custom water loop cpu temps

misfitkid86 · Jan 1, 2015

hi all, i just installed a second radiator into my pc and i feel the temps are too high for my liking. the cooling system is an xspc rx360 kit with d5 pump as well as a rx240 rad in addition to the 360rad. i also have an ekwb block for my evga gtx 780 classified and the cpu is an intel core i5-4690k on a msi z87-gd65 motherboard. i overclocked the cpu to 4.5 @1.180v and under load hottest cpu core hits 71c in mid day, with 68c coming at night. question is: is that hot for my cooling setup!? is there anything to change settings wise to get it lower without downclocking my cpu? i've only changed the multi and core voltage and 1.180 is lowest i can go before i get issues. also i use ibt to test while running hwinfo64, cpu-7, and realtempGT. thanks for the input!

kanewolf · Jan 1, 2015

What path does your loop follow? radiator -> x -> y -> z ???

misfitkid86 · Jan 1, 2015

kanewolf :

that really doesnt make a difference but i go res/pump to 360 to cpu to gput to 240 the back to res. D5 set at 5

kanewolf · Jan 1, 2015

It does matter some. If you have the loop bringing warm water from the GPU to the CPU then you won't get as good temps... Eventually you reach a steady state temp. But if you have what should be the coolest water to the CPU, then 71c is way too high in my opinion. Unless your ambient is 35c you should do much better than 71c.

How is the airflow across the radiators? Pulling outside air into the case or exhausting case air out? With 5 fans required for your two radiators, airflow management will be very important. You didn't say what case this was all in...

misfitkid86 · Jan 2, 2015

kanewolf :

i'm using an nzxt phantom 820 with a 200mm intake and and a 140mm exhaust.i have the 360 ans set as intake and with the 240 at the bottom as exhaust. ambient sits around 25-26c

kanewolf · Jan 2, 2015

Have you tried with the case open? That would ensure you don't have any airflow restrictions.

misfitkid86 · Jan 2, 2015

kanewolf :

i have a case with side mesh but yes i have and it makes a 1-2c difference. also i used occt last night instead of ibt and got 63 on hottest core with 3 cores at 60, so a little better; maybe i just shouldn't be using ibt for haswell.

TheMagicalWallaby · Jan 2, 2015

kanewolf :

The path doesn't matter as the difference between the warmest and coldest part of the loop is only about a degree or tow as the qwater is moving so fast.

TheMagicalWallaby · Jan 2, 2015

How many intakes fans vs exhaust? Also, have you tried re-mounting the block?

misfitkid86 · Jan 2, 2015

TheMagicalWallaby :

I have a single 140 exhaust with 2 120 exhaust on the bottom rad, the front 200 is intake as well the 3 120's mounted on top of the 360 rad.

TheMagicalWallaby · Jan 2, 2015

misfitkid86 :

Sounds like a weird airflow scheme. The top as an intake, the rear as an exhaust with the bottom exhausting too, and then a front intake.

Generally you want the top rad and rear fan to exhaust with the bottom and front being an intake. Or you could have the front and rear taking in air and then the bottom and top exhausting. You don't want to starve your radiators for air.

misfitkid86 · Jan 3, 2015

TheMagicalWallaby :

ok i guess that makes sense, i actually had the top as exhaust before i got the 240 (240 was christmas present) and saw a decrease in temps but when the 240 was added there was very little drop in temps. i went from 75 at load to 71, though again i'm getting better temps in occt, is this what i should use? also it passed ibt at 71c but failed occt so i bumped vcore from 1.180 to 1.20 and got essentially the same temps in occt (63 max) as when i was using 1.180, and it passed fine.

TheMagicalWallaby · Jan 4, 2015

Where is it that you live? If it is hot there, that may explain why. Ambient temps have a lot to do with the temps you get.

Also, as long as your temps are fine in actual use (stress tests make a ridiculous amount of heat), you have no need to worry.

misfitkid86 · Jan 4, 2015

TheMagicalWallaby :

i live in oregon, it's like 29 at night....... far from hot. yeah i know it's not a real problem but im just a little shocked that all this cooling power and it only drops temps a couple degrees. also i should note that the tim i'm using isn't what i'd like to, i usually use antec formula 7 but lost it and had to use whatever ekwb packs in with their gpu block. could that be part of it?

TheMagicalWallaby · Jan 6, 2015

misfitkid86 :

Thermal paste most likely isn't the issue unless you applied it wrong.

If the problem is not bad mounting or thermal paste application or a bad airflow scheme, then I am not sure what the issue is as those are really the only ones that would cause that unless your pump is failing or something else along those lines.

misfitkid86 · Jan 6, 2015

TheMagicalWallaby :

i switched rad fan orientation and i'ts 1-3c better so it hits 60c under 100% on occt small. that's not too bad though i may try to bump down core voltage from 1.20 to 1.19 to see what happens. yeah i too doubt there'd be much difference switching tim, though i'll admit like a fool that i only wiped off the old tim and didn't use any alcohol to really clean it, so that might be part of it.

TheMagicalWallaby · Jan 8, 2015

misfitkid86 :

TheMagicalWallaby :

i switched rad fan orientation and i'ts 1-3c better so it hits 60c under 100% on occt small. that's not too bad though i may try to bump down core voltage from 1.20 to 1.19 to see what happens. yeah i too doubt there'd be much difference switching tim, though i'll admit like a fool that i only wiped off the old tim and didn't use any alcohol to really clean it, so that might be part of it.

if the CPU wasn't completely clean when you put the new paste on, that might cause a slight issue in temps.

misfitkid86 · Jan 9, 2015

TheMagicalWallaby :

misfitkid86 :

TheMagicalWallaby :

i switched rad fan orientation and i'ts 1-3c better so it hits 60c under 100% on occt small. that's not too bad though i may try to bump down core voltage from 1.20 to 1.19 to see what happens. yeah i too doubt there'd be much difference switching tim, though i'll admit like a fool that i only wiped off the old tim and didn't use any alcohol to really clean it, so that might be part of it.

if the CPU wasn't completely clean when you put the new paste on, that might cause a slight issue in temps.

yeah i'm thinking that + cheap paste might be the issue. regardless at least temps are ok when in normal use and that's all that really matters.

custom water loop cpu temps

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