System Overheating even with a Corsair H100i

TheWiseWaffle · 3 Dec 2013 at 15:32

Hey all, I'm having an issue with my system in that its overheating, even just when its sat in idle for about 20-30 minutes. I have a Corsair H100i Closed watercooling unit that just isn't dissipating the heat. Usually, for those of you that are familiar with the corsair solutions, I have the default fans that came with the H100i in PULL CONFIGURATION and I could typically leave the Corsair Link 2 software to run the 2 connected fans in Quiet mode, which, even under load would keep my system at about 60-65C, however, after I first noticed my system was very hot I set the fan profiles up to performance, which automatically set the 2 pull fans up to 100% usage and I saw no difference in temperatures at all. I haven't touched the RPM divider in the corsair link 2 software as honestly, I don't know exactly what that does and there is a small message in the software saying to leave it.

When I opened my system up and put my hand over the CPU block/pump, it was vibrating which lead me to believe that it was still pumping. but, I don't really know what the issue is here without full tearing my system apart and checking it for leaks. (I don't open up my system very often, is it all at all possible it may have leaked and then dried out?) What would somebody recommend I do? I''ve owned the unit since the end of April 2013 and i purchased it from amazon, so barely even a year, which is why I don't think it could be anything to do with the unit itself, there are no kinks or sharp bends in the hosing.

System Specs:
AMD Bulldozer FX-8150 8-core @3.6Ghz Overclocked to 3.8Ghz
Asus Crosshair formula V mobo
Asus Direct cu-2 7870 2Gb
Corsair 8Gb RAM @1600Mhz
Corsair H100i Cpu Closed water cooling unit with default fans in Pull Config.
Corsair Force GT 120Gb SSD
Corsair AX750w PSU
Corsair SP120mm fans down volted to 7v via small adapaters.
Corsair 600T Graphite case
Various harddrives.

(yes, I like Corsair)

Thanks for any help anyone can give me, I'm having to write this on my latop right now which is 5 years old and its painfully slow, I need to get my pc fixed again for my University work, my laptop can't handle large 3d modelling programs so i need a quick turnaround on fixing this.

Bart_Hunt · 3 Dec 2013 at 15:40

A lot of people report problems with closed loop corsair coolers lately.
I have seen at least 4 cases this week.
To be honest I would consider going for the custom closed loop cooler build by OCuk instead of that corsair, it is much stronger, will last longer and can ever cool your GPU if you want to add it to the loop.

YOUR BASKET
1 x OcUK Tech Labs Fathom All in One Custom Cooler 240mm £108.17
- 1 x Mayhems Ultra Pure H20 Watercooling Fluid 1L £4.99
- 1 x XSPC EX240 120mm Radiator - Black £37.99
Total : £160.75 (includes shipping : £8.00).

iron_monkey · 3 Dec 2013 at 15:40

First thing i would do is take it off and check the tim to make sure it was making a good contact with the cpu. when i got my h100i the backing plate didnt fit tightly, i had to use some washers to pack out the backplate to get a tight fit.

scotsdragon · 3 Dec 2013 at 15:41

Anything is possible unfortunatly you may have to break it down to figure it out, did y ou get the stock cooler with it?

TheWiseWaffle · 3 Dec 2013 at 15:49

scotsdragon said:
Anything is possible unfortunatly you may have to break it down to figure it out, did y ou get the stock cooler with it?

I did yes, however I don't have any thermal paste to put on it, but thats easily fixed seeing as there is a maplins near me, though i know they'll likely overcharge me. Of course I'll need to change it out for the time being, but would you recommend me getting in contact with corsair about the issue? don't all of their products come with a year warranty by default?

scotsdragon · 3 Dec 2013 at 15:53

i would recommend putting on your own cooler and seeing if this fixes the problem or you may even find the issue with taking it apart to fit you stock cooler, just remember to keep all your bits together as nothign worse than losing somthing you need (got to love tupperware) lol

TheWiseWaffle · 3 Dec 2013 at 16:00

iron_monkey said:
First thing i would do is take it off and check the tim to make sure it was making a good contact with the cpu. when i got my h100i the backing plate didnt fit tightly, i had to use some washers to pack out the backplate to get a tight fit.

I think it is making good contact, the new H100i (as compared to the old H100 comes with the easy cool for either AMD or intel, and I therefor didn't need to remove my default amd mounting bracket, but like I said I've had it since April, I very much doubt there would just be issues arising now with it not being mounted properly surely?

I briefly checked the radiator and there was barely any dust inside of it so it can't be due to dust clogging that it's not getting a good heat exchange. I have it in pull because after watching a Linus tech tips video when he compared push to pull configurations he concluded there was a negligible difference in the two, however push actually push more dust in between the fans and radiators. plus, there isn't room inside of my case for push due to the inside being a little tight, so I've set it to a pull configuration with the fans under the top removable plate you can find on top of the Corsair 600T.

TheWiseWaffle · 3 Dec 2013 at 16:08

scotsdragon said:
i would recommend putting on your own cooler and seeing if this fixes the problem or you may even find the issue with taking it apart to fit you stock cooler, just remember to keep all your bits together as nothign worse than losing somthing you need (got to love tupperware) lol

well, Luckily I kept all the original boxes for everything I bought except ram and harddrives, But i'll get in contact with corsair and see if there is anything I can do like ship it back to them etc. I've had a few issues in the past with power cuts to my property, and some slightly stupider flat mates who will immediate flip the breakers back the other way, before they've reset, thereby cycling my computers power on and off a few times, that wouldn't have ****ed over my cpu would it? I mean, at one point it did reset my bios, but luckily all I had done is take out the american megatrends boot screen for quicker load times. is it even possible for a cpu to eventually fail and emit so much heat that a water cooling unit would fail to keep it cool? I know thats a stupid thing to ask but its all stuff i'm considering right now, I'm a student so I'm kinda just cringing thinking about numbers. I'll change the cooler out and keep this post updated.

scotsdragon · 3 Dec 2013 at 16:14

Not that i know of especially not after one year, i think I probally is just the Corsair cooler, just make sure if you are OC'ED and going back to stock cooler to reset your oc back to stock, when your computer is running and you put your hand above the corsair radiator is the air warm or cool?

TheWiseWaffle · 3 Dec 2013 at 16:18

scotsdragon said:
Not that i know of especially not after one year, i think I probally is just the Corsair cooler, just make sure if you are OC'ED and going back to stock cooler to reset your oc back to stock, when your computer is running and you put your hand above the corsair radiator is the air warm or cool?

Yeah, I'm going to do an OS reset anyway, I'll also give everything a dusting out now. I found out I have a 5-year warranty on my *edit* on the cooler, not the system, so when I reinstall stock cooler if everything is fine I'll be right on the phone to corsair about replacing/fixing it. Cheers for the help.

TheWiseWaffle · 4 Dec 2013 at 01:52

Ok, so I've just rebooted my system with the stock cooler in it, and was running a game at 65-75 degrees, from what i saw tabbing in and out. I plugged in an old psu and connected the Corsair H100i to it and cycled the power by connecting a black and green wire on the mobo 24 pin with a bent up paper clip to connect the two, the pump was definitely, going, and i could feel it vibrating as it was working. shook it a little too hear if i could hear the liquid sloshing around inside and I could, so i don't exactly know what the issue is with it, i'll have to talk to corsair. the thermal paste i went out to buy was antec formula 7 nano diamond, so there goes £14.99. right now, the system is idling at 70C with chrome, CPUID HWMonitor and skype open.

I don't have any better software to check all 8-cores, because every monitoring tool i've tried doesn't support amd's fx-8150 and show me temperature readings from all 8 cores.

Here is a screen grab of the CPUID HWMonitor with the temps its displaying and the voltages. I haven't manually overclocked, these are all set from the Asus Crossfire V Formula's onboard overclock button. There are also some images of my system, to show how the tubing was in my system, with no excessive kinks or twists, as well as the spread pattern of the thermal paste on both the cpu and the Corsair h100i's Cpu block/pump. AND YES, I KNOW, IT NEEDS A CLEAN

http://imgur.com/a/nxzaz#pa91JWU

scotsdragon · 4 Dec 2013 at 08:38

seems high even for that chip did you go into bios and make sure how everything was set and nothing had changed without you noticing it?

Panos · 4 Dec 2013 at 10:22

Hi,

First of all the FX8xxx shouldn't run that hot on idle.

So initial point of investigation is the paste - cooler connection.

You need to get from here the Artict Silver MX-4 is absolutely amasing product and cheap.

Next. You need to bring down the whole system.

Clean the CPU and the copper plate of the H100. Apply a thing line of paste across the centre of the AMD cpu (as you see the letters horizontally) and two dots above and below at the centre.

The AMD CPUs do not need smothering with paste, because the center of the lid is higher up than the sides. And that is where the connection is made.

Forget what you know about push-pull configs, optimisations etc.
Having mod the corsair fans, you probably lost the airpressure they provide at high voltage (which is pathetic to start), hence you have those issues. Airflow alone isn't enough on watercooling. And probably you did so, because of the extra noise.

So replace those cheap crap corsairs either with 4 Apache or Enermax Magma in push-pull config. They are quiet fans, no need to mod them, and provide a lot of air pressure the Corsairs lack even at top speed where they sound like vacuum cleaners.

You gonna need those fans no matter, and they are good investment to be used until the die, aka forever. (doubt I will run my pc 100,000 hours ever).

Press the button on the H100 to have all 3 led on, and if temps still stay high, then you have issue with the pump.

I have 4 Magma with the H100, and used it on both my overclocked FX8350@5Ghz and now the 4820K also. Best investment in fans ever, and replacing the paste to MX4 dropped the temps 5C over the H100 pad and Artic Silver 5 I had.

Hope I was of some help.