High CPU Temps on Watercooling?

[Jeff C]

Hi Ladies and Gents, I would like some insight into my water loop that i'm not able to resolve via normal research.

My 7700k is hitting 65C under gaming load in a custom water loop.  This seems high for me. Idle the system ranges from 27-31c and if Im running netflix im hitting 33-38c

I am currently running a Gigabyte z270 Gaming 5 intel board with 7700k running at 4.5G(Boost) a Gigabyte GTX 1070 OC to 2200Mhz both watercooled using EK blocks, EK cryofuel, primochill soft tubing and an EKSE 360 and EK 240 rads running 3 Corsair SP120 fans and 2 Corsair 120 fans from an old AIO.  The 360 rad is mounted on the top in push and the 240 is mounted in the front in pull.  Everything is encased in a fractal Define R6.
Loop Order goes REZ/PUMP -> GPU (averages at 45-50C under load) -> 360 rad -> CPU -> 240 rad -> Rez

Notable changes

I was previously using Phanteks enthoo pro M for my case and using the 360SE with a 140SE in the front and Primochill coolant.  Loop order was the same.  
Before I had the CPU at 4.7 OC and in gaming would hit about 55C under load, sometimes 60 but that would be rare and not the norm.
GPU would average 55-60 in previous set up.

I have reseated the CPU block and replaced the TIM a few times already.
Additionally I noticed that when I log into windows my top fans will ramp up and the cpu will hit 58 as its loading programs at start up, which is also uncommon.
Outside of windows processes the only things that kick in at login are Steams bootstrap client, GOGs background client, Corsair ICUE, Core-Temp, and Blizzard app.

Voltages are around 1.2 at stock and 1.3 under boost

essentially I would really like to figure out what if anything i changed would cause such a increase in CPU temps.

So TLDR, GPU running colder (good) CPU running hotter (odd), changes to case and fluid used and front mounted rad.

Any thoughts?

 

[ELSknutson]

have you tried just using distilled water?  as a test 

[Jeff C]

2 minutes ago, ELSknutson said:

have you tried just using distilled water?  as a test 

Not for an extended period of time.  I ran it with distilled water and the primochill cleaning agent, just to make sure the system booted, but never put it under load.  Is it heard of that coolants don't move heat as well as basic water?

[ELSknutson]

2 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

Not for an extended period of time.  I ran it with distilled water and the primochill cleaning agent, just to make sure the system booted, but never put it under load.  Is it heard of that coolants don't move heat as well as basic water?

some types of coolent can bind up and cause issues. not saying that the issue but it could be.  other things to play with are your fan curves 

[Jeff C]

13 minutes ago, ELSknutson said:

some types of coolent can bind up and cause issues. not saying that the issue but it could be.  other things to play with are your fan curves 

Man I hope its not gunked up i stripped those things down and cleaned them well,  I can send screenshots of my fan curves when i get home if that helps.

[ELSknutson]

2 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

Man I hope its not gunked up i stripped those things down and cleaned them well,  I can send screenshots of my fan curves when i get home if that helps.

no not relay but you should try playing with them a bit to see if it helps 

[Jeff C]

9 minutes ago, ELSknutson said:

no not relay but you should try playing with them a bit to see if it helps 

I can mess with them more.  In your opinion though is 65 "high" or am I being picky?

[ELSknutson]

4 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

I can mess with them more.  In your opinion though is 65 "high" or am I being picky?

for the most part its fine its well below the limits.  Could it be better maybe. would I spend allot of time and effort looking into it probably not. 

[Jeff C]

12 minutes ago, ELSknutson said:

for the most part its fine its well below the limits.  Could it be better maybe. would I spend allot of time and effort looking into it probably not. 

Noted, So I'm just being slightly anal :).  Thanks for the insight, I'll mess with the curves and a few other things and see how it goes.  Maybe my fans just suck

[Mick Naughty]

Bad rad and bad fans. Don’t see an issue with the temp on the cpu. Gpu seems quite high. 

[Benjeh]

Temps are high to me, you're running stockish volts on the cpu, and you're getting higher temps than me.
6700K @ 1.45v 4.7GHz max temp gaming 50-60c depending on ambient

980ti overclocked max volts 40c while gaming 

Loop: 420mm rad + 360mm rad, EK blocks, EK vardar on the 420 Corsair SP 120s on the 360.

Notes: While my rad space is larger i'm also using LM TIM on my GPU and CPU die, Im also running De-ionized water with red die in it.

 

Spoiler

 

[Jeff C]

57 minutes ago, Mick Naughty said:

Bad rad and bad fans. Don’t see an issue with the temp on the cpu. Gpu seems quite high. 

Fans I could see, but not the rad, ran the same rads before with no issue.  You think the GPU at 45-50 is high? 

[Jeff C]

31 minutes ago, Benjeh said:

Temps are high to me, you're running stockish volts on the cpu, and you're getting higher temps than me.
6700K @ 1.45v 4.7GHz max temp gaming 50-60c depending on ambient

980ti overclocked max volts 40c while gaming 

Loop: 420mm rad + 360mm rad, EK blocks, EK vardar on the 420 Corsair SP 120s on the 360.

Notes: While my rad space is larger i'm also using LM TIM on my GPU and CPU die, Im also running De-ionized water with red die in it.

 

  Hide contents

 

I think my GPU temps are fine for my card tbh, lower than it use to its, only the cpu thats the concern..maybe the fans, what your opinion on the vardars, i been eyeing the vardar 120?  Im using the EK TIM on the GPU, and Cooler Master TIM on the CPU, thinking of maybe replacing that with either EK or A.S

[ad1das]

The one thing that no one asked.... what case are you using now?  I know for a fact that not all cases are radiator friendly when it comes to airflow.  For example, i switched to the BeQuiet! Silent Base 801 and it runs 10 degrees hotter when the front panel is on.  I pull it off, and underload, is 10 degrees cooler.  I chose this case intentionally since it allows for inverted installation, so i am fine with my temps, even tho they are still low, but "too high" for my standard.

[Mick Naughty]

1 hour ago, Jeff C said:

Fans I could see, but not the rad, ran the same rads before with no issue.  You think the GPU at 45-50 is high? 

I ran that 360 rad. Just as bad as my other thin high fpi rads I have. Especially when my acx cooler would run 10c hotter. 

 

Gpu is way high. I have a 8700k at 4.5 and a 1080 running at 2075 max voltage and power. Normally sees 39-45c

but that’s on a 240 and 140 with everything at 40% speed. Airflow for the rads isn’t good either. 

[Jeff C]

2 minutes ago, ad1das said:

The one thing that no one asked.... what case are you using now?  I know for a fact that not all cases are radiator friendly when it comes to airflow.  For example, i switched to the BeQuiet! Silent Base 801 and it runs 10 degrees hotter when the front panel is on.  I pull it off, and underload, is 10 degrees cooler.  I chose this case intentionally since it allows for inverted installation, so i am fine with my temps, even tho they are still low, but "too high" for my standard.

Fractal Design Define R6 is my current, i will say that it's a fantastic case...however it does feel "thicker" than my old Phantek's Pro M, and the "rear" side panel has a sound dampener on it, maybe its retaining heat?  

[Benjeh]

19 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

I think my GPU temps are fine for my card tbh, lower than it use to its, only the cpu thats the concern..maybe the fans, what your opinion on the vardars, i been eyeing the vardar 120?  Im using the EK TIM on the GPU, and Cooler Master TIM on the CPU, thinking of maybe replacing that with either EK or A.S

The reason we are saying the temp for your card is high (well at least for me) is that I was under the impression the 1xxx cards ran much cooler than the 9xx cards so if my 980ti is sat at a cushy 40c in gpu intensive games such as rust or rocket league all maxed out settings. Vardar fans are fine, no issue with them until they hit 100% and just like every other fan i've used have an awful drone to them. I'm going to fit a 1080mm rad with 9x 120 fans which i'll run at the lowest speed possible. 

[ad1das]

4 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

Fractal Design Define R6 is my current, i will say that it's a fantastic case...however it does feel "thicker" than my old Phantek's Pro M, and the "rear" side panel has a sound dampener on it, maybe its retaining heat?  

Do this as a test.  If you can remove the front panel, do it, and run it under load for a bit and tell me what your temps are.  Ill guarantee it isnt getting good air flow based on how the front panel is designed.

 

edit, i guess just open the front door, lol

[Benjeh]

Just now, ad1das said:

Do this as a test.  If you can remove the front panel, do it, and run it under load for a bit and tell me what your temps are.  Ill guarantee it isnt getting good air flow based on how the front panel is designed.

The fractal case is perfectly fine for watercooling, it has mounts for it, they converted some of the internals to produce the Define S which is a full on supported watercooling case. My temps are from the define S with front panel fitted with 10mm space between the front ran mounted externally behind the front bezel, you can see in the image if you look close enough the rad through the bezel.

[Jeff C]

8 minutes ago, Benjeh said:

The fractal case is perfectly fine for watercooling, it has mounts for it, they converted some of the internals to produce the Define S which is a full on supported watercooling case. My temps are from the define S with front panel fitted with 10mm space between the front ran mounted externally behind the front bezel, you can see in the image if you look close enough the rad through the bezel.

Here is my set up

[Jeff C]

17 minutes ago, ad1das said:

Do this as a test.  If you can remove the front panel, do it, and run it under load for a bit and tell me what your temps are.  Ill guarantee it isnt getting good air flow based on how the front panel is designed.

 

edit, i guess just open the front door, lol

Dude, you have no idea how many times I pulled the front panel off to work on it...forgetting there is a door, old habits die hard I guess.  I'll open it up and let you know how it goes.

[Benjeh]

2 minutes ago, Jeff C said:

Dude, you have no idea how many times I pulled the front panel off to work on it...forgetting there is a door, old habits die hard I guess.  I'll open it up and let you know how it goes.

You have more exhaust that intake.

Flip the top fans to intake and the front to exhaust, and before you mention the whole heat rises myth, don't. Convection if that's what its called only works when there is no airflow, you have fans, ie air flow, heat will move where you push it.

 

[Jeff C]

1 minute ago, Benjeh said:

You have more exhaust that intake.

Flip the top fans to intake and the front to exhaust, and before you mention the whole heat rises myth, don't. Convection if that's what its called only works when there is no airflow, you have fans, ie air flow, heat will move where you push it.

 

So have the 360 rad pull air in and have the front push it out?  

[ad1das]

1 minute ago, Benjeh said:

You have more exhaust that intake.

Flip the top fans to intake and the front to exhaust, and before you mention the whole heat rises myth, don't. Convection if that's what its called only works when there is no airflow, you have fans, ie air flow, heat will move where you push it.

 

... are you serious right now... i have never setup a system like you are suggesting, and i never have heat issues.  There is no such thing as too much exhaust....  and heat rising isnt a myth.  It doesnt apply as much in an application where it is watercooled since nothing is really getting hot enough to make the internal temps high, but the way he has it setup is the correct way.

[Benjeh]

Just now, Jeff C said:

So have the 360 rad pull air in and have the front push it out?  

yes, look at your config, you have 4 fans sucking air out, only 2 pulling it in, negative air pressure, you're starving the rads.