High watercooling temps

[achangb]

Hi all,

I am running a Swiftech MCP 350 pump (unmodded). This pumps to a Dtek fusion block, and the outlet from that goes to a swifttech MCW-60 water block for my G92 8800GTS. From there, the water goes to a thermochill PA 120.2 radiator, and back to a swifttech bay reservoir (originally the pump and reservoir came together as a kit (eg they were attached, but I seperated them for some silence). I am using 3/8" tubing throughout (the tubing that fits onto the MCP-350 by default). The radiator is attached to the back of my computer with the swifttech rad-box kit. I've also reseated and re-applied thermal grease a few times. My G0 Q6600 seems like a relatively good chip, it has a VID of 1.2500V. I am currently running it at 3.25 ghz with a 1.3125V in the bios (1.23-1.27 V in CPUID). The chip seems relatively flat (it can always be improved with lapping, but i want to try everything else first)
All temps are monitored in Vista-64 with CPUID hardware monitor.


When I run my my Q6600 at 3.25 ghz and 1.27V (1.23V at load), at idle I am at around 38-40 degrees. At load (after prime 95 for 8 hours) my temperatures hit 60 degrees. This is with my radiator fans (one is a 110 CFM scythe, another is probably around 80 cfm) turned to around 7 V (just above stall speed). With them at full blast, the idle temps don't dip much, load temperatures are around 51 -52degrees. I measured the air temperature exhausted by the fans running at highspeed, full prime 95 processor load, at around 29.5 degrees. At idle, exhaust air is around 28.2 degrees (not much difference).


The temperature of the G92 chip (the next thing being cooled after the CPU is around 40 degrees at idle, and 46 degrees when the CPU is loaded (Note the G92 is not being loaded during my tests).


When I run my Q6600 at 3.55 ghz and at ~1.4V, at idle I am around 45 or so, and load is easily over 65 (I haven't run it for the full 8 hours since I am worried about temps).

I keep my computer on 24/7 and my room temps are probably around 25-26 degrees where the computer is (its tucked into the corner with another computer)


Is my radiator holding me back (should I get a 120.3 thermochill)? Or should I upgrade my case fans to something with more flow?(I am running noctua 1200rpm case fans in my silverstone TJ-09 with case temperatures at 33 degrees). I keep seeing all these reports of people having their O/C'ed quads running at 30 degrees idle and 50 degrees load on air, I was hoping I could at least equal their results.

Thanks!

 

[aigomorla]

Any nozzles on the quad?

Can you show me some pictures of your new setup? i know your redid it.

Im guessing a bad contact. How well did you mount the fusion?


Also are those the old noctunas? or the new ones? The old one really sucks. But before we start buying stuff, lets try to troubleshoot.

 

[achangb]

At first I didn't use the springs and I just hand tightened it. After I removed it to re-apply the thermal grease, it looked pretty evenly spread out. Then I redid it with the springs (but no spacers). I don't have a backplate on it however (i don't think it came with one). No nozzles, but I am thinking of getting them since they are cheap but I am worried they will add too much restriction to my loop.

I am using the old noctua's (before I was even using them on my rad but they are too slow / not enough pressure). The funny thing is speedfan puts my idle temps below room temperature, so I'm inclined to trust CPU-ID and coretemp instead. The pump is at the bottom hanging there by itself since anything I mount it to transmits vibrations to the case.

Here is a pic of my system.
http://rapidshare.com/files/102888918/DSC_1745.JPG.html
(Sorry for the rapidshare link, not sure how to attach hi-res photo's otherwise)

 

[WoodButcher]

When I pull my block it does not look just spread out, but almost non- existent at the center. Are you using too much? A backplate would definitely help some.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: WoodButcher
When I pull my block it does not look just spread out, but almost non- existent at the center. Are you using too much? A backplate would definitely help some.

yeah it shoudlnt look too spread out.

How much are you applying?

 

[achangb]

I am following the instructions on the arctic silver website..basically just a line across the cores.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: achangb
I am following the instructions on the arctic silver website..basically just a line across the cores.

hold on im downloading your pic. Cant use rapid share @ work.

WOW hugh picture.. still downloading...


Hows your res on bleeding? It looks like an OG front bay res which are horrible at bleeding. Do you see micro bubbles in your tubing? ACK its hard to see though your tubing.


Cant finish downloading the pic without a membership? Blah... anyhow.. im guessing your having bleeding issues. That res really needs to be topped off.

 

[WoodButcher]

Our quad loops are similar in that I'm using the fusion block on my cpu, unlapped, @ 3.2, 1.4 v, no nozzles, and 3/8" tubing but my temps are low 40s at load. My rads are swiftech, a single and a dual but you have a Thermochill. I do have 2 pumps but they have less than half the head of yours, I'm running the DB-1 compacts. Are the 8800 cards that much hotter? yours is 5c hotter than my 7950 loaded. One other thing besides the backplate, I use soft 3/8' tubing and stretch it over 1/2' barbs, maybe the barbs are restrictive? I was under the impression that the Thermochills could handle this kind of load, 20 deg diff on the cpu and only 5 on the gpu would imply contact prob, get a backplate and check both your block and cpu. If your interested my quad is pictured here. Dunno, check the bleeding as Aigo says first, much easier.

 

[achangb]

Its one of those swifttech bay / pump reservoirs, but I moved the pump away from it since it was vibrating and causing noise. I know what you mean about air bubbles being trapped in it, and it was like that before but the noise drove me crazy so now I am sure its properly bled. Its probably a contact issue..I'll install the backplate that I have lying around, and reduce the length of some of my tubing and see if that helps. Do you think the fusion accelerator nozzles will help at all?

 

[aigomorla]

yes the nozzles will help. But your pump is lacking.

You needed the 355 version and not the 350.

So if you do use the nozzles, only use the washer. Dont use any nozzles.

 

[WoodButcher]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
yes the nozzles will help. But your pump is lacking.
You needed the 355 version and not the 350.
So if you do use the nozzles, only use the washer. Dont use any nozzles.

The nozzles won't make that big a difference in temps, w/ the lower output pumpsyou don't want the restriction, this is why I mentioned the 1/2" barbs I use.
Marci os Cathar published a report on comparative testing, flow rates in different tubing sizes and the difference was negligble between 3/8" and 1/2" provided the barbs were not restrictive. The fact that your temps are similar to mine on the vidcard and so much different on the cpu tells me your loop is running ok but suggests contact problems. If the vid were also off the charts I would say flow problem. I think the flow is ok but if you want improvement after getting the cpu under control the barbs would be a good place to start. See the end of legoman's thread.

 

[achangb]

OK, after taking apart my rig, and changing all my tubing and taking apart my blocks, I think I realized what the problem was. There were some things growing in the fusion block, which was reducing the contact between the water and the block. I cleaned that up, changed all my tubing to clearflex, (the home depot stuff turned brownish green after i added some bleach to kill whatever was growing in there), changed my reservoir, and redid my whole loop. This time I added hydrx (last time I ran it with no additives, oops, didn't think things would actually grow in there), so I hope I don't get any more algae. Temps are probably around 5-10 degrees better.

One last question, is the MCP-355 pump louder than the 350 pump? I originally got the 350 since I wanted silence, but if there isn't much difference maybe I could swing towards that one. Or would a better upgrade be a PA 120.3..

Thanks to everyone who helped out!

 

[DerwenArtos12]

did you flush your radiator with very warm water? may still see some improvements if you didn't the tubes inside radiators are very small and will plug up pretty easily with anything growing in your system.

 

[aigomorla]

lol that thing growing in your block is the mystery jelly hydrx leaves behind.

this is why i recomend pentoisin instead of hydrx.