G12 RTX2080ti with Kraken X52 small review

[tankyx]

So I bought that kit to cool down my EVGA RTX2080ti Black. This cooler was struggling a lot to cool down the card,

with the GPU often reach 80 degrees Celsius on the 310w BIOS, therefore throttling at 1950MHz under load,

with the fans at max speed.

Not ideal.

 

So I went with the G12 and X52 combo from NZXT. The mouting is quite straight forward, even if removing the stock cooler

is always quite a hairy process. Please note I did not cool down the VRMs (as i didnt receive my thermal pads yet for the heat dissipators)

 

Here are some of the improvements (temps are not normalized, 20c in the room) :

 

idle temp : 45c -> 25c

load temps : 85c -> 48c

Core clock : 1950MHz throttling (2020MHz max) / +200MHz  -> 2085MHz stable / +240MHz (+250MHz / 2130MHz is ok in some benchmarks, but on some other it freezes)

Memory clock : 8000MHz -> 8250MHz (But I am pretty i could have gone higher before, and there is still room imo)

Heaven Unigine (1080p Extrem preset, GSync disabled) : 4500pts (~180fps) -> 5080pts (201fps average)

Noise : I cant mesure it but it is a lot better, I cant notice it under load now.

Airflow : So I am using the X52 as an exhaust on top of the case alongside a H115i used for my 9900k, also on top and as an exhaust (Thermaltake level 20 VT). Having now 2x120mm + 2x140mm bringing the air out of the case seems a lot better, but I cannot confirm it.

Now on some pros/cons :

 

+ Easy to mount

+ $25 for it feels cheap

+ RTX20xx compatible (Using AMD bracket)

 

+/- 3 Slots usage

+/- No included way to cool the vrm on the left of the GPU

+/- Cant keep the back plate as screw used to mount the brackets are not long enough

 

- Less and less compatible AIOs compatible (Because of the squared shape pumps trending, or manufacturers moving away from Akasa),

leaving you to get Riing or Kraken coolers only, or try to find old Corsair H105.

 

As a final note, I would say that I am quite satisfied with this mod overall. Performances and thermals are a lot better and given Turing is very sensitive

on thermals, I can feel the difference while gaming. The problem now is that I feel limited by my card not being the A version (280W, or 310W Palit BIOS), and therefore being

limited on the GPU clocks. There is no doubt the GPU can go even higher with the 380W or 410W BIOS and still stay cool thanks to this mod.

 

I can really recommend it, especially on higher tier cards, if you want to squeeze the extra MHz from your GPU. But the best solution would be getting the Kingpin or the Aorus hybrid.

[WkdPaul]

Thanks for the thread, I've moved it to the Member Reviews section!

[tankyx]

1 hour ago, wkdpaul said:

Thanks for the thread, I've moved it to the Member Reviews section!

Thank you

[Velcade]

On 11/6/2019 at 11:01 AM, tankyx said:

Now on some pros/cons :

 

+ Easy to mount

+ $25 for it feels cheap

+ RTX20xx compatible (Using AMD bracket)

 

+/- 3 Slots usage

+/- No included way to cool the vrm on the left of the GPU

Interesting it uses the AMD bracket.

 

Does your card come with VRM temp monitoring?  If so, did you notice a change in VRM temps after installation? 

[tankyx]

1 hour ago, Velcade said:

Interesting it uses the AMD bracket.

 

Does your card come with VRM temp monitoring?  If so, did you notice a change in VRM temps after installation? 

it does not I think, and i didnt monitor these temperatures either. The card actually sustained the 125% power delivery for 8 hours of 3dmark stress test, so i guess the VRM are fine.

[Velcade]

The iCX2 Cooling cards have thermal sensors to monitor VRMs if you're curious.  Use EVGAs Precision X1 software.