Watercooling for Overclocking - what gets hot?

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mellojoe

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Mar 19, 2007
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Obviously, when I start my watercooling setup, I'm going to get a good CPU waterblock. The question becomes, what should go next? Not next in the loop, but what becomes priority after the CPU? If I add parts to the watercooled loop, should I look at cooling the Northbridge? Southbridge? Neither?

I see many loops that are CPU + video card. Is that really the best two components to cool? Does the GPU become a priority when trying to get a stable system? Or do people usually just choose that since that is the next largest / loudest fan in the system?
 
A lot of people do the video cards because they creat major heat dump in the case. Depending on the card the temps generated can go to 80+ celcius. Putting the same cards on a good EC system can get the gpus down to 45 under load and more importantly move the heat out of the case.

Croaker
 
stick with just a CPU loop unless your going to voltmod your GPU since the temperatures are fine and you'll reach a voltage related wall for overclocking your GPU

theres really no point in cooling SB/NB unless your using phase or ln2 to cool your CPU since you'll reach your motherboards barrier along with the CPU since temperatures go crazy with the CPU pretty early on

adding a GPU to a cheap loop kills it... your CPU temperatures will rise as well, so unless your willing to invest in a nice loop, stick with just the CPU
 
For OCing the MCH/Northbridge would be the next most important component after the cpu.

The reason is the MCH/Nortbridge is the controller between the cpu and memory and the cpu and video and the MCH/Northbridge (at least on Intel systems - with Nvidia you can "unlink" the northbridge from the FSB) runs with the same FSB clock as the CPU and thus the MCH/Northbridge gets OCed just as much as the cpu.

Keep in mind that with WCing the CPU you are removing most if not all of the airflow around the cpu socket and thus eliminating the cooling for the cpu voltage regulation circuity (the Mosfets). A small fan directed at these components is greatly recommended. If you have the money and one is available a Mosfet water block woud be the next most desireable item to WC. But either way, it is important you cool those components for high OCing under any kind of load. If the machine has a heatpipe assembly rework the mounting (get rid of pushpins) and glue a fan on somewhere. It does not have to be fancy.

computer007.jpg




Southbridge is for I/O and while it never hurts to cool electronics a small fan added would be more than sufficient and more for reliability and long life than OCing. The money and effort to WC a southbridge is typically not worth it. Cant really hurt however.
 
Right on the pernt (point) :D The Antec 900 IMO is one of the best air coolin' cases out there ATM (although I've read about a Antec 1200, but I haven't seen one :() It has many places for 120mm fans (2x front, 1x side), plus it has a 220mm fan on the top. (kinda' like a super dooper "blow hole" :p)

The only problem with it I can see is it isn't too accmmoidating to wire management (esp. with the PSU on the bottom), but there are a few ways to get around that. I have one that has been converted to WC'ing (220 rad in front) and I have cut holes in the mobo side to accomidate any fan, power, etc wires)

If I had it to do all over again (less hassle, less custom brackets, less hole drilling and cutting) I would just hang the rad on the back like the picture shows. I'll probably do that anyway because I want a 320 rad of some kind and it's too tall for the front of the case. (I want my cpu, NB and video card in one loop) It's either that or another case and I'm kinda' attached to my Antec 900. :rolleyes:

 
I would not suggest south bridge cooling. They can get really hot, and the more components you have in your loop, the higher your overall temp.
 
I was kind of thinking that the NB would be the next most logical. For starters, I'm going with just the CPU in the loop.

I don't think I'll be adding my GPU to the loop just yet, but I WAS considering adding the NB to the loop. I think I'll have enough radiator capacity to handle both the CPU and NB.

But, I haven't ever been able to get a straight answer. Even if we look in this thread there are completely differing opinions on the subject.

For reference, here is the case I am using:

Lian-Li-2008-003.jpg


Its a Lian-Li PC-A16, and the cooling in it is pretty great. 120 up front, 120 in back, 120 on the side. Plus the powersupply has another 120 in it, as well. So, I think I'm OK with cooling if I remove the CPU heatsink/fan, but I appreciate the tips in ensuring proper air flow.
 
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