New build, do I need more radiators and fans?

[Eddie Current]

Is this enough rads and fans to cool this setup?

Case: Cooler Master HAF XB Mid tower
PSU: OCZ ZX Series 1250W 80Plus
Monitors: 3ea. Asus 27'' running @ 1920 x 1080 60Hz

CPU/MB: AMD 8350 / Asus Crosshair V Formula Z
RAM: 32gb of J Skills DDR3-1866
GPU: AMD 6970 w/2gb RAM

System Pump: X-Res CSQ Pump
Full Board Cooling Block: EK-FB ASUS C5F-Z
CPU Water Block: Koolance CPU-380
GPU Waterblock: XSPC Razor 6970


Radiator No. 1: EK-CoolStream PE 120 Single
Radiator No. 2: Black Ice Extreme 240 Dual

Fans: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 5 total, 2 on the 120 and three on the 240 rads.

 

[EarthDog]

Depends. You have in essence ~3x120mm worth of radiator and around 375W to cool at STOCK speeds. General advice is to have AT LEAST 1x120mm worth of radiator for every 100W for quiet operation and 'water cooled' temperatures. So, it will work, however temps won't be much better than air (which is part of the point) after the loop gets saturated/normalizes with 'quiet' fans (the other point of watercooling...quieter than air). With overclocking... you would want high speed fans to move that heat out if not more radiator.

In your other thread, I thought you mentioned a 6990, not 6970, LOL.

I would have went air and bought a new GPU honestly... but its a bit late for that.

 

[Eddie Current]

I have had this system for some time now. Bought the water blocks back than but never got around to doing this project. Had a little time so I figured I would move it to the front on the line.

I have two other rads (Phobia 480's) but they are the center pieces to a future WC project.

 

[Soulcatcher668]

There is also the VRM block which is no small heat load on an AMD system.

 

[Eddie Current]

I'm going to crank it up as is, monitor the temps for a few hours and see what it does. If it looks sketchy, I'll make a few changes (remove the single and put in one of the Phobya XTREME Quad 480 Radiator).

 

[Eddie Current]

After several hours of just poking around the web and doing update and system maintenance the system never budged over 33-34c on the CPU, MB and GPU ~32-33c. I ran a few benchmarks (Performance Test) and the system only moved north about 1-2c. I than loaded up Team Fortress and played a few maps and again the system stayed rock solid not going north more that 2-3c. I am downloading Dirt3, CODMW3 and BF4 so I can give those games a try and see if I can get the number to move a little more.

Here are a few pics

 

[EarthDog]

Lol, put a real load on it....


Stress test it for an hour using prime95 small fft or something similar and run unigine heaven at the same time. Playing at the desktop is nothing. Also, it takes a while for a water loop to saturate so you can see your true load temps...usually at least 30-45 mins.

Also, your fans are seemingly working against each other? They are both blowing out? Also you don't have a fan on the other half of that radiator??

 

[Soulcatcher668]

As ED said. We are worried about heat load.

You need to run long enough at load to get to water loop saturation.

On the other hand if you never do anything that loads the system (long gaming sessions, overclocking, etc.) the loop may work fine as is because you do not have to get rid of the heat.

 

[Eddie Current]

Also, your fans are seemingly working against each other? They are both blowing out?

I don't see this as relevant as it is a HAF case without the top on?

Also you don't have a fan on the other half of that radiator??

Good eye, I don't have the room for the sixth fan due to the GPU being so long.

Stress test it for an hour using prime95 small fft or something similar and run unigine heaven at the same time. Playing at the desktop is nothing. Also, it takes a while for a water loop to saturate so you can see your true load temps...usually at least 30-45 mins.

I did run it for hours (4-5hrs), I will run Prime95 today to see what happens.

 

[caddi daddi]

plug that phobya into that system and clock it, stop messing about.
if it's an older 8350 you should be able to get well above 5.0, the newer chips make 4.8 but with lower vcore and less heat and sometimes will not get over 4.8.

 

[Eddie Current]

plug that phobya into that system and clock it, stop messing about.

LOL CD, we must have a starting point (base line) now don't we?

 

[Eddie Current]

Started Prime95 w/small fft at 15:13, CPU @100%, RAM @ 13%!

Everything running @ stock volts and clocks!

@15:13 CPU @ 34c, MB @ 32c, GPU @ 33c
@16:46 CPU @ 36c, MB @ 32c, GPU @ 33c
@17:13 CPU @ 35c, MB @ 33c, GPU @ 33c
@18:13 CPU @ 35c, MB @ 32c, GPU @ 33c

@19:00 CPU @ 35c, MB @ 33c, GPU @ 33c - DL'd 3DMark and configuring to run. RAM and Base of PCI Express @ over 37c. installed fans to cool base of PCIE and RAM. After the fans were installed the temps dropped 33-34c (measured with an laser heat gun).

@19:08 continued running Prime95 w/small fft (so far non stop) and began running 3DMARK fire Strike.

@19:23 CPU @ 37c, MB @ 34c, GPU @ 34c - Finished running 3DMARK fire Strike concurrently w/Prime95 w/small fft, CPU @ 100%, RAM @ 17% while both test ran.

@19:35 CPU @ 36c, MB 33, GPU @ 34c - Started 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme w/Prime95 w/small fft running.

 

[Soulcatcher668]

Use blend on prime and run Heaven at the same time. Right now you are only putting CPU heat in which your loop will more than deal with.

 

[caddi daddi]

with the haf xb you have plenty of airflow for the upper section, out the front and out the back you have plenty of inflow from the sides and the mesh top, so you are good there.
you have the board block, even with that you might need to add an 80mm exhaust fan in the bottom, in mine it gets real tight and real hot down there.
I have gotten my 8350/crosshair5-f to over 5.0 in my xb.

please add your psu info to the first post.

 

[Conumdrum]

Use blend on prime and run Heaven at the same time. Right now you are only putting CPU heat in which your loop will more than deal with.

This is the standard. You gotta do this for us to know.

Idle for an hour.
Record temps and room temps. CPU GPU VRM (if possible) and MOBO Mosfets (if possible)

Prime 95 blend and Heaven for at least 30 minutes.
Record temps and room temps. CPU GPU VRM (if possible) and MOBO Mosfets (if possible) while the load proggies are still running.

Then we'll know.

It all might be moot, we just wanna know because we do. Do it for us please, as experienced water coolers we have seen many many rigs and get good info from this. We have helped you plenty, toss us a dog bone and do us a favor. We are curious. Join the OCF WC community and share.

Your earlier tests look really good and if you're just gaming it looks okay.

It's always nice to know how good your cooling is.

 

[EarthDog]

Im curious... stress testing for hours yields 34C... that seems WAY low to me (anyone else?). Where are you getting that temperature from?

As far as your fans, without the top it doesn't make a big deal, but who assumes one runs without the top?

 

[Soulcatcher668]

What are you using for your temp readings? (re-read post and saw pic)

You need CPU-Z (comes bundled in your ROG software) and GPU-Z

These will give you actual chip temps.





lol ED ninja'd me by a min.

 

[caddi daddi]

good catch, looks like the motherboard temp he is quoting.

 

[caddi daddi]

he's seeing socket temp, we need to see a screenshot of hardware monitor not sensor recorder.

 

[Eddie Current]

@ Soul, what do you mean "use blend on Prime"?

DLing GPU-Z and Heaven now and will update when starting.

The above temps were gathered using RC tweakit (Asus/ROG).

Last pic is of current fan configuration.

* Edited first post to include:

Case: Cooler Master HAF XB Mid tower
PSU: OCZ ZX Series 1250W 80Plus