Performance degredation with AIO watercoolers? :)

Akagi

Akagi

Akagi

Caporegime
Joined
29 Jul 2011
Posts
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In acme's chair.
Any of you, like me, running an AIO watercooler which against all the odds has survived many years?

I think my H100 is getting on for 9 years old now, it still works but the pump is audible now where it used to be silent, the lights on the waterblock have stopped working (though they occasionally flicker dimly), and my CPU temps are considerably higher than when it was new, I assume because the non-replacable fluid has signficantly degraded?

So I think its time has come!

Does anyone make a 200MM AIO?
 
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How do you have the tubes orientated? According to Gamers Nexus, if you have the tubes orientated upwards (above the block), you'll get less performance and a buzzing sound from the pump since gravity is pulling the water down away from the tubes, creating an air gap. If so, you might be able to turn it around and get it running again :)

Lots of good reviews on the Artic Cooler 240 right now, if you can fit that. Anyway, thought I'd mention the above, good luck! ;)
 
SirCanealot said:
How do you have the tubes orientated? According to Gamers Nexus, if you have the tubes orientated upwards (above the block), you'll get less performance and a buzzing sound from the pump since gravity is pulling the water down away from the tubes, creating an air gap. If so, you might be able to turn it around and get it running again :)

Lots of good reviews on the Artic Cooler 240 right now, if you can fit that. Anyway, thought I'd mention the above, good luck! ;)
Click to expand...

Interestingly, I thought that putting the radiator lower than the pump may create bubbles in the pump and increase noise/ decrease performance!
 
It's not so much the direction of the tubes on the block, as where the highest point is/points where air can gather. Ideally you want the pump being fed from above, and for air to gather in the radiator tank by keeping it at the highest point in the loop.

Regarding your setup @Acme, if you've cleaned your radiator and fans/case/filters, and checked the orientation as above, it's possible it's degraded or getting gunked up. A good case clean and cooler repaste will tell you! I'd suspect some air will have found its way into the loop over time as fluid evaporated through the tubing.
 
It is set up optimally, the block/pump are the right way up and the radiator is mounted above them.

I'll stick some new compound under it tomorrow. It is dust free, I'm fairly confident it has just had it.

I am tempted to attempt to replace the coolant though. I know you "cant" do it, but I'm sure you can with a bit of ingenuity.

I think I can probably extract the old coolant, and inject new coolant with a hyperdermic needle in the tubing, then gently touch a soldering iron in the tiny hole to re-seal it.
 
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I know I would! Probably by removing the cold plate and overfilling, maybe even submerging it. I'd be tempted to try and hack a service valve in but it wouldn't end well...

First things first though, while the cooler is off the CPU shake it around and see how much is sloshes. Sloshing = air :)
 
Lawl, well, I removed it, and as I was doing so it started leaking from one of the elbow joins where the tubing connects to the block... So that's toast now!

Lots of sloshing, sounded like there was more air than coolant in it...

Now on the hunt for a spare cooler... :o
 
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