Will this get through security as a carry on?
 

I'm bringing my computer as a carry on (fits within those metal sizers at AA). It has a closed loop (no reservoir tank or anything like that) watercooled system. I was wondering if security would be able to tell if there was any water inside or if they would let it through if they knew what it was.

Here's a picture for reference. Corsair H50.

http://www.corsair.com/media/catalog...cpu-cooler.png

If one of the TSO's figure out there is water in it, no.

Guessing it will all depend on that, followed by level of curiosity and personal version of SOP held by the screener who views—or views yet fails to attend to—its x-ray image.

What's the reservoir made of? PETE/HDPE water bottles are apparently missed quite often, according to various accounts here.

Golly, I had no idea steam-powered PCs still exist! :p

Not quite sure but I think it's just normal plastic or some sort of mix. It has a copper base and I know it's supposed to withstand pretty high temperatures. There isn't any water sloshing around or anything like that. It's a completely closed loop system.

[Bold mine.]

So is a sealed can of Coke but it goes in the HazMat container with the rest.

You might want to work on your "medical device" defense.

Haha I didn't mean that because it's sealed it should be allowed on, only that there's no standing water visible anywhere or any pipes running into a refillable tank.

The hoses are plastic, the housing is plastic, the rest of it is metal. I rather suspect you would get away with it because my experience is they don't see narrow tubes of water. I wouldn't take the chance unless you have something else you can do with it if they catch it, though.

More of an issue is they probably can't see inside the radiator and it might be disallowed for that reason.

Some closed loop cooling systems are allowed through. Some closed loop cooling systems are not. Each closed loop cooling system is different.

It probably depends on how attractive the device is to that particular screener, and what they think their chances might be of snagging it from the confiscat... er, "voluntarily surrendered" bin.

Do you have any information on which are allowed or disallowed?

Ah that was a little closer to what I was looking for. I wonder if the radiator would be a problem giving that there so many non water cooling systems that they probably wouldn't be able to see under either.