Optimal solution for cpu + dual gpu

[vrod]

Hey all,

 

This question has probably been asked multiple times and yes I am a newbie at watercooling, hence the wish to ask for advice. 

 

I run a system of 5960X, rampage extreme and a couple of 970's. At the moment I have already watercooled the cpu and gpus but I want to watercool the rampage as well (ek block coming in in a few days). I was running a 360 rad, however my new case can only do 240mm so the last 120mm is blocked off (my stupidity).

 

So far I have run everything purely on distilled water as I've come to the understanding that this should be the best?

 

My temps are surviving during gaming but they are a bit too hot for my liking (cpu about 55-60 and gpu's over 50). This is with stock on everything, it's worse when OC'ing the parts.

 

Now my question: What will be the most optimal way to run these parts? I would like to get the 970's above 1400mhz and 5960x above 4ghz as well. I've read that there's several "rules of thumb" but this seems to go for midrange cpu's/gpu's and not highend stuff. Which way is the most optimal to run the loop with? Gpu's first or cpu? I've seen some people talking about dual loops but I'm not fully sure how that works? I don't wanna run 2 pumps and I've seen that my res has 4 total fitting holes. Amy good ideas?

 

Thanks in advance,

Chris

[shadowbyte]

7 minutes ago, vrod said:

Hey all,

 

This question has probably been asked multiple times and yes I am a newbie at watercooling, hence the wish to ask for advice. 

 

I run a system of 5960X, rampage extreme and a couple of 970's. At the moment I have already watercooled the cpu and gpus but I want to watercool the rampage as well (ek block coming in in a few days). I was running a 360 rad, however my new case can only do 240mm so the last 120mm is blocked off (my stupidity).

 

So far I have run everything purely on distilled water as I've come to the understanding that this should be the best?

 

My temps are surviving during gaming but they are a bit too hot for my liking (cpu about 55-60 and gpu's over 50). This is with stock on everything, it's worse when OC'ing the parts.

 

Now my question: What will be the most optimal way to run these parts? I would like to get the 970's above 1400mhz and 5960x above 4ghz as well. I've read that there's several "rules of thumb" but this seems to go for midrange cpu's/gpu's and not highend stuff. Which way is the most optimal to run the loop with? Gpu's first or cpu? I've seen some people talking about dual loops but I'm not fully sure how that works? I don't wanna run 2 pumps and I've seen that my res has 4 total fitting holes. Amy good ideas?

 

Thanks in advance,

Chris

that is an incredible temp for a gpu. 

my 290x reaches 90 degrees during intense gamepley

[Guest]

Okay, first thing I'd do is get a case that can support the 360mm radiator, and get another 120mm/240mm because your getting those high temps because the CPU requires minimum 120mm of surface area, recommended is 240mm, and GPU's minimum is 120, and recommended is 120mm, If you cant afford to change the loop,
Have it go from res to CPU to GPU's then to pump

[EMENCII]

Water loops tend to stabilize on a certain temperature, the order of the components makes no difference whatsoever. Distilled water is generally considered the best solution, don't forget to clean it and put some anti-algae (e.g. pt nuke). The temps are fine to me (with a 360mm rad I think you're doing fine), add more surface if you can, if not there's not much else you can do apart from pushing more air through the rad. Rules apply to everything, you could apply most of the ones that regard PCs to cars' engines, for what it matters. A water loop is a water loop, it transfers heat, that's it. Dual loops separate the cpu and gpu heat by having a res, rad, pump and block for each of the two loops. The heat from the cpu remains in its loop and the gpu's heat in its own. If you run two pumps in the same loop you will be sure that if one fails the other will keep running, hence the temps won't rise and you will be fine. Or you'd need two pumps if you have waterflow problems, which doesn't seem to be your case.

Hope to have been helpful,

EMENCII

[vrod]

Hi all, thanks for your answers! Unfortunately I just purchased this case (was stupid not to verify that a 360 rad could fit), I have however planned to remove the 5.25" cage as this will allow me to put the 360 rad in front and then put the new 240 rad in the top where the 360 is at the moment. I only run with a M.2 SSD + a 1TB evo so I won't really need it.

 

The "loop" started off on an older setup I had: 3820 with a single 970. There, the max gpu temp was 42c and cpu around 40 but that's of course a bit different hardware. I am probably just a little too optimistic but I am hoping to achieve the same temps with this setup if possible (not too noisy either hopefully). Can anyone recommend a similar product like PT Nuke for EU people? I live in Germany and unfortunately I am unable to source any of that stuff here, or at least I can find a pure product of it.

 

Thanks for all your advice, I think I'll do it like this: Res -> Pump -> GPU 2 -> GPU 1 -> CPU -> 240mm rad -> 360mm rad -> Res.

 

I wouldn't mind to serve water to the CPU first but my res is pretty big and connects to the pump at the bottom of the case. I would have to pipe it from bottom to top and then the other way around from the GPU to the rads.

 

Does anyone wanna buy a EK Supremacy VGA block? I bought this for the first gtx but when I got the second one I got a thermosphere. Right now I feel kind of stupid for choosing the Supremacy block since it doesn't look that good in SLI. However it does cool about 2-3 degrees better than the thermosphere!

 

 

[EdInk]

3 hours ago, shadowbyte said:

that is an incredible temp for a gpu. 

my 290x reaches 90 degrees during intense gamepley

Get a case with better airflow

 

3 hours ago, vrod said:

My temps are surviving during gaming but they are a bit too hot for my liking (cpu about 55-60 and gpu's over 50). This is with stock on everything, it's worse when OC'ing the parts.

What case did you get, will it allow the 360 rad to be mounted so fans are intake? This is the optimal configuration and will potentially push those temps a tad lower

[vrod]

Hello. It's a fractal design define xl r2. I guess the xl made me believe that a 360 rad would be possible. However, I suppose I will be taking the drive cage out to fit the 360 on the front.

 

i also ordered some corsair sp12 qe fans since I found out that those (cheap stuff) I had probably isn't designed for the job. It's these: http://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/130782416206