Swiftech H20 cooling issues

HatMan

HatMan

HatMan

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Hi All,

My new Swiftech H20 120 Compact is currently cooling my PC with a Noctua 1200rpm fan running at 12v. At idle I have 46,46,46,48C Not only is this crap it's almost twice as hot as the previous HSF I had a freezer 7. Anyone experienced this before?
 
Seems strange that previously your idle temps were <30.

The current ones seem more realistic. What's the load temps?

Heatsinks have improved massively over the past few years and really closed up on watercooling. Cheap kits don't offer much over GOOD air. The good air coolers are often cooler and just as quiet. The only thing cheap WC kits offer is the fact that they are watercooling. You buy into the concept, not the performance.
 
I hear what you say ***FIZZY*** I bought the kit because magazines say it is superb. It is very well built and well thought out. 30 mins with Prime and I have 63c on all 4. I'm running a Q6600 B3 stock with 9 x 266, CPU is at 1.325v stock. I used Coretemp latest version for measurements as Speedfan gives me "fairyland" results. My system temp is idle at 50c
 
The limiting factor in cooling is often getting the heat into the air - whether this be at a heatsink on the cpu or at the radiator after the water has carried the heat away.

A single 120mm rad is probably about the same size as a decent top end air cooler in surface area - so that will always be your limiting factor.

One advantage you will have is that you can have the "heat exchanger" (rad) bit away from the cpu and out of the case.

Have you got your rad fan taking air from in the case and passing it over the rad to the outside? You could probably save a few degrees by taking slightly colder air from outside and blowing it into the case, passsing over the rad on the way. If you get what I mean - outside -> in, not inside -> out.
 
I thought Noctua fans where bad for radiators due to there poor blade design (poor static pressure).Have you tried another fan?
 
I have not tried Outside to in based purely on the fact my system temp is steady a 50c rising to 63 during Crysis. What fans do you recommend for water cooling? The one supplied sounds like a jet engine.
 
Amidar said:
I thought Noctua fans where bad for radiators due to there poor blade design (poor static pressure).Have you tried another fan?
Click to expand...

I have this set up of fan and radiator and it seems to work fine, but I wasn't aware of these issues with the noctua fan.

If there is a fan that will perform better with a rad than the noctua, at the same noise levels, then i would be keen to know?
 
Pump is loud ??!

I too have just bought a H20-120 and read that the supplied fan was too noisy. I read that 60cfm was ideal for the kit. I bought a Noctua 1200 as I have already got one in another PC and they are really quiet. It pushes 48CFM at 1200rpm although Speedfan is reporting it running at 1341rpm at the moment. The fan is pulling air through the rad from the inside of the case to the outside, which I know adds a couple of C's to the temp but where its fitted this is my only air outlet so I cant really have air pushing in from the outside.

I fitted it all yesterday. It is currently idling at 32c (Q6600 @ 3ghz) which is less than it was with my Big Typhoon (37c).

Are people now saying the Noctua is no good ? What is a good quiet fan. One thing that alarms me is the pump is really noisy and the loudest thing in my PC. (I have tailored everything else to be fairly quiet eg I have 2 x 240mm fans which are very quiet in my Xclio case) so now I am thinking whether its worth it as the pump is louder than the Big Typhoon cooler I had previously.

Anyway, a tip I was told was that once the H20-120 has been running a while check the CPU block and if it is very hot to touch then it is because there is air in the system, so I was advised to turn the rad upside down, then back again to get the air to the top then slowly open the filler cap to let the air out, bit like bleeding a central heating radiator.
 
It's not that the Noctua S12 is no good, it's a good fan for CFM/noise ratio but it has low static pressure which means any dense heatink or radiator will mean the fan will struggle to pull/pull air through it. They have released the P12 which has quite high static pressure whilst remaining quiet.

Is it the pump that's humming? Or is it a resonance noise because the block obviously vibrates which may vibrate against motherboard/processor socket?

I'm not sure what the instructions are like with the H20 compact, but is the rad/reservoir combo higher than the ApogeeDrive? Make sure it is with the top off, and then tap the ApogeeDrive with a screw driver or even better remove it hold it so one of the barbs is at the highest point of the block. This will help air to get out. Give the tubes a good squeeze so no air is lodged inside them as well. Make sure the top is off the reservoir when bleeding and trying to get air to escape.
 
Mekrel said:
It's not that the Noctua S12 is no good, it's a good fan for CFM/noise ratio but it has low static pressure which means any dense heatink or radiator will mean the fan will struggle to pull/pull air through it. They have released the P12 which has quite high static pressure whilst remaining quiet.

Is it the pump that's humming? Or is it a resonance noise because the block obviously vibrates which may vibrate against motherboard/processor socket?

I'm not sure what the instructions are like with the H20 compact, but is the rad/reservoir combo higher than the ApogeeDrive? Make sure it is with the top off, and then tap the ApogeeDrive with a screw driver or even better remove it hold it so one of the barbs is at the highest point of the block. This will help air to get out. Give the tubes a good squeeze so no air is lodged inside them as well. Make sure the top is off the reservoir when bleeding and trying to get air to escape.
Click to expand...

Its the pump thats humming. The radiator is screwed into the rear 120mm slot which is opposite the CPU block with about 1/4 of the radiator higher than the cpu block. I've managed to get some more air out of it and it does sound slightly quieter but I`m still a bit surprised I expected them to be near silent.

As for the fan I've also got a Silverstone FM121 120mm 9 fin one and also a Coolink SWiF-1201 120mm Case Fan I guess either of these two would be better?

I might buy myself some new clear tubing and fresh coolant and give it another go.
 
Mekrel said:
It's not that the Noctua S12 is no good, it's a good fan for CFM/noise ratio but it has low static pressure which means any dense heatink or radiator will mean the fan will struggle to pull/pull air through it.
Click to expand...

Yep, Noctuas make for superb silent case fans, but lousy rad/heat sink fans.
Try a Yate Loon or Nexus instead.
 
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HatMan said:
...I used Coretemp latest version for measurements as Speedfan gives me "fairyland" results. My system temp is idle at 50c
Click to expand...


I have my doubts about Coretemp 0.96. It differs by +15 degrees over TAT, Rivatuner, Coretemp 0.95), and has also raised the Tj.Max from 85c (version 0.95) to 100c which I believe is incorrect for the E2180 ( I stand to be corrected).
 
MikeTimbers said:
Pumps are always noisy until all the air is out of the system. Be patient.
Click to expand...

I am quite patient......:D

I took it out of my PC and ran it away from the motherboard and it is virtually silent. So the noise if from vibration. I've added rubber grommets to the motherboard and it has made a slight difference. I guess I`ll have to live with it.
 
varkanoid said:
I am quite patient......:D

I took it out of my PC and ran it away from the motherboard and it is virtually silent. So the noise if from vibration. I've added rubber grommets to the motherboard and it has made a slight difference. I guess I`ll have to live with it.
Click to expand...

I've got a custom pump holder for my computer case coming Friday, which I've bought some thin neoprene for. So once I've used what I need, I should have a fair bit left over.

If you want, just email me your address and I'll chuck some in the post FOC. Then you would just need to cut out some make shift washers around each of the posts. Grommets might lift the block off the CPU. What pump is the ApogeeDrive made from? 18 or 10w?
 
Mekrel said:
I've got a custom pump holder for my computer case coming Friday, which I've bought some thin neoprene for. So once I've used what I need, I should have a fair bit left over.

If you want, just email me your address and I'll chuck some in the post FOC. Then you would just need to cut out some make shift washers around each of the posts. Grommets might lift the block off the CPU.
Click to expand...

I tried grommets on the ApogeeDrive and it did lift it off the CPU too much. That would be great I will send you my address.


What pump is the ApogeeDrive made from? 18 or 10w?
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean ?
 
The ApogeeDrive is a Laing DDC pump installed into a newly machined housing that also doubles up as the blocks top, barbs and mounting mechanism. I've taken DDC's apart before, and without looking at an ApogeeDrive, I would imagine it could easily be swapped out with the insides of a 10w DDC if they do use an 18w. That would cut down on noise.

Edit: It's already a 10w DDC.
 
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