Watercooling my Q6600.

[geeknik]

So I've had this Q6600 for a couple of months now, yeah, no G0 for me. (yet!) Anyways, I have an Intel 975XBX2 motherboard running my Q6600 inside of my Antec P180 case. I'm running the Q6600 @ 3.0ghz (1.35v) and my temps are CPU0:60C / CPU1: 56C under 100% load and fully stable.

My water cooling setup, 100% Swiftech parts:

MCRES-MICRO Reservoir, 1x Apogee(tm) GT CPU water block, MCP350(tm) 12 VDC Pump, MCR-220 "Quiet Power" series Radiator, 2x 120x25mm RDM1225S fans. 3/8" tubing, etc.

What can I do to get this thing to run cooler? Doesn't seem any cooler then when I had an Arctic Freezer Pro on this CPU.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/9554/0003lz6.th.jpg (http://img503.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0003lz6.jpg)

[ancalime]

You could try:

-Remounting the Apogee.
-Bowing the Apogee.
-Upgrading to a MCR320.

[JamesXP]

Never heard of the fans, you could shorten your tubes also.

[geeknik]

Never heard of the fans, you could shorten your tubes also.

Fans came from Swiftech. They are 120mm, 81CFM, etc.

[JamesXP]

Hmm.... 81 CFM o.o... i find that questionable o.o...

[geeknik]

I'm going by what the website says. I could put a couple of 120mm panaflos on the radiator if I need to. ;)

[JamesXP]

Go ahead. Panaflos tend to be more reliable cfm/pressure wise.


the pana's are 120x38 right?

[geeknik]

Ok. I can do that. Now the next question is should I be pushing or pulling air? I have the radiator mounted to the outside rear of the case, and there is about the width of a panaflo between the back of the case and the radiator. And right now I have the 2x 120s pushing air into the radiator.

[JamesXP]

Pushing is good you could do a push pull?

the panaflos pushing and the others pulling

[geeknik]

Thanks James, I'll see what I can do. :)

[PearlJammzz]

Wow, what are your ambients? I am going for a similar setup and was expecting a lot better results than that.

[geeknik]

Wow, what are your ambients? I am going for a similar setup and was expecting a lot better results than that.

You might get better results with the new Q6600s with the G0 stepping. This one is the old 65nm heat monster. :) As far as ambient, it's probably about 75F in my computer room at the moment. House is set to 72F on the thermostat.

[PearlJammzz]

hmm ****ty. I have a xeon 3220 which is just like the older model q6600's so ya...not buyin a new processor lol. Was hoping to hit around 3.4ghz and stay under 60 at max load over a long period of time.

[geeknik]

Is there a better loop then what I have?

Resevoir -> Pump -> CPU -> Radiator -> Resevoir.

Should I be doing Pump -> Radiator -> CPU?

[JamesXP]

It doesn't matter the only thing to make sure that the tubes are as short as possible.

[PearlJammzz]

Try going from pump to rad, then to cpu. I hear that may make a 1-2 degree C difference

[JamesXP]

Nope that won't make a difference, evantually the water temp. will reach equbrillum.

[geeknik]

Ok, so I lapped my CPU this afternoon and applied some AS5 rather then generic thermal paste. At 3.0ghz (1.36v) under 100% load, it's sitting at CPU0: 54C and CPU1: 48C. :)

[SuperDave1685]

wow.. good results geeknik! Its amazing what a good lapping and some AS5 will do! Congrats on the nice temperature decrease! and:

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