PC concerns

[rEdaSbLood 1]

so i did a prime95 small stress test the other night up to 14k, and the highest temp at which it also 'stabilized' was 162 Fahrenheit.

 

people on another forum im registered with say this is irregular even for an i7 920, especially with liquid cooling.

 

i contacted the build site with my concerns and hope they have an answer.

 

what do you think? do i have reason to be concerned? what should i do?

[Fiesta 0]

It's better to show your temps in Celsius, which for some reason is still universally used when indicating system temps. This puts it at about 72.2*C, which IS a lot higher than where you want it (the limit at which Core i7s shut down is 100*C which is the same as water's boiling point; how 'bout that?). This is probably a stupid question, but do you have enough money to replace the cooling system? Good CPU air coolers run between 30 and 70 dollars + another 5 to 25 dollars for a fan to put on the cooler, and a replacement liquid cooling loop will be... well, it depends on how many parts are being cooled by the loop currently. Typically you'd pay ten times more for a multi-block liquid loop than a single CPU air cooler, and this is talking a loop with a very high quality radiator, pump, hoses (with the obligatory clamps, compression fittings, etc.), reservoir, blocks, and fluid.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Fiesta

[rEdaSbLood 1]

well another forum im on suggest it may be a faulty cooling system. i have an Asetek 120mm watercooler which only covers my CPU. i contacted the build site mentioning that this cooling system is most likely not performing the way it should. so before i get a new air cooling system i want to make sure i didn't pay for a malfunctioning cooling system. if you want pics of my setup they are in my other thread "PC Build."

[Fiesta 0]

All-in-ones like that do tend to be cheap, and malfunction or leak quite early compared to water loops that you configure yourself. I honestly wouldn't bother contacting the company about this, just replace it with an air cooler. How much can you spend on one?

[rEdaSbLood 1]

what would be good to keep my i7 920 cool and not excessively loud?

[Fiesta 0]

That really depends on how much you can spend, that's why I'm asking. If you're as flexible as I think you are with the price, then this cooler with this fan, and this thermal paste. There is NO better air cooling solution for that noise level. None. If that's too much to spend, just say so and I'll show a cheaper arrangement.

Edited April 4, 2009 by Fiesta

[rEdaSbLood 1]

that rounds out to about $100 without tax. at a later point in time maybe i would spend that much. but are these the only things i need, do they come with what i need, or do i have to buy extra tubing and whatever else may be needed? and how hard is the installation?

 

of course ill be waiting to hear from my build site before i make any final decisions.

 

but what would be the next cheaper step down from these components?

[Fiesta 0]

Air cooling doesn't require the elaborate parts that liquid cooling does. Those 3 parts are all you'd need, although when changing coolers you'll want a dust-free, lint-free cloth or paper towels, and this stuff to clean off the thermal compound that the company used for the water block, after the block is removed, of course. Once that's done and the CPU is cleaned off, you just take the little syringe for the Freeze Extreme paste, and VERY carefully squeeze out a dot of paste the size of a grain of rice (trust me, this IS enough), then install the Prolimatech cooler EXACTLY as the instructions say for LGA1366 mounts (ignoring its sections on thermal paste; at this point that's already done and you won't need the packet of paste they give you), then install the San Ace fan using the included bracket. Make sure the fan is mounted on the right side of the cooler when you're looking down on it installed on the board, so that it pulls in fresh air over the cooler and leaving the rear fan(s) to push out the hot air. It's no big deal if you take your time and do it right.

 

Edit; the best price-performance ratio you can get, really, comes from just this. You won't get the performance of the more expensive option I laid out (obviously), but it'll be simpler to work with. It's all "just enough", you could say. If you decide to start overclocking, know that the Xigmatek doesn't like high voltages too much; coolers like the Megahalems will give MUCH better performance once you start creeping above 1.35 volts.

Edited April 4, 2009 by Fiesta