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Water Cooling a Laptop for $30

Linus Tech Tips・30 minutes read

Intel sponsored a video showcasing the installation of a water-cooling kit on a Raptor Lake HX gaming laptop, boosting performance. Despite challenges with soldering and reassembly, the modified laptop successfully powers on, lowers temperatures, and improves performance, especially with overclocking and undervolting the CPU.

Insights

  • The Intel-sponsored video showcases the successful water-cooling modification of a Raptor Lake HX gaming laptop using a $30 kit from AliExpress, emphasizing the boost in performance and the challenges faced during the soldering process.
  • Despite setbacks and challenges with soldering, reassembly, and potential component detachment, the team's innovative approach, including using a soldering iron and thermal adhesive, leads to a successful water-cooling setup that significantly improves the laptop's performance, showcasing the importance of precision and thermal management in such modifications.

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Recent questions

  • How can a laptop be water-cooled?

    By attaching a water cooling kit to heat pipes.

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Summary

00:00

"Water-cooling Intel laptop boosts performance"

  • Intel sponsored a video where a Raptor Lake HX gaming laptop was water-cooled using a $30 kit from AliExpress.
  • The installation of the water cooling kit should take about an hour and is expected to boost performance when connected to water.
  • The kit includes a pump, plastic tubing, copper tubes, and no instructions, but the plan is to attach the copper tube to the existing heat pipes in the laptop.
  • The laptop being modified is an ASUS ROG Strix Scar with an RTX 4090 mobile GPU and an Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU.
  • The laptop's liquid metal cooling on the CPU complicates the soldering process to attach the water cooling kit.
  • The process involves stripping paint off the heat pipes, soldering the copper tubes, and using a rework station for precise soldering.
  • The team faces challenges with the soldering process, including detachment and using the wrong type of solder.
  • The rework station heats up to around 130-140 degrees Celsius for soldering, with Tesa tape melting at 200 degrees Celsius.
  • Despite setbacks, the team manages to successfully solder the copper tubes to the heat pipes, completing the water cooling modification.
  • The modified laptop is reassembled, and the team tests the effectiveness of the water cooling setup.

12:59

Precision Soldering Techniques for Component Reattachment

  • The process involves using solder and needle nose vice grips for precision.
  • Concerns arise about using too much solder and detaching components.
  • Emphasis is placed on the thermal contact area for effective soldering.
  • A fresh strategy is adopted, using a soldering iron instead of a heat gun.
  • Challenges arise with temperature control and potential detachment of components.
  • The use of clamps and thermal adhesive is crucial for securing components.
  • The process involves reattaching components and using thermal paste or liquid thermal pad.
  • The team faces challenges with reassembly and potential damage to components.
  • The team improvises with rubber pieces and pressure points to secure components.
  • Despite initial setbacks, the laptop successfully powers on and performs well in testing.

26:18

Efficient Water Cooling Boosts Performance and Efficiency

  • The individual is impressed by the Y fittings and the cleanliness of the assembly, despite a previous heating mishap.
  • The assembly is tested with water to improve FPS and lower temperatures, with a focus on CPU cooling.
  • The Y adapter is used to separate CPU and GPU cooling loops due to water volume limitations.
  • The water cooling solution successfully lowers temperatures and boosts performance, especially after fixing initial cooler issues.
  • Overclocking results in high Cinebench scores, surpassing those of an i9-12900K.
  • Undervolting the CPU enhances power efficiency, leading to improved performance in both rendering and gaming, even without water cooling.
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