OCZ Cryo-z What to expect?

[hax0red]

Ok I have seen the reasons not to buy one but I have not seen anything that will come close for $250. I don't expect to break records but wouldn't it keep up with an A8-3870k and i5-3570k cold enough to surpass anything else I could get in the $250 price range?

Right now I picked up maybe 100mhz with water cooling vs stock air on the 3870k and from what I've read it needs to be under 45C to be stable at higher clocks. Would a cryo-z get me 50% of what a "real" 200 watt+ phase change could get? If so it seems well worth it. Plus I can always upgrade...much easier to get into with a lower investment up front then buy the tools and such as you go.

 

[Bobnova]

You'll pick up a good bit more, the Cryo-z should run in the -20c to -35c range depending on load.

If you're looking to bench, a pot and dry ice might be a better choice.
If you're looking for 24/7 use the cryo-z isn't a bad choice.

 

[hax0red]

Awesome yeah I'm looking for 24-7 gaming, benching ect with dual 7870's overclocked on air (the 7870 runs so cool anyways with just water cooling the cpu) and the new ivy bridge 3570k which doesn't do well with higher clocks. I would like to see 5.0-5.1ghz or more with it.

I also have a bone to pick with this 3870k to see what it's gonna take to get more out of it.

Finally what do you suggest for a lga 1155 adapter? and is it a direct fit?



Thanks!

 

[Bobnova]

I doubt it's a direct fit unless your 1155 board has 775 heatsink holes. My experience is with my cryo-z, we use koolance CPU dry ice/ln2 pot mounting HW.

I strongly recommend some research into the insulation and such required for subzero stuff, condensation is a real issue.

 

[hax0red]

I haven't decided on the motherboard yet but I'm looking at the asrock extreme4, Asus P8Z77-V or sabertooth z77. I am looking for x8/x8 PCIE 3.0 support and now I guess I'll be looking for sub zero temp sensor capable? Any suggestions?

I found two brackets that look like it might work but I really have no idea what the cryo-z cable looks like.

http://koolance.com/adapter-intel-socket-1155-1156-cpu-340-345


http://koolance.com/adapter-intel-socket-1155-1156-cpu-350

The unit is used but does come with some insulation. Do you have a suggestion on where to buy some extra? I'll look up some threads to see what technique to use when insulating.

 

[TsunamiJuan]

the cryo-Z kits sold by frozen cpu mostly came with the 1155 adapater kit, that allowed you to use it stock with the the 1155 sockets. It also came with the standard plastic bracket for the am2/3 , 755, 1156, 1366 sockets. Like Bobnova said, I cheat and use a koolance kv2 mounting bracket cause the thumbscrews work better for mounting and remounting the system as you swap systems. Otherwise its a pain in the butt to use the stock mounting screws/springs.

Generally cryo-z's are rated for a 120watt thermal load you can run more on it, just the temperatures will swing more. The 3870k will probably run at around 4.4ghz on it. They really like being cold. As for socket 1155 sandy bridge is happy running to around 5.5ghz under normal loads. I haven't ran any of the Ivys on mine yet. I am guessing around similar speeds maybe a little less due the preference of colder temps.

I see temps most of the time of around 30-35c @ 5.4ghz 1.54volts.

As for insulation, the big name brand people look for is Armaflex, But you can use general weather stripping from the hardware store, just make sure to remove the foil from it. You'll want some flat sheet insulation. with an adhesive backing and some that doesn't have an adhesive backing. You'll need to cover around the socket and evaporator head where it mounts to the cpu. You also want to cover under the socket. I like to throw down some liquid electrical tape first under the socket, then put the layers of armaflex over it. somewhat thick. So that your not gonna get condensation forming on the back of the board and dripping down and shorting stuff out.

 

[moocow]

If you're willing to invest a bit more I would spend the money and get a REAL single stage.
Shopping around for used units its possible to find one for $350-400.

My single stage was $350 if I remember correctly and can handle a 300w load at -50*C.
At those temps a 3570k will do 5.4-5.7ghz depending on how good of a chip you have. I don't know if I would trust a cryo-z with a modern processor, but for older stuff it should be fine.

As for insulation, single stage units don't generate a ton of condensation which is very nice. Artists eraser is a great way to insulate the board, and a layer or two of armaflex on the top and back are more than enough. You can find insulation at places like home depot or lowes if you are in the US.

For your motherboard I would really consider the MSI z77- GD65 or the Asus Maximus V Gene. Both have been great under the single stage and can run for hours if you insulate properly.

 

[MIAHALLEN]

I second moocow's statements ^^^

 

[hax0red]

Thanks for the advice guys these are exactly the things I wanted to know. 4.4ghz isn't bad and would help me understand how to overclock to an extreme with a more stable chip.

I was already looking at the Asus maximus gene because it's ROG and I like options, how well does it overclock? My only reason for hesitation is the micro atx vs atx. Would I be better off spending the extra $60 and getting the Formula?

I'm all for a better phase change unit, can you point me to a good used one for $400-450? I can always grab a good unit now and hold off on the ivy bridge till next month, I'm not real happy I missed all the deals they were having last month.

For insulation the eraser method looks fairly painless. Is there any motherboard that's a little more water proof?

 

[moocow]

Save the money and stick with the gene. The formula is only good if you intend on running 3x video cards. It is pretty much the go-to board for extreme overclocking z77 board, but the Asrock Z77 OC Formula is a solid option if you do want a full-sized board. Boards aren't really more "water proof" than others. Water won't instantly kill anything though which is nice.

If you want a 2nd hand single stage you kind of have to wait around with cash ready to go. They pop up for sale at various places from time to time and all you can really do is wait and snap it up as soon as it is listed for sale. Places like xtremesystems or hardforum are good places to look where they go up for sale.

 

[MIAHALLEN]

Where are you located hax0red? This is an important consideration when shopping for a phase change unit as shipping is a major concern for such a heavy & fragile piece of equipment.

 

[TsunamiJuan]

yeah it cost me about 150$ when I had mine shipped to me. Which was kinda Bs imo.

 

[MIAHALLEN]

Here's a good unit off the shelf in the US (just so you know)....$700 shipped:
http://under-the-ice.com/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=157

 

[hax0red]

Save the money and stick with the gene. The formula is only good if you intend on running 3x video cards. It is pretty much the go-to board for extreme overclocking z77 board, but the Asrock Z77 OC Formula is a solid option if you do want a full-sized board. Boards aren't really more "water proof" than others. Water won't instantly kill anything though which is nice.

If you want a 2nd hand single stage you kind of have to wait around with cash ready to go. They pop up for sale at various places from time to time and all you can really do is wait and snap it up as soon as it is listed for sale. Places like xtremesystems or hardforum are good places to look where they go up for sale.

I was referring to the Asus V formula Z77. I have been trying to avoid asrock for some reason...I just don't like their reputation I see on newegg or the quality of their software(including firmware) but I know a lot of people have had luck with them I just prefer to pay a little more if it raises my chances of success as I hate mailing stuff.

I will keep an eye out on the forums. I'm in south Florida so shipping shouldn't be too bad.

 

[hax0red]

Here's a good unit off the shelf in the US (just so you know)....$700 shipped:
http://under-the-ice.com/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=157

That looks great power wise but I don't like the open case and the price is a little hard to justify. If I could find one like that for $550 I might but still hard to spend that much cash for a few hundred mhz.

Seems like the cryo-z is still the best bang for buck unless I get lucky on the forums...I'm surprised the cryo didn't catch on more considering there isn't anything that can really compete for 24/7 use at that price range.

 

[MIAHALLEN]

Have you also considered noise? One of the good things about the low powered units (like the Cryo-z) is they're not so noisy for 24/7 ops. The more powerful units are a usually quite noisy in comparision which could be a big factor for a non-benching-only rig

The reason the OCZ unit hasn't done better is because its pretty weak. But for a daily gaming rig, it's still pretty decent, and way colder than a similarly price water cooling loop