Watercooling not doing a very good job!

[SunTzu]

Here are my specs:

Spir@l block
Black Ice rad
Eheim 1250 pump
3/8" fittings throughout
Panoflo 120mm fan (the quiet one)

All this stuff is cooling an Athlon XP 2000 (1.67 ghz). I'm getting really crappy temps (around 55 c under full load) and I can't overclock worth a lick! I've tried remounting the block twice and even adding another fan to the radiator, but nothing works. I also notice that all the brass fittings and tubes along my system are quite warm too the touch. Any suggestions?

 

[Billvill]

I would have to say the rad is the problem . It is simply not disapating the heat. Is it in a place where it gets good airflow ?

One other thing could be the pump has quit ! Do you know for sure you have circulation ?

Water cooling isn't a cooling cure all. It is however a good quiet way to cool to a decent temp.


Billy

 

[Silversinksam]

I just started watercooling myself and am having great results.

Let me ask you this, you say your brass fittings are warm, is it possible that you have some type of blockage in your radiator? Doesn't sound like you have good circulation. This may sound stupid, but can you see the water moving along fluidly? Maybe air in the system as well?

 

[Silversinksam]

lol Billvill asked the same questions as I did -DOH-

 

[SunTzu]

I just started watercooling myself and am having great results.

Let me ask you this, you say your brass fittings are warm, is it possible that you have some type of blockage in your radiator? Doesn't sound like you have good circulation. This may sound stupid, but can you see the water moving along fluidly? Maybe air in the system as well?

Ok, I know for a fact that the pump is moving water. However, I do notice that it is quite warm to the touch (not scalding, mind you, but somewhat warm). My radiator is mounted on the top of my case with a 120mm blowhole exhausting air over it.

 

[mustangman]

Part of your problem, I think, is that you are pushing warm air through your rad from your case. You should have coolest air (room temp not case temp) blowing through the rad. Attach a seperate fan to it and get it off the blowhole.

 

[Warlord2]

you shouldnt get THAT bad of temp even if your moving case air through your rad. my water temp is pretty warm too, if the spiral waterblock is anything like the maze2 thin you really need to tighten those nuts pretty good or you wont have a good contact with the cpu.

it also sounds like you may have air in the radiator and sence its at the top of your case air can be easly traped up there. maybe try shacking it and see if any air starts to come out.

good luck

 

[f155mph]

Did you apply anything between the block and core? IE ASII or ASIII. Also do you have any kinks in your tubings?

 

[jimmytp]

Is the fan pushing much air through the rad? If the air is already warm, you will need to have even more airflow than usual. It's not a permanent solution, but you could switch the fan to intake to see if it effects temps. I would make sure that enough air is flowing first though.

 

[SunTzu]

Well, now my radiator is sitting outside my case with two fans blowing on it and it didn't make much of a difference, I'm afraid. THere are no kinks in my system and I'm almost positive I effectively bled the system. Maybe the radiator isn't up to snuff? (46 c idle now ).

 

[jimmytp]

what's your ambient temp?

 

[SunTzu]

Ambient temps are a bit on the warm side. I would say around 77 F. One question, when most people give their temps, do they just give what's read on the thermistor? I heard that it is incredibly inaccurate--what I'm wondering, is if it's inaccurate to the plus or minus side.

Anyhow, I decided to try relapping my waterblock and I've managed to lower the temps by another 5-7 degrees c. Still not where I should be tho

 

[Warlord2]

it sounds like you still not making good contact make sure you got ample pressure between the block and the cpu.
for me there is about a 13c temp difference between my room and cpu, so that will give you a goal to aim for.

 

[jimmytp]

I would lap it again, until you get no benefit from it. Then do as others have suggested, really tighten that puppy down. Don't break it, but make sure there's not enough room for the holy ghost. Also, are you using the right amount of thermal compound? Too much and you might as well have not used any. Very thin layer on sink and die, very thin.

 

[BBigJ]

Do things get worse over time, or is it bad as soon as you turn the comp on? If you leave it off overnight, and turn it on in the morning watch to see what your temps do. If they jump up to max in the first 15 min or so, then you have poor contact with the die or some kind of water blockage. If the temps take an hour or so (depending on the size of your resevoir) then it is a problem with the radiator and getting the heat out of the water.

 

[SunTzu]

Well, I give up. I've mounted the waterblock a million times and still, the best temps I can get while under full load is 47 c . Any ideas? Maybe I screwed up my block after I lapped it?

 

[Warlord2]

may sound stupid but did you put the hoses on right?

the intake for the block should be the middle niple so its right over the cpu.

also try putting a house fan blowing at the mobo and see if your temps read different.

 

[SunTzu]

may sound stupid but did you put the hoses on right?

the intake for the block should be the middle niple so its right over the cpu.

also try putting a house fan blowing at the mobo and see if your temps read different.

Yes, I did all that stuff . The only thing I did different with this setup is I had a block that came unfinished and I lapped it; and I'm also using a BlackIce rad (kinda on the smallish side).

 

[f155mph]

Go a pic of your setup, maybe it will help clear things up.

 

[SunTzu]

Here it is.