WaterCooled CPU Overheating at idle.

[blanado]

Custom P.C. Built by previous owner,

Seeing CPU Temps: Idling at 51C, Under Load (Gaming) 98-100C (Throttling I assume.)

Mobo: Asus Z170A
Chipset: I7 6700K (4ghz, Default BIOS)
CPU Heatsink: Arctic Liquid Freezer 240 (4 x 4'' fans)
Case: Corsair Carbide High-Ariflow (3 x 5'' case Fans)
GPU: GTX 1060 (6G, factory overclock)
Ram: 2x 8G Corsair Vengeance DDR4 2133
O/S: Windows 7 64-bit

I have been seeing the red over-temp light on the motherboard turning on while in-game, but when I checked my temp in the bios it was in the high 70s.

At this point I started my research, made sure the Water Pump was connected properly (Water pump header on the board), etc and found everything was fine as far as I could tell.

The previous owner had some overclock settings enabled so I reset the BIOS to default settings.
Now I'm wondering if the default settings can cause higher CPU temps? I had a quick look at the list of options it changed, core voltages -> auto etc.. Would the BIOS allow the core voltages to reach temps like this? And should I go through and manually set limits?

I have never overclocked or played with BIOS settings like this before, and I'm excited to learn, but don't want to damage anything or create a mess, so some advice would be appreciated.

P.S. I'm going to the store tomorrow to get some new thermal paste, and I'll re-seat the heat sink.

P.P.S. Open Hardware Monitor is showing ~35% CPU load and 12W Power while at temp of 100C.

 

[terry4536]

I would check the cooler manual for operating/install instructions. I would guess that either the cooler needs to be reinstalled with new thermal paste or there is something wrong with the pump or fans.


You can download the manual here.

https://www.arctic.ac/us_en/liquid-freezer-240.html

 

[terry4536]

The manual should also have info on any software (if any) for the cooler. Corsair coolers do use software to run their coolers.

 

[blanado]

Thanks terry4536, and I have checked my user-manuals of both the Watercooler pump and the Motherboard, here's the process I went through.

I was worried my pump was hooked up wrong (3-pin connector into a 4-pin header) so i wanted some concrete info about which pins it was supposed to land on

The link you sent is identical to the information in the user manual, basically the only real connection info they give is that "the pump must be connected to the ground pin available at the header".

So with a considerable amount of time looking through the motherboard user manual, i found the details for the waterpump header, I will list them from top to bottom (vertically, for someone looking into their case), also the diagram is shown on page 1-25 of the users manual.

Top: Ground
TopMid: PumpPwr
BotMid: Pump In
Bottom: Pump PWM

The important thing to take away from this diagram is that if your water pump has a 3-pin connector, it will not work properly if the PWM setting is enabled in the BIOS "water pump control" setting.

From there I scanned on through the motherboard (Asus Z170) User manual to the BIOS setting to see if the waterpump header had to be enabled (Turns out it had been disabled, likely when I reset my UEFI BIOS to default)

On page 2-50 of the manual it talks about the "water pump control" setting and where to find it (slightly confusing - it lists it as part of a fan extension card but it isnt. You should be able to find it under the regular menu options) The "easy mode Q-Fan control" Doesnt give you any water pump options. You need to go through the Advanced menu to adjust it.

You can access the Water pump setting at:
=>UEFI BIOS (Del or F1 during startup)
=>Advanced (Bottom Right)
=>Monitor
=>Q-Fan configuration (Scroll down)
=> Water Pump Control (Default BIOS Setting = DISABLED. Need 4-pin Connector for PWM)

I still need some thermal paste to re-seat the heat sink, my temps still haven't dropped that much.

*A word of advice to anyone using a water cooled heat sink on this motherboard: Defaulting your BIOS *WILL* turn off your water pump.

*Also, if your pump has a 3-pin connector, it will not run properly on the PWM setting with this motherboard.

I will update the final fix when I figure it out, but this is what I've learned so far.

 

[terry4536]

Here is the installation FAQ (Shows the pump and fan connection).

http://support.arctic.ac/index.php?p=lf240&lang=en

 

[blanado]

Hmm its strange they show that as the pin connector from the pump, mine looks nothing like that.

I have 3 black wires going to a 3-pin connector.

 

[terry4536]

Hmm its strange they show that as the pin connector from the pump, mine looks nothing like that.

I have 3 black wires going to a 3-pin connector.

On the link for the manual (that I posted earlier) there is a FAQ at the bottom. Click on that for more info.

 

[blanado]

Hmm its strange they show that as the pin connector from the pump, mine looks nothing like that.

I have 3 black wires going to a 3-pin connector.

On the link for the manual (that I posted earlier) there is a FAQ at the bottom. Click on that for more info.

Yep, I've looked through the manual and the FAQ pages. In the FAQ under Pin Connector there is a picture of a 4-pin connector. What I was saying is that the picture they show looks nothing like the actual cable and connector on the unit I have.
Picture shows 4-pin connector with color coded wires (would be nice if this was the case in reality)
Unit actually has 3 pin connector with 3 black wires.

The missing wire/pin would be the fourth (blue) which would be the PWM signal (according to the motherboard and Arctic diagrams)

 

[terry4536]

Is that the pump or the fan? If it is the fan, the previous owner may have opted for a cheaper repair with a 3-pin fan. The motherboard can still regulate the voltage to control the fan. But I would think the 4-pin PWM would be a much better fit for the pump.

 

[blanado]

Update:
CPU temps were at 55C Idling and hitting 100C under load.
Found my water pump header had been disabled when I defaulted my BIOS

Temps are still high and these are the steps I have taken to fix it;

Re-enabled water pump header in BIOS(First I did PWM but changed to DC after reading PIN connector diagrams, see above.)
Re-applied thermal paste.
Moved pump connector from "water pump header" to "chassis fan 2" and set fan 2 to DC 100%.
Plugged a chassis fan into the fan 2 header to check it, and it is working,

I'm starting to think my pump is burned out. I've held onto the lines from the pump while the CPU is sitting at 90+ and they are both the same temp. Also I've watched YouTube videos of what this pump sounds like when it's running at 100% (What I set it for.) And i should be able to hear it running... my issue is this is a second hand computer for me so maybe it's been burnt out this whole time?

My next move will be contacting Arctic to see if I have a warranty, unless someone knows something i havent tried.

Edit; Yeah Terry, the pin connector I was talking about is for the pump, sorry I wasn't more clear. The fans are all PWM 4-pin but the pump is a 3-pin.

 

[terry4536]

Then I think you are on the right trail. If you can't get the temps down to where you like. Then a new CPU cooler is the next solution.

This would be a good fit. Or you can use an air CPU cooler.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181103

 

[blanado]

I figured it out.
The pump was jammed, I almost went out and spent over 100 dollars on a new cooler(a way smaller one), but first I decided to pull the whole assembly out ofthe case and hookit up to my breadboard.
Used a multimeter and the voltage adjust on the board to make sure I wasn't going over 12V.
Pump didn't turn on until 11.8 volts the first time. I think it was jammed and just needed a bit of gumption to chew through whatever was in there.
Anyway, after cycling the pump a few times I reinstalled everything, with the pump hooked up to the water pump header, and fired up the unit. I heard the coolant rush into the radiator for the first time, and my temps are holding at high 30's, 50 tops under load. CPU load 35%, temps 51c. So happy I'm not gonna toast the socket on my motherboard (and the CPU.)

What I've learned is that while water cooled cpus have their benefits, there are some definite downfalls when it comes to reliability. Installing a pump that's made by a trusted manufacturer is peace of mind, because if that pump fails you won't know unless you are monitoring your temps closely, and unless you have a backup, your CPU is effectively being smothered by an inefficient heat sink.

I might go and buy a backup heatsink and fan in case this pump jams again, it won't leave me hanging with no computer until I can get a replacement.
Thanks for the help Terry!

 

[terry4536]

You're welcome.

Water cooled CPU coolers are essentially a method to move the heat sink to another location. It also allows for a larger heat sink. If you have enough space at the CPU for an air cooler, that is the best and most inexpensive way to go.

 

[terry4536]

Also bacteria and algae can grow in a water cooler. Without the correct additive in the water, they will eventually clog up.

 

[blanado]

Ok so this will be the thread summary and final answer; Root problem was that the case was transported on its side, allowing the coolant to drain out of the pump into the radiator and cause an air-lock (pump can't create suction with no liquid)

Following will be some Tips/resources for people having the same problems with the same equipment as me.

Asus Z-170 and BIOS;
User Manual pg. 1-2/3; General Location Diagram; Switches, jumpers, LED's, power headers etc.
" " Page 1-25; Fan/Cooling headers, Labeling and location.
TPU Selector switch should be set to II when using a Water Cooled heat sink
*Defaulting your BIOS will set your water pump header to DISABLED
Enabling Water Pump Header; starts on 2-46 of user manual. (Advanced => Monitor=>Q-Fan)


Arctic Liquid Freezer;
3-Pin connector from Pump; Does not support PWM signals, Set to DC 100%
**If the pump is elevated above the radiator for a long period of time, it will cause an airlock in the pump. I solved this by elevating the radiator and hooking my pump up to a 12VDC power source (I used a Breadboard, I would be careful using anything else, I.E. car battery, as they can be up to 14.4VDC!) until I heard it load up with fluid
This pump is very quiet and low-vibration. It will be hard to hear with other fans going inside your case.
To check if the pump is cycling coolant, the best way I found is to hold both coolant lines in your hand right where they come out of the pump. One should be warmer than the other (If your CPU is running hot)

Thermal paste is your friend! If you're going to be playing around with your CPU/Pump make sure you have some on hand. Spray Isopropyl Alcohol *ON A RAG* and then wipe the pump and CPU to clean them. Do not spray it onto your motherboard.

Disconnect the power cord and turn off your power supply before working inside the case.

I suggest having a spare heat sink (air cooled) if you are going to use a water pump and radiator, for troubleshooting.