Water cooling the Asus Maximus SE X38

[WFO]

I don't see why your idea wouldn't work. I do think you may be making things more complicated than necessary. I've followed all the Maximus threads and I can't remember one person that suffered high SB temps or claimed they caused any instability. I do remember one post by someone that water-cooled his and said it was overkill. I removed the stock assembly from the heat pipe and plan to use it with Ceramique. I just haven't decided whether to pull the ROG cover off so the side-fan on my Armor can blow directly on the fins.

[Darkatom]

More pics Taloman ! I personally decided to go ahead and use a HR05 cooler on the SB as using adhesive on the board kinda scares me if it ever came time to RMA (Knock on Wood).

[Talonman]

O.K. ...

I took the advice, and also looked at the AS home page and read about Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive. It is not to be used on CPU's but is made for chips just like our SB.
I decided to go for it and attached my favorite sink for the job, (The Enzotech Forged Copper CNB-S1L), directly to my SB chip using Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive.
Thanks ~aoe~ for the sink info.

The AS Home page has this:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_s...l_adhesive.htm

Thermal Adhesive Temperature range:
- 40C to >150C (Bond strength is weakened at temperatures below 0C due to crystallization.)

I think my normal SB operating temps should stay within that range...

I like the Caution!!: Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive is a permanent adhesive.
Components you attach with Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive will stay attached forever.

Staying attached forever, sounds like this stuff playes for keeps! That is exactly what I'm looking for...

Note: The Enzotech Forged Copper (CNB-S1L) is sold as a NB cooling sink.
I will only be giving it a SB workload assignment on the Maximus, so it should do a fine job for me!
I just feel like with the sink being stuck directly to the chip, should yield some low SB temps....
Good deal.

Note: The stock SB cooler might be fine, but it is not copper like this Bad Boy.

I am hoping this will prove to be an upgrade for me. My chip to sink contact, is now much better than it was stock.
I did have to give up the Fusion cooling pipe, and any thermal advantage that it did bring to the SB....
My money says the Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive would also beat the ASUS stock goop, in a thermal performance test...
Guess we shall have to see after all the smoke clears...

I did get the sink, and lines on the mobo all lined up pritty good too.
No need for a backplate for this SB rig.

I let it set about 12 hours this way, with the weight on it....
I think the extra weight the NB back plate added, made my 'chip to sink' contact a wee bit better!!
The next guy might miss that.

I put the cardboard in there to insure my sink didn't make permanent contact with any caps.
I didn't want them to brunt any of the heat from being in constant contact with the sink.

I didn't cutt my sink in any way, just took the pins out.
Every last g of the sinks glorious copper, will be used for cooling my SB.

[Talonman]

Finished!!

Looks decent, and is locked into this spot forerever I hope....



I am thinking about installing this 40mm fan, directly on top of the sink. I am consirned that a long card would then make contact.


I don't know if the SB even needs a fan... What do you think?
Fan is rated at a full 5cfm.

[nikhsub1]

LOL, yeah you def don't need a fan on the SB, but at the same time it can't hurt either.

[Creek Tha Gray]

no ek waterblocks in mail today will have to see if they come tomorow.

[Talonman]

I wanted mine today too...

It has a CPU backplate in the order for me too.

EK-less in Ohio today so far...

[Pete]

I think you should of ground the tabs off, it would of looked neater.

Watering the SB will help make things look nicer. Im doing for shear hell of it.

It does get hot, very hot when your pumping a lot of voltage through it.

Think mine will be the only naked X38 out there! Wopp wopp

[Talonman]

I think it will be fun to see all our X38's, and the various options we end up with.

ASUS is keeping the BIOS updates moving at a pritty good clip. By the time I am up and running we should be in pritty good shape.
Even for newbies like me...

I just need to make sure the mobo runs cool for me.

I am hoping the EK NB block will help out big time in that reguard.

As far as grinding the tabs off of my SB sink...
I thought the tabs were too darn handy. If I ever decided to mount a fan on top of the sink, they stand ready to assist.

The tabs do help to cool the SB 1 extra micro-fiffie each too.

I just couldn't part with them.

I had to have both the +2 extra microjiffies of SB cooling power, and the optional fan mounts.

So how strong is this Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive? Should there be any problem supporting a small 40mm fan too, if I so choose?
Would pointing the fan down, or up be best?
If I did opt to run a 5cfm rated fan stuck to the sink, how many extra C's are we talking droppage in SB temp ya think?

[Darkatom]

Taloman could you link me the NB block you chose, thanks.

[dude_500]

I have an MCW30 on my shelf and this board, but nothing for the south bridge. Is it OK to remove the heatpipe and just use the stock cooler on the south bridge? I have an 80MM fan pointed directly at the southbridge right now. I couldn't remove the south sink to put on AS5 because the whole assembly poped off and left the south and the heatpipe came off at the southbridge for some reason. Any thoughts on using stock cooler with fan?

[ElEctric_EyE]

In this eternity we are all n00bs

[Talonman]

Taloman could you link me the NB block you chose, thanks.

Here it is ....

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/55...k_CNB-S1L.html

It can be found cheeper, but that is the one I ordered.

More of the stock ROG SB sink withought the sticker, just to give you a better idea of what it looks like.

(Green sink from old system)(ROG stock aluminum)(Microcool Chipsink SB aluminum), and the (Enzotech Forged Copper CNB-S1L) mounted on my SB.
Either that ROG pipe adds allot as far as cooling goes to the SB, or we have some room for improvement here. There is not much to this aluminum sink, nor did I have much faith in the stock compound they used to mount it to the chip!!
The ROG plate did hide how the pipe and chip are connected, but I think it cutt down on the air flow to the sink.
It might not take too much here, to officially give your SB temps an upgrade....

[Darkatom]

Here it is ....

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/55...k_CNB-S1L.html

It can be found cheeper, but that is the one I ordered.

I meant the waterblock you'll use on the north bridge.

[Talonman]

Oh, the other NB!! Daaarrrr!!!

(1) EK-NB S-MAX Acetal
- Fittings 1/2" ID

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/produc...19887e5828b204

It is going to beat the snot out of the stock block!!
The Picture I find myself staring at in wonder and awe...
http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/popup_...19887e5828b204

I will be using the Arctic Silver Premium Thermal Paste on mine, just as I do on the CPU and the D-tek.

[Creek Tha Gray]

what are you all using to get the original thermal stuff off the nb and sb?

[Talonman]

Acetone, and a paper towl to remove the lions share.

I used my ArcticClean kit, using the both the Remover bottle (1), and the Purifier bottle(2), using Q-tips in the final stages.

[cuke2u]

what are you all using to get the original thermal stuff off the nb and sb?

Hi, or nail varnish remover, it's much the same as Acetone, it's good fun if you breath it in as well
ChrisC

[dude_500]

what are you all using to get the original thermal stuff off the nb and sb?

I used the sharper end of a spatula. As long as you are careful, it doesn't scratch the surface at all.

[headala]

I heard that the stock waterblock can be removed from the stock heatsink/heatpipe assembly. Anybody seen that happen yet?

[Talonman]

I guess you could, but I don't think I would go through the touble?

[Pete]

I got mine off, blow toruched it. It's not good, very very tight and sod all in there for it to do any cooling

[Creek Tha Gray]

I got mine off, blow toruched it. It's not good, very very tight and sod all in there for it to do any cooling

you must be a nuke bc you nuked that mobo.

also about 2 to 3 hrs will know if ek blocks are here

[Pete]

you must be a nuke bc you nuked that mobo.

also about 2 to 3 hrs will know if ek blocks are here

How, it works, it's an amazing mobo and is kicking everyones ass at the moment! It's vmodded, it's got a naked X38, about the only one going about it, it clocks crazy, good low volts for nb and sb stable at silly clocks

[Creek Tha Gray]

no ek waterblocks today

intel q6700 g0 direct rom intel will be here tomorow.
now just wondering if the ek waterblocks will come to.