MCR-220 not enough for my setup?

[shifty803]

My setup is as listed in my sig down there at the bottom. From online calculators, my processor and fx card combined have to dissipate something like ~250 watts of energy at 3500 mhz and 1.4875v. I am using two of the low dba yate loons on my rad.

With an overclock of something like 3150 mhz, with about 1.4 Vcore in BIOS, I barely break 40C on load. However, with the settings in my sig - 3500 mhz and Vcore 1.4875 in BIOS - I go from a 34-35C idle straight to 53-54C load when I crank up orthos or an Xvid encoding session.

Do you guys think this is due to the fact my rad just can't handle that amount of heat?

Edit: just to clarify, it is not so much the actual magnitude of the temperatures i care about (i know those are probably inaccurate), but rather the change in temps. the lower overclock is <10C change, whereas the higher one is a ~20C change. quite a difference.

[entropy]

Go ahead and look at the heat diss vs. flow rate graphs for your radiator. (http://www.swiftnets.com/)

Given a DDC+ pump and fairly low restriction blocks, I'd think the MCR-220 would be able to handle a 250 watt heat load. However, the Yate Loons may be too low powered for that setup. If noise is not an issue I'd aim for fans that push ~70cfm. (Look at the fan specs at the bottom of the Swiftech page).

Also I'm certain a new waterblock will drop you several degrees. Compare. (http://www.procooling.com/index.php?func=articles&disp=131) :fact:

Lastly I'd consider an investment in a PA120.2 which can outperform a MCR-320 at given fan speeds. (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=77260) Or if you have the room you could get a PA120.3, but I don't think that is necessary.

My setup is similar to yours with an additional 2 x hot x1900 cards. My block is a Storm and radiator a PA120.3. I use Yates SL. My temps are < 40C under load + 3dmark. My vcore is at 1.4, however. :cool:

[shifty803]

Thanks! That study on the radiators was very enlightening. I had seen the swiftech graphs before, but couldn't find much data on the thermochill series other than it was both "good" and expensive.

I will have to decide if I'm willing to drop 130$ for a new rad, when I already spent 45$ on the one I've got. Should've gotten the PA120.3 in the first place probably.

[Levish]

if temps don't get significantly better when you crank up the fans it's not the rad

[shifty803]

Yeah I just ordered a fan controller for some Yate Loon Ms. We will see how that goes.

I feel like it has to be that, because my rad is only rated to take out about ~200-225 watts or so at my flow rate and fan cfm. According to some things I've looked at, my cpu and gpu probably dissipate more heat than that under load at such a high overclock... so I think faster fans should allow me to keep up. I read that a 1.5v vcore setting @ 500 fsb is like 180 watts... yikes. The huge difference in delta T's with the higher overclock seems to back up that theory.