Disappointed with my Koolance PC2-601

[ScottFern]

I just setup my new watercooling case. And let me just state with my Zalman and reading temps through CoreCenter I was getting between 34-37C idle temp and between 44-48C load temps.

I set this case up thinking I should see drastic drop in load temps and significant drops in idle temps. however, this is nowhere near the case and the idle is actually between 37C-38C and load is around 48-51C.

It appears I did not move at all in temps or stayed the same approx. My question is....what gives? Did I screw up? Did I put the AS5 on wrong?

Also, is the temperature sensor from koolance even close to being accurate??

 

[Kninetik]

Eh Im not too happy with my Swiftech h2o120 kit either. I thought I would be getting supreme drops in temperature but I only got 4 degrees cooler at load and same at idle compared to the Thermalright XP-90.

 

[ScottFern]

I wonder if it is possible to change the waterpump and reservoir in the case??? Hmmmmm

 

[acivick]

Those temps sound about right for your setup. Mine idles ~35-37C and at load it's ~45-50 (according to Speedfan), typically depending on how warm the room is. Also, I don't know if you have anything else in the loop or which CPU cooler you have. You might want to look into a Dangerden or other similar block to see if an increase in heat dissipation by the block itself might help you out, especially if it's the only thing in the loop.

Keep in mind that the Zalmans and Thermalrights are the best of the best as far as air cooling is concerned, while Koolance takes other things into consideration, such as noise. In either case, you're beating by a significant margin lesser quality air cooling solutions.

I suppose it is possible that if you replaced the pumps/reservior to something that can move more water, you might see an increase in performance. However, you may have to replace other components as well, such as the radiator and tubing, to get the optimal mix. But that defeats the purpose of getting a Koolance in the first place, which is to avoid custom building a system. Just my $.02.

EDIT: Also, the temp probe on the Koolance is more a measure of the temp of the waterblock than the CPU, as it's on the very edge. Or at least that's typically where they tell you to place it. Remember most heat comes from the center of the core, which is usually where they stick the CPU temp diode.

 

[boyRacer]

My brother has that case too and its rather sensitive to ambient temp.

 

[ScottFern]

If this case sucks so bad then can someone please recommend me a watercooling setup that is simple and easy to use and doesn't suck.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: ScottFern
If this case sucks so bad then can someone please recommend me a watercooling setup that is simple and easy to use and doesn't suck.

lol

Sorry just had to laugh... I am not trying to make you feel bad for spending your money on the Koolance but I agree with Acivick... Thermalright and Zalman are the cream of the air cooling crop... in fact you may want to try selling off your Koolance and looking into the Zalman Reserator... research first off course. Or you could try a Peltier cooler in addition to your water cooling rig... the Pelt plate willl get very cold on one side and very hot on the other and you just cool the hot side with water.... up to you

 

[Mr. Lennon]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: ScottFern
If this case sucks so bad then can someone please recommend me a watercooling setup that is simple and easy to use and doesn't suck.

lol

Sorry just had to laugh... I am not trying to make you feel bad for spending your money on the Koolance but I agree with Acivick... Thermalright and Zalman are the cream of the air cooling crop... in fact you may want to try selling off your Koolance and looking into the Zalman Reserator... research first off course. Or you could try a Peltier cooler in addition to your water cooling rig... the Pelt plate willl get very cold on one side and very hot on the other and you just cool the hot side with water.... up to you

The reserator will have the same temps he has now, if not worse.

My koolance pc2-650 has been awesome. Im getting about 30-32 idle and 36-38 load. You guys do know you still have to use case fans with the system too right?

 

[ScottFern]

Yeah well they don't magically appear. I had to order them and wait. I am not stupid enough to pay for next day shipping.

 

[acivick]

I didn't mean to suggest that the Koolance case "sucks". I wouldn't be using it if that were the case. It's actually excellent for entry-level watercooling without the need for building your own totally custom kit. I'd say that if it's keeping your CPU at ~50C at load when at 2.6GHz, it's doing it's job.

You may need to go to a full custom kit to get the kind of performance you're looking for. I have read good things about Koolance's new top of the line 700W cases, but you're still unlikely to beat a total custom job.

 

[Idleuser]

Actually you say you got the neo2? neo2 has been knowning to have messed up temperature readings... my computer currently idles at 30-32C and load is about 46 @ 1.6v with my winnie 3000+ mine's actually a 3000+ oc to 2565mhz stable (prime 22hrs) . People who are having those temps read by a software monitor are just fooling themselves. Did you know that the dfi ultra 4 reports mid 20's on idle and 33c on load with stock cooling? I'm willing to bet that your cpu is cooler than a xp90/120 or a zalman vf700 ect... by a significantly margin since most users don't test temperture by running a thermal probe... If your getting good results don't worry about the temps too much... software monitoring is not exactly correct. Btw, my setup is Blace ice pro, DD maze4 gpu, dtek whitewater block.

 

[ScottFern]

Originally posted by: bR
My brother has that case too and its rather sensitive to ambient temp.

Could you elaborate more on this. I am starting to see a similarity with the ambient temperature, not just inside my case but outside as well. It seems as if this case is EXTREMELY sensitive to the ambient temperature. I have seen some cases before and they were never this sesitive to a change in the case temp.

Also, how "off" is the Neo2 temperature sensor? Have their been threads or documentation on this? My koolance thermal sensor reads well below what the core center reports about 10C lower. I don't know which is more accurate? Is there any real way to figure what the temperature really is?

 

[Idleuser]

scott, you temps are normal trust me, i've compared other results with neo2 but I don't have real documentation just specs I read on forums and their watercooling setup. The only real way to test the temps are to get under it with a proble. I can guarantee you that the temps are atleast 5°C + higher.

 

[acivick]

My Koolance sensor typically reads 26-33C (depending on whether at load and what the ambient temp is). The CPU readings are generally 10-15C greater than this.

Ambient temps DO affect watercooling performance, at the very least with these setups. The warmer the air is in the room the computer is in, the warmer the water will be. I've had days that were very cool in my room with Koolance temps idling around 22-23C with a similar reduction in operating temps of CPU, GPU, etc. I've also had days where it was so warm that the case reported 30C at idle, which also adversely affected the core temps.

Remember, the water is still cooled by air, so if the air is warm, the water will be too. It will help to keep the case away from heaters and near cool areas, such as by a drafty window.

 

[ScottFern]

I was looking at the Dangerden watercooling kit they list on their website:

MAZE4 POWER Kit
# MAZE4 CPU Block with High Flow Chrome Fittings
# Black Ice Xtreme Radiator (black) with High Flow Chrome Fittings
# Eheim 1250 317 G/H 110V 60Hz Pump
# Sunon 120mm Fan
# Zerex Coolant 4oz Bottle
# Arctic Silver 5 - Thermal Compound
# 7 ft of 1/2" ID Clear Flex Tubing
# 1 DDBay Reservoir High Density Polyehylene
# 10 Hose Clamps
# One 1/2" T Fitting
# One 1/2" Y Fitting

I am thinking of selling this case and moving to this type of setup. But two things, they don't say what cases would be ideal or the best fit and what is the noise level to be expected??

 

[ScottFern]

Alright well I just added 2 80mm case fans and the temps have improved, mainly the ambient temperature. I am now idling at 35C and under load a max of 44C. So who knows, I think this is pretty decent. I just need to stop spending money. lol

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: ScottFern
Alright well I just added 2 80mm case fans and the temps have improved, mainly the ambient temperature. I am now idling at 35C and under load a max of 44C. So who knows, I think this is pretty decent. I just need to stop spending money. lol

That's what happened to my brother... we thought he could get away without using any fans. Oh well.

 

[ScottFern]

How many fans is he using? Did you buy the case fan bracket for the front and add one there? Because right now thats what I am thinking......the more fans the better....

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: ScottFern
How many fans is he using? Did you buy the case fan bracket for the front and add one there? Because right now thats what I am thinking......the more fans the better....

He's using two... and one of those HD coolers for his Seagate.

We were thinking of adding more fans... but that sorta didn't make sense since he wanted a quiet computer which is why he went watercooling. I suppose he can add more... but his temps are fine. It idles at 27c and loads at 35c or so... its a Barton 2500+ @ 3200+ and a 9800 Pro. Nothing fancy like your A64 and 6800 GT.

I'm sure it'll get hotter over the summer though.

 

[acivick]

There's actually quite a few quiet 80mm fans out there. I have a couple Thermaltake fans and at full speed they're not even as loud as my PSU. I'm sure they have even quieter ones, if that's your bag.

 

[ScottFern]

Yeah now I am thinking of getting the GPU cooler the VID-NV2-06 or whatever its called. Anyone have experience with that?

 

[acivick]

Well I know adding the plain GPU block they offer helped a lot with heat. It decreased core temps by as much as 35C or more under load. I imagine adding the memory into the water loop can only help even more. It'll also take out the second noisiest fan you can have in your case as well.

 

[ROJAS]

I'm running two koolance systems, PC2-601 and PC2-650 and both are around 29-31 celsuis. I do run two fans in the back of each to remove warm air in the case.

 

[sangyup81]

this koolance model has two fan speed settings

are you using the quiet one or the fast one? I get load temps of 45c at high speed and 48c at low speed

 

[ROJAS]

quiet one most of the time.