On Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 3:30 AM, Tim <ignored_mailbox@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > On Thu, 2010-08-12 at 01:32 -0400, Robert Myers wrote: >> A black object will more readily exchange heat by radiation with its >> surroundings than a white object. If your computer case is hotter >> than other objects it is receiving radiation from, a black case will >> radiate more effectively, just as it will absorb more effectively if >> the surrounding objects are hotter. A green object will be somewhere >> in between. > > I'd be quite surprised if this were very noticeable. Considering the > usual shiny black computer case, versus an optimal black body radiator. > > As someone who lives in a hot country, where it can easily reach 50 > degrees in my workroom, though it's more common to be in the 40s, in > summer (Celsius). I can't say that I've noticed any significant > temperature difference when I've handled the white- or black-cased > computers. It's much more likely for the case to absorb the ambient > heat, than help to cool the PC down. But I can certainly tell a big > difference if I touch one that's had the sun hitting it. > > At any rate, it's unusual to use the case as the heatsink, unless you're > buying one of those expensive silent PCs. It's the fans that do the > heat dissipation. > > I can't help but think that this thread, long ago, descended into > theoretical absurdity. ;-) > For computers, the color of the case is probably not an important consideration with respect to thermal management. For spacecraft and even for the roof of a house, it is. For the understanding of physics, labeling something so fundamental as Kirchoff's Law as a "theoretical absurdity" is unhelpful. Robert. -- users mailing list users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
