Water temps

Is water temp 7c under CPU temp considered normal? Right now my CPU temp shows at 27 and my water temp is at 20. According to the same thermometer, ambient is at 22.6 which is probaby a little warmer than true ambient since I have it velcroed to my monitor.

This is the water temp fresh out of the rad. I hooked another one up right after the CPU and GPU and before the pump as well, but I didn't wait long enough for the silicone to harden in the T and it leaked, so I took it out and I'll let the silicone harden before I try again.

Right now I have the case opened to the cool air of the room and I suspect that the temps will rise when I put the sides back on, but I doubt that much. I was going to go for a second rad, but with these temps, it makes no sense.

how do you measure the water temp jw?

With a submersible probe attached to an indoor/outdoor digital thermometer siliconed in a T connector.

http://img296.echo.cx/img296/2727/temp7bo.jpg

http://img296.echo.cx/img296/1219/temp29hw.jpg

My water temp is always 7c over CPU temp. Ambient 23.6 and water 24.8.

I've never actually measured my water temperature, but the water 7°C cooler than the CPU seems reasonable with a good cooling system--it's that difference that allows the heat to transfer from the CPU to the block to the water. However, at least one of those readings is off. There is no way that the water itself is below ambient unless you're running a chiller of some type so either ambient is less than what you stated (and you said the reading is probably high) or the water is actually warmer, or both.

BTW, are you taking these readings after the system has reached equilibrium or is it still "warming up"?

Actually, the ambient temp is going to read a little high since I have the thermometer attached to my monitor and even though it is LCD, I'm sure it puts out a little heat itself. Also the exhaust from the system hits a wall and comes up about two feet from it and this would make it read warmer too I'm sure.

The computer is off and right now the water is reading 23.8 with ambient at 24.2. That's close enough to say they are equal.

The water always seems to stay 7c below CPU temp, even after it reaches equillibrium. When I turned my air off and the CPU went to 33, the water was at 26. I'm going to put a sensor on the hot spot today to see how much the rad cools it.