CPU Liquid Cooler Problem!

[Kiark]

Hey guys,

I have recently purchased the Antec Kuhler H20 950 CPU cooler. I installed it into my case and booted the computer up. On idle I'm getting approximately 60 degree Celsius and upwards to 80 degrees when opening Chrome.

I thought maybe it was a problem with the thermal paste so I cleaned it all off with some Isopropyl alcohol and reapplied some Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. Still getting the same temperatures, though.

Next thing I tried was switching the fan to blow in the opposite direction (like an exhaust fan), but temperatures did not change.

Is there anything else I can try or do I have a faulty unit?

Thanks!

EDIT: I forgot to mention that sometimes (at intervals of around 5 seconds) it makes a kind of sqeack noise. Could this mean anything?

 

[Cristi72]

Hello,

If the pump is connected and it's working, you should hear a slight humm coming from the CPU. Try to hear where the squeaking noise is coming from, if it's from the CPU area the pump is broken.

Check if the cooler is mounted firmly on top of the CPU. If the cooler is very hot, the pump is definitely not working. If it's cold, there is no thermal transfer between CPU and the cooler, so you must re-seat the cooler.

 

[Kiark]

Hello,

If the pump is connected and it's working, you should hear a slight humm coming from the CPU. Try to hear where the squeaking noise is coming from, if it's from the CPU area the pump is broken.

Check if the cooler is mounted firmly on top of the CPU. If the cooler is very hot, the pump is definitely not working. If it's cold, there is no thermal transfer between CPU and the cooler, so you must re-seat the cooler.

Thanks for the reply. I mounted the cooler on to the CPU twice now. It's on there pretty tight. There's no give way when you try to move it.

I'm trying to hear where that squeak noise it coming from, and it does sound like it is coming from the CPU area of the cooler. I can't be 100% sure though at the moment. Does this mean that it is 100% faulty, or just a high probability that's the cause of it all?

 

[Cristi72]

I'm trying to hear where that squeak noise it coming from, and it does sound like it is coming from the CPU area of the cooler. I can't be 100% sure though at the moment. Does this mean that it is 100% faulty, or just a high probability that's the cause of it all?

It could be a malfunctioning pump and it seems to be a DOA one, as you experienced the problem from the start. But there are also some reports of bad CPUs; what CPU do you have, are you trying to overclock? You could use the stock cooler and see the temperatures.

If by using the stock cooler the temps are higher, you could have a bad chip; if the temps are lower, contact the seller and/or the manufacturer (Antec) and RMA the cooler; Antec should give you some exact instructions how to properly check the cooler's functionality.

 

[Kiark]

I'm trying to hear where that squeak noise it coming from, and it does sound like it is coming from the CPU area of the cooler. I can't be 100% sure though at the moment. Does this mean that it is 100% faulty, or just a high probability that's the cause of it all?

It could be a malfunctioning pump and it seems to be a DOA one, as you experienced the problem from the start. But there are also some reports of bad CPUs; what CPU do you have, are you trying to overclock? You could use the stock cooler and see the temperatures.

If by using the stock cooler the temps are higher, you could have a bad chip; if the temps are lower, contact the seller and/or the manufacturer (Antec) and RMA the cooler; Antec should give you some exact instructions how to properly check the cooler's functionality.

With a stock cooler I get idle temps of around ~30 degrees. This is with no overclocking on the CPU. I'm getting in touch with the website I bought it from, hopefully they can help me. I have also opened a ticket with Antec describing my situation.

I have an Intel i7 4770k 3.5GHz CPU.

 

[Kiark]

Ok, so I sent the cooler back. That squeak noise really got me worried. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Cristi72]

Ok, so I sent the cooler back. That squeak noise really got me worried. Thanks for all the help!

Don't mention it. I hope they will solve the problem as soon as possible.