Coolit Boreas - trying to carry on where CornerJack left off

[SteveRo]

So I wanted to see if the Coolit Boreas could handle my i7.
The i7 with high volts (both cpu v and qpi v contribute) and with hyperthreading turned on creates a very large amount of heat.
I plan to compare the boreas to air and to water cooling at the same settings and then compare the boreas to water at my max oc with HT on (4.24 ghz).
So first some pics - (I apologize for the untidiness)

[SteveRo]

ok so now to compare - all at 4ghz HT on -
first air cooling,
then water cooling
then the boreas set to slightly subambient -

[SteveRo]

Probably no one runs a boreas with their cpu at stock - but just for a data point - here is a short prime run of i7 965e at stock (optimum settings with ggbt extreme mobo F5e bios) -

[zipdogso]

So the Boreas did quite well...did it achieve what you wanted it to that's the main thing ?

[SteveRo]

So the Boreas did quite well...did it achieve what you wanted it to that's the main thing ?

The jury is still out - more to come.
Next up - with v's just within the intel maximums -
Comparing water to boreas for -
1. max oc HT off - 4.43ghz
2. max oc HT on - 4.24ghz

(note regarding case #2 above vs. my signature claims (below) - I had 4.3ghz HT on prime stable - 8 hrs but this was cheating a little - runing out of spec cpu v of 1.575v in bios, vs. intel max spec cpu v of 1.55v)

[SteveRo]

Next up - with v's just within the intel maximums -
Comparing water to boreas for -
case 1. max oc HT off - 4.43ghz

[SteveRo]

At 4.43ghz, ht off - looks like water cooling has caught up to the boreas!

[ReverendMaynard]

Great job with the comparisons Steve, thanks for sharing this with us.

[rge]

+1... awesome job Steve. High end water versus boreas is much better point on information than any review I have read.

[SteveRo]

Great job with the comparisons Steve, thanks for sharing this with us.

+1... awesome job Steve. High end water versus boreas is much better point on information than any review I have read.

thanks guys, 4.2 ht on compare coming up next

[Hondacity]

wow thanks for the numbers....

[dejanh]

This is very helpful to me as well since I have been thinking to trade in my FZE for a Boreas. However, I am thinking now that I may benefit more by introducing a dual rad into my FZE loop and let the FZE chill the cooled water.

[Ultrasonic2]

So in the end it's as good as water cooling with load temps of 69c

buy a second unit and connect them together then you might get worth while temps

can you explain whats in your Watercooling loop for comparision please.

buy the way this is about 290 watts of cpu heat

[NeedMoMegaHurtZ]

@ultrasonic2 - unless he's changed it, the wc configuration is listed in his sig with a link...

Could you please add some comments on noise levels?

Thanks for sharing the results SteveRo, nice job!

[SteveRo]

So in the end it's as good as water cooling with load temps of 69c

buy a second unit and connect them together then you might get worth while temps

can you explain whats in your Watercooling loop for comparision please.

buy the way this is about 290 watts of cpu heat

@ultrasonic2 - unless he's changed it, the wc configuration is listed in his sig with a link...

Could you please add some comments on noise levels?

Thanks for sharing the results SteveRo, nice job!

Good afternoon, yes same wc loop as in my sig.
Regarding noise -
I have my computers on an open rack in a basement closet and I keep the door closed most of the time.
I have all cables running out through adjoining walls.
Consequently I am (mostly) isolated from fan noise.
But when I have the closet door open - the boreas when flat out - makes a lot of noise - as loud as when I have my wc'ing running full blast (4x120 ultra kaze).

[SteveRo]

So in the end it's as good as water cooling with load temps of 69c

buy a second unit and connect them together then you might get worth while temps

can you explain whats in your Watercooling loop for comparision please.

buy the way this is about 290 watts of cpu heat

Is 290 a lot?
Is there an easy way to compute this or is there a tutorial I could read up on?

[SteveRo]

This is very helpful to me as well since I have been thinking to trade in my FZE for a Boreas. However, I am thinking now that I may benefit more by introducing a dual rad into my FZE loop and let the FZE chill the cooled water.

One of my next experiments is going to be -

boreas - block - feser quad - ST 355 with XSPC top - boreas

I will lose significant flow going from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch but worth a try anyway don't you think?

[NeedMoMegaHurtZ]

I was going to say most people say for that price: don't even thing about tec cooling...but your wc setup isn't exactly "average"

What are the totals if you price them up (incl. clamps, hoses, fans, block,rad etc..) head to head? The retail boreas comes with everything in the kit?

[Ultrasonic2]

One of my next experiments is going to be -

boreas - block - feser quad - ST 355 with XSPC top - boreas

I will lose significant flow going from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch but worth a try anyway don't you think?

http://extreme.outervision.com/tools.jsp

well it's only worth while if your water temps are above ambient . if there below ambient then its counter productive . as in the rad will be heating the water up.

[SteveRo]

I was going to say most people say for that price: don't even thing about tec cooling...but your wc setup isn't exactly "average"

What are the totals if you price them up (incl. clamps, hoses, fans, block,rad etc..) head to head? The retail boreas comes with everything in the kit?

total cost boreas vs high end custom water - pretty close to the same, the feser quad is rather pricey
The boreas set up might have been a little more but not much, for sure < 50$ delta.
and yes, the boreas came with everything, plumbed and filled - http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ducts_id=23096

All that I have changed on the boreas so far - took off the supplied tim and applied mx-2 .

[SteveRo]

http://extreme.outervision.com/tools.jsp

well it's only worth while if your water temps are above ambient . if there below ambient then its counter productive . as in the rad will be heating the water up.

well water temps are a little above ambient - not much - maybe 1-2C
(Correction on this - after measuring the water temp in the reservoir with a digital thermometer, I believe the max water temp at max intel volts and max oc is subambient).

[SteveRo]

Well for the life of me I can't seem to get 4.24 HT on to run under the boreas - not sure if it is the boreas or me.
Everything is the same except water traded out for boreas and a human operator.
It always reboots at 19-24 minutes into priming - four tries - max temps for each try was - 77, 78, 78, 79C.
Compare to - with water only -

[rge]

So again looks similar to water, on quad rad with high flow fans.

I am interested in what happens when add Rad to TEC as well. But like Ultrasonic2 said if water is already ambient, cant do better than that with more passive cooling...have to have more active cooling, or better transfer, or need to be able to cool cpu from both sides, instead of just the top, intel needs to redesign the socket

You can use everest to estimate TDP. According to intel white papers, think it was turbo doc, TDP can be estimated on I7 as it is dependent on this value for turbo being enabled/disabled. Since everest/lavalys has NDA docs, I imagine they are reading value correctly. And given turbo on F3 bios, disengages at 110-120 W TDP per everest as it should, I believe it reads fairly accurately.

Computer outside in 6C temps with box fan blasting on open case got water temps to 7C. ran prime/coredamage just 30 seconds for TDP, temps.

1.52v, 4350mhz, 198W prime load at 61C, 208W coredamage 66C. Water temps 7-8C.
1.55v, 4400mhz, prime 224W load at 65C
1.68v, 4600mhz prime 270W at 81C (W varies some), coredamage/linx 303W, water 8C (just ran 10 seconds or so for readings)

At 1.55v is 263W TDP with linpack/coredamage, pic here of everest:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...5&postcount=32

Both Steve and mines delta from water to core temperature is 54-58C at 1.52-1.55 vcore, if want ~55C load temps, need ~0C coolant. And 73C from core temp to water temp at 1.68v cpuz on mine. Steve, you answered my question about boreas helping my benching, answer is no.

[SteveRo]

rge,

Yes, I think your assessment may be correct.

I still plan to try to put the feser quad in the loop and collect the data.
boreas - block - feser quad - ST 355 with XSPC top - boreas.
I am expecting no more than 1-2C improvement because that is all that my coolant is currently running over ambient.
I may not even get that because I will be reducing my flow rate due to going from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch barbs (boreas constraint).
Going from the coolit block to the GTZ block might help.

I agree that adding more active cooling would be the ticket to lower temps.
Adding another boreas in series would probably do it but I nor my wallet are ready for that just yet.
Could two boreas in series get us to 0 C water temps?
How much of an additional overclock would that get us?
I would expect max oc prime stable 4.4 to 4.5 maybe 4.55 ht on.

[bldegle2]

very interested in your endeavors, especially interested on what will happen when you incorporate the Boreas and all the other Bigwater/hiflow stuff with the 1/4" Coolit line restriction......

i was a bit disappointed that adding an eliminator to to my present setup netted only about 7*c lower temps across the board (idle and full load, caveat here, I did raise the vcore .250 more and running 100mhz more clockage), was expecting more.....

i have read the 92mm fannage on the Boreas can get rather loud under load.....much the same with the single 92's that come with the smaller units....changing to 120's helped with the noise considerably....

following you here and over @the Coolit Forums...

great work...

laterzzzzz...............