[SOLVED] Intel i9 10940X 100C+ please help :(

[rexenor]

Hi, I got the 10940X and I'm having a hard time cooling it under 100% Load with my 3 year old Corsair H115i Liquid cooler. It usually exceeds 100 C!

Noctua NT-H2 is the TP used.

Any suggestions?

 

[Ignelio]

Did you plug in the pump to the correct header on the motherboard?

Do you have any other cooler you could try? Maybe the AiO is dying.

Another possibility might be bad installation of the AiO.

 

[rexenor]

Hi Ignelio,

Thanks for getting involved.

Unfortunately I don't have a second AiO around, however your point (Maybe the AiO is dying) seems very relevant as my 7820X 8 core i7 also reached 90C+ under load. Currently my Idle temp is between 38-43C depending on room temps

I believe that I have installed the AiO correctly...however the person who initially build this PC connected the 3 pin power cable coming from the 2 fans to the MoBo (CPU-FAN) and the other cable, from the pump to the front IO. Not to the MoBo He reassured me that its correct so I left it there. My Mobo Is: X299 ASUS Prime-A

https://ibb.co/8YtkmDw

https://ibb.co/YB5y3yY
https://ibb.co/tPKfLGQ
Any Idea?

 

[geofelt]

38-40c at idle is a little high, but not bad.
I would expect about 10-15c. over ambient.
I think your fan and pump connections are ok.
It is the pump that needs to run 100% all the time.

Liquid coolers do not last forever.
In time, air leaks into the system making it inefficient.
I can not tell, but if your cpu is at the top of the cooling components, then any air will collect at the pump and will not cool well.

See what happens if you turn the pc upside down so that the cpu is at the lowest point.

These two videos will explain.
View them both since the second clarifies the first.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbGomv195sk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKwA7ygTJn0

 

[rexenor]

Hi geofelt,

Thanks for taking the time to share these!

The radiator is placed on top of the CPU. https://ibb.co/d0r5t6D

I think that my AiO IS failing due to air bubbles trapped over time.I recall, two days ago that I had rotate the system horizontally and vertically multiple times in order to blow dust etc. When I plugged everything back I was getting great temperatures 90C at load 35 idle. The next morning however the PC stared at 40+idle and acceded 100C at load...so my guess is that I need a new AiO since I'm not in the mood of crack opening the cooler etc.

Would you suggest an air cooler instead?

 

[Ignelio]

Hi geofelt,

Thanks for taking the time to share these!

The radiator is placed on top of the CPU. https://ibb.co/d0r5t6D

I think that my AiO IS failing due to air bubbles trapped over time.I recall, two days ago that I had rotate the system horizontally and vertically multiple times in order to blow dust etc. When I plugged everything back I was getting great temperatures 90C at load 35 idle. The next morning however the PC stared at 40+idle and acceded 100C at load...so my guess is that I need a new AiO since I'm not in the mood of crack opening the cooler etc.

Would you suggest an air cooler instead?

I have no experience with water cooling, but a decent aftermarket cooler should suffice depending on how hard you overclock your CPU I guess.

 

[rexenor]

I have no experience with water cooling, but a decent aftermarket cooler should suffice depending on how hard you overclock your CPU I guess.

Well, I stick with stock settings as I use my cpu for work mostly and I'd like it to last for some time, plus I'm happy with the performance

 

[Phaaze88]

Could you post the FULL PC specs?

Bios temperature?

 

[rexenor]

My Bios temps should be ok from what I see when I get there, it usually reads 29-30C. I really don't know of any other way to check Bios temps by the way!

----

x299 Asus Prime-A
64GB Domi.Platinum
32GB Domi.Platinum total 96GB RAM
2x RTX 2070Super NvLinked (SLI Disabled) I only use the Nvlink protocol when needed

i9 - 7940x Cascade Lake aka 10940x

HX1200 Corsair PSU
H115i Corsair AiO

Case Phantex Etho Evolve ATX...not very large 🙁

 

[Phaaze88]

My Bios temps should be ok from what I see when I get there, it usually reads 29-30C. I really don't know of any other way to check Bios temps by the way!

Cpu temp is usually right there upon entering bios.
If it's 29-30C while in there, that's fine.

I don't see the chassis make and model listed?

One other thing: Do you experience those high temps regardless of whether or not both 2070 Supers are in use?

 

[rexenor]

That's the case:
https://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Evolv-ATX.html

Yes, as the workloads stress primarily the CPU in V-Ray. Alternatively when I target my GPUs temps, CPU temp is roughly around 55 to 65 at 50% CPU utilization, if that makes sense.

Keep in mind that the work produced by a single person is less demanding on the GPUs , in contrast to a demanding AAA title

 

[geofelt]

Well, I stick with stock settings as I use my cpu for work mostly and I'd like it to last for some time, plus I'm happy with the performance

If you are inclined to go with air cooling, then Noctua is arguably one of the best.
NH-D15s is not expensive and will last a long time.
Here is the noctua compatibility chart:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i9-7940X-295
Here is the chart for your motherboard:
https://ncc.noctua.at/motherboards/model/ASUS-Prime-X299-A-3704

 

[rexenor]

Thank you very much geofelt!

 

[Phaaze88]

Yes, as the workloads stress primarily the CPU in V-Ray. Alternatively when I target my GPUs temps, CPU temp is roughly around 55 to 65 at 50% CPU utilization, if that makes sense.

I understood you.
It's only burning up during specific loads.

I believe the cooler still works, since the thermals aren't going bonkers like you describe here:
"Alternatively when I target my GPUs temps, CPU temp is roughly around 55 to 65 at 50% CPU utilization"
If the pump were dead on that thing, you'd definitely be able to see it, especially in bios.

Do you have MCE(Multi Core Enhancement) enabled in bios? Disable it if you do.

I'm also concerned that the combined heat load from the 2 2070 Supers(when both are in use) and the 10940X are too much for the little H115i; when you have it as top exhaust like that, it doesn't just cope with the cpu's heat...
Can you try:
-the radiator mounted in the front, with its fans behind to pull air through it
-the fans that were originally in the front, moved up top to exhaust

 

[rexenor]

Thanks for the suggestion Phaaze88! I will definitely check MCE in Bios.

Its true that the 2 GPUs take a lot of space in my case. About the AiO would you suggest an alternative to the one I use now?

I also think of reordering my fans, as you suggest, probably on the weekend! 👍

 

[Phaaze88]

Its true that the 2 GPUs take a lot of space in my case. About the AiO would you suggest an alternative to the one I use now?

The H115i and the NH-D15/S are around the same tier of cooling...
If your H115i is actually proven to be busted... then a 360mm, like Arctic's Liquid Freezer II 360.

 

[mdd1963]

I got the impression 10940X and above were pretty much mandatory 360 mm AIOs...

No air cooler (short of Noctua making some new quad stack/triple fan unit 200mm tall weighing 3 kilos, etc.) need ever apply.

 

[rexenor]

I also found this one which seems even bigger. Correct?

Liquid Freezer II - 420
https://www.arctic.de/en/Liquid-Freezer-II-420/ACFRE00092A

 

[Phaaze88]

I also found this one which seems even bigger. Correct?

Liquid Freezer II - 420
https://www.arctic.de/en/Liquid-Freezer-II-420/ACFRE00092A

Chonky, but too chonky for your current chassis.

 

[rexenor]

Just to update on my situation, the problem was clearly the struggling pump, as air had accumulated on my h115i liquid cooler over the course of 3 years. It happened slowly and steadily as I got used on high temps. Just installed Arctic's Liquid Freezer II 360mm rev.3 and we are all happy!!!

 

[rexenor]

https://ibb.co/0sWW6mG

 

[Phaaze88]

Well done! 👍