[slynutcase]

i am moving onto watercooling in a few weeks and want to get some reccomendations on a waterblock that will fit my motherboards northbridge,
and slightly off topic but, will a single 120mm rad be enough to cool just the cpu and northbridge?

[oldbrave]

Not any better than your current air cooling, so I wouldn't consider it worth the investment for the pump, tubing, reservoir, and water blocks. My thoughts are go a minimum of 2x120 or better Radiator.

[slynutcase]

can get more radiators, thats not a problem, still not sure what NB block to get that would fit onto my motherboard without fouling anytihng,
no suggestions there?

[BugFreak]

The nb block will do nothing for you. Check the w/c forum for a little more info on that if needed but I say don't bother. Mine runs my sig settings with the passive that came on the board. I also would go for a 2x120 but that is just the cpu. If you plan to w/c the gpu then you need more but you can worry about that when you get there.

[slynutcase]

i want to reduce the temps of the nb as it runs hot, this is the seccond of these motherboards iv had now and the nb is always too hot to touch, i want it to run cooler, so your saying that it wont cool it any better than the passive stock heatsink thats on there?

[BugFreak]

I can't think of any threads where someone got anything more from a block on the nb, come to think of I don't think I've even seen a block at all. If it helps you I stuck a 120mm fan in my side panel for my graphics card that also blows a little on the nb heatsink and now it is cool to the touch but I saw no gain. I would concentrate on the cpu cooling if it were me.

[slynutcase]

cpu cooling if fine with air in all honesty, i was just thinking to the nb keep cooler would give it a longer lifespan, and peace of mind for myself, i have put my plans to watercool on hold for now, but still think its not a BAD idea to add in a nb block if you afford it, am i wrong in thinking that?

[RGone]

Originally Posted by slynutcase

but still think its not a BAD idea to add in a nb block if you afford it, am i wrong in thinking that?

I don't think anyone that posted above, said it was a BAD idea to try and cool the NorthBridge with water. What they did say was it was probably pointless or not enough return for the effort involved.

I looked at many pictures and looking for an exact angle to see how that NorthBridge heatsink on that board was designed. Not a lot of really good pictures. Well to see how I might mount a 40x40x10 fan on the NorthBridge heatsink.

That thin piece of sheet metal or whatever it is that is across part of the top of cooler makes absolutely no sense. It seems it is 'holding' heat in or down and not letting it be moved away by air going over the mobo.

I probably would remove that 'wing-like' thing and mount a fan blowing down on that northbridge sink and call it job done. IF the heatsink is "hot" that means the sink is making good contact with the northbridge and only needs air movement across the northbridge fins to get RID of the heat.

Now that is me. I look at things differently than most. I know the Northbridge can be hot to the touch, but have little to do with life expectancy. YMMV.

[slynutcase]

i have thought about pulling that silly bit of metal off but never got round to it while the pc is in pieces, ill take your advice into account and try fitting a small fan in there, just like things to be cool rather than hot,
didnt mean to imply that they had said it was a bad idea, just speculating to acumulate information and opinions really

[ssjwizard]

I imagine that one of the 2 EK AMD chipset blocks would work for this. I was going to suggest the one I used but I think the mounting holes are in different places. I have one of the smaller ones also(I bought the 3 part kit, vrm + 2 different chipset blocks) that looks like it would definitely fit.

When cooling your NB with water you do it because you want to not because you want higher clocks out of it. I did it because I didnt want any fans inside of my case other than those on my radiators.

[slynutcase]

small update, i decided to remove the wing shaped metal piece that sits over the stock nb heatsink on my motherboard and low and behold the temps have reduced alot, i think that was a poor desighn/advertising attempt by asrock.

[RGone]

Originally Posted by slynutcase

small update, i decided to remove the wing shaped metal piece that sits over the stock nb heatsink on my motherboard and low and behold the temps have reduced alot, i think that was a poor desighn/advertising attempt by asrock.

A replay of the old adage about 'beauty' over 'function'. I have had 100's of motherboard pass thru my hands while working for a mobo company and I have gotten maybe fair at looking at what seems fit and not fit and that dang wing thing just stuck in my gut as useless and mostly for hype or advertising and not usefullness. Glad you now have lower temps and likely can now have a little fun with your puter. Luck man.

RGone...ster._______________