Intel i7 4770k w/ Corsair H60 v2 temperatures!! Need help!

[Robotmutt]

Hi there,

I recently was given a i7 4770k processor along with a Intel DZ87KLT-7K motherboard, I already had a Asus geforce gtx 780 DirectCU II OC graphics card and a Intel i5 4570 processor with a stock cooler on it. So I decided to swap the components obviously and bought a Corsair H60 v2 to cool the 4770k as a stock cooler would not have been good enough for the 4770k under load. So I have installed everything and have put it to the test. My gpu is fine running at28 degrees celcius idle and 73 under load (battlefield 4) but my processor is hitting high temperatures! At idle all cores are about 38 degrees celcius but under load (battlefield 4 and MSI kombustor cpu burner) all cores go up to the mid 90's and 2 at 100 degrees celcius. I know this can't be right for a liquid cooling system. I have a good airflow in my Nzxt h440 case (3xNzxt fans at the front & 3xCorsair SP120 fans at the top exhausting) and then a Corsair SP120 mounted on the radiator at the back exhausting. All fans are running full speed and the pump as well, only the fan on the radiator is attached the cpu fan connector on the motherboard. I don't want to admit as my Corsair H60 v2 is brand new but my guess it is the pump is bad and I will have to send it to corsair in exchange for a working one but I hope that's not the case. Although I tried connecting the pump to cpu fan header on the motherboard and saw in the bios that the rpm was 4800 so no problem there! Maybe I should order some thermal paste from amazon and try applying that hopefully that will help. I would be grateful for answers and guidance on connections etc different tests.

 

[AMDFaith]

Is the H60 mounted correctly?

next chance you get, touch the block. check if there are any high residual temps near the socket.
After that, give the block a SLIGHT push. You'll have to check temperatures while you're pushing though.

If the pushing helps then you have to tighten the fasteners or may even have to reapply the thermal compound.

Do you hear any noise coming from the pump? I would also try unplugging your fans (not h60 fan) to listen to see if your pump is pushing water. feel if there is any water running through the block.

 

[Robotmutt]

Is the H60 mounted correctly?

next chance you get, touch the block. check if there are any high residual temps near the socket.
After that, give the block a SLIGHT push. You'll have to check temperatures while you're pushing though.

If the pushing helps then you have to tighten the fasteners or may even have to reapply the thermal compound.

Do you hear any noise coming from the pump? I would also try unplugging your fans (not h60 fan) to listen to see if your pump is pushing water. feel if there is any water running through the block.

I'm pretty sure I mounted the H60 correctly, I used the screws for a 1150 socket. I have touched the block before when it was hot around mid 90's degrees celcius. Also what do you mean by high 'residual' temps? I will try pushing the block and see whether that affects much. I have already previously tightened the thumbscrews with a screwdriver very tight. Also I do not own any other thermal compound, will I have to order some?

I can't distinguish any noise from the pump as the other fans are loud but when I feel the tubes I feel a slight buzz, I will also now try to unplug all the funs and see if I can hear the pump.

UPDATE: I pushed the pump with a fair amount of pressure and the temperatures did not change. I also unplugged all fans apart from the H60 v2 fan and I can't tell if it is the pump I am hearing or the gpu's fans. I still feel a slight buzz when I hold the tubes. If the pump was not working would my 4770k temps at idle be around 38-42? Because that is what they are currently at when idle.

 

[AMDFaith]

High residual temperatures like things around the board. can you feel heat around the socket? Residual might not be the right word..

ALSO, if the block is tightened TOO much it can affect temperatures. It'll spread that pre-applied thermal compound really thin if it's too tight.

You'd have to order some or you can go to your local best buy or similar computer store and pick up some there. I've used Antec formula 7 (which I purchased at best buy) for a while now.

If you're ordering some, go with the noctua thermal compound. It's really thick and has no cure time un-like the formula 7.

Newegg - Noctua NT-H1 Thermal compound

What program are you using to monitor your temperatures? And I assume you're running at stock speeds?

 

[Robotmutt]

High residual temperatures like things around the board. can you feel heat around the socket? Residual might not be the right word..

ALSO, if the block is tightened TOO much it can affect temperatures. It'll spread that pre-applied thermal compound really thin if it's too tight.

You'd have to order some or you can go to your local best buy or similar computer store and pick up some there. I've used Antec formula 7 (which I purchased at best buy) for a while now.

If you're ordering some, go with the noctua thermal compound. It's really thick and has no cure time un-like the formula 7.

Newegg - Noctua NT-H1 Thermal compound

What program are you using to monitor your temperatures? And I assume you're running at stock speeds?

Ah ok I understand. I understand about tightening the block too much I shall loosen it a bit. Also there are no stores that would sell thermal paste near me so I shall order it off amazon. I use HWmonitor to monitor my temps and yes I am running at stock speeds. Is it possible I have an air gap between the block and cpu? There are many factors that can cause the problem but I can imagine it's the pump as I've seen people with the same problem online with their h60 v2. But I shall try other things before coming to the conclusion it is the pump. Although in the bios it says the pump is running at 4800 rpm which is normal so yeah..

 

[AMDFaith]

There are possibilities of air bubbles in the compound, but since the paste was preapplied and spread so evenly I don't think it would be a problem. UNLESS you seated your heatsink on the CPU and took it off, then reseated it without reapplying fresh compound. That would cause the bubbles.

Another possibility is that the H60 is just NOT cut out for that 4770K. Every CPU is different, and it could be HIGHLY possible that this CPU just runs a tad bit hotter than others. But what i'm getting at is, the H60 is kind of a lower quality option for water cooling. Especially for the notoriously HOT 4770K.

Similar performance results are met by many air coolers. The radiator on the cooler is the thinnest available in the Corsair Hydro series coolers. There are some things you can do to optimize your performance with that H60. You can replace that stock H60 fan with a couple Cooler Master JetFlo 120mm fans in Push/Pull configuration and replace that stock thermal compound.


Newegg - Cooler Master JetFlo 120 mm

 

[Robotmutt]

You're right about the thermal paste being spread so evenly, I didn't seat the heatsink and then remove it so we can cancel the possibility of a air bubble being the problem

Strange but I googled it before hand and many people had both set up and there were benchmarks and it was totally fine. I understand about different cpu's run at different temps but surely not as extreme as the temps as I am getting even when being cooled by the h60 v2. I know there are better liquid coolers out there but I didn't have the money for them so I went with the h60 v2 as it had good benchmarks matched up with 4770k.

I did replace the stock corsair fan with a Corsair SP120 quiet edition fan but I don't believe the fan is what is causing the temps to be so high..But I think my best bet is to try replacing the thermal paste and see whether that helps. If it does not I will just send it to Corsair to get it replaced, that is the easiest thing I can think off without losing my 60 euro I spent on it.

 

[Robotmutt]

Hi again Got back from England and my Noctua NT-H1 had arrived. So I rushed to install it and everything but the metal used for the h60 in the screw holes is terrible and ended up becoming larger and the screws just got pushed through so I had to pop over to a hardware store and get new larger screws! I've used the Corsair box fan that came with h60 in a pull configuration and the Sp120 quiet edition that I bought in a push configuration It looks good and I mounted the block with the Noctua NT-H1 and my temperatures are around mid 30's degrees celcius at idle and under load in battlefield 3 it went to about 64 degrees celcius (same temperatures with the cpu burner in MSI kombustor). I think these are good as I have read under 70 degrees celcius is good. I'm happy with it and it should hold with gaming and I won't be overclocking. Sorry for any typo's as I got a mechanical keyboard for my birthday (it's amazing but need to get used to it ahaha). I also applied the thermal paste twice, first time I did it I removed the block just to see whether my method spread it well and then second time I haven't changed anything, the tmperatures only went up by like 2-3 degrees but I'm not fussed.