Official Water Cooling Thread of the Stock Maximus SE ROG NB Club:

[Talonman]

What I would like to establish some kind of idea of what 'typical' NB temps members are getting, when they do run the stock ROG block.

Asus'es official stance:
Fusion Block System:
H2O ready: The next step in thermal solution.
The Fusion Block System is a more efficient thermal solution compared to competing followers with complicated looks. It is a hybrid thermal design that combines the ROG´s renowned heatpipe design with the additional ability to connect to a water cooling system. By taking the entire integrated solution into design considerations, the user can enjoy exceptional thermal improvement to north bridge and south bridge with a single connection. The Fusion Block System is the most versatile, efficient, and the most advanced thermal system there is on a motherboard.

The Maximus SE boxes official stance:
Fusion Block System:
H2O Ready: The next step in thermal solution. The Fusion block system combines the ROG's renowned heatpipe design with the ability to conduct to a water cooling system for a 47% increase in thermal performance compared to other heatpipe designs.

Here is our collection of LOADED NB temperatures reported my various members. I would like to see more aftermarket loaded NB temperatures hit the chart too.
Please feel free to submit your data, and this chart will be updated.
We are looking for the hottest temperature, your NB can hit, under max load!
We are giving both the ROG stock cooling, and the aftermarket blocks full credit, for being able to keep a NB happy at idle by default.
That is why I felt recording the NB temperature at idle was not worth it. I was really more interested in the failing point.
This log's purpose was to simply record how high our NB temps were able to climb on the Maximus SE, using our current cooling solutions.

Some lessons I think we have learned about the Maximus SE:

1) If you are running the stock ROG cooling, and decide to remount it using a higher quality TIM, you may see as much as a 10°C drop in NB temp under max load.

2) If you decide to go with an aftermarket water block, you can possibly see another additional 10°C drop in your NB temp under max load.

3) Raju found that loaded NB temps over 47°C have been prone to failures, during longer Prime torture test runs. This is not an exact number, nor should it be considered as such. It is simply ment to help give you a better idea, of what NB temp you might wan't to avoid, for the best system stability. I don't believe it is a hard line drawn in the sand that can't be crossed, but rather use it as a guide myself, and was grateful for the information posted in his findings.
Raju's and Bingo13's Maximus SE review: http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3149

Members reported loaded NB temp's using the stock 'Republic of Gamers' cooling:
ROG Member ----- NB volts -- NB Loaded -------------------------- CPU ------------------
bill d ------------- 1.30v ------ 34°C ------------------------------ Q6600 @ 2.4GHz
TheSamuri -------- 1.54v ------ 34°C -------------------------- Q6600 GO @ 3.9GHz (Reseated W/MX-2, NB was 48°C)
Renegade5399 ---- 1.65v ------ 34°C --------------------------- E6850 GO @ 4GHz
ragge86 ---------- 1.65v ------ 36°C ------------------------------ Q6600 @ 3.8GHz
.OCX ------------- 1.57v ------ 38°C ---Orthos Beta for 10 hours --- E6750 @ 3.4GHz
initialised --------- 1.52v ------ 39°C --- After 10mins of SP2004 ---- E4500 @ 3.2GHz
NysoO ------------ 1.60v ------ 39°C -------------------------- Q6600 GO @ 3.6GHz
raju -------------- 1.65v ------ 39°C --- Prime95 Torture Temp ---- Q6600 @ 3.6GHz (Reseated W/new TIM, NB was 49°C)
DerekFSE --------- 1.50v ------ 40°C -------- Running Orthos ------ E6400 @ 3.6GHz
BulldogPO -------- 1.65v ------ 40°C - 24/7 QMC crunching clocks -- Q6600 @ 3.8GHz
giorgos th. ------- 1.47v ------ 41°C ------------------------------ Q6600 @ 3.60GHz
neo rtr ----------- 1.70v ------ 42°C ----------------------------- QX6700 @ 3.6GHz
Aldy402 ---------- 1.63v ------ 43°C -------------------------- Q6600 GO @ 3.825GHz (NB was 62°C-65°C, loaded on air)
weescott --------- 1.74v ------ 43°C ----------------------------- Q9550 @ 3.8GHz
j0nnyr0773n ------ 1.54v ------ 44°C -------------------------- Q6600 GO @ 3.6GHz
Clump ------------ 1.62v ------ 46°C ---- After 1HR of Prime 95 ---- Q6600 @ 3.6GHz

Members reported loaded NB temp's in the 'Aftermarket Block Club':
ABC Member ---- NB volts -- NB Loaded ------------------- CPU --------------- NB Block
Creek Tha Gray ---- 1.61v ------ 24°C -- occt at 30min -- Q6700 @ 4.2GHz ------ EK S-MAX (Vapor Phase Change user)
Nikhsub1 ---------- 1.52v ------ 25°C ------------------ Q6600 @ 3.7GHz --------- MCW30
Talonman --------- 1.57v ------ 27°C --1.5hr Prime95 -- Q6600 GO @ 3.7GHz ------ EK S-MAX Acetal
WFO -------------- 1.46v ------ 30°C -Folding 48Hrs - Q6600 GO @ 3.7GHz ------ EK S-MAX Acetal
Clunk ------------- 1.74v ------ 35°C - Prime over night - Q6600 @ 3.6GHz ------ DangerDen Maze4

I am currently giving the block full credit for being copper:

Today I port matched the Fusions block inlet/outlet to the barbs i.d. Got copper shavings in the process. The block itself is copper "not" aluminum.

I stole these quotes from the "ASUS Maximus Formula SE " thread in the INTEL section of the board (Page 58 and 59):
It made me feel pritty good that my OC'ing performance might not take a big hit running the stock ROG block.

OK, I am highly suggesting plumbing the Fusion block into your loop if you can. Dropped NB temp from 47°C to 34°C under load. NB volts at 1.65. It also helps anything on the heatpipe lose a degree or two, my SB temp is down some too. It didn't kill my flow too bad, dropped it some, but not bad. All I had was a CPU block in the loop anyways. And the MCP655 has a lot of push power.

I haven't tried without the fusion block, but i have the same temps with it connected. 33°C idle, 36°C load on NB. Around 32°C both idle/load on SB. ~1,65v on NB.
I have a SB X-Fi Gamer card in my last PCI port and i've got no problems at all with it.
Run my Q6600 on 3,8ghz (423*9) 1,5v vcore 100% Stable
btw. Best board i've ever owned for overclocking

Thanks for the post's boys!

Is there any other water cooling members using the ROG's NB block? If so I would love to hear a report on how it is doing for you.

Post up some temps. If she is a good block, or good enouigh to amply cool the NB, let's make it official.

One reference shot of my loop, and my progressing build details are located here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=160606