One of the most interesting experiments for cooling a computer is submerging it in mineral oil. The process is definitely messy, and if not contained properly, it can stain everything in its path. But if you want to try it, the safest and most economical way to begin is with a Raspberry Pi 3. The mini computer suffers multiple temperature problems and needs all the help it can get.
Why Mineral Oil?
Why and how. Those are the two first questions every user asks when seeing a computer submerged in mineral oil, and they are easy to answer. On one hand, mineral oil is not conductive, which prevents everything from going up in flames. On the other hand, when applied correctly, it delivers excellent heat dissipation, a critical detail for systems with extreme overclocking, or that lack a robust cooling solution.
The Raspberry Pi Experiment
Now... the process is not just about tossing components into a fish tank and filling it. The oil 'climbs,' meaning the container should not be filled to the brim. Then we discover its relationship with rubber and adhesives, the fact that hard drives and optical drives cannot be submerged... in short, there is a lot to research. Fortunately, there is an excellent shortcut to get started: the Raspberry Pi 3.
The YouTube channel "HydroGraphix HeadQuarters" published a video showing their installation work. The container underwent several modifications to accommodate port extensions, memory card, and power button. The amount of glue on the ports is impressive, but it is supposed to not come into contact with the oil. A different story is the silicone sealant used on the edges and the cable hole. The fan circulates the oil inside the container, and the LED lights give the final design a small aesthetic touch.
The experiment definitely fulfilled its purpose, as the Raspberry Pi 3 runs stable with an overclock of 1.45 GHz at a temperature between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius while running an N64 emulator. Still... it is not exactly ideal. The LED lights introduce heat (at least a little) into the oil, and without a dedicated radiator, it would have been more logical to use two fans instead of one to optimize the liquid flow, but these are minor details.
