Asus Blitz Extreme alternate NB/SB/Crosslinx cooling - underneath the heatpipes

Ever wondered what's under all those heatpipe heatsinks on the Asus Blitz Extreme (DDR3) motherboard ? :)

Asus Blitz Extreme
+
Radiical Chipset Waterblock
I thought why not try water cooling the Northbridge ? From reviews water cooling on the Fusion Block System didn't improve overclocks at all only temps. So thought doing away with Fusion Block system and instead use my Radiical Chipset waterblock in a Corsair Cool single 120mm radiator/fan with MCP350 pump in a 3/8" tubed loop.

Stock motherboard cooling with Swiftech G4 Storm installed

http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_01.jpg http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_03.jpg

Southbridge, Crosslinx core, Northbridge P35 chipset core and mosfets.
http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_07.jpg http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_12.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_17.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_18.JPG

A look at the state of the TIM appliacation on NB, SB, Crosslinx and mosfet heatpipe heatsink

http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_19.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_22.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_25.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_29.JPG

• For Northbridge core used Radiical chipset water block with 3/8" barbs.
• For Southbridge core cooling used a heatsink off my old Asus P5W DH motherboard.
• For Crosslink core cooling used a heatsink off an Abit motherboard with Sekisui #5760 thermal tape - sawing off one side's retention piece.
• For mosfet cooling, reused some Microcool aluminium heatsinks with Sekisui #5760 thermal tape.
• I used some 3M Scotch Vinyl insulating tape over NB core components and also near dimm slot cloest to cpu socket as the Radiical chipset backplate is touching some pins coming out the back of the motherboard.

http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_32.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_40.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_43.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_45.JPG

http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_51.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_61.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_68.JPG http://i4memory.com/reviewimages/mot...Cooling_75.JPG

But NB temps dropped from 32-40C to 23-26C and SB temps dropped from 32-36C to 28-30C at similar voltages :)

Update: Actual figures

Well here's before and after at same 8x450FSB 1:2 900mhz 7-6-5-18 4-48-6-8-8 at same vFSB/NB/SB voltages of 1.34v/1.49v/1.05v respectively.

• Before = stock heatpipe heatsink NB/SB/Crosslinx/Mosfet with 120x25m Spire 96cfm fans cooling them
• After = Radiical Chipset water NB + P5W DH SB heatsink/Abit blue heatsink Crosslink/Microcool Aluminium heatsinks for Mosfet with 120x25m Spire 96cfm fans cooling them

Before

• MB = 24C Idle / 25C Load
• NB = 34C Idle / 37C Load
• SB = 32C Idle / 33C Load

After

• MB = 25C Idle / 25C Load
• NB = 27C Idle / 28C Load
• SB = 31C Idle / 31C Load

Before
Idle/Load
http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...blend_idle.png

http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...blend_load.png

After

Idle/Load
http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli.../cpuz_idle.png

http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...blend_load.png

how come you didnt try the stock NB block?

thats what I really wanted to see...

Are those drops from stock to separate water or from stock with water to separate water?

Kunaak, it was already done by others so thought I'd skip it :)

According to http://www.awardfabrik.de/index.php?...id=154&seite=1 the stock FBS dropped from 68C passive to 46C water

Quote:

---

The water cooling is consisting a simple Customsystem, of a dual radiator, which is platziert on the housing bottom with two 120mm exhausts, a Eheimpumpe with AGB, 10/eight hose (reducers for thicker hose lie in addition, with) and the NexXxos XP-CCU-radiator. The temperature of the water was measured with one in the cooling circuit integrated sensor, the temperatures of the individual components (MT, NB and SELF-SERVICE) with ASUS SAMPLE, CCU with core temp 0,95 after 1 h Prime (25,2, attitude Custom) was selected.

vCore: 1.40 V (BIOS)
FSB Termination: 1.30 V (BIOS)
Northbridge vCore: 1.52 V (BIOS)
vDimm: 1.72 V (BIOS)

The vCore nevertheless relatively strong was remarkable vDroop with increased. With 1.40 V stopped in the BIOS, both ASUS SAMPLE and CPU-Z indicated only 1.33 V. Unfortunately no further increase of the FSB was more possible on these cooling conditions.

If the Northbridge became warm already nearly 70°C with purely passive enterprise, the small exhaust brought an improvement of approximately 15°C. After we had integrated the Main board in the water circulation, there was over 20°C temperature improvement. The water temperature rose on only around 1°C (the ambient temperature was almost constant when all measurements). The Motherboard and Southbridgetemperatur were lowered over for instance 5°. The integrated water cooling thus quite makes sense. A clear decrease of the Main board temperatures is to have to take possible without a rise of the temperatures clear for it in the cooling circuit in purchase.

---

Quote:

---

@6x550FSB
NB passive cooled = 68C
NB air cooled = 54C
NB water cooled = 46C

---

jkresh, those drops are from stock FBS with fan over it to separate water at 1.51v and below NB volts although even the stock FBS NB with a fan over it never showed more than 45C at upto 1.75v NB volts.

Quote:

---

Before

* MB = 24C Idle / 25C Load
* NB = 34C Idle / 37C Load
* SB = 32C Idle / 33C Load


After

* MB = 25C Idle / 25C Load
* NB = 27C Idle / 28C Load
* SB = 31C Idle / 31C Load

---

not much difference in temps i see... good find eva2000 :up:... i may have to conjure up something similar. i really dont like those heatpipe contraptions that so many boards seem to have..

Yeah it seems stock heatpipe heatsink with fan over it is already pretty cool itself :)

Temps on NB are pretty good even at 1.55v :)

Limited to 485FSB but OCZ PC3-14400 Platinum @DDR3-1940Mhz 8-8-8-27 at 2.12v vdimm is pretty nice :D

http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...01_everest.png

http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli..._bandwidth.png

Buffered
http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...ra_buff_tn.png

Unbuffered
http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli..._unbuff_tn.png

1M
http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...m_12s922ms.png

32M
http://fileshosts.com/intel/Asus/Bli...2m29s453ms.png

I have to admit, the quote from awardfabrik.de is a nice translation! ;) :D

Back to topic, it seems the watercooling is not really necessary on this board, as it runs pretty cool compared to my Striker. Do you guys think watercooling would be a good investment for the Striker?