[SOLVED] Revisiting custom loops

[Deleted member 2783327]

A couple of years ago I was having discussions here about custom loop cooling. At that time I was looking at around A$1500 for a kit.
Things went crazy and I lost my job. I've only just managed to pick up some part time work and am planning to take another stab at this.
However, I asked a question somewhere else and the response I got was "Why are you even bothering trying to overclock a X299 system. They are a VRM disaster". The videos presented were from 2017 using the 7900X, which had thermal issues. I did have that CPU, but it was delidded by Silicon Lottery. Anyway, I'm using the I9-10940X now and an MSI Creator X299.

So before I start trying to put togther a custom kit, am I just wasting my time?

The goal is to be able to run the CPU at 4.4ghz all year round. Currently in summer idle temps are around 50c @ 4.1ghz.
The question I asked over at MSI was about voltages to see if that would alleviate some of my temp issues. I haven't got any response to that question, just the "OCing X299 is not recommended".

Thoughts?

 

[Phaaze88]

So before I start trying to put togther a custom kit, am I just wasting my time?

Really, only you can answer this one, after you've tried it... or not. No one else can really answer this for you.
I jumped on X299, even though I'm not the target audience for it. I still killed 2 birds with one stone: it was still an upgrade over the old 3570K and I was able to sate my curiosity.
I had my 7820X delidded and binned by SL, and later on, ended up taking the lid off and doing direct die - curiosity got the better of me again, but I got a learning experience out of it.

Backtracking a bit, but a number of the early X299 boards weren't very good overclockers, or so I'd read. Probably where 'VRM disaster' came from.

If you want to do it, do it. Opinions from others be damned - the regrets can come later... but this is also my opinion.
If I had any regrets, it's that I used 360mm AIOs instead of 280mm.

The goal is to be able to run the CPU at 4.4ghz all year round. Currently in summer idle temps are around 50c @ 4.1ghz.
The question I asked over at MSI was about voltages to see if that would alleviate some of my temp issues. I haven't got any response to that question, just the "OCing X299 is not recommended".

Thoughts?

X299 cpus are hard to cool, even after that SL delid - from my experience. It's not limited to the 7900X.
2nd worst listed 7820X bin, direct die and under something like Cinebench R23, cores can go into the 80s(C).
Run both Cinebench and Uningine Superposition at the same time, and it's almost pushing 90C - then again, the gpu AIO is front intake, so that's likely why that happens. [I tried both top intake+exhaust with the cpu AIO.]
All that's on a cold day, by the way. If I want better full load thermals, I'd have to put it under a loop. I'm ok with what I currently get though. [I've forgotten what it did with the original delid.]

NH-D15S was getting a few degrees better idle thermals than 360mm AIO, but no one should be getting too hung up on idle anyways - with some exceptions.

Unfortunately, SL does not appear to have assembled a list for 10940X bins, so it's not possible for me to give you any more ideas what to expect with your cooling endeavor.
Good luck, if you do go forward with it!

 

[Eximo]

X299 boards had a lack of room on the board for VRMs, so they tended to have overly warm VRMs, but not like they didn't work. Still, given the design of the board, getting a narrow waterblock for the VRMs should take care of problems there.

Looks to be just a little over 80mm wide (distance between the mounting holes on LGA2066) And there are plenty of 80mm long water blocks for exactly this. A little thermal adhesive and you should be able to get this right on there. Not sure what is under the shroud (certainly a heatpipe and radiator, but not sure if it is connected to anything below it)

Also the two smaller VRMs below the socket, some loose heatsinks will do for those. As well as any other components hiding under the shroud.

https://www.performance-pcs.com/wat...s/watercool-heatkiller-swx-a4-wc-11604-d.html

After that, just a standard LGA2066 CPU block and your plumbing. You blast enough water through there and I don't see any reason you can't achieve a decent overclock.

Also consider lapping the CPU heatspreader if you really want the best performance.