AIO CPU Cooler

leoscott

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Dec 30, 2009
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Is there a way to determine if my AIO CPU cooler is working correctly? I built a 4790 system in 2015 with a Cooler Master AIO and since then it has run around 40c at idle with the fans never running. Now the fans are running strongly and the temps are mid 70s at idle. Do I need to remove the cooler and reapply the heat sink compound, is the pump possibly failing, or does the fluid slowly dry up and I need to replace the AIO? I have cleaned the dust out of the system.
 

Barney6262

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Oct 20, 2013
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Check if you can still feel the pump vibrating. Make sure it isn't making any grinding noises. If your cooler can be detected by software, make sure it is.

What did you change to make the fans run? Did they just magically start running by themselves one day or did you fiddle with it? Could you have knocked the waterblock while you were changing anything?
 

leoscott

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The pump seems to be running. The fans have always run, just not when the CPU is idling. They used to run when activity drove the CPU usage above 10-15%, now they run when the CPU is idling at 4%. I'm going to pull the block off and try applying fresh compound next. If that doesn't fix it I will replace the unit. It's a Coolermaster Seidon 240.
 

leoscott

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leoscott

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The fans are were running now because the CPU @ idle was registering about 75c. It used to register closer to 32-33c at idle before. The radiator fans ramp up based on CPU temperature. I tried removing the block and cleaning the block and spreader with alcohol and putting fresh heat sink compound on. That resulted in the temperature lowering to about 72c at idle, still far above what it was when it was new. I did feel the pump while this was going on and did feel a vibration that I attributed to something running.
I just wasn't going to run the system when it was running that hot so I went and spent the money at a local MicroCenter and bought a new Corsair H100i which I have installed. Now the temps are back to normal. I'm pretty sure at this point that it was some type of pump failure. Even though the pump assembly was vibrating doesn't mean that it was pumping fluid sufficiently.
Thanks everyone for responding.