Widescreen Gaming Forum

Have you guys seen this? It's made by a Danish manufacturer called Danamics. Liquid metal cooling using electromagnetic pumps has been around for a while but I'm quite sure this is the first time it will be available to home PC builders/users.

I don't know about you but I'm psyched about it and if the rumors are true it's releasing just in time for the Nehalem quads, which I plan to use in my next build. I wonder what these babies will sell for though? I'm thinking maybe $200.

Danamics LM10

electromagnetic pumps

Magnetism + Computer = : (

But I guess there will be lots of shielding right? I mean the technology couldn't have gotten this far if it fried the testbed computers.

Looks like an intriguing alternative to watercooling.

When I think of liquid metal, I think of T-1000 :D But it might just well be plain old mercury. If so, that heatsink might be a heavy one with mercury filling inside those pipes instead of typical water.

Could the lower and upper black pieces actually be the components forming the elctromagnetic field?

Interesting product it is....I will keep an eye on it. Thanks for this news.

God why don't people get it through their head that EVERY moving part in a computer uses a magnet!!! And that every electrical component in the computer is also an elector magnet!!!

Also the pump is at the top of that cooling tower thingy far away from anything that it could interfere with, also I am not even sure that the silicon in a CPU would be affected by a magnet, I think I will take an old computer of mine and put a HDD magnet under the mobo under the CPU and see what happens.

One magnetic really won't do it. You need to create a field. That would generally require one magnet on each side.

The 'liquid metal' won't be mercury. It's too toxic; I know that various environmental agencies are up in arms in the UK about the level of mercury in the 'energy saving' lightbulbs that the Govt. wants to force everyone to use. There are Ga/Sn alloys that are liquid at 'low' temperatures, but to be honest, until these are on the market (I've seen stuff like this thought up before and never go anywhere) and some enterprising individual decides to cut one open to find out what is in there, then I'll remain silent on what could be in there.

Also, as good as watercooling, huh? Only as good as watercooling with a single 120mm radiator, then.

Well you can't really guess what the performance of this cooler will be, it isn't water flowing through the tubes it is some kind of "liquid metal" we don't know what the heat conductivity of this liquid is nor do we know how fast it will flow.

You are really in no place to be judging the effectiveness of this cooler.

Once i see the benchmarks I will decide, As you all should.

Liquid metal cooling has been used for some time, it's one of the most efficient methods of cooling. It's used on jet engines and I think it's safe to say they get quite hot. Also, the electromagnetic pump requires only 1 watt, so I doubt it would interfere with the other electronics even if a field is generated. I'm not convinced that's how they work though, I've seen other designs (linked to below) that have a self contained pump in one spot.

Maglev trains work via a series of electromagnetic pulses on the track. The pump on this device may work the same only needing a couple spots on the pump at the top where it pulses.

Liquid metal's thermodynamic properties far exceed that of plain water. There are other designs surfacing by a company called NanoCoolers that are smaller and fan assisted, some even designed for laptops.
http://www.techpowerup.com/?3105

As for the type of metal used, mercury has indeed been used but a bit outdated. Other metals used include Field's metal, Rose's metal, Galinstan and Indium or various Indalloys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field%27s_metal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_metal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_metal
http://www.indium.com/TIM/solutions/liquidmetal.php

Very interesting, but likely too rich for my blood. Well, that and it won't go into my Shuttle. Will definitely keep an eye out for this, though.

Is it going to be liquid metal like mercury or could it be particalized metal suspended in some liquid and the magnets give the metal particles motion?

More like mercury than ferrofluid found in speakers if that's what you mean, though likely not as toxic as mercury. It could be one of the metals I linked to above. The link to the Danamics site also shows the actual liquid metal, though doesn't say what it is made of.

I guess we'll soon read whether it walks away from high temps unscathed like this guy.

Well you can't really guess what the performance of this cooler will be, it isn't water flowing through the tubes it is some kind of "liquid metal" we don't know what the heat conductivity of this liquid is nor do we know how fast it will flow.

You are really in no place to be judging the effectiveness of this cooler.

Hm, I thought that was rather the point being made, for the most part - kind of "This is interesting, looks promising, wonder how it'll perform? Discuss." However, the fact remains that even if the liquid metal is a 100% "perfect" heat transferral system (which it won't be) then it can only move as much heat as the radiator can dissipate. And looking at that heatsink, it'll fit a single 120mm fan (or one each side). Which means that it'll most likely perform in a similar way to watercooling with a single 120mm radiator. If it's as good as they claim, it'll probably outperform a TRUE120, while being a similar size/shape. If not, it'll match it.

exactly what PS said. It might reduce the temps a bit but it needs backup in form of heat being drawn away from the heatsink.

The manufacturer essentially claims that the rate of heat transfer by the liquid metal is faster than that of water. However, the final heat transfer is from the fin-plates to the surrounding air which most likely will be accomplished by one or two 120mm fans (unless you have excellent circulation inside your case to make this heatsink into a passive cooling one).

If it's as good as they claim, it'll probably outperform a TRUE120, while being a similar size/shape. If not, it'll match it.

And if it only matches it, Flaming pile of poo IMO

If it only matches it, it'll go exactly the same way as low-end watercooling: only people who don't do their research and are easily swayed by marketing hype will buy one. ;)

Keep in mind guys their claim of performing better than WC systems may be not only in comparing to the cheaper less effective kits that no better than equal good air cooling systems, it may be something they've not tested under extreme OCing conditions.

Just the fact that the HS fins have protrusions near the edge where it looks like a 120mmm fan would fit tells me it's likely intended that fans are an option if not a necessity to even equal good WC units. I do like that it's a much simpler, compact, and less worrisome method than WC though. No doubt quieter too.