Gigabyte Aorus 360mm AIO Config and Curves

[uberranger]

Good morning all! 

 

I recently rebuilt my machine and grabbed the AIO in the title because it was easy and cool looking. I have a few questions after having used it for a few weeks now. Most of them stem from what seems to be horrid manufacturer software.

 

Thermaltake P3

Gigabyte Aorus Master B550

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

Corsair something RGB memory 32GB 3200

(old 1080Ti)

Gigabyte Aorus 360mm AIO (has a screen on the pump)

 

First, I installed the cooler per the instructions, which include powering the unit via a SATA cable and connecting the fans and LEDs to the pump- it has a cable with three plugs each for those two. Under this configuration, the 'normal' way of controlling the fan and pump curves seems to be to use Gigabyte's Aorus Engine, which also allows you to configure the screen on the pump. RGB Fusion is used to configure the LEDs. Both programs have been exceedingly frustrating for a number of reasons. Aorus Engine, which controls the pump, fans, and pump screen, seems to be reading the wrong CPU temperature. I'm not sure where it's grabbing it, but it routinely reads 55-60C idle, while Ryzen Master and HWMonitor both show mid-to-low 30C. Because it's reading high, it runs the fans and pump faster than they need to, and I've adjusted the fan curves to be very low until about 65C to compensate. The pump's incorrect / high temp reading does seem to accurately reflect when the CPU temp exceeds 60C, and follows it pretty closely after that.

 

My questions, then, revolve around whether this is a normal or accepted setup using an AIO. I've always used higher-end air coolers, so my experience is a bit limited. 

1. Is the high temp reading from Gigabyte's software normal?
   1. If not, is there a way to fix it?
2. Would I be better off running the fans from the MB instead of the pump's headers? I could be comfortable just setting a pump speed and leaving it, given that I can't control that from the MB.
3. If I were to run the fans from the MB, I assume I would set the curves in the BIOS and be done with it. What about the LEDs? If I plug those into the MB, can I avoid using Gigabyte software, or am I still stuck with it if I run the LEDs from the MB?

Any insight would be lovely! The setup as of now is tolerable, I just don't like having inconsistent temp readings from the thing controlling the fans and pump.

[For Science!]

12 minutes ago, uberranger said:

1. Is the high temp reading from Gigabyte's software normal?
   1. If not, is there a way to fix it?

Probably. I read that Ryzen temps are hard to read by software. But compare it to for example HWinfo64 readings, as I found it to be accurate, so maybe it can give you insight exactly what Gigabyte's software is reading?

Quote

Would I be better off running the fans from the MB instead of the pump's headers? I could be comfortable just setting a pump speed and leaving it, given that I can't control that from the MB.

No, you are better off running the fans off the fluid temperature of the AIO instead of the CPU temperature. There is no point of the fans ramping up with every small temperature spike of the CPU if the coolant temperature inside the AIO is not hot. Since the Gigabyte Aorus 360 mm is an Asetek unit, i ASSUME this is a function they provide (it always has been). You want a steady fan curve going from about 40 degrees to about 55 degrees max (so something like minimal % fan speed at 40 degrees, and then 100 % at 55 degrees). This is because Asetek pumps start to lose life faster when the fluid reaches 60 degrees.

 

Edit: I should mention that this is functionality that should be offered in Gigabyte's software, the BIOS has no way to know the fluid temperature of the AIO

 

Honestly, pump speed should be left at full speed at all times, this is what they are rated for (12 V) and the flow rate even at 100% is pretty abysmal, so any reduction in the flow rate is going to start contributing to shorter lifespan of the pump with the coolant gelling up inside the coldplate (this is unfortunately unavoidable for AIOs in the long run)

Quote

If I were to run the fans from the MB, I assume I would set the curves in the BIOS and be done with it. What about the LEDs? If I plug those into the MB, can I avoid using Gigabyte software, or am I still stuck with it if I run the LEDs from the MB?

As above, don't do it. Direct fan control with component temperatures is defeating half the purpose of liquid cooling. If you want the LEDs I think you still inevitably need the software.

 

Also, Welcome to the Forums!

[uberranger]

Wow, that was quick and thorough! Thanks!

 

Reading your reply, it seems obvious now that the pump display may be showing coolant temp, not actually reading the CPU. Running the pump at 100% now, the pump screen reading (assuming it's coolant going forward) dropped from 63C at idle (Ryzen Master showing CPU at about 35C, ambient around 22C) to about 55C. Changing the fan curves from my previous the-temp-must-be-wrong curve to a 0% @40C > 100% @55C shows coolant jumping between ~48C and ~57C, and the fans are constantly ramping up and down. If that's normal and expected, cool. I'll live with a little fan noise.

 

The CPU temp through all this hasn't changed a whole lot, from maybe 37C average with my previous quieter curves to 35C. The CPU temp jumps between low 30s and mid 40s every few seconds, and the fans ramp up and down with about the same frequency. Is this just my welcome back to team red? 

[For Science!]

39 minutes ago, uberranger said:

snip

Nah, I don't think it should be the coolant temps, if it is that's quite bad. Also the coolant temperature simply cannot be warmer than the CPU temperature due to physics. So I still think the software is mis-reading some temperature somewhere.

 

Quote

The CPU temp jumps between low 30s and mid 40s every few seconds, and the fans ramp up and down with about the same frequency.

This is a clear indication that the fans are tied to CPU temp and not fluid temperature. The coolant does not (should not) fluctuate in temperature like this unless if your fans are completely turning off or something.

 

Also for future reference, you should quote or mention (using @) if you want a speedy response as that gives that user a notification.

[uberranger]

That's what I suspected. The reading on the screen, which is what's controlling the fan speed, still fluctuates between 50C and 65C while the actual CPU temp is around 35C in Ryzen Master and HWMonitor. 

 

Would you recommend leaving the fan curves as they are and living with the noise, or adjusting them back to where I had them (keeping the pump at 100%)?

 

[For Science!]

3 minutes ago, uberranger said:

Would you recommend leaving the fan curves as they are and living with the noise, or adjusting them back to where I had them (keeping the pump at 100%)?

Since I don't know what the fluid temperatures are, its hard for me to recommend anything. But I think since the CPU temperatures all seem very good, so I think as long as that is the case the fluid temperatures can't be "that bad" and so you can set the fans to whatever noise level that suits you. I would keep the pump at 100%