Just installed watercooling... HELP

[voigts]

Instead of trying to chase down the watercooling issue, first get the hardware problem fixed. At this point I would seriously consider going totally back to air and getting your computer working, then go back and mess with the water. Trying to fix two or more problems at the same time can cause endless headaches.

When you set things up, you set them up according to the directions. If the GPU calls for 4 bolts to mount it, you don't just put three and hope it will work. If the heatsink is somewhat in the way (doesn't look like it can possibly be by much from what I can see of a pic of the MB), pull out a dremel and cut the heatsink a little or use a shorter bolt or something for the GPU. Or maybe buy another chipset heatsink. They are pretty cheap. But install it like the directions say.

Watercooling is just not that hard, and I am not sure why you are having so much trouble. I wish I could drive over to your house and help you get the thing working in person.

If I was your Dad and you were having this much grief, I would want you to ditch the "expensive" water thing and get the computer working. He really is dead wrong about the best temps he is telling you, and there are thousands upon thousands worldwide that can prove him wrong.

 

[sumka]

Hi, read all this thread out of interest and can't believe we're at 5 pages and still haven't got anywhere!

There's a lot of intelligent people here so I'm not sure I can add too much, but, if it's true that your computer shuts down automatically when water cooling within 10-20 seconds I would imagine that somehow you simply have not got suitable contact between the CPU waterblock and CPU core top. Even if your water wasn't flowing at all the CPU wouldn't shut off the system that quickly through overheating. You could have only the CPU waterblock attached to the chip with no water pipes/water attached at all and I would still place my money on the system running for much longer than 10-20 seconds. Only having as good as zero contact between the CPU waterblock & CPU core could I imagine your system shutting down due to excessive CPU core temperature in that period of time.

Well that's my opinion on the CPU, but, I wouldn't be surprised if the CPU wasn't actually the cause of the problem, particularly because you've said that you placed a small blob of thermal compound onto the CPU, applied the waterblock, removed the waterblock and saw that the compound had spread. I assume the spread was quite significant as to leave a very thin layer apparent to indicate that a decent amount of pressure has been placed between the block & CPU? If this is the case then I doubt very much that your CPU could overheat in such a short period of time (as above).

I would start looking at lot more closely at the graphics card. Have you checked the thermal compound has spread correctly, after removing the GPU waterblock, in the same way as the CPU as mentioned above? I would imagine that the graphics card would survive as long if not longer than the CPU would even if you had nothing more than the actual block attached to the card, with no water pipes/water attached at all. If you actually did this then it would be easily apparent that both of these blocks would be HOT, or at the very least, warm to the touch after your system automatically shut down. There's just no other way about it.

I guess, particularly after reading about your 3-screw mounting, that your graphics card has suffered a failure in some way. Maybe you overtightened the block and crushed the core, or broke the circuit board in some very slight way, or killed the card with an unfortunate static discharge whilst tampering, etc... there are many possibilities. It seems even more likely that your graphics card is the problem with you mentioning that after finally getting to windows you find yourself in a very low resolution with your card apparently not even being detected correctly by Windows. This has graphics card failure written all over it (assuming that you had the card installed and working correctly in Windows prior to this mess).

Have you made absolutely certain that you have no thermal compound on anything other than specifically on the core tops of your CPU and GPU? Some compounds are electrically conductive (AS5 IS, or at least was) and so could easily cause a short circuit if even a smear of it is contacting components.

Another thing you should try, as someone here already mentioned, is to reset your motherboard BIOS back to factory default in case something has gone wrong with your BIOS settings. I guess there is also the possibility that your motherboard is at fault though I would place this lower down on the list than your graphics card (primary) and CPU (secondary).

In my opinion there is just no way your system is overheating in 10-20 seconds so long as the blocks are seated correctly irrespective of whether you have water flow or blockages or anything other than the blocks sat on their cores.

This is frustrating me. I want to know the answer to this!

P.S. Quote: "BTW - only one of the 8 ram on the GPU is covered with a ramsink due to the last ramsink losing adhesive; that should not make a difference, right?" - (I presume you mean 'NOT covered') I guess that would depend on just how hot that memory chip is getting, or got, with no heatsink attached. I'm not familiar with your graphics card but I'd say there could always be the possibility that a memory chip failed at some point due to excessive heat.

 

[ribuck97]

Whoz, check your forum private messages....

 

[steelballzz]

hi


so....any good news?
i am a noob in WC and i had issues myself
i wish i had come here
go and buy a pos 6200 turbocache like mine and see of the vga has fryed or not...i hope not


good luck

 

[whozyodaddy]

The rheostat is working, I tried all of them and could tell that 5 was the strongest (created most waves in res). The AS5 is spread around the GPU core. Right now the air is still on the cpu.

I figure I will go out and buy a 6200. If the 6200 works, then my 6800 is dead. I guess this means I throw the card away, right? I can't return a broken card.

I might run a dedicated loop soon sometime with either just the cpu or just the gpu.

Summer is nearing a halt, got to get this settled soon.

 

[Otter]

It might be worth asking about the card, but yeah, it would be unethical to pretend you don't know why it burned up even if you could hide or explain away the fact that you took off the heatsink.

 

[whozyodaddy]

First off, I want to thank everybody here. Especially Otter, CJ-5, and a big thanks to my man ribuck97.

Ok, I got it working! My cpu idle temps are 38 and load temps are 45! I don't exactly know what is making the change. I did a couple things. I bled the system a couple times more, re-mounted the cpu block less gently (from scratch), applied a bigger dot of AS5, used a different isopropyl alcohol (stonger and not dyed/scented), and un-mounted the gpu block. Also put both fans in a pull. I think the biggest difference was not having the gpu block mounted, although it is still in the loop. Probably there was something wrong with the cpu->gpu connection? Still don't know what is causing my 6800 to be so hot.

My 6800GT is broken. I am going to talk to eVGA tomorrow and hope they will do something about it. Otherwise I am going to have to buy another card, although I don't want the same issues happening with a new card!

 

[Otter]

Congratulations!

Because you had what appeared to be mounting problems with both blocks, I suspect the scent oil in that alchohol may have been the culprit.

If I were you, I'd underclock the new card as far as possible before installing the waterblock and keep a very careful eye on the temps for the first half hour.

 

[whozyodaddy]

I thought about the green scented isopropyl alcohol that I used at first, if it could be the problem. I don't know if it made a 30c difference.

If eVGA won't cover my card... what new card should I buy? Another 6800GT?

 

[Otter]

I agree, 30C does seem like a lot, but if that stuff has oils in it to replace the oils the alchohol strips from your skin, you were basically cleaning your CPU and block with hand lotion.

I'm no video card expert, but I bought a Leadtek 6800GT Monday because it's well thought of and was "only" $320. I can't give you an opinion on the card, though, because Newegg hasn't even got in the box yet.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814122209&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch&ATT=Video+Cards

Chiefvalue has it at about the same price.
http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productlist.asp?linkid=100&submit=search&description=leadtek 6800 GT

The 7800GT is the current king of the hill if you've got $500 to spend a video card.

 

[whozyodaddy]

I'm seeing 34c idle, and the Artic Silver hasn't even burned in yet!

I tried reinstalling my nvidia drivers, still problems. I tried calling eVGA although I get a "this number is not a working number". I guess they are closed atm.

 

[ribuck97]

You guys should have heard him in the chat when his temps popped up at 41C the first time... I got buzzed a few times and he was screaming for about 5 minutes.

lol

Well, happy to help.... and as an engineer, prove another engineer that he is completely wrong

Good luck with the rest of the setup and be very careful with the new video card when you mount the block...

 

[whozyodaddy]

My temps are 34 idle and 40 load. Sweet.

I contacted eVGA... I am going to submit a RMA. I will have to install original cooling on it. Hopefully I have all the screws. I probably don't though... do you think it would be ok to return it without all the screws in?

 

[Otter]

I think you'll have a better chance of getting the RMA accepted with all screws in. Did you tell them what happened?

Before you send back the old card, you might want to use it to test your GPU block. It occured to me today that even though it doesn't work, as long as you can tell the difference between good cooling and no cooling, it's usefull as test equipment. If you get into Windows like you did with air, you've probably got the cooling problem solved. And even if it's artifacting all over the place, you might be able to to get a read on the GPU temps. There should be monitoring software on your driver disk or the manufacturers website. Don't run it too long, though, as it's probably possible for a bad card to damage the mobo.

 

[Otter]

Well, happy to help.... and as an engineer, prove another engineer that he is completely wrong

Say Whozyo, what does your dad say now?

 

[whozyodaddy]

I contacted eVGA, they told me to do a RMA. So, I will try to get original air back on and RMA it.

My dad says he must have done calculations with bad data or something like that. Good to prove him wrong though!

My raptor just died today. I say I'm jinxed. So I will have to RMA two products.

 

[JCLW]

My raptor just died today. I say I'm jinxed. So I will have to RMA two products.

74G or 36G? How old?

 

[CJ-5]

Whozyodaddy: First off, I want to thank everybody here. Especially Otter, CJ-5, and a big thanks to my man ribuck97.

I'm really glad you've gotten things on the right track and glad I could be part of the solution.

Think things out carefully when you get your new graphics card. Don't get in a hurry because your are excited and maybe forget to use good technique when mounting your wc block. Try your best to use all 4 screws if that's what the directions call for.

Just FYI, the 6600gt cards and under use a 2 screw mounting assembly for the DD Maze 4. You might consider that if you can't figure a way to use the 4 screw mounting kit on the 6800 and up card.

 

[voigts]

I'm glad to read that this is FINALLY resolved! I'm sure you are bouncing off of the ceiling. This is what I like and appreciate about this forum. It is not a bashing forum, but is a place for folks to get and give answers about watercooling and more. And the fact that this thread has five pages attests to this fact.

On another note, although a lot of people use rubbing alcohol to clean blocks (which is fine), I prefer to use lint free eyeglass cloths (like $2 at Walmart) and Acetone (paint section). This stuff takes off about anything and will never leave a residue.

I hope you get the VC issue resolved peacefully.

 

[flamerail]

My raptor just died today. I say I'm jinxed. So I will have to RMA two products.

Bummer so much for WD's major product quality............**cough****cough****cough****cough**

Glad you worked it out thoe!