Is a 360 rad enough for CPU and GPU?

[Gdog96]

Hi guys.

This is actually two questions.

Firstly, is a 360 radiator, similiar thickness to that of a H100, enough to cool an I5 3570K and a GTX 660 non ti adequately? I don't know the fin density as my uncle gave it to me and I don't know the make and model.

Right now, I have it cooling my 3570k only, with 3 Corsair SP120 quiet editions in pull, and temperatures are fine, rarely rises above 50 degrees on 100% load.

So yeah, do you reckon it will be able to handle my GPU aswell?

Secondly, I need advice on how to clean my radiator. When I recieved it, it was absolutely clogged with dust, as in you couldnt even see through it, and it had about 1cm of dust on top of that. I managed to clean it so that you can now see through it, but nearly every fin has a reasonable layer of hard dust on it, which surely will affect temperatures and slow down heat transfer? I ended up building my loop with the radiator like this because I couldn't be bothered to clean it completely, but when I next take apart my loop I want to do this.

Whilst in my case, I tried using an old toothbrush (carefully though as I didn't want to bend the fins) and even a fine, stiff paint brush, but even with this, the fins would bend before the dust would come off.

I don't have any compressed air, but seeing the amount of force needed to remove the dust and that fact that the metal fins will bend before the dust comes off, will compressed air work? I will buy it if you guys think it will.

Thanks guys.

[AndersT2]

The GPU doesn't add that much extra temp to the system, the water normally flows to fast for it to heat it up too much.

You might get 2-3 degreees more total temp.

EDIT: I had a 360 rad cooling a +4800 Amd and their 4870x2 without problem. The dual GPU With Stock cooler emittet so much heat that it almost burned me where it exited. (It wasn't in a air flow friendly case)

[MG2R]

I'm running a water cooled system in a Bitfenix Prodigy. I have a 2x120mm low density radiator from Swiftech cooling an overclocked 3570k and a 670 without any problems. You should be alright ;)

[Gdog96]

Sweet, thanks guys.

[Rico123]

360 should be fine, as for the rad compressed air should clean out most the dust. I find having your fans in a pull configuration seems to build up less dust and make it easier to clean.

[Thecrazyswede]

As long as you have decent fans you should be alright. and not overclock to kingdome come.

[RobertVanGilder]

Yup,. That's what I'm using. A thin 30mm 360 rad cooling a 6970 and an AMD Phenom 6 core CPU.

[Gdog96]

Thanks guys, now I just have to shell out on a GPU waterblock..

[Q_mods]

you would be fine my rule of thumb is one x 120mm per watercooled component + one 120mm

[Gdog96]

I'd never heard that before...that will come in useful...thanks :)

[nexusmaniac]

Yep should be more than adequate :)

[FluffyNuggets]

If you are getting those temps with just a CPU then there's no way you can add on a GPU into the same loop. You need a thicker radiator in order to bring those temps down. I'd suggest at least a 60mm radiator in order to cool a GPU and CPU on a single radiator. Thin radiators are only good if you have multiple ones in the same loop.

[Kawaii]

If you are getting those temps with just a CPU then there's no way you can add on a GPU into the same loop. You need a thicker radiator in order to bring those temps down. I'd suggest at least a 60mm radiator in order to cool a GPU and CPU on a single radiator. Thin radiators are only good if you have multiple ones in the same loop.

This is false, the 660ti doesn't put out much heat please and the OP could happily run his gpu and cpu.

[BCMods]

If you are getting those temps with just a CPU then there's no way you can add on a GPU into the same loop. You need a thicker radiator in order to bring those temps down. I'd suggest at least a 60mm radiator in order to cool a GPU and CPU on a single radiator. Thin radiators are only good if you have multiple ones in the same loop.

This is false, the 660ti doesn't put out much heat please and the OP could happily run his gpu and cpu.

This.

[FluffyNuggets]

A radiator the same thickness of a H100 isn't going to cool very good. I put my 60mm thick radiator next to the H100 and it makes the H100 look like a toy. I'm not saying you can't do it but the temps are going to be pretty bad for watercooling.

[Thecrazyswede]

A radiator the same thickness of a H100 isn't going to cool very good. I put my 60mm thick radiator next to the H100 and it makes the H100 look like a toy. I'm not saying you can't do it but the temps are going to be pretty bad for watercooling.

the h100 is just a 240 rad tho, OP was thinking of 360, 30mm thick rad IIRC

[FluffyNuggets]

A radiator the same thickness of a H100 isn't going to cool very good. I put my 60mm thick radiator next to the H100 and it makes the H100 look like a toy. I'm not saying you can't do it but the temps are going to be pretty bad for watercooling.

I'm just going off what his temps are now with just the CPU which is only marginally better than a H100 @ load

[Gdog96]

This is bearing in mind that 95% of the fins on the radiator are coated in thick, hard dust at the moment. If I was to cool my GPU I would put more effort into cleaning it.

And also, I find comparing temps to other coolers to be inaccurate unless done by the same person. I don't know what my ambient temps are but they will most certainly be different to the H100 temps that you mentioned. Also every CPU is different, mine may be a hotter/cooler of whatever than the one with the H100.

[Huntsman]

I don't know about whether the tripple rad would be enough for gpu+cpu setup, but I reckon it will do as long as you don't do any major overclocking.

About the dust, try spraying it with garden hose to flush it out? else soak it in warm water might help. I clean my Cooler Master V8 that way xD

[Gdog96]

Haha thanks Huntsman. I don't plan to do any major overclocks so hopefully it should be ok. About the soaking in warm water, I though that too, but I was worried incase of rust or corrosion due to chemicals in the water, or maybe limescale build up? I don't know, I might try that.

[FluffyNuggets]

This is bearing in mind that 95% of the fins on the radiator are coated in thick, hard dust at the moment. If I was to cool my GPU I would put more effort into cleaning it.

And also, I find comparing temps to other coolers to be inaccurate unless done by the same person. I don't know what my ambient temps are but they will most certainly be different to the H100 temps that you mentioned. Also every CPU is different, mine may be a hotter/cooler of whatever than the one with the H100.

I was comparing the temps from my H100 to my triple 140 radiator. Just my CPU on H100 would reach about 58c and sometimes over 60c. With my 60mm thick triple 140 radiator with my 670 FTW and i7-2600k my CPU temps never pass 44c and my GPU temps never pass 42c.

If you were to use a triple 120mm radiator around 30mm thick your temps would be much higher. Also keep in mind, my temps are with the fans at their lowest. If fan noise doesn't bother you then it should work fine. I personally prefer silence since that's the whole reason to water cool in my opinion.

[Whaler_99]

To clean the Fins, try compressed air first, to get all the loose (manner of speaking) stuff off. If that doesn't do a really good job, you will def want to spend some quality time, careful scrapping and loosing up the dust.

360mm rad should be ok for what you want to run - just don't push any huge overclocks. :) If your temps do get a little high, options are to upgrade to SP120 Performance fans. Even when undervolted to 7v, they have more static pressure then the SP120 Quiet Edition. Or go for Noctua NF-F12's.

[Gdog96]

This is bearing in mind that 95% of the fins on the radiator are coated in thick, hard dust at the moment. If I was to cool my GPU I would put more effort into cleaning it.

And also, I find comparing temps to other coolers to be inaccurate unless done by the same person. I don't know what my ambient temps are but they will most certainly be different to the H100 temps that you mentioned. Also every CPU is different, mine may be a hotter/cooler of whatever than the one with the H100.

Oh ok, fair enough, I also run fans on their lowest :P Do you think adding another 240 thin rad will be enough?

[Gdog96]

Thanks Whaler, I will definitely spend some time scraping away the dust then.

I wish decent fans weren't so expensive...

[FluffyNuggets]

Another 240 radiator would work perfectly with your setup.