Whats going on?

Soldato
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I'll start by detailing my setup below before I describe my issue...

i7 8700k
GTX 1080
Both watercooled with a 240 SE (soon to be replaced by a 360) and a 280 SE. I have 5 fans in total 2 intake at the front, and 3 exhaust, 2 at the top and 1 at the back.

Now onto the issue...

While gaming, the GPU is temp never goes above 50c, however my CPU, at regularly hits 100c and I don't know why, I usually run it at 4.7Ghz, which I believe is totaly fine for the 8700k however, i would like to hit a stable 5Ghz if possible, but given the current temperatures I'm seeing, it currently isn't possible.

Both CPU and GPU have Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut on them.

So as per my title, whats going on? why is the CPU hitting such high temps?
 
Soldato
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Has the CPU been delidded at any point? Could be that the die of the chip is not making good thermal contact with the heat spreader.
 
Soldato
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What's your CPU block? Have you double checked it makes good contact?
This is what I would be looking into first. There obviously is a major issue because an 8700k should only be doing around 60c during most kinds of gaming.

Do you have an air cooler or know somebody that can lend you one to do a comparison?
 
Soldato
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From what you guys have said, it sounds like I need to add some more thermal paste to the cpu. I didn't add much because Thermal Grizzly is well known to shoot out everywhere like someone just blew their load, so I'll take a look and see if more needs adding

For those asking, it's a Corsair XC7, I've just added some more Thermal Grizzly as it turns out I only used half the (small) tube first time round. Idle temps are now 30c for both CPU and GPU, but my CPU is still hitting 80-100c when gaming.

I've just got a 360 rad so I'm going to replace the 240 in the top with that when I get chance,

One thing I have noticed is, I am now able to run the fans at 40% speed and idle temps still sit around 30c.

Hopefully a bigger rad will help cool it even further, I did tab out of game a few times to see it hitting 80c.

I know everyone says loop order doesn't matter but I wonder if its possible that because the GPU is first in the loop, then the CPU is having to deal with preheated water rather than the CPU being first in the loop?

Currently my loop goes RES>PUMP>GPU>CPU>RAD>RAD>back to RES, I'm wondering if it may be better to maybe go RES>PUMP>RAD>RAD>CPU>GPU>back to RES
 
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Soldato
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Is there temperature difference between tubes from CPU block?
With CPU at such hot temperature there should be clear difference.

Could be also Intel's bubblegum/toothpaste under heatspreader going bad.
 
Soldato
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I know it's already been mentioned but that still sounds like a pump issue. Do you actually see water moving through the block and coming out the other side? air bubbles moving around? There might be air trapped in the CPU block, so I'd dismount it, run the pump for a bit while moving the block to see if you dislodge anything.

The order of the components will make a difference but not to the extent that you are seeing.
 
Soldato
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I would put the problem at the CPU block. Either the contact is bad - poor bracket or not enough tension

or the CPU block is blocked and little water is passing through the fin stacks thus not actually providing the necessary cooling.

definitely dismount open the block up to see if it is decent still.

while mounted to see if the seating is correct ie if the block is kind of loose etc.
 
Soldato
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I know it's already been mentioned but that still sounds like a pump issue. Do you actually see water moving through the block and coming out the other side? air bubbles moving around? There might be air trapped in the CPU block, so I'd dismount it, run the pump for a bit while moving the block to see if you dislodge anything.

The order of the components will make a difference but not to the extent that you are seeing.

Can't see any water moving as such, there's no visible bubbles in the loop so if there are air bubbles, they're in the rads, if anywhere.

I've added some more thermal paste and after about an hour of playing Cold War this afternoon, temps are sitting between 60-80c which is a massive improvement.

I'm in the process of replacing the 240 with a 360 rad which should also help with temps although I think I need to invest in a flow rate meter so I can tell what the actual rate of water is moving around the loop
 
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