How Not to Test Your Computer

Though it might seem fun to try, you shouldn’t pour oil into your PC case or overclock a CPU to 5GHz using dry ice for safety reasons.

Oil-Cooled PC

Though it’s been done before, Tom’s Hardware has created their own nifty oil-cooled PC, enclosed in a clear case and filled with “8 gallons of cooking oil to improve it’s cooling”.

Indeed, the large volume of liquid guarantees absolutely silent operation – no fans are running. And even under maximum load the three major building blocks remain sufficiently cool: processor, graphics card and chipset.

[Source]

5GHz Project

Tom’s Hardware “set out to squeeze at least 5 GHz from the selected Intel P4” in this classic test.

Finally, by gradually increasing FSB speed from 200 MHz (factory setting) to 309 MHz, we achieved a record speed of 5255 MHz. At full load, taking into account a maximum CPU heat dissipation of just under 175 watts, we recorded a temperature of approx. -190°C on the CPU cooling head

Lithium-ion Battery Fire

Put simply, this is what happens when a Dell, IBM, or any other lithium-ion battery powered notebook catches fire/explodes. PCPitStop decided to intentionally create conditions “in which the Li-ON battery pack would explode inside a generic portable.”

The results are dramatic. There are numerous conditions where these fires can occur in real life. Faulty battery packs (driving the recalls), faulty protection circuits inside the PC, exposure to excessive heat, and blunt force are some of the major ways that this could happen to you