Shame, the n00b has wc!

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 02 Nov 2006, 09:46

So I installedmy new vantec stingray watercooling kit last night... plumbing is a b***h

Got all the stuff out the box, plan it all out on the table... Right lets start!
1st off, rip the board out of the case so that i can get the southbridge cooler off, get it out, remount the board. mount the block, look at the setup, think to myself, this looks odd... Sure enough, the video card does not fit with the block on the southbridge *chuck toys out of cot*. OK nevermind, it's fine, so I put the southbridge cooler back. right, rip the cpu out, clean it off with 99% isoprypol alcohol (sp?) nice, take the cpu block clean it aswell, hit some heatsink paste on it, mount it, it fits *yay!*
Next, do the video card, fits nice.
Now I do the radiator, rip out the rear case fan so i can mount it, screw it in place, *doh!* how am I going to get the case fan back, I need to screw that from the outside, rad is now in the way, so i rip the rad off again, out the fan back in the case, change the mounting pylons on the rad, get inbetween the fan blades, screw the rad back on, *yay!* ummm *DOH!* so I mounted the rad upside down!!!

remount, it fits, looks good etc.
Do the piping, making sure that i have enough slack etc, prime the pump with coolant using another psu, dont want to start the rig up in case it leaks, no leaks, pump goes nice etc *start grinning* - my wc system works

All in all a timely process, probably took me about 3-4hrs, didn't really keep an eye on the time. Rewarding? Yes and no! why?
Well the following, did a prime95 before, topped out on 48*C and idle'd at about 28-32*C now it peaks at about 44*C (good) but then it only idles at 38-42*C - not cool! pun intended.
As for the video card, that is sweet! used to idle at 34*C, and up to 79*C load, now it idles at 28-30*C and peaks at about 46-48*C, now that is a great improvement.

Now the question to the rest of you: Any ideas why the cpu is not being cooled as sufficiently as the gfx? shoult I just check the mounting of the cpu waterblock, or maybe invest in a higher quality cpublock?

Forgot to add: CPU is running stock speeds&volts (2000mhz&1.4v)
GFX is running at 590/1130.

Thanks in advance!

Samaya · Post by **Samaya** » 02 Nov 2006, 10:08

Well the following, did a prime95 before, topped out on 48*C and idle'd at about 28-32*C now it peaks at about 44*C (good) but then it only idles at 38-42*C - not cool! pun intended.

It has been hot these last couple of days so it could just be your ambient was higher. The other issue could be that your CPU fan moved all the hot air from your MOSFETS away from the cpu. IOW now your mosfets could be heating up your CPU and causing the idle temps to be higher. Its just a guess though. Maybe if you want, install a small fan over the FETS and check your temps again. I'm no expert on WC but I am assuming the water goes to your GC first and then to your CPU. In which case the water to your CPU is already hot and wont be that sufficient in cooling the CPU. I'm just guessing these things but its what I would check in this case (no pun intended

).

Fcon_Vpro · Post by **Fcon_Vpro** » 02 Nov 2006, 11:35

AFAIK this is normal for CPU watercooling. Idle temps arent fantastic but load temps are extremely good. Air cooling has more extremes in the sense that there are low idle with high load temps. Whereas water is more consistent temp.

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 02 Nov 2006, 15:35

Thanks for the replies, I will play around with it a bit and see what's cooking, also fcon's reply makes sense, will keep that in mind aswell.

Another question, are there any "very" low profile southbridge waterblocks available that will enable me to cool that as well as it gets a bit hot for my liking.

Fcon_Vpro · Post by **Fcon_Vpro** » 02 Nov 2006, 15:38

I think PM DaeJaVoo and ask him about chipset coolers. Im sure he has researched every watercooling component out there.
Quite surprised he hasnt posted in here yet.

Or else contact synapsys, www.synapsys.co.za. Get the phone number and phone Arthur and ask him. He sells watercooling components and could give great advice aswell.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 02 Nov 2006, 16:31

Fcon_Vpro wrote:I think PM DaeJaVoo and ask him about chipset coolers. Im sure he has researched every watercooling component out there.
Quite surprised he hasnt posted in here yet.

lol. well i actually typed out a post but cleared it out.

My opinion, when it comes to watercooling stuff in SA, is pretty harsh. I would rather go for an air cooler before i buy any kit available in SA (except for the new Swiftech kits that just came in). I wouldn't mind a northbridge or southbridge block that's available locally, but DEFFINATELY not a block for my CPU or GPU(s). I wouldn't even consider buying a vantec kit, because vantec just dont specialise in watercooling.

As for a low profile northbridge/southbridge block, you may want to consider a koolance block. Those are available locally and are pretty good performers. They're just DAMN expensive. (i think they cost about 500 bucks)

Fcon_Vpro wrote:Im sure he has researched every watercooling component out there.

lol, just about...

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 02 Nov 2006, 17:54

DJV:
eish! R500? that is a tight just for a southbridhe block 8O
where will i find the koolance products?

FCON:
thanks for the tips, will phone them tomorrow!

What I might try tonight aswell is to change the order of the blocks around so that the cpu gets fed right after the radiator, see if that makes a difference...

speak again tomorrow guys, I'm off for home

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 02 Nov 2006, 17:55

*edit*

whoops! wanted to post elsewhere, had the wrong box selected

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 02 Nov 2006, 20:58

minerva10210 wrote:DJV:
eish! R500? that is a tight just for a southbridhe block 8O
where will i find the koolance products?

Synapsys.co.za

minerva10210 wrote:What I might try tonight aswell is to change the order of the blocks around so that the cpu gets fed right after the radiator, see if that makes a difference...

Dont bother. The water in a loop will never be more than a degree in difference anywhere in the loop (maybe two degrees at most, but that's not likely). So even if you have the loop go like:

pump > reservoir > GPU > CPU > rad > pump

the temps will still be the same.

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 03 Nov 2006, 09:16

Hi all

Played some games last night and checked the temps out, the gfx is brilliant on the water system, could not have asked for better

The cpu is running a bit hot - so much so that the cpu runs at 48*C at full load, making that there is no difference in temp on wc and air, even though the gfx runs at most 42*C.

Will remount the cpu block over the weekend sometime, see if i did'nt make some or another ballsup with the mount.

Will post results!

Enjoy, and thanks for the info!

Post by **maxxis** » 03 Nov 2006, 09:33

You cant expect a R1200 system to perform like a million bucks.

In some cases (haha) air cooling will give you better performance than what a cheap WC kit will give.

Sojourn · Post by **Sojourn** » 03 Nov 2006, 10:54

I have one of those BEEEEG heatpipe copper-grilled-in-a-circle thingys with a desktop controlled jetengine mounted on top of a AMD 64 3200. Besides the hovercraft sound from the case under load, it's outperforming any hey-day-sale-watercool-wannabe system. (Cant remeber the name, 10bucks for the person who can tell me the name, I will remember it if I hear or see it.)

s

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 03 Nov 2006, 11:57

Well it seems like my purchase was'nt all that good considering what a lot of you guys say here, but I'll live with it...

Luckily it works to a reasonable extent so I won't go and sit and cry in a corner just yet

will just look into getting a southbridge block at some time... If really needed I will get a decent air cooler for the cpu at a later stage if the wc does not work all that well on oc'ing the cpu, will monitor the results as i go higher on the clocks and voltages.

I read a while ago somewhere (can't remember where tho) that one should not try and max out the clocks and voltages in one go, but to increase stedily over a 2week period or so and "burn it in" using prime95 or something like that overnight everytime you increase it. anyone that can confirm or debunk that theory? I miss the ease of clocking my 2500barton, up the fsb from 166 to 200, done! heheheh

later

Fcon_Vpro · Post by **Fcon_Vpro** » 03 Nov 2006, 18:05

Well you still havent stretched the legs of the cooling yet. Start overclocking and see what the temp increases are. You might find that you can overclock crazy with the load at only 50. Which sounds hot but is fine.

Stretch the watercoolings legs and see what happens before putting it down.

minerva10210 · Post by **minerva10210** » 03 Nov 2006, 18:18

Yeah, definately! it aint gonna die such a sudden death!
will cplay around winth it the weekend some

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 03 Nov 2006, 18:43

I read a while ago somewhere (can't remember where tho) that one should not try and max out the clocks and voltages in one go, but to increase stedily over a 2week period or so and "burn it in" using prime95 or something like that overnight everytime you increase it. anyone that can confirm or debunk that theory?

You need to burn the CPU in to get the thermal paste to cure, this is not a myth. There is a rumor that if you max your overclock and burn the CPU in again for 24 hours (it doesn't even have to be 100% stable, just disable error checking in Prime95) you will be able to overclock it slightly more and then repeat the burn in, you will be able to get a slightly better OC each time. The theory is that each burn in physically changes the core, but this has been disproven by one of Intel's senior design engineers in a letter to Anandtech (some heavy reading):

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.aspx?i=152

You need to give the core voltage for it to supposedly work. Some people swear by it and it does seem to work, maybe just not in the way the theory suggests.