A short story of water cooling Update with bench marks

[baddad]

From what I understand there is some conversion lose from digital to analog and we know that there can be more info in a digital output then in a analog output. I myself have not tested for the difference other then it just seems better.

 

[baddad]

I have now add a Thermaltake side panel with a 250 mm fan to help keep the system board cool.

 

[baddad]

Six page Bump. :lol:

 

[speed4life]

I am using the Swiftech H20-220. Cooling my E6600 and Northbridge. Temps under load average around 45 under load.

Motherboard: EVGA T1
CPU: E6600 L646G494 @ 3.7Ghz. 1:1 Ratio Linked & Synced Voltage 1.44
SPP:1.45volts, MCP: 1.50volts
Memory: Mushkin PC2 8000 4-5-4-11, 2T Voltage 2.1
Swiftech Water Cooling H20-220
Video: One EVGA 8800GTS 320MB
Power Supply: Silverstone 750W
OS: XP Pro

 

[baddad]

That's a really good temp under load for a 6600 OC to 3.7G. My GPU's run cool now but the Koolance CPU-330 cooler that is first in my loop hits 50c under load and thats not OC. I've tried reapplying the thermal grease several times but the temps are always the same.

 

[spikerjack]

I see on Koolance's site that they show that water block out of stock until 4-30 so I think they must be fixing the problem with them. I'm happy that you got yours working, enjoy.

BadDad,

First off...awesome review of your WC setup. I wanted to comment that your thought that their out-of-stock situation might have resolved the standoff issue on the VID-282 didn't turn out to be true. I just finished last night a config very, very similar to yours and while my QX6700 was running really cool I saw in NVMonitor temps of 100C and 170C on my XFX 8800GTXs before I quickly shut down.

I just found this thread and am anixous to drain my loop and pull both blocks and dremel down each standoff. In my (2) VID-282s I received no extra standoffs or even any suggestion that this might be an issue. I just exchanged notes with Tech Support on this and they didn't even mention it (I thought it was the thermal pads....)

So I am off to make the corrections that you did and see if that works. Three quick questions:

1) Did you use the included thermal paste or something else like AS5?
2) How do I replace the dual-slot back bracket on the 8800GTX with one that only takes a single back slot?
3) What part #'s did you use for the shut off nozzles on the back of your rig?

Again...great instruction and very helpful to my situation. Thanks!

--Scott

 

[baddad]

1) Did you use the included thermal paste or something else like AS5?
2) How do I replace the dual-slot back bracket on the 8800GTX with one that only takes a single back slot?
3) What part #'s did you use for the shut off nozzles on the back of your rig?

I used OCZ ULTRA 5+ Silver Thermal compound only on the GPU.
The single bracket I got from Koolance pricey
http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=0_67&products_id=207
For the shut off valve male
http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=62_60&products_id=367
Female
http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=62_60&products_id=364

Hope everything works out for you.

 

[spikerjack]

I just finished with my "dremel down the standoffs" revision and it seemed to work just as you said it would. Unfortunately I probably took too much off each..but as you said the spring screws help compensate.

I used Artic Silver 5 for my thermal...and now I have 48c/46c on my two 8800GTXs along with 38c on my QX6700 on fan manual setting 5. It seems I have to play with the fan control on the EXOS to get the right temps...but overall I am very, very happy.

I did get a response from Koolance Tech Support...they said "file down the stand offs a bit" (direct quote). No mention of which ones or how far. Scary. Their documentation by their own admission is out of date from what they are shipping and requiring for install.

But if you can get it right (with help like your original post provided) this WC thing can help quite a bit.

Thanks again,

--Scott

 

[baddad]

I just sent their tech support a note asking if they thought this was quality and put a link to this topic.

 

[phassat]

Just want to say you've done a great job and this is a valuable thread

 

[Granite3]

Got one of these coolers a few weeks back, had to wait for the wife and kiddies to give me a few moments free to install.

Added in a Thermaltake Tidewater to the block to handle the cooling chores, just as the stock BFG water cooled units do, so installed today, and my 75C idle temps hit 132C for a moment or two.

Shut down, check, and NO AS5 transfer from card to cooler. Put on a REALLY thick coating. back together, and 97C and quickly climbing.

Another quick shutdown, recheck, and a less than bb size connection point. BOO!

Back to stock cooling, but with a thinner Arctic Silver 5 coating(original was thick and ugly), temps did drop to 67c idle, and upper 70's on load, about 6-8C reduction from original stock.

Will attempt the shave over the next few days, hope it works.

Funny, mine is an EVGA card, reference Nvidia to the bone, maybe they checked on a non reference card?

 

[mcain591]

WTF did you spend nearly $600 on a piece of crap watercooling system?

I am seriously laughing at you. You could have ordered a custom loop for less, wouldn't need to deal with that crap that koolance gave you, and you would have gotten much better temps. If you think that the difference was dramatic then, you would keel over seeing a custom loop's temps.

Koolance is just a group of class A dumb a$$'s.

 

[brewster0101]

Hi...

Can I ask what fan you are using the the mosfets on the motherboard. I have a water cooling kit on a gigabyte 965-DS4 and the heatpipe between the south bridge, north bridge and mosfets annoys be as I can't water cool just the northbridge.

 

[bkiserx7]

WTF did you spend nearly $600 on a piece of crap watercooling system?

I am seriously laughing at you. You could have ordered a custom loop for less, wouldn't need to deal with that crap that koolance gave you, and you would have gotten much better temps. If you think that the difference was dramatic then, you would keel over seeing a custom loop's temps.

Koolance is just a group of class A dumb a$$'s.

don't give the guy such a hard time

 

[baddad]

Can I ask what fan you are using the the mosfets on the motherboard. I have a water cooling kit on a gigabyte 965-DS4 and the heatpipe between the south bridge, north bridge and mosfets annoys be as I can't water cool just the northbridge.

Same as you.

 

[baddad]

WTF did you spend nearly $600 on a piece of crap watercooling system?

I am seriously laughing at you. You could have ordered a custom loop for less, wouldn't need to deal with that crap that koolance gave you, and you would have gotten much better temps. If you think that the difference was dramatic then, you would keel over seeing a custom loop's temps.

Koolance is just a group of class A dumb a$$'s.

Have a Little too much to drink boy.

 

[mcain591]

Uhhh.... nope, I actually didn't. I am serious when I say that I am laughing at how much you got screwed!

 

[baddad]

Ok! Show me how I got screwed. :roll:

 

[spikerjack]

Ok! Show me how I got screwed. :roll:

BadDad,

In my experience people like mcain591 who throw out juvenile barbs like that are more often then not just jealous of those that can actually afford to do the kind of technology investment we have done on our rigs....

Without even a shred of detail about this supposed "custom loop" or "better temps" its just screaming at the sky....I think people like you and I who have ultimately had OK (not great) experiences with Koolance can feel comfortable that the investment is working. Ultimately you can follow what we did or do something different...the beauty of a message board like this...

I am over (2) weeks into the full operations of my EXOS2 configuration with dual VID-282s and I could not be more pleased. Temps are great and initial overclocking is running just fine. This was a great project and personally I have you to thank for having run point ahead of me on your config.

Its usually not worth legitimizing stupid posts like the one from mcain591...but if there are facts to back up his blubbering then I am sure in the interest of knowing what options exist for water-cooling...we are all ears...

--Scott

 

[baddad]

BadDad,

In my experience people like mcain591 who throw out juvenile barbs like that are more often then not just jealous of those that can actually afford to do the kind of technology investment we have done on our rigs....

Without even a shred of detail about this supposed "custom loop" or "better temps" its just screaming at the sky....I think people like you and I who have ultimately had OK (not great) experiences with Koolance can feel comfortable that the investment is working. Ultimately you can follow what we did or do something different...the beauty of a message board like this...

I am over (2) weeks into the full operations of my EXOS2 configuration with dual VID-282s and I could not be more pleased. Temps are great and initial overclocking is running just fine. This was a great project and personally I have you to thank for having run point ahead of me on your config.

Its usually not worth legitimizing stupid posts like the one from mcain591...but if there are facts to back up his blubbering then I am sure in the interest of knowing what options exist for water-cooling...we are all ears...

--Scott

Exactly! Thanks.

 

[tehmonker]

and i will as well be getting an Exos-2 system soon for my new computer im putting together, i should have it up and running around mid july

 

[spikerjack]

BadDad,

Thought I would revive this thread to ask your opinion on something since we had somewhat similar configs...I just sent the following to Koolance Tech Support and hope for an answer Monday. In the meantime....any thoughts?

---------------------

To: Koolance Tech Support

I just completed a major update to my very solid, well-working- EXOS2 configuration. My reason for the update was to add tubing as to allow repositioning of the radiator away from my working area by about 10 feet. My PC config is:

QX6700 2.66mhz quad core chip with CPU-305-V10 cooling block
Dual 8800GTX using VID-282 cooling blocks
EXOS2 unit with all 3/8" tubing and no extra valves, shutoff, etc. Tube length -was- 2-3 feet with unit on top of PC

I just completed an upgrade that did the following:

Upgraded EXOS2 unit with PC3-700 pump (per tech support's suggestion given the distance run...)
Added 10 feet of tube length distance between PC and EXOS2 unit
Added (1) straight shutoff valve (M-F) to each tube about 3" out the bottom of the case (Gigabyte Aurora case)
Added (1) drain valve using straight nozzles about 9" from the shutoff valve on the tube heading back to the EXOS2

Previous to the upgrade I was seeing 38-42c on sensor 1 (CPU)…no higher than 45c if I was running 3DMark. My video cards would range between 50-60c. After the upgrade. My CPU temp has shot up to an idle of about 51c, and I triggered the default alarm playing flight simulator (never did that before). However, its weird that my video cards are running COOLER….with idle about 48-49c and running up to about 54c under load.

I made sure to do a very lengthly bleed and coolant addition. No apparent air in the hoses. I am guessing the shutoff valve right before the CPU might have something to do with actual flow to the CPU…but I don't know. Given what I have told you…what do you think might be the issue here? I was told the PC3 pump would help with the tube distance given the flow rate but I am not sure what is the biggest issue here. The fact that the CPU temp is high but the video card temps have gone down slightly is weird.

Any thoughts on what I could do to try and lower the CPU temp? For the record, I ran Everest on the CPU sensor when the EXOS2 was showing 51c on sensor 1 and it stated:

CPU - 49c
Core #1 - 58c
Core #2 - 50c
Core #3 - 56c
Core #4 - 54c
----------------------------

Thanks for any ideas you have...

--Scott

 

[phreejak]

If you really wanted to maximize your cooling potential, you'd stay away from those fullbody waterblocks. Waterblocks built by DD, Alphacool, EK, Koolance, etc - the fullbody blocks that is - have so many 90 degree bends and tight turns that it plays havoc on the flowrate of a cooling loops pump. Now, if you use full body blocks in SLI then your really cutting down on the efficicency of the loop to do its job. Using blocks like the Maze4, GFX Fuzion, MCW60, Cyclone Fusion or the Stealth is more condusive to a more efficient cooling loop. With those blocks you just have the inlet and outlet. The only drawback to them, I suppose, is that you have to use ramsinks for the memory but Swiftechs new Stealth block is an example of an excellent design. It uses the Apogeee pin matrix configuration but is built like the MCW60. Its housing covers the memory but does not use water to cool them.

 

[phreejak]

spikerjack, this PC3-700 pump, would you happen to have the specs for it (lph or gph, head, etc)? That's alot of mileage you are asking that pump to push. Also, how is your loop arranged? Do the Vid cards get the initial coolant discharge or is the CPU cooled first?

 

[spikerjack]

spikerjack, this PC3-700 pump, would you happen to have the specs for it (lph or gph, head, etc)? That's alot of mileage you are asking that pump to push. Also, how is your loop arranged? Do the Vid cards get the initial coolant discharge or is the CPU cooled first?

phreejak,

The specs on the PC3-700 pump are:

"The TNK-400-NX2BK is an upgrade kit for black Koolance PC3-700 and Exos-2 series systems. It includes the same 9-13.2VDC, ~8 L/min (2.1 GPM), >3m (10ft) head pump used in Koolance PC4-1000 and RP-1000 products."

I ordered this per suggestions from other users and Koolance that had pushed the distance between pump/rad and the PC. My cooling block setup is very straightforward...I have straight 10mm tubing into and out of the CPU-300 block, and then a short hop to the first 8800GTX/Vid-282 block using the metal nozzle connect between both GPUs in SLI mode. As I had noted my main concern became the installation of the shutoff and drain valves thinking they might have had a LPM flow impact.

Reading your sig I have become much more inclined to try TEC cooling. My biggest issue by far in my setup is ambient room temp. I have tons of equipment in my home office and the QX6700/dual 8800 rig and its WC setup is throwing off tons of hot air...room temp with A/C stay about 81-82 degrees F which is why I needed to try and relocate my radiator away from my working area. Will using TEC and (I presume) slower fan speeds allow for a lower ambient room temp? If I wanted to do a single loop for my CPU and dual vids with TEC...what would you recommend for the shopping list? Couldn't I use my vid-282s instead of investing in the Stealth and just focus on getting a better Peltier CPU block?

I appreciate your reply. Sorry to fire up with so many questions. The TEC thing looks intriguing and I am ready to try anything - no super love affair with the Koolance stuff.

--Scott