High temps with Apogee GT

[TyphooN]

I am using an Apogee GT on a Xeon X3210 Quad Core. I am getting about 54-45C Idle on cores. I get around 70-72C load. I have remounted with AS5 about 5 times now and cannot figure out the problem. My setup is as follows:
-Swiftech Apogee GT
-Swiftech MCW30 Chipset Block on my Northbridge(30c Idle, 32C Load)
-Silverprop Fusion HL on my 2900xt(40c idle, 47C-50C Load)
-Swiftech MCP655 Pump
-Swiftech MCR320 (3x120mm) Radiator

I am happy with the performance of my chipset and gpu cooling, I am just wondering why the temperatures are so hot on the CPU. Anyone have any ideas of why it is performing so poorly? The only thing that I can think of is maybe this:
http://swiftech.com/assets/images/products/apogee/base-plate-installation.gif

I did not install the base plate onto the waterblock, I installed it how it came from Jab-tech, which shouldn't have been open from the factory.. Would it be possible that swiftech would ship it out mounted incorrectly?

This is pretty frustrating because it is seriously limiting my overclock and I am sure it is not good to have my temperatures this high.

[SoulsCollective]

If you didn't open it up to check and you didn't clean it, I'd say that's your problem there.

Open the block up, clean the insides with a soft toothbrush, check the pins are oriented right, and replace the stock O-ring with the larger one to bow the base.

Also, are you using a hard mount with a backplate? This can give much better contact pressure. Furthermore, are you sure your CPU IHS is flat? Those temps are really high, which tends to suggest poor contact.

Finally, did you flush your MCR before use?

[Mekrel]

Try turning the block so that water runs across the block in a different direction. Scott did some testing and the orientation of the ApogeeGT made a different to temps.

[Eddie3dfx]

I'll install my x3210 on friday on the 680i and I'll let you know what temps I get. I have the apogee gt, mcr320, mcw30(sb), maze4(nb), mcw60 (8800gt) so my temps should be similar.
I read on a few boards that the x3210's need serious lapping.
45c degrees idle for a quad core doesn't seem all that bad

[TyphooN]

i flushed my mcr before use, no.. i am not using the hardmount, i messed it up and may order a new one. i thought that the springs would still provide enough contact pressure but maybe you are right. i agree with you soulscollective when you say the temps are high and may suggest contact problems.. I have mounted it at LEAST 5 times or more, the temps have always been the same. I didn't have to remount my gpu or chipset block and they are both satisfactory. I guess I will order some more tubing because I sort of have a few things id like to change about my loop, might as well just redo my whole loop if im going to have to take it apart to check.

[newls1]

do not use the provided blach crown nuts that swiftech wants you to use. Go to Home Depot and buy 4 6/32 thread brass open ended krurled knobs. With the end open, it will allow you to use more mounting pressure. This worked very well for me when I was using this said block. I typically see 4-5c temps variation when using open ended nuts to provide more mounting pressure. Also, might consider lapping your chip as well as this will further provide you better temps.

[TyphooN]

yea, i already have my own nuts.. i did not like the ones that they gave me, i am not ever going to lap my cpu i do not want to lose my rights to rma.. which i plan to do to hopefully get a g0 in about a month... if i can't get the performance out of this one that i want when i resolve my temperature issues that is.

edit: actually, if my temps yield a much better overclock I guess i will lap it... but that all depends on my results :).

[7499richard]

You could try adding more rad power as well, chipset, quad, and 2900 all on a swiftech is a lot imo, is the air coming off it hot when everything is loaded up?

[TyphooN]

it is kind of warm.. im sure itd be a lot warmer if i had this apogee gt problem resolved.

[newls1]

Wow, I guess I need to read better! I didnt see your cooling your GPU in the same loop. That is a REALLY HOT GPU. You really should isolate your GPU to its own loop. Your CPU temps will benefit greatly. This might very well be your issue. What CFM fans are you using?

[IanY]

The simple answer is that the quality and performance of your water cooling system is inadequate for your system. At a minimum, you would need better radiators, and you would do very well to build yourself a second loop dedicated to the cpu only with a second MCR320, if not a PA120.3. You are expecting way too much out of that single MCP655 and MCR320.

[TyphooN]

Ok, thanks for your opinions, maybe I will take the northbridge out of the loop or the GPU to see how this effects the CPU temperatures. I am using http://www.svc.com/fba12g24m.html fans. I guess I should have done some homework before setting up this loop, since I obviously overestimated the power of the radiator. How would it be if I just got another radiator and put it in the same loop? Would this be much worse than running separate loops?

Edit: I switched out the o-ring with the thicker one, temps did not drop very much at all. The barbs were set up correctly with the flow shown in the diagram. The problem for sure is how much heat I am dumping into my radiator.

[TyphooN]

Bump for this unanswered question:
How would it be if I just got another Swiftech MCR320 and put it in the same loop? Would this be much worse than running separate loops?

[Jedda]

Well you could experiment with that before buying a second pump, and see.

[TyphooN]

I took my GPU block out of the loop and stuck the stock cooler back on my 2900xt. I installed the thicker O-Ring a day or 2 ago. Now it is just the CPU and the northbridge in the loop. I have remounted the block countless times, and the block seems to be contacting the cpu quite well ever since I bowed the block(I can see the outer edges of the cpu on the block now). Basically, my temperatures are still horrible which can be seen with this screenshot:

http://home.comcast.net/~typhoon007/temps.JPG

Does anyone have any suggestions? This is very frustrating.

[AusScare]

Maybe you just got a bad chip. What is the stock speed?

[TyphooN]

2.1ghz. i don't know though, ive seen screenshots of people on air cooling getting better temperatures than me.. maybe it is just my ambient temps? idk though 70-75c seems too high though for watercooling though.