What could be wrong with my loop

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BreezeDM

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Jun 25, 2008
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My loop is EK Supreme HF + D5 w/ Koolance Top + XSPC RX360 Triple 120mm Radiator w/ 6 Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm fans + 580GTX Full cover EK. The loop is cooling a 580GTX and a AMD FX-8150, at stock speeds. All the components are around 3 years old

When I first put together this loop my temperatures rarely got over 39C even with the CPU overclocked to 4.5GHz. Now I have no overclock and browsing the internet with it at 54C and the computer shuts off because it hits the thermal limit regularly and shuts off.

First I tried reseating the CPU and changing the thermal paste. It seemed to help a little bit, but the temperatures are too high. I tried blowing out my radiator with an air compressor and that didnt seem to help (I normally do this every few months any ways).

I have a RPM sensor on the pump and the pump still seems to be working (4800RPM). I can see the water moving the in res.

What do you think is wrong with my loop?

Maybe the CPU block is no longer tight enough to the processor because the springs on the block bracket are worn?

Maybe the pump is funky and not working like it used to? e.g.: working intermittently or turning off suddenly.

Maybe the processor just runs hotter now?



Below is a pic, the cpu block is different now, but everything else is the same
IMG_20111008_234723.jpg
 
Is the CPU downclocking at idle? Did voltages get set differently in BIOS/are they lowering at idle? Has any software changed? What does CPU usage look like?
 
I mention corrosion because ek blocks were notorious for that with their nickel blocks apparently
 
jedimasterben said:
Is the CPU downclocking at idle? Did voltages get set differently in BIOS/are they lowering at idle? Has any software changed? What does CPU usage look like?
Click to expand...

Yes the CPU is downclocking, the CPU usage looks normal with 1% as i write this. Software has not changed. Voltage is at auto right now.
 
gigatexal said:
I mention corrosion because ek blocks were notorious for that with their nickel blocks apparently
Click to expand...

I looked into it and the EK block I use is much more prone to corrosion than the current ones. I thinked I changed my water 2 times over the last 3 years, which is bad for corrosion.

As EK is looking for lasting solution for nickel plating issue (concerning corrosion because of silver coils and copper sulphate additive) we decided to halt sales of nickel plated products till solution is found and tested. Our resellers were advised to halt sales too."
Click to expand...
Lots of info here

This makes the most sense.
 
Their shitty nickel plating won't cause issues like this IMHO, the issue you would experience would be a clogged pump, but you report yours is still spinning normally.

What is voltage at idle?
 
jedimasterben said:
Their shitty nickel plating won't cause issues like this IMHO, the issue you would experience would be a clogged pump, but you report yours is still spinning normally.

What is voltage at idle?
Click to expand...

0.8V and 54C less than 3% utilization
1.34V and 62C with around 60% utilization
 
jedimasterben said:
Their shitty nickel plating won't cause issues like this IMHO, the issue you would experience would be a clogged pump, but you report yours is still spinning normally.

What is voltage at idle?
Click to expand...

Shitty nickel plating causes issues EXACTLY like this. I'm betting the nickel is stuck in the microfins of your CPU block now, reducing your flow to a crawl.
 
one annoying solution if it is the pump would be to break the system down, flush it, and per the [H] w/c FAQ posting clean everything by running distilled water through it all. Could the coloring of the coolant have caused things to gunk up?
 
gigatexal said:
one annoying solution if it is the pump would be to break the system down, flush it, and per the [H] w/c FAQ posting clean everything by running distilled water through it all. Could the coloring of the coolant have caused things to gunk up?
Click to expand...

I am using distilled with 2 drops of biocide.

I plan on taking it apart next week and cleaning, inspecting everything. I'll post what I find.
 
i'm curious to see what you find as I have a build planned with a ek nickel block, though I think it's a bit newer and hopefully not prone to this
 
Definitely clean it out, and give us some pictures, you never know what it could look like inside that CPU block!

slime.jpg
 
Either loop is clogged somewhere or pump is fked. No other options but to take everything out, and open it up now.
 
Id lean more towards air bubles, unless the EK block was bought what? 2 years ago? it shouldnt have the flaking issues (They fixed it I thought?) ....
 
W.Feather said:
Id lean more towards air bubles, unless the EK block was bought what? 2 years ago? it shouldnt have the flaking issues (They fixed it I thought?) ....
Click to expand...

Based on what he has posted, his block is approximately 3 years old.
 
I'd agree, it's either air bubbles or gunk in one of the blocks. Properly getting the air out of top mounted rads is a pain in the butt. But with an older loop if you haven't cracked open either block to check it I'm going to lean toward gunk. I was running pentosin and distilled and(i think) due to it facing the morning sun, I got some growth built up at one point in the cpu block and had to clean it out and rearranged the office.
 
I've got a EK Supremacy block, that's a bit newer and hopefully not as nickel prone correct?
 


That's what I get for waiting two years to change fluid. I cleaned everything and now I plan on running a gallon of distilled by letting it run and draining over and over.

I'll probably change the fluid every 3 months now until my next upgrade and then replace everything.

The water was disgusting too.
 
BreezeDM said:


That's what I get for waiting two years to change fluid. I cleaned everything and now I plan on running a gallon of distilled by letting it run and draining over and over.

I'll probably change the fluid every 3 months now until my next upgrade and then replace everything.

The water was disgusting too.
Click to expand...

Yuk.

You need to brush that block with a toothbrush and some dilute vinegar.
Next take off the GPU block and examine it.
My bet is there will be chunks of nickel plate simply flaked off.
The GPU block will need cleaning as well.

Your pump may be damaged by all that crap.:eek:
 
magoo said:
Yuk.

You need to brush that block with a toothbrush and some dilute vinegar.
Next take off the GPU block and examine it.
My bet is there will be chunks of nickel plate simply flaked off.
The GPU block will need cleaning as well.

Your pump may be damaged by all that crap.:eek:
Click to expand...

Yeah, GPU block was discolored but nothing was clogging it, the fins are much larger than the CPU block.
 
magoo said:
Yuk.

You need to brush that block with a toothbrush and some dilute vinegar.
Next take off the GPU block and examine it.
My bet is there will be chunks of nickel plate simply flaked off.
The GPU block will need cleaning as well.

Your pump may be damaged by all that crap.:eek:
Click to expand...

Ketchup actually works pretty well for cleaning it, good consistency for scrubbing, and the right amount of vinegar in it. Just make sure to rinse it well after cleaning with the ketchup!
 
Isn't there a plate in the middle of the bottom part that covers the fins? That shit looks really badly clogged to the point you cant even see the fins on the bottom.
 
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