreader and piss mental block separation to bring the cooling liquid rightfulness to the reference .
Testing record that the mod is n’t just for show , either . Under idle conditions and light 60W lots , this DIY setup actually surmount traditional water blocks , thanks to the short distance between the cooling liquid and the processor die . However , when heart swiftness were reduced , temperatures spike faster than in received setups . This advise that while thermal transfer is splendid at eminent rate of flow rate , the small Earth’s surface area and less - optimize channel design ca n’t contend with professionally engineered stoppage under all conditions .
The undertaking , of course , is n’t practical for the average PC constructor as carve into an expensive CPU is far from jeopardy - liberal , and even a minor error would ensue in a very costly paperweight . Still , it capture the creativeness and experimental spirit of the PC modding community . It also sparks interesting discourse around unmediated - dice cooling system and how future mainstream cool solutions might evolve to get even closer to the rut source for improved thermal efficiency .
