# water or air? summer is coming fast!



## Bassman_soundking (Jun 12, 2010)

I am wanting a new cooling solution for my pc.
All my system specs on side specs drop down. I have added a Zalman 9500 led to the cpu. It dropped my temps down from 60*c in prime to 50*c. That was when the house was 66* though. My house is in California where it is currently 95* foretasted for 2day. I have to turn the cpu fan to max now when the house gets to 80*F plus to keep cpu under 45*idle and 53*under prime. I never want to seem my pc above 45* even if the house is 90*f I know this might seem extreme, but I want the ability to cool it quietly;y. I think the Zalman cools ok esp compared to stock, but I hate the whine it makes over 1800 rpm. I want a cooling solution that is slightly overkill so I can turn the fans way down and not get hot.
Her is a list of the coolers I am thinking about:

Noctua NH-D14

SpireThermax Eclipse II  (cant find it for sale)

Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme

Thermaltake Frio

Prolimatech Megahalems

Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer

I was also considdering a water cooling solution, although I am afraid of leaks.
I will be over clocking after I am sure the temps and pc will be stable. Does anybody have experience with these coolers? I feel the reviews could be biased based.


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## Champ (Jun 12, 2010)

My cooling isn't the best, but I'm having all sort of problems.  94 here today.  My next maybe liquid cooled.  Worst part is, summer's not in yet.


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## cdawall (Jun 12, 2010)

get a corsair H50 and slap two fans on in push/pull


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## p_o_s_pc (Jun 13, 2010)

get a Mega or a Tuniq extreme and be done with it. The PII's arent hot running chips at all. My i7 handled ~80-85f room temp just fine on air (fort120) and that is even overclocked only hit ~70c while crunching (not bad for a i7).
Water cooling is great and leaks aren't really a problem as long as you take your time and also leak test it. 
I have never used any of the coolers above i am just going by reviews(pros) and what people say about them in customer reviews and what has been said about them on the forums. 
I have used an Xigmatek S1283 and it is really close to a Core-contact freezer and i am using water now and have used it in the past.

EDIT:as said above a H50 would be good. So would a Coolit ALC ECO(MUST be the the ECO,all others aren't that good and have problems the ECO is much improved)


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## starams5 (Jun 13, 2010)

I have liquid and air builds, most recent being air.  Like p_o_s_pc said, slap a Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme on there and be done with it.  I'm running a Tuniq Tower and it cools just fine.  It's a big cooler so it might hit your side panel door fan so be aware if you have a door fan on your case.


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## theonedub (Jun 13, 2010)

bassman, the Megahelems with a push pull setup keeps my i7 860 OCed to 3.5ghz @ under 63C (great for a heat machine like an i7 @ 100% load with HT on) even in this Sacramento heat- plus I do not run any air conditioning. It would be a great cooler to consider and noise could be kept down if you opted for dual 120mm 38mm wide fans rather than standard width fans.

Best Buy had the H50s on sale for 59.99, but I just checked and they have gone back up.


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## Champ (Jun 13, 2010)

I just looked at the Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme and that is a man's cooler


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## starams5 (Jun 13, 2010)

Ya, its a beast.  I was surprised how big it was when it arrived, didn't look that big on YouTube and Newegg.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

Champ said:


> My cooling isn't the best, but I'm having all sort of problems.  94 here today.  My next maybe liquid cooled.  Worst part is, summer's not in yet.



good luck, I think the Athalon cpus run a lil hotter, plus being oc'd...


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

starams5 said:


> Ya, its a beast.  I was surprised how big it was when it arrived, didn't look that big on YouTube and Newegg.



Got a good review and isnt that loud for what it can do either compared to some out there.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

theonedub said:


> bassman, the Megahelems with a push pull setup keeps my i7 860 OCed to 3.5ghz @ under 63C (great for a heat machine like an i7 @ 100% load with HT on) even in this Sacramento heat- plus I do not run any air conditioning. It would be a great cooler to consider and noise could be kept down if you opted for dual 120mm 38mm wide fans rather than standard width fans.
> 
> Best Buy had the H50s on sale for 59.99, but I just checked and they have gone back up.



Oh man I was gonna go down and get one and try it b4 I decided air or water. Oh well i guess that helps me decide.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

cdawall said:


> get a corsair H50 and slap two fans on in push/pull



is it as good as a good air setup?


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

starams5 said:


> I have liquid and air builds, most recent being air.  Like p_o_s_pc said, slap a Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme on there and be done with it.  I'm running a Tuniq Tower and it cools just fine.  It's a big cooler so it might hit your side panel door fan so be aware if you have a door fan on your case.



I have a large case, being the CM Storm Sniper, it will prolly fit, but I am gonna measure the space I have b4 I pull the trigger for sure.


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## Arrakis9 (Jun 13, 2010)

it may be crude but they work


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

Arrakis+9 said:


> it may be crude but they work
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/b4/b4324287-99f2-4793-92b0-43f977054948_400.jpg



haha....lol, I saw a youtube vid the other day and this dude had a stand type fan on its side with the cover off. It made me crack up. I hope I dont have to resort to that!


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## LiveOrDie (Jun 13, 2010)

go for a coolit eco and add a 2nd fan onto it that runs at the same 1800 RPM works better than my V8 cooler at 3000RPM


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

I kinda want a large cooler in my case because it is so big and I have so much room for it in there. It has to be worth the space it takes though. Within reason I want the best one that I can afford. I mean if one cost $70 and cools to say 44* and one costs $120 and cools to 43* then I want the cheaper one. But if one cools to 44* and costs $70 and one cools to 41* and cost $85 I will want that one, as I think that is worth the extra price.
Does anyone have an opinion on the big Noctua NH-D14? Suposed to be quiet and one of the top reviewed at Frostytech.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

Live OR Die said:


> go for a coolit eco and add a 2nd fan onto it that runs at the same 1800 RPM works better than my V8 cooler at 3000RPM



I have never used water, so I dont know. But I have heard if your ambient temps in house r high then water cant help in that situation. Is this true?


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## LiveOrDie (Jun 13, 2010)

well my house get really hot i dont have AC i live in the au and the coolit mite run 2-3c hotter not really much around the same as a air cooler would u have to think its blowing hot air though your cooler, here a review on the H50 its like the coolit but coolit has better mounting brackets, that review with 1 fan i run my cpu at around the same speed here a few tested i did http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=123289


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

I guess every processor has different results in how it reacts to each cooler? It seems every review has the coolers listed in a different order.....

also not sure why the 50 idles higher in the review posted than others and only excels under load?


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## LiveOrDie (Jun 13, 2010)

yer i know thats why i dont trust review the room temps could be different on each cooler mite be different cases as well, i tested mine all on the same day with in 2 hours.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

The Megahalems looks nice and reviews look good, but AM# bracket isnt even included.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

I personally think that with todays top of the line air coolers water is not needed.  A NH-D14 or a Megahalem and that is all you need.  If you want water you can also look into the Corsair H50.  They work great when paired with two fans in push and pull (i had one) and require no maintenance.  A custom loop will get you the better temps, but then again you gotta be up to the task.


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## zithe (Jun 13, 2010)

I say water and have it in the same room as a AC unit. XD


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## zithe (Jun 13, 2010)

zithe said:


> I say water and have it in the same room as a AC unit. XD





Chicken Patty said:


> I personally think that with todays top of the line air coolers water is not needed.  A NH-D14 or a Megahalem and that is all you need.  If you want water you can also look into the Corsair H50.  They work great when paired with two fans in push and pull (i had one) and require no maintenance.  A custom loop will get you the better temps, but then again you gotta be up to the task.




Water cooling is never needed, imho, unless you need to cool an uber strong pc that needs to be quiet for recording or the like.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

zithe said:


> Water cooling is never needed, imho, unless you need to cool an uber strong pc that needs to be quiet for recording or the like.



Just depends on how far you wanna push your rig, some people like the get the most out of it for daily usage, some run it at stock like me undervolted and all.  Customs loops are great, but it's a task.  I speak from experience but I also speak for myself.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

I guess I am picky in the fact that I like my pc silent, but I do use if for my theater as well as gaming. That is why I want the most powerful cooler. Then I can turn the fans down and cool well and not hear the pc when movies are on a silent scene.

The H50 and Eco look nice and simple, but still require fans like a air cooler system so I dont know if I am saving any noise, and might run out of power it seems when really pushed hard.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I guess I am picky in the fact that I like my pc silent, but I do use if for my theater as well as gaming. That is why I want the most powerful cooler. Then I can turn the fans down and cool well and not hear the pc when movies are on a silent scene.
> 
> The H50 and Eco look nice and simple, but still require fans like a air cooler system so I dont know if I am saving any noise, and might run out of power it seems when really pushed hard.



Sorry if you have posted this, but what are your settings now and what are your current temps when pushing it.  Also when you mean "pushed" how hard is that?  just regular usage, encoding???


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Sorry if you have posted this, but what are your settings now and what are your current temps when pushing it.  Also when you mean "pushed" how hard is that?  just regular usage, encoding???



I have a PII X2 unlocked to a X4. It took a few differences to make it stable like raised vcore to 1.42v and cool and quiet off etc... That alone made my idle temps go up 10*c
I might do a few things at once like torrents and games or encode a movie while I surf and listen to music.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

I have seen my temps up to 54* with fan on low and 52* with fan on high with house around 75*
If the core temps go up by the same margin as the ambient I will be at 62* if I encode during the hot summer days even with cpu fan on high. I have heard that 62* is the thermal limit for my cpu. With the a/c on my house gets up to 85* at times, and my desk is at the sunniest part of the hjouse as well. poor location , but what I have to work with unfortunately.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

where can I buy this cpu cooler...Spire TherMax Eclipse II ? I want to see how much and be able to get one if I decide on it. Plenty of reviews and no product availability!


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## p_o_s_pc (Jun 13, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> where can I buy this cpu cooler...Spire TherMax Eclipse II ? I want to see how much and be able to get one if I decide on it. Plenty of reviews and no product availability!



from what i have found its only available in china


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## theonedub (Jun 13, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I guess I am picky in the fact that I like my pc silent, but I do use if for my theater as well as gaming. That is why I want the most powerful cooler. Then I can turn the fans down and cool well and not hear the pc when movies are on a silent scene.
> 
> The H50 and Eco look nice and simple, but still require fans like a air cooler system so I dont know if I am saving any noise, and might run out of power it seems when really pushed hard.



All conventional water loops are going to need fans on the radiators  The H50, Mega, or D14 are your best bets, however the DH14 is dummy expensive and the Mega comes without the AM3 bracket OR Fans. I would find the H50, I was considering one to replace my Mega for the summer, but its been holding up fine.

Fixed, thanks for the kind offer CP!


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## p_o_s_pc (Jun 13, 2010)

I think what he is looking for in terms of silence is a custom built water cooling loop with 2 MCR220's and some 1k RPM 120mm fans 
now if it is in his budget or how much work he wants to put into it is questionable 

but something to consider is 
CoolIT SYSTEMS ECO-R120 Water Cooler


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## lemode (Jun 13, 2010)

Live OR Die said:


> well my house get really hot i dont have AC i live in the au and the coolit mite run 2-3c hotter not really much around the same as a air cooler would u have to think its blowing hot air though your cooler, here a review on the H50 its like the coolit but coolit has better mounting brackets, that review with 1 fan i run my cpu at around the same speed here a few tested i did http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=123289
> http://www.legitreviews.com/images/reviews/1212/noctua_nhd14_019.jpg



That’s exactly where my Noctura NH-U12p SE2 is with my i7 860 OCd to 3.5GHz.

My office is the hottest room in my house. It’s always 10 degrees hotter in here than anywhere else in the house especially on the hotter Cali months (Aug through October apparently).

Regardless, my main rig that’s OCd is still 10-14 degrees cooler than my phenom x3 machine (2.1GHz) which isn’t even OCd…even on hot days.


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

I have had tons of cooling solutions over the years . One thing I have found is that they all have there place , Air cooling is getting way better every year the Tuniq Tower 120 was one of the best air cooling solutions I have ever had . On the other hand when it comes to outside temps and air cooling it starts to get a bit harder to do , Then you move to water cooling ( as I am now ) . I love it ! no matter how hot it may get ( even when out side temps get around 100*F ) the water cooler still keeps the temps cooler than a standard air cooling setup . when you get into over clocking and high out side temps you will see that the air cooler will take less time to reach it's max ability to transfer heat away from the CPU but with water cooling it take a long time before you will see this ( That is if you have enough RAD's to keep up . ) I would also mention that water cooling is not some thing that is inexpensive at all VS the air cooling . It is also much harder to set up in most cases and you should be well aware of the pit falls when going the water cooling route . At any rate water offers way better heat transfer than any air cooler can provide .
Also want to mention this , there are lots of them self contained units like the H50 and so forth , I would caution against them as well first off they use smaller tubing I think 1/4" VS the 1/2" tubing I am using this also make for a better water cooling solution and they also have a SMALL rad setup and a self contained pump all this makes for a unit that is yes fine and all but you can not add to it ( better pump larger tubing and a RAD or 2 ) so just be aware if you get one and it starts to bog down and losses it's performance this is the reasons why .


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## starams5 (Jun 13, 2010)

Ditto everything trickson said.  Problem with liquid cooling is you start off with just the CPU.  Before you know it you're HOOKED and want the GPU's on liquid as well.  Next thing you know all the components are on liquid and you've spent a small fortune.  This is what happened to me in 08, I was a liquid addict.  After looking at tubing for two years my air build was a welcoming site, might not have liquid temps but it still gets the job done.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

starams5 said:


> Ditto everything trickson said.  Problem with liquid cooling is you start off with just the CPU.  Before you know it you're HOOKED and want the GPU's on liquid as well.  Next thing you know all the components are on liquid and you've spent a small fortune.  This is what happened to me in 08, I was a liquid addict.  After looking at tubing for two years my air build was a welcoming site, might not have liquid temps but it still gets the job done.



same here, but I after realized CPU is all you need.  I'm going CPU and GPU's just because I have a block laying around, so why not.


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

starams5 said:


> Ditto everything trickson said.  Problem with liquid cooling is you start off with just the CPU.  Before you know it you're HOOKED and want the GPU's on liquid as well.  Next thing you know all the components are on liquid and you've spent a small fortune.  This is what happened to me in 08, I was a liquid addict.  After looking at tubing for two years my air build was a welcoming site, might not have liquid temps but it still gets the job done.



I know I am even thinking about getting cooling blocks for my HDD's  I am addicted ! Is there a treatment program for this


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

trickson said:


> I know I am even thinking about getting cooling blocks for my HDD's  I am addicted ! Is there a treatment program for this



Unfortunately no


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## starams5 (Jun 13, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> same here, but I after realized CPU is all you need.  I'm going CPU and GPU's just because I have a block laying around, so why not.



I couldn't help but laugh when I saw your post, I was thinking he's off and running.


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Unfortunately no



LOL well there should be .


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## starams5 (Jun 13, 2010)

trickson said:


> I know I am even thinking about getting cooling blocks for my HDD's  I am addicted ! Is there a treatment program for this



You have to hit rock bottom before you can start the recovery process.  You can't hit rock bottom until everything that can be on liquid is on liquid.  Fortunately for me they didn't have mosfetts or chipset blocks for my board.....so I put the memory sticks on liquid to further feed the addiction.


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

starams5 said:


> You have to hit rock bottom before you can start the recovery process.  You can't hit rock bottom until everything that can be on liquid is on liquid.  Fortunately for me they didn't have mosfetts or chipset blocks for my board.....so I put the memory sticks on liquid to further feed the addiction.



Oh yeah I haven't hit rock bottom yet  . Well I want more so I plan to get as much under water cooling as I can I was thinking about the chip set mosfetts and HDD's . When I am done this thing should look so cool and be even cooler ! Man I need help ! I have spent around 500 bucks so far and it just keeps getting better and better . I have also looked into adding the extra pump I have to this setup TODAY ! OH how fun it is  .


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

This was a while back at koolance when I water cooled my ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe board, had the CPU already watercooled.


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> This was a while back at koolance when I water cooled my ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe board, had the CPU already watercooled.
> 
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/100611/Capture142.jpg



Yeah well I also bought the Swiftech MCW6500-T-775 Thermoelectric CPU Liquid Cooling Block was 170 bucks and the second RAD at 100 bucks and so on .
For them that don't know , DO NOT GET TECH WB's they are not worth the trouble .


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 13, 2010)

trickson said:


> Yeah well I also bought the Swiftech MCW6500-T-775 Thermoelectric CPU Liquid Cooling Block was 170 bucks and the second RAD at 100 bucks and so on .


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## starams5 (Jun 13, 2010)

trickson said:


> Oh yeah I haven't hit rock bottom yet  . Well I want more so I plan to get as much under water cooling as I can I was thinking about the chip set mosfetts and HDD's . When I am done this thing should look so cool and be even cooler ! Man I need help ! I have spent around 500 bucks so far and it just keeps getting better and better . I have also looked into adding the extra pump I have to this setup TODAY ! OH how fun it is  .



There is nothing wrong with liquid cooling and it is a lot of fun, I haven't ruled out putting my P6X58D Premium on liquid.  If I do put it on liquid I want it done in one shot, CPU, GPU's, mosfetts, chipset, and memory with all matching blocks.  I have two pumps on my current liquid build (x2 500L/hr).  I started out with a simple ThermaTake kit for the CPU and expanded out from there.  Eventually added two more rads, another pump, and modded everything to 1/2" black UV tubing.

Liquid Cooled P5N-D
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/album.php?u=128016


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

starams5 said:


> There is nothing wrong with liquid cooling and it is a lot of fun, I haven't ruled out putting my P6X58D Premium on liquid.  If I do put it on liquid I want it done in one shot, CPU, GPU's, mosfetts, chipset, and memory with all matching blocks.  I have two pumps on my current liquid build (x2 500L/hr).  I started out with a simple ThermaTake kit for the CPU and expanded out from there.  Eventually added two more rads, another pump, and modded everything to 1/2" black UV tubing.
> 
> Liquid Cooled P5N-D
> http://forums.mydigitallife.info/album.php?u=128016



those pics of the water are crazy!! ice shots of the dog too...lol. Is that the Tuniq 120 in the air setup? Thanx for sharing pics.


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## theonedub (Jun 13, 2010)

Kant is selling the Spire Eclipse II in his thread, although he is accpeting offers only. 

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=124156


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

So here is where I am so far.....

Noctua NH-D14----very effective and expensive

SpireThermax Eclipse II----only available for reviews not for sale...lol

Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme----looks nice price is pretty good, pretty quiet, but not expandable to more that one fan

Thermaltake Frio----very effective like the Noctua, decent price, but loud at full speed

Prolimatech Megahalems----very effective, kinda high price because it requires added fans and AM3 bracket (sold separately)...I have some 1200 rpm 44.73 cfm scase fans, but not sure they will work with this ?

Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer---effective, very good price, but only one fan can be used

Prefab water cooling all in ones....H50, Eco etc----decent price considering what you get, good cooling ( not great), but no expandability

Water cooling----very effective, expensive, and addictive...lol 

As a side note, I also want my gpu cooler and much quieter, I hate the sound of that fan!!


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> Prefab water cooling all in ones....H50 Eco etc----decent price considdering what you get, good cooling ( not great), but no expandability
> 
> Water cooling----very effective, expensive, and addictive...lol
> 
> I also want my gpu cooler and much quieter, I hate the sound of that fan!!



If you want to cool the GPU as well then you have to get water cooling and you may want to look at frozen CPU for a " starter kit " this will get you on your way and you can also add to it when you want to . Yes pricey though it maybe and addictive it is the best known way to cool you whole computer off .

So just what are you planing on ? 
Remember when air cooling the air out side ( around you ) has a lot to do with just how well the air cooler with perform and when water cooling the amount of radiators will be the determining factor not the out side air temp .


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

theonedub said:


> Kant is selling the Spire Eclipse II in his thread, although he is accpeting offers only.
> 
> http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=124156



thanx for the heads up


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

trickson said:


> If you want to cool the GPU as well then you have to get water cooling and you may want to look at frozen CPU for a " starter kit " this will get you on your way and you can also add to it when you want to . Yes pricey though it maybe and addictive it is the best known way to cool you whole computer off .
> 
> So just what are you planing on ?
> Remember when air cooling the air out side ( around you ) has a lot to do with just how well the air cooler with perform and when water cooling the amount of radiators will be the determining factor not the out side air temp .



a/c on today, but not very effective really. It will get to 80* 2day inside no doubt by 6pm.
 I have a XFX GTS 250 and plan on a 2nd one within the next year( I am poor)
I am gonna look up that kit you mentioned


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> a/c on today, but not very effective really. It will get to 80* 2day inside no doubt by 6pm.
> I have a XFX GTS 250 and plan on a 2nd one within the next year( I am poor)
> I am gonna look up that kit you mentioned



http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g30...its_Cases-12_ID_Water_Cooling_Kits-Page1.html

Now they are pricey but well worth all the cash .

This is the one I started out with and have added on too as well .

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8...ooling_Kit_Universal_Mount.html?tl=g30c83s137


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

I am negotiating with Kantastic about his Spire cooler, it is one of the coolers I was looking at. I really liked the Tuniq because it looks so goog, and the Noctual H-D14 because it looks so menacing and could take 3 fans


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## trickson (Jun 13, 2010)

Sounds great . good luck to you . Will be here if you need any more help .


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 13, 2010)

Thanx everyone for the help. I am going to quiet and cool off down my gpu next.


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## Champ (Jun 14, 2010)

trickson said:


> I know I am even thinking about getting cooling blocks for my HDD's  I am addicted ! Is there a treatment program for this





starams5 said:


> You have to hit rock bottom before you can start the recovery process.  You can't hit rock bottom until everything that can be on liquid is on liquid.  Fortunately for me they didn't have mosfetts or chipset blocks for my board.....so I put the memory sticks on liquid to further feed the addiction.



I so envy you two


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## TheMailMan78 (Jun 14, 2010)

I live in south Florida and I gotta tell you I love my H50. I mean my house is currently 26c (79f) and its almost 8pm! It hits 35c (96f) just about everyday with 90% humidity and this little H50 does her job.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Right now its 80*F ambient in my house at (the a/c control box at least) all case fans 3 200mm and 2 120mm amd cpu fan Zalamn 9500 on full blast. I am idling at 42*c and mobo is at 30*c


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I live in south Florida and I gotta tell you I love my H50. I mean my house is currently 26c (79f) and its almost 8pm! It hits 35c (96f) just about everyday with 90% humidity and this little H50 does her job.



What do you see for idle and load temps?


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## cdawall (Jun 14, 2010)

starams5 said:


> You have to hit rock bottom before you can start the recovery process.  You can't hit rock bottom until everything that can be on liquid is on liquid.  Fortunately for me they didn't have mosfetts or chipset blocks for my board.....so I put the memory sticks on liquid to further feed the addiction.



im on the way to rock bottom got a good sized list of parts on its way (again)

laing D4/laig D5 vario
MCR420/MCR320
14 yateloon high speed 120mm fans
3.5" HDD bay res (missing cover on my front panel solved)
fuzion V1 with inserts and probably a 3 way top from fit
3x maze4 GPU for TECs
pyramid 36A 12v PSU
5x 92W 40mm^2 TECs
copper plates...

should be fun!


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

cdawall said:


> im on the way to rock bottom got a good sized list of parts on its way (again)
> 
> laing D4/laig D5 vario
> MCR420/MCR320
> ...




Lots of stuff there.... Tec's from what I have seen as installed on 10 etc are not effective. I dont know anything about them though. Let me know what you know....


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Well looks like I am back in the market for a cpu cooler.  I didnt have enough to offer for the one Kantastic had. If anyone has a Noctua NH-d14 or one of the other coolers I have listed on the op for sale, dont hesitate to pm me.


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## cdawall (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> What do you see for idle and load temps?



had the asetek version of the H50 and even after pushing 1.7v through a celeron 440 i did not break 70C in houston texas 



Bassman_soundking said:


> Lots of stuff there.... Tec's from what I have seen as installed on 10 etc are not effective. I dont know anything about them though. Let me know what you know....



i'm making a suped up version of the coolit boreas in a sense will post some shots of it shortly


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

cdawall said:


> had the asetek version of the H50 and even after pushing 1.7v through a celeron 440 i did not break 70C in houston texas
> 
> 
> 
> i'm making a suped up version of the coolit boreas in a sense will post some shots of it shortly



sounds good will be looking


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 14, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I live in south Florida and I gotta tell you I love my H50. I mean my house is currently 26c (79f) and its almost 8pm! It hits 35c (96f) just about everyday with 90% humidity and this little H50 does her job.



You use your a/c dude?  Seems kinda hot.  Anyhow my H50 did great too!  I just dont' hang on to things that long so I got rid of it.  Anyhow, I can vouch for the H50.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

looks like I am getting the Spire after all


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

Yeah, looks like you will.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> Yeah, looks like you will.



LOL @Kan


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## starams5 (Jun 14, 2010)

@Bassman_soundking,
Ya, that's the Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme in the pic.  And you're right it's designed for one fan.  I'm thinking about putting another 120 in there with higher RPMs.

@Champ,
I envy a lot of people, at the same time I'm just thankful for what I do have.

@cdawall,
Recovering addicts shouldn't be hanging out with full blown addicts.  I was doing just fine, now I'm ready to sell the TV, stereo, and lawn mower again after talking to you guys.

Since were talking about cooing, anybody have any thoughts on the link below?  Read the comments as well, there were a few people that thought the AS5 didn't get a fare shake because of the 200hr break-in period.

AS5 vs TX-3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12ce9FpKO3I


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I think 200 hr break-in is way too long, as it needs replacement in a year too. Do people really see a difference after 200 hrs btw? I would never know when that period of time had passed


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I switched my thermal paste from the one that came with my Zalman 9500 led to as5 and did not change by even 1* up or down this was idle temp though and not compared on a load. I have had it on there for 2 weeks now, and cant really say either way if the break in time helped or not, as the ambient temps have increased by at least 15* since then.


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## starams5 (Jun 14, 2010)

I'll be honest with you, I personally have never seen a difference after the 200hr break-in period.  But with the ambient temp constantly changing testing would probably have to be done in a controlled environment to see if it is true or not.  I found that link when I was researching the Tuniq Tower which comes with TX-3 paste.  But the TX-3 seems difficult to apply so I went with what I know best, the AS5.  The i7 has an integrated memory controller, seem to me you're just asking for trouble having to re-apply the TX-3 if you don't get it right the first time.


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

I swear by MX-2 and MX-3, which explains why I have a tube of each in my drawer right now. I replace everything I possibly can with MX-2 because it's a little thicker than MX-3. I leave MX-3 for the CPU.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I have recently just started tinkering with pc's beyond adding sound cards and video cards etc...so it seemed kinda hard to apply the as5 actually to me, and I thought I used alot till saw how much that guy in the vid used of the TX-3.


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## cdawall (Jun 14, 2010)

starams5 said:


> @Bassman_soundking,
> Ya, that's the Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme in the pic.  And you're right it's designed for one fan.  I'm thinking about putting another 120 in there with higher RPMs.
> 
> @Champ,
> ...



Blame the forum they are why I pushed to get my stuff. As for tx3 vs as5 I got noctua nth1 instead easy to spread big tubes and good performance and I have used every thermal paste that's worth a damn


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I have recently just started tinkering with pc's beyond adding sound cards and video cards etc...so it seemed kinda hard to apply the as5 actually to me, and I thought I used alot till saw how much that guy in the vid used of the TX-3.



A pea-sized dot in the middle is more than enough for any heatsink. Don't bother spreading it, let the heatsink do that. There has been testing done to show that a line of thermal paste along the middle of each exposed heatpipe on HDT coolers (like your incoming Eclipse II) yields better temperatures. I assume the reason being that the excess paste is used to fill in the gaps between the heatpipes and the base.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I tried the pea sized dot approach, and then took it apart to see that it just spread out to a circle on the hs and and didnt cover the whole surface.


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## starams5 (Jun 14, 2010)

The AS5 is applied different (most CPU's) although the spread method is recommended for some, see link.

http://www.arcticsilver.com/methods.html

@Kantastic,
I haven't tried the MX-3 but I've heard good things about it.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

As per A.S. , basically as long as you have a metal cap the dot technique is recommended.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I had a credit from Radio shack and used it to get some as creamique, whats the difference from the silver?


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## starams5 (Jun 14, 2010)

@cdawall,
I am always open to suggestions (noctua nth1).  I have been using AS5 for years but I'm always looking for something that can do the job better.  I chickened out with the TX-3, last thing anybody wants on build day is a hassle


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## starams5 (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I had a credit from Radio shack and used it to get some as creamique, whats the difference from the silver?



I'm not too good with the make-up of thermal paste, but I heard the silver dries and hardens over time.  On the other hand I've never had a computer long enough to see this happen.  Both creamique and AS5 are conductive.


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I tried the pea sized dot approach, and then took it apart to see that it just spread out to a circle on the hs and and didnt cover the whole surface.



That should be more than enough, I doubt you'd see a difference in temperatures.

Edit: This is a good read.


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

The pea size worked very well for me. I did take a couple tries to figure out exactly how big a pea was needed, but after that perfect coverage all the time  Dont lift after you set the cooler on it, just straight down, maybe a slight twist in both directions then tighten it down!


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

well maybe my zalamn isnt the problem then, I just over applied paste...lol


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

I would still pick up the Spire, high end air coolers like that will keep that CPU cooler than that Zalman ever did or will. 

If the Spire is better than the Mega then you should be pleased with the results. Today my CPU hit 65C (hottest core 59C overall) which is a little hot, but still very good considering how hot it was today.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I have noticed that in general intels' run hotter than amd


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## Zubasa (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> I would still pick up the Spire, high end air coolers like that will keep that CPU cooler than that Zalman ever did or will.
> 
> If the Spire is better than the Mega then you should be pleased with the results. Today my CPU hit 65C (hottest core 59C overall) which is a little hot, but still very good considering how hot it was today.


That Spire does perform well.
That Spire is basically the same thing as the cooler I am using. 
The only difference is the Eclipse II is nickel plated.


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

When it comes to i7 vs PII, they sure do esp with HT on. 

If you end up passing on that Spire, dont be surprised if I end up taking it


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Zubasa said:


> That Spire does perform well.
> That Spire is basically the same thing as the cooler I am using.



oceaner 5? never heard of that one yet


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## Zubasa (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> oceaner 5? never heard of that one yet


You most likely won't since my cooler is sold by the Chinese OEM that makes that Spire.
I doubt they can legally sell them overseas.

Edit:
That Spire is basically this.
http://www.pccooler.cn/cn/proview.php?pro_typeid=248&pro_typeid2=250&pro_id=1540


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> When it comes to i7 vs PII, they sure do esp with HT on.
> 
> If you end up passing on that Spire, dont be surprised if I end up taking it



2 late


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> 2 late



lol, okay then. My Paypal account says thank you.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

thanx for pointing me in that direction, I was not looking beyond used an only to retailers for some reason this time


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> lol, okay then. My Paypal account says thank you.



I feel ya, I cant afford it either, but my pc build has become an obsession for me.


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## starams5 (Jun 14, 2010)

@Zubasa

Hows the cooling in the SilverStone Raven RV01 with the inverted I/O's?  I went back and forth between the Raven RV01 and the Antec Twelve Hundred before finally deciding, it was a tough choice.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Zubasa said:


> You most likely won't since my cooler is sold by the Chinese OEM that makes that Spire.
> I doubt they can legally sell them overseas.
> 
> Edit:
> ...



thanx for the link to the other version..interesting.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Zubasa said:


> You most likely won't since my cooler is sold by the Chinese OEM that makes that Spire.
> I doubt they can legally sell them overseas.
> 
> Edit:
> ...



makes sense too that they cant sell them overseas as it seems that that even the Spire is having trouble making it over here....lol


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Quote from this article:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.p...ask=view&id=170&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=1

Heatpipe Directional Orientation

Heat-pipe technology uses several methods to wick the cooling liquid away from the cold condensing end and return back towards the heated evaporative end. Sintered heatpipe rods help overcome Earth's gravitational pull and can return most fluid to its source, but the directional orientation of heatpipe rods can make a significant difference to overall cooling performance.

For the best results, CPU-coolers should be orientated so that heatpipes span from front-to-rear with fans exhausting upward and not top-to-bottom with fans blowing towards the rear of the computer case. This removes much of the gravitational climb necessary for heatpipe fluid working to return to the heatsink base. In one specific example, the horizontally-mounted ProlimaTech Megahalems heatsink cooled to a temperature 3° better than when it was positioned vertically. While this difference may not be considered much to some people, hardcore enthusiasts will want to use every technique possible to reach the highest overclock possible. 

I am confused, does this mean that if I lie my tower on it side I will lower my cpu temps?


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

They are saying its better to have the heatsink mounted so that the pipes run from left to right instead of up and down. Basically mount like my Mega here: 







Some people would mount it so that the fan blows out the back, in that picture mine blows up and out the top 240mm exhaust fan (I use a push pull setup now).


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> They are saying its better to have the heatsink mounted so that the pipes run from left to right instead of up and down. Basically mount the Mega like mine is here:
> 
> http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj73/theonedub/i7860SLI.jpg



cool, I have a top 20cm fan so that is gonna work out I think, the back fan is only 12 cm anyway.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> They are saying its better to have the heatsink mounted so that the pipes run from left to right instead of up and down. Basically mount like my Mega here:
> 
> http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj73/theonedub/i7860SLI.jpg
> 
> Some people would mount it so that the fan blows out the back, in that picture mine blows up and out the top 240mm exhaust fan (I use a push pull setup now).



that mega with one fan keeps your oc 860 cool enough? Another question, does the fan noise from those gpu's bother u?


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

In the winter/fall it kept it extremely cool with one fan. Right before the heat rolled in I added a Yate Loon H 120mm as a pull fan (which is a little loud)- the results are the temps I have been posting up here recently. Keep in mind that I run my CPU @ 100% load 24/7, so my temps would be much better if I were just browsing, gaming, or whatever. 

I run the GPUs @ 100% load too, and with the heat even 100% fan speed can't keep them cool- esp the top one that has little to no breathing room. The way it is now the top can hit 87C and the bottom hits 81C, if I let them go as it gets up to 95F like today the top card will enter the 90s which is when I shut it down. When the temps are cool I keep them at 68% fan speed which is not audible to me and temps are fine  

Tomorrow if I have the time I am going to put the second 275 in the PCIe x4 slot since I don't run SLI and x4 is enough bandwidth for F@H, so that they breathe better. Also clean the dust of the Mega. 

OT: Instead of double or even triple posting use the multi-quote tool and edit your posts 

For reference here are my current load temps with the windows open in the house (GPU temp is of the top card):


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

I'd like to note that the 100% CPU load in theonedub's case is induced by WCG, or crunching. Crunching usually yields lower peak temperatures than your average stress test (Prime95 or OCCT) and does not mean that the system is rock solid but stable enough to use without crashing under normal circumstances.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

I never figured out the multi quote...lol

wow gpu is up there, and if that was an AMD cpu I would be worried


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I never figured out the multi quote...lol
> 
> wow gpu is up there, and if that was an AMD cpu I would be worried





theonedub said:


> In the winter/fall it kept it extremely cool with one fan. Right before the heat rolled in I added a Yate Loon H 120mm as a pull fan (which is a little loud)- the results are the temps I have been posting up here recently. Keep in mind that I run my CPU @ 100% load 24/7, so my temps would be much better if I were just browsing, gaming, or whatever.
> 
> I run the GPUs @ 100% load too, and with the heat even 100% fan speed can't keep them cool- esp the top one that has little to no breathing room. The way it is now the top can hit 87C and the bottom hits 81C, if I let them go as it gets up to 95F like today the top card will enter the 90s which is when I shut it down. When the temps are cool I keep them at 68% fan speed which is not audible to me and temps are fine
> 
> ...



yeah when I sw the pic i was thinking that top gpu would be 100% fan and still hot. With the sizes of cases now u would think mobos would get bigger to give more space for satas and gpu's etc and even space for bigger hs for cpu


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> I'd like to note that the 100% CPU load in theonedub's case is induced by WCG, or crunching. Crunching usually yields lower peak temperatures than your average stress test (Prime95 or OCCT) and does not mean that the system is rock solid but stable enough to use without crashing under normal circumstances.



Interesting statement. I doubt that bassman is going to be using his rig to benchmark or run Prime or OCCT on end, so 100% WCG is probably an overestimate of the temps he would see. Also, as previously discussed ad nauseum, my OC has been tested with at least 90-120mins of OCCT Linpack to ensure stability and regularly runs 300+hrs between when I feel a reboot is needed. For shit's and giggles I have run OCCT for a couple mins to show the *small *difference in max temps: 








Bassman_soundking said:


> I never figured out the multi quote...lol
> 
> wow gpu is up there, and if that was an AMD cpu I would be worried



Yes as stated Intel chips with HT will run hotter than a PII CPU. If you Google results of other i7 860 overclocks you will see that some users will run this CPU will into the 80s which is safe. The Nvidia cards are fine at this temp as well, although I prefer to keep them in the mid 80s or lower. My point is that if this setup can get these results with an i7 that Spire will keep your PII cool without an issue (if your exp is similar to the reviews).


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

when I game and my card reaches 75* I feel like I am killing it when the fan cycles to well over 80%, it annoys me at the least to hear the whine of a small fan going that fast. I usually have the sound up tho, but at night when the kids r sleeping, it bothers me.


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> Interesting statement. I doubt that bassman is going to be using his rig to benchmark or run Prime or OCCT on end, so 100% WCG is probably an overestimate of the temps he would see. Also, as previously discussed ad nauseum, my OC has been tested with at least 90-120mins of OCCT Linpack to ensure stability and regularly runs 300+hrs between when I feel a reboot is needed. For shit's and giggles I have run OCCT for a couple mins to show the *small *difference in max temps:
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/100614/OCCT.png



I don't understand what point you're trying to prove by showing your temps while running OCCT @ stock speeds? 



Bassman_soundking said:


> when I game and my card reaches 75* I feel like I am killing it when the fan cycles to well over 80%, it annoys me at the least to hear the whine of a small fan going that fast. I usually have the sound up tho, but at night when the kids r sleeping, it bothers me.



Take that thing apart and apply some better thermal paste.


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> I don't understand what point you're trying to prove by showing your temps while running OCCT @ stock speeds?
> 
> 
> 
> Take that thing apart and apply some better thermal paste.



what?


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Take that thing apart and apply some better thermal paste.[/QUOTE]

I was thinking about a better heatsink that has a larger fan.


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> I was thinking about a better heatsink that has a larger fan.



Why waste money on a heatsink for a GTS250? If that were the case just sell it and use the money you planned on spending on a heatsink on a better card like the new 5750/5770's that run notoriously cool.


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> Why waste money on a heatsink for a GTS250? If that were the case just sell it and use the money you planned on spending on a heatsink on a better card like the new 5750/5770's that run notoriously cool.



I know , but I have already bought an sli mobo, and figured i will get a 2nd for sli


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## theonedub (Jun 14, 2010)

What MB did you get? Hopefully the x16 PCIe slots are arranged in a way that you wont face the issues I have with limited airflow (one of the reasons I wish I would have gotten the FTW P55 instead). 

Kant- figure out how to read an OCCT screenshot yet  ?


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

Asus M4N98TD EVO, and yes the slots are both 16X eac not combined and spaced apart> the bottom Pci-e is close to the psu (bottom) but the fan is well beyond the psu so no issue there.

ASUS M4N98TD EVO AM3 NVIDIA nForce 980a SLI ATX AM...


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## Kantastic (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> What MB did you get? Hopefully the x16 PCIe slots are arranged in a way that you wont face the issues I have with limited airflow (one of the reasons I wish I would have gotten the FTW P55 instead).
> 
> Kant- figure out how to read an OCCT screenshot yet  ?



Uh, still working on it. That and my term paper.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jun 14, 2010)

Bassman_soundking said:


> What do you see for idle and load temps?



About 27c


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## cdawall (Jun 14, 2010)

starams5 said:


> @cdawall,
> I am always open to suggestions (noctua nth1).  I have been using AS5 for years but I'm always looking for something that can do the job better.  I chickened out with the TX-3, last thing anybody wants on build day is a hassle



No hassles with this goop nice to apply it is however a bitch to remove the cooler after it bakes on


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 14, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> About 27c



nice!


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## lemode (Jun 14, 2010)

theonedub said:


> Hopefully the x16 PCIe slots are arranged in a way that you wont face the issues I have with limited airflow (one of the reasons I wish I would have gotten the FTW P55 instead).



i got the P55 FTW a week after it came out and i am happy i picked that over the P55 SLI


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## Bassman_soundking (Jun 16, 2010)

Arrakis+9 said:


> it may be crude but they work
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/b4/b4324287-99f2-4793-92b0-43f977054948_400.jpg



went from 43*c cpu and 32*c mobo idle, to 38 --edit 37*-- now and 30 idle adding a Holmes Blizzard fan to side of case after opening it up...lol. Cant wait for my Spire to get here. This shit is really loud! It is 82*f in my house right now. Not using a/c 2day to save money.


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