Everyone knows the stereotypes about hardcore software program engineers — an unkempt bunch carrying hoodies and shorts with a big selection of vitality drinks on the prepared always. As with most stereotypes, this description is extra fiction than reality. However the caffeine element of it’s oh so very actual. Staying laser-focused on the minute particulars of a big codebase is simply doable for simply so lengthy. So for prolonged coding classes, caffeination is a essential ritual.
The shut affiliation between computing and caffeine has led a small however devoted group of {hardware} hackers to mix the 2. We’ve seen, as an illustration, this laptop with a fully-automated espresso maker (bean grinder and all) built-in into it. Impressed by tasks equivalent to this, Doug MacDowell has constructed the Coffeematic PC. Because the title signifies, it’s a espresso maker/PC combo, however it additionally has just a few extra touches not seen in previous designs.
A breathtakingly stunning design (📷: Doug MacDowell)
The Coffeematic PC could also be numerous issues, however it’s not a lot to have a look at. It’s constructed round a Eighties GE Coffeematic Espresso Maker with an previous (however not sufficiently old to be retro-cool) AMD Athlon II X4 640 CPU-based laptop that’s just about simply caught to each out there floor of the espresso maker. The motherboard, disk, GPU — all the things is uncovered and simply ready for water to be spilled on it because the espresso maker is refilled.
Since water is already being pumped across the espresso maker, MacDowell determined so as to add some extra pumps and tubing to make use of the freshly brewed espresso to “cool” the CPU. However wait, isn’t espresso sizzling? In fact it’s — it comes out of the machine at almost 200 levels Fahrenheit. Received’t that fry the CPU, you ask? Very almost, however not fairly. The recent brew travels by means of a collection of radiators to chill it, and earlier than lengthy it helps to keep up a cushty CPU temperature of about 91 levels, so long as the pc can deal with the preliminary onslaught.
Why arise when you do not have to? (📷: Doug MacDowell)
This does imply that the espresso is rapidly cooled to a lukewarm combination that’s higher for the pc, however that makes it much less interesting for the human. However in case you are ingesting this combination, that needs to be the least of your worries. The tubing and pumps the espresso passes by means of should not meant to be used with something supposed for human consumption, so it is best to keep away from ingesting it. And anyway, it received’t be too lengthy earlier than all of it fills up with mould and different nastiness.
MacDowell admits that the Coffeematic PC isn’t truly very helpful. The espresso isn’t suitable for eating, and a 15-year-old laptop isn’t precisely match to be used as a day by day driver. However this challenge isn’t about utility. It’s about constructing a coffee-cooled PC simply because you possibly can. What different motive than that does a hacker ever have to construct something? Be sure you try the challenge write-up for extra particulars. Maybe you can be the sixth particular person on the planet to construct a espresso maker PC.
