Does a loop "settle" over time?

Gertford · 4 Apr 2013 at 14:18

I've noticed a few weeks after my loop is set up that both the CPU and GPUs temperaures have slowly dropped day by day. I could chalk this up to the TIM settling but i thought it'd be worth seeing if anyone else had the same kind of experience.

Currently the CPU sits at about 31C Idle, a bit teeny high seeing as it's freezing here but I'm going to put that down to the Raystorm inlets/outlets being switched (I'd already started filling the loop before I'd realised my amateur mistake and will be switching it once the new fluid gets here.)

When the loop was first set up it sat at about 36-37 idle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining but I'd just like to know what exactly is causing it.

stuie · 4 Apr 2013 at 14:23

more likely the small pockets of air in the system are slowly freeing themselves up. Have you had to top up your res at all?

paulstung · 4 Apr 2013 at 14:45

I read somewhere, that it takes a couple of weeks for the tim to cure properly ? So maybe you are on the right way of thinking. I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference about the inlet out let. I have the Raystorm block, and i took mine apart because the machining around the holes needed a good tidy up, and the inside is the same under each port. There was no visible difference to me any way.

My temps have dropped by about 2 degrees since setting it up a week ago.Thats under the exact conditions, going by my house thermostat.

Gertford · 4 Apr 2013 at 15:03

I had to top the res up a couple days after once i'd given the whole system a vigorous shaking, but other than that, no.

With the Raystorm, it specifically says in the manual and on the XSPC website that if you mix up the holes the performance will be "greatly reduced", I dunno, I'll see once I switch it, I'm changing the colour of the fluid anyway so it's not going to be that much extra work.

Also on the TIM curing, it's MX-4, which specifically states on the packet that it doesn't need to cure, could be wrong though.

Jokester · 4 Apr 2013 at 15:31

The kind of drops you're seeing won't be due to TIM curing or residual air bleeding from the loop (unless you had a seriously large air pocket in a radiator).

If it's a new build it's probably Windows working in the background, so it's not a true indication of idle temps.

Load temps would give a better indication.

horrorxpunk · 5 Apr 2013 at 12:31

It has been pretty cold recently has your room temperature dropped over the past few days?

Gertford · 5 Apr 2013 at 17:23

horrorxpunk said:
It has been pretty cold recently has your room temperature dropped over the past few days?

It's been cold here for the past few weeks.

. If anything the temperature has increased. I really need to get a room thermometer though... And a temperature stop for the loop.