Water cool build complete

I finished the install of the XSPC Raystorm EX240 kit yesterday. Here's a pic today. It's running fine.



I love how I can hide most the cables behind in this case.

Running just purified water+kill coil for now. No leaks. I'm using MX-4 thermal compound though I'm not confident in how well I applied it.

Here's screenshot running prime small (much higher temps then blend at the beginning):



I don't have perfect before and after temps. They seem slightly better, but not what I was hoping for. Max temps were 75 - 83 C for about 30 minutes or so of the prime-small run. This was with the pump at the lowest setting, but cranking it up to max setting doesn't seem to make any difference in the temps. Is that odd?

I had an H100 in it before. I could run 4.8 GHz with that easily, too.

I'm thinking that the main hurdle now to go any higher is the poor TIM inside the CPU since I don't think the water even warms up. I'm thinking delidding it would allow me to run 5.0 GHz. I can run 5.0 GHz now, but load goes too hot. I just need 5-10 C and I think 5.0 GHz at ~ 1.4 V could be stable. I told myself I can upgrade the CPU next year so... maybe I'll try it then, or if I get restless and reckless prior to that.

CPU-Z validation:
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2460985

Idle temp screenshot:


Some tips for future:

1) The raystorm block has the shrink wrap plastic, and then another piece of plastic just on the face of the block. Take them both off For my very first seating, I had left the plastic on the block on.

2) The backplate falls off. So I placed some foam under the case where the backplate is to support it so I could get the screws in when the case was laid down.
Edited by taotree - 8/3/12 at 12:54pm

This doesn't make sense to me. The tubing feels cool. The radiator feels cool. Air coming out of the radiator is cool. How could more of that affect cooling the CPU?

I custom made the supports for the rad with cheap stuff from the hardware store. I figured the further back the less hot case air it would get and more cooler ambient air.


That's encouraging. Yeah, I'm thinking it's just not getting the heat off the CPU efficiently enough. Maybe I'll try to reapply. I wish there was a way to consistently ensure I get a good install of the block. MX-4 is supposed to be good stuff, so it's probably just me.

Well, I reseated the block and temps are about the same. 74 - 82 at the moment. Grr... I laid the case over this time so hopefully it was a better mount but doesn't seem to be making a difference.

As for the 9C difference, I thought that was common to see a big difference between cores. I have always seen a big difference as far as I can remember.