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Liquid cooling?

Mav
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Liquid cooling?

I have an AMD FX-6100 CPU on an ASUS M5A99X EVO MB.
Before I went away I noticed that under heavy load (rendering AVCHD 1920x1080 50p) footage the CPU was reaching temps of 70C and even 71C which isn't good.
There is plenty of air space and I have two fans on the case(front & back) and had thought of adding a third (exhaust) at the top or side.
I asked on a video forum about this and it was suggested that I try liquid cooling. I have done a bit of searching but feel a little overwhelmed by what I was reading.
I thought I'd put the question to the experts here in the hope that you may be able to offer some advice as the best route to take. Prices may be a little cheaper while I'm on holiday. If not, I'll get something when I'm back.

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22 REPLIES 22
Oldjim
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Re: Liquid cooling?

The first question is which CPU cooler you are using because the difference in cooling ability of different air coolers is tremendous
This is a good starting point http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks
Mav
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Currently to stock cooler that came in the box with the CPU.

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shutter
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Perhaps you could install one of these, next to the "air inlet" fan.....
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/350589656645?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla
Oldjim
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Re: Liquid cooling?

This is a good start http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=78306
Basically if you want to keep the temperatures down a bit you will need to replace the cooler - personally I wouldn't touch water cooling - one leak and bang goes your motherboard possibly literally
Mav
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Re: Liquid cooling?

I never gave possible leaks a thought but now you mention it...
Anyway, I'm looking into the Coolermaster 212+

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AlaricAdair
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Have a look around at http://overclockers.co.uk they are used to supplying people with heat problems. 
I'm with Oldjim on the use of evaporative cooling direct to a PC, there's quite a risk of water condensation causing serious damage to your PC.
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Oldjim
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Re: Liquid cooling?

In my opinion the first thing to do is to check the physical space in the case (watch out for access to the memory slots once it is installed) and go for the biggest which will fit in and which has good reviews.
As the coolermaster is 160mm tall will it fit
This review is quite complimentary http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2655&page=1
Mav
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Thanks Oldjim.
I'll wait till I'm back in the UK and check out the space available in the case.
As it is, prices here work out at only a couple of quid cheaper anyway.

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rongtw
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Re: Liquid cooling?

@Mav i have the  coolermaster  Wink CPU fan and i can tell you its well worth it  Cool
I have the FX 4100 it keeps it cooler than the stock one & is quiet too
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orbrey
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Not that I'm in any way trying to understate the hassles that come with watercooling (which are many), it is possible to get non-conductive coolant rather than water which is what I'm using currently. You can also get things like the corsair H60, H80 and H100 which are all-in-one sealed loop solutions. These combine a pump on top of the CPU block and link to a radiator which is mounted on either one (H60 or H80) or two (H100) 120mm fan holes, so are well worth a look if you fancy getting water cooling without any hassle Smiley
Just a thought. Having said that though it is possible to get (much) larger air cooling fans and heatsinks which have at least equivalent performance... but when I say they're large I really mean it:
This is the Thermalright Silver Arrow Cheesy
In comparison, the H100:
JamesM
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Re: Liquid cooling?

I have an Artic cooling freezer 7 pro, and according to Asus probe my temps are 21 degrees idle and never gets above 30 under load. In real temp it is 10 degrees higher @ 31 idle

I would aslo check the thermal paste, if this has burned away then it will give higher temps.
VileReynard
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Re: Liquid cooling?

You could get one of these...
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/428258/hot-water-helps-a-super-efficient-supercomputer/
(Although water cooling was first invented in the mid 1960's for the IBM 360).
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lexusuk
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Hey Mav,
Having done some digging on this it looks like 70degC on stock cooling under load with that CPU is a little high.  Assuming you've checked the basics (airflow around the cooler, removal of dust etc) i'd recommend that you remove and re-install the cooler in the first instance.  Most stock coolers come with a heat pad or pre-applied thermal paste and is generally not the best.  Also, the trick with CPU cooling is the contact between the cooler and the chip.  It's worth removing the cooler just to check that the cooler has a good contact with your chip.  The full surface of the cooler should be in contact with the CPU.  Something line this:

Is not going to give you a good transfer of heat between the two and may be causing your high temps.  It's worth investing in a high quality thermal paste to use when you re-install your cooler.  I can personally recommend the Arctic Silver products which can be had for a few pounds and tend to last a while.  Only a thin coating is required.  If the thermal paste is too thick this may also reduce the performance of your cooler.
Failing that, there are a number of after market coolers available that should significantly reduce your temperatures as previously suggested.  Something with a fair few heat pipes and one or two 120mm or above fans is a good idea.  Some air coolers can outperform the more basic watercooling systems so it's worth doing some research before buying.  Using a review that compares a number of coolers with the same setup are ideal.
Above that you go in to full custom water cooling or evaporator setups which require more effort to maintain but the reward is the best cooling performance available.
Let us know how you get on.  Wink
AlaricAdair
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Re: Liquid cooling?

Quote from: Un
You could get one of these...

Or if you are feeling rich go for a submersed server board where the entire mother board is immersed in cooling fluid. Circa £5K!

Edit: oops they do a cheaper one - only $4200
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