How to install fans for Nepton 140 XL LC?

David Wicks · Aug 19, 2014

Hey guys,

Finally got around to installing my 140XL liquid cooling all in one and the temps don't really seem that low on idle. 33, 38, 40...36C seems average. I was expecting a lot less for the money and especially when I'm idling.

So I was wondering if I installed the fans wrong. Right now I followed the pictures in the instruction booklet, which shows the inside fan pushes air thru rad, the outside fan pulls air from rad and outwards into the room. Should it be the opposite way (outside fan push air thru rad, inside fan pull air out into tower)?

Note that I have i5 3570K and it is stock speeds.

Leemon · Aug 19, 2014

Your fan setup is fine. You should check that you have installed the block correctly. You might not have tightened it enough so the copper might not have full contact with the CPU.

If you have tightened them enough then I know it's a pain but you should remove the block just to make sure the thermal paste has spread evenly across the CPU. If it hasn't that means you installed the block incorrectly. You'll have to remove the thermal paste from the block and the CPU and then reapply it to the CPU if you do decide to remove the block. DO NOT use the same thermal paste at it will cause air bubbles/pockets.

David Wicks · Aug 19, 2014

Leemon :

Thanks for the reply. It is probably the thermal paste. I had a bit of a mishap putting it on last night so I'll try reapplying. If my temps are the same after doing a better job with the paste I'll be back

EDIT: Some pics of my setup for clarification

Couldn't put the outside fan on the actual outside cuz the case (HAF X) has a grate that is beveled out and so the fan would scrape against it.

Leemon · Aug 19, 2014

It's not supposed to be on the outside so the way you have it is correct. Do you have intake fans on the front of your case? You might not be getting enough cool air into your case.

David Wicks · Aug 19, 2014

Leemon :

Yes I have an intake on the front and on the side, both big'ns...obviously with the case open like in the pics it's not very cool inside but I'm about to reapply the thermal paste and see how it goes.

Leemon · Aug 19, 2014

Well what are your load temps like first?

David Wicks · Aug 19, 2014

Leemon :

Haven't even played anything, don't want to hurt it if the paste is bad.

Also the uh, tubes and the resovoir seem...kinda warm. Maybe I'm a noob with liquid cooling but i always expected it to be kinda...cool? Or is cool relative here?

Leemon · Aug 19, 2014

I'd suggest running Prime95 and seeing what your load temps are. The worst that can happen is your computer will turn off. The tubes being warm is normal.

Edit: You might find that your load temps are fine.

David Wicks · Aug 19, 2014

Leemon :

Looks like in order of cores: 66C, 71C, 74C, 69C are the highs when running torture test.
sure cools down fast though lol
It's troubling because I haven't even begun to overclock yet...and that was the whole point in getting LC to begin with

Leemon · Aug 20, 2014

Yeah those temps are a little high seeing as you haven't overclocked. It probably is an incorrectly installed block. Make sure the bracket that you put on the back of the motherboard is installed correctly and make sure that when you reapply the thermal paste that you don't move the block around to much or lift it up slightly accidentally while tightening the screws. Let me know the results

Edit: Were the temps lower with the stock cooler?

David Wicks · Aug 20, 2014

First I wanna thank you for the help, Leemon. Until recently I've always used air cooling so I'm new to this and having someone who knows the stuff is really helping me out.

When I reapplied thermal paste I made sure to hold the block down firm and steady, and tightened the screws real tight. So I took the other side panel off to get a look at the bracket, and took a video for you so you can see it better than I can explain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8wO-oCdps&list=UUwy29yHQ-exyHB6aAJ8qW8g

As for temps with stock, the temps now seem to not be much different. When playing Just Cause 2, my low was 42 on average, 39 lowest, high 56 average, 58 highest. I really wish I recorded temps before I took the stock heatsink off, though. Either way, compared to benchmarks I find online of similar CPUs and this allinone, I have temps around what other people are peaking at...and when I redid the thermal paste and made sure the screws were tighter, not much different..

oh this is frustrating.

David Wicks · Aug 20, 2014

Well this is really odd.
I opened up task manager and I found under performance tab "CPU 38% 4.05 GHz"
Uh...what? Since when? Its an i5-3570k @ 3.4 ghz and other than familiarizing myself with my BIOS I really don't remember ever changing settings. So I figure task manager is stupid.
Open up CPU-Z..."Core Speed 4099.04 MHz."
Apparently my CPU is running at 4.01 GHz and not the 3.4 stock I had always thought. Does this information somehow change what's going on here with my temps?

EDIT: I'm an idiot, I had the game still running in the background -.-

Leemon · Aug 22, 2014

Sorry for the late reply, I've been busy with work.

First I wanna thank you for the help, Leemon - not a problem!

Thank you for taking the time to make the video, from what I can see you're right, the bracket does look to be installed correctly. When you removed the block was the thermal paste evenly spread? If so then your contact was fine previously. Your temps aren't terrible but they're not great either. You may have a bubble trapped in the tube. Try gently wiggling and flicking the tubes so if there is a bubble you will move it into the radiator. I had a similar problem with my H55 on my 780 Ti and flicking the tubes and moving them about worked so I put it down to a bubble trapped in the tube.

Give it a shot!

David Wicks · Aug 23, 2014

Hey no problem man, I have been busy as well.

Some more information: I put a little thermometer thing in my case. It's 31.9C in there. In my room though, it's f**king hot. I live in a room right above the garage and it's summer. I kinda get this feeling that maybe the hot and humid air in here is making my entire computer hot. I might try moving the computer to the basement and see if it changes.
For now I'm gonna move the thermometer onto my desk, near the intakes, to see what temp air is getting pulled in. And I will flick them tubes around in case I have a problem similar to what you had, and get back to ya.

James Mason · Aug 23, 2014

Make sure your basement isn't too humid, as moisture in the air can cause your parts to corrode.

But yes it being summer will make your computer hot. Your computer can't be cooler than your room unless you used liquid nitrogen to cool it.

Leemon · Aug 23, 2014

As James said, if your room is hot your computer won't be lower than your room temperature. If you move it to a cooler room you will most definitely see a drop in temperatures.

David Wicks · Aug 23, 2014

Well considering it's 30C in my room (86F) all the time, including near my intakes, I'd say my computer never had a chance at being cool.

Definitely gonna have to try moving it to the basement. And thanks James. My basement is usually pretty dry actually.

EDIT: Liquid nitrogen sounds like a good idea

James Mason · Aug 23, 2014

David Wicks :

That's not actually practical for non record breaking attempts at OCing though really.

Egg67 · Jan 16, 2015

David Wicks :

How to install fans for Nepton 140 XL LC?

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