Powerful Cooling

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 14:28

I've decided to replace my H100i as it can't quite keep my 5ghz processor cool enough in my sweatbox of a room. I'm open to suggestions for what would be the best option. (aside from proper water cooling)

I'm thinking that ill need one of the beast air coolers, such as the Phanteks. Open to suggestions. No Noctua as i can't stand the colours even though their cooler is excellent.

EDIT

Went with the red Phanteks cooler.

setter · 21 Apr 2014 at 14:52

Alpenfohn k2 mate, almost as good as the phanteks, on a par with noctua d14, but costs way less. Stock fans are pretty good too. But can be improved further by swapping to 2x 120mm high pressure fans, akasa piranhas or corsair sp PWM models being ones ive used on it.

ukbilleh · 21 Apr 2014 at 14:56

do those air coolers really beat a h100i?

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:01

setter said:
Alpenfohn k2 mate, almost as good as the phanteks, on a par with noctua d14, but costs way less. Stock fans are pretty good too. But can be improved further by swapping to 2x 120mm high pressure fans, akasa piranhas or corsair sp PWM models being ones ive used on it.

Well im going to return the H100i which cost me £84 so i had that much to play with. Decided to go with this in the end because ive owned one before so i know what its like and how much cooler is it than the H100i. Its a bit of an eye sore, but what can you do? At least the colour of it will match my reference 290's.

I abandoned my blue theme a while ago.

setter · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:02

Nice choice Matt, btw did you not own a phanteks a while back?

That would look nice with my case and board.

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:06

setter said:
Nice choice Matt, btw did you not own a phanteks a while back?

That would look nice with my case and board.

Yep i owned the Blue version, which i later ended up selling. It was cooler and quieter than the H100i, but not as pretty.

Tonester0011 · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:22

Proper water cooling

You know you want to, it makes sense

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:29

Tonester0011 said:
Proper water cooling
You know you want to, it makes sense

I do want to, just can't afford it...yet.

pgi947 · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:34

LtMatt said:
I do want to, just can't afford it...yet.

MM scouring, you could do a CPU only loop for a ball hair more then that H100i cost.

Tonester0011 · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:36

LtMatt said:
I do want to, just can't afford it...yet.

Second hand matey

Very cheap parts can be found. Could do a CPU loop for not much more than the £84 you shelled out on the H100 and offer better cooling than your lump of metal that now sits on your CPU

Just try and spend a few more ££ on the pump that way you'll be able to add in your GPUs at a later date without having to spend more on another pump...

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:42

pgi947 said:
MM scouring, you could do a CPU only loop for a ball hair more then that H100i cost.

Tonester0011 said:
Second hand matey
Very cheap parts can be found. Could do a CPU loop for not much more than the £84 you shelled out on the H100 and offer better cooling than your lump of metal that now sits on your CPU

Just try and spend a few more ££ on the pump that way you'll be able to add in your GPUs at a later date without having to spend more on another pump...

Last time i worked out second hand water cooling costs with Petey, for the same price i could've bought a new 290, though that was cooling for the gpu.

I'm going to do it eventually, but probably when i change my whole rig and components in a year or two.

Tonester0011 · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:56

That's fair enough

Just keep your eyes peeled though

Picking up cheapish parts when they show up will net you a decent loop for hardly any ££

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 15:59

Tonester0011 said:
That's fair enough
Just keep your eyes peeled though

Picking up cheapish parts when they show up will net you a decent loop for hardly any ££

Will do. I probably will go second hand initially as ill likely mess something up so would rather practice on used parts and potentially an older gpu without the fear of breaking the latest and greatest stuff.

Rroff · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:05

I've found the antec kuhler 1250 very good for cooling performance... however I've been considerably less than impressed with it in other aspects - if you don't mind something that smells like a dank pond, pump noise like a small fridge then whacking it on extreme mode (fans are all but silent normally but sound like a hurricane in extreme mode) then it does give very good cooling performance. Personally outside of testbed/extreme non-exotic cooling use I wouldn't touch one again though.

http://aten-hosted.com/images/1250c.jpg (idle and full xtu load temps in extreme cooling mode albeit in a temperature controlled environment)

I don't think your really going to do better than the H100i give or take 1-2 degrees without going to something more exotic or spending a lot of money on proper watercooling.

Tonester0011 · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:10

LtMatt said:
Will do. I probably will go second hand initially as ill likely mess something up so would rather practice on used parts and potentially an older gpu without the fear of breaking the latest and greatest stuff.

Watercooling isn't anywhere near as daunting as people make it out to be, not a lot can really go wrong if you're careful. If you do have a leak whilst filling, the fluid wont magically kill the components just sitting on it, dry it up replace the leek with an onion and try again

Putting the blocks on GPUs is simple, cut up the tape slap some MX-4 on the core and put on the block lol

Hardest part, if you're like me and have fat hands is tightening the compressions if you've done a tight loop...

Oh...and plan for taking the thing apart, i always forget so when bleeding the loop its a pain, split more fluid taking things apart than putting together

LtMatt · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:10

Rroff said:
I've found the antec kuhler 1250 very good for cooling performance... however I've been considerably less than impressed with it in other aspects - if you don't mind something that smells like a dank pond, pump noise like a small fridge then whacking it on extreme mode (fans are all but silent normally but sound like a hurricane in extreme mode) then it does give very good cooling performance. Personally outside of testbed/extreme non-exotic cooling use I wouldn't touch one again though.

http://aten-hosted.com/images/1250c.jpg (idle and full xtu load temps in extreme cooling mode albeit in a temperature controlled environment)

I don't think your really going to do better than the H100i give or take 1-2 degrees without going to something more exotic or spending a lot of money on proper watercooling.

Excuse the question but do your pipes stink as well? I mean the tubes on the pump. The tubes on my H100i smell like an old mans crotch. Weird as none of my previous H100i tubes smelt like this. Its almost as if some old dude at the factory has swiped his testicles down each tube before packaging the item up. I'll be glad to be rid of that smell in my case i can thee.

Rroff · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:16

LOL

Nope - the only smell on this one is when its operating it comes out the exhaust side of the rad - when the system is shutdown no smell at all. My old swiftech kits though the tubes would smell a bit dank.

Uncle Petey · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:19

LtMatt said:
Will do. I probably will go second hand initially as ill likely mess something up so would rather practice on used parts and potentially an older gpu without the fear of breaking the latest and greatest stuff.

Everything that Tone said, plus it's easier than fitting an Accelero which you've done plenty of times

wazza300 · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:21

don't sniff things then

as for an air cooler Im running the d14 and silver arrow,and the silver arrow is the best imo

use some liquid pro paste aswell,that'll knock off another 3c over any paste

Rroff · 21 Apr 2014 at 16:21

Silver arrow is generally considered to be one of if not the best air cooler but clearance can be an issue with RAM.