First time LCer, EVGA SR-2 + 2x 5970

[ispano]

Oh I know, which is why i'm going to make two profiles, one stable with HT on, and one with it off, assuming I can get higher clocks. So if I ever need the extra juice for something specific, I can just swap profiles.

 

[ispano]

Ok.... That scared the living HELL out of me. I decided to pull the CPUs and reseat them, figured I'd swap them since the hotter CPU was farther in the loop(Yes I know it wouldn't matter, but it's something someone suggested doing) Re applied TIM, and also tightened the blocks down more, because I checked online and my blocks weren't as tight as all the others I'd seen. So I do all that, boot it up, and it shows 10 gigs of RAM, not 12. Go nuts checking the sticks, but it's one slot on the second CPU. After about an hour I decide to pop that CPU out, and lo and behold, 2-3 pins at the very edge got pushed up next to the CPU when I put it in. I carefully put them back, reseat the CPU, and..... it works again. I never wanna go through something like that again -_-

 

[ispano]

But now that i've swapped them, it's clear that one CPU just runs hotter than the other. I've read that with the SR-2 the socket near the back of the board runs about 9-12c hotter than the other, and mine was following that. Until I swapped them, now the other socket is the one ~10c hotter.

And apparently my idea to put the hotter one in front of the cooler on in the loop was wrong, it already was that way. Hooray for EVGA's poor labeling on which socket is which.

 

[ispano]

Guess it was all worth it, temps and volts are lower at the same OC as before, might be able to push it some more.

 

[ispano]

Oh well, hopes dashed. Looks like 4.33 is my limit. Temps are doing better though. One CPU is taking both more VCore and VTT to stay stable at that speed, and it's the COOLER one. Weirdness, but oh well. I'll slowly tweak the voltages down on the hot one for now.

 

[ispano]

Little question for the people who helped me in the past, or anyone. Or rather, want to run something by you guys.

As the system is now, the CPU loop is the two CPU blocks, the motherboard block(which is actually two pieces) and the two 120.4 Rads.

The GPU loop is the two 5970 blocks and the 120.4 and 120.3 Rads.

Now, the GPU loop is doing extremely well, I can't get them to go over 45c even overclocked. The CPU loop, while it's doing ok, I've hit 85c with some more extreme voltages, I was wondering if I can clean it up a bit.

My Idea was when I do my first system flush, if I could pull one part of the two piece motherboard block, and throw it on the GPU loop. This would also allow me to clean up some iffy bends in the CPU loop, some of them are rather tight, and I had to use some spare clamps and zip ties to help keep it round.

Was thinking this might help the CPU look perform better without affecting the GPU loop overly much. Opinions, comments and condemnations are welcome.

 

[Conumdrum]

You got wayy ennuff rad for the CPU loop. You running one or two pumps? If two? Never mind.

Sometimes you reach the limit of water. The CPU blocks no matter the flow and rad can only do so much. Looks like sub ambient chilled water is next................... Or an AC unit right on the CPU rads.

 

[ispano]

It's not the amount of Rad i'm worried about. I was just thinking that since the CPU loop SEEMS to be under performing compared to the GPU loop, that maybe there's too much restriction. As for Pumps, there's a Swifttech rebranded D5 on each loop.

EDIT: Maybe in simpler terms? Could the CPU loop be too restrictive for the D5, and not allowing enough flow. Yes I now that after a certain point, it's not going to do anything, but I also no that if it's not high enough, temps could suffer.

 

[Conumdrum]

What you can do is run a flow test. Run water from a 5 gallon bucket into a 5 gallon bucket. Measure your flow rate.

I think a D5 is enough for a CPU/mobo block loop. Maybe not.

Martin has really updated his flow rate spreadsheet. See if you can punch in your numbers.

Lastly, you have really pushed the OC on those chips. Can you measure your water temp to see what the DT is? If it's under 7C and your flow rate is +1GPM then it's not the watercooling loop, it's the massive overclock. The CPU blocks can only do so much with ambient cooling.

 

[ispano]

Well it's not a CPU/Mobo block, it's 2 CPU blocks and sort of two mobo blocks, since the mobo block is in two pieces. So like 3 blocks + a small block

 

[Conumdrum]

Well, do the flow test or you'll never know I guess. Yea, one D5 might not be enough.

 

[ispano]

Yeah, something i'll do when I do the first flush, just wanted to run it past some people to see if it would be worth it to move one of the blocks to the GPU loop. Would allow me to clean up a little of the tubing too.

 

[Dooms101]

1.4v on a Gulftown is about 200w of heat dissipation, that's a huge overclock and a lot to handle with 2 of them. You have way more than enough raddage, and the EK HF's are pretty high flow so I would assume a D5 is enough. It's possible that the second rad isn't helping a whole lot, it's just adding more restriction when only 1 rad is needed to handle a max of 430w of heat (thats the 2 CPU's and mobo in the loop).

From what I can tell, your second rad might actually be hurting you a little and your CPU's are overclocked super high so 85C max temp doesn't sound too bad at all. I've also read in numerous places that the SR-2 has a tendency to run chips really hot. Where are you getting your temp readings from?

 

[ispano]

That's correct, the 85 was on the "hotter" CPU. Apparently one chip tends to run ~10-12c hotter than the other. But what I meant was, Two Rads, then to the motherboard block, 1st cpu block, 2nd cpu block, then the OTHER motherboard block(this one is small and simple, but still another block). Not to mention the tubing for that area has some tight bends so that might be adding to it. I'm fine with what I can do with it, since the voltage I used to hit 85c was more than i'd like, and didn't really get me much OC at all.

I just wanted to see if I could improve it a bit. Especially since the GPU loop is working extremely well, I figured it wouldn't even care with part of the mobo block added to it.

 

[Dooms101]

That's correct, the 85 was on the "hotter" CPU. Apparently one chip tends to run ~10-12c hotter than the other. But what I meant was, Two Rads, then to the motherboard block, 1st cpu block, 2nd cpu block, then the OTHER motherboard block(this one is small and simple, but still another block). Not to mention the tubing for that area has some tight bends so that might be adding to it. I'm fine with what I can do with it, since the voltage I used to hit 85c was more than i'd like, and didn't really get me much OC at all.

I just wanted to see if I could improve it a bit. Especially since the GPU loop is working extremely well, I figured it wouldn't even care with part of the mobo block added to it.

Well I think most people would agree that it doesn't need much improvement. The best you could do it reroute tubing so it runs easier and maybe add another D5 in series (doubt it would make much of a difference).

 

[ispano]

*shrug* I'll see about it when it comes time to flush the thing, not messing with it now. Just figured that the GPU loop would typically be hotter, considering it has less rad, puts out more heat, and didn't need the same DeltaT the CPU loop did. Can't get them to hit 50c under furmark, no matter how much I OC them.