My setup is suddenly performing pretty poor...
 

I built this setup about a month ago.
It performed pretty good and i got socketprobe temps around 38 degrees C. One day i lapped the maze3 and the geforce3 block.
I didnt change anything else with the cooling, at least not on purpose.
Now i get temps of up to 52 degC.
Here are some pics of it:
(sorry for bad quality)

http://obasau.netfirms.com/Image000.jpg
http://obasau.netfirms.com/Image001.jpg
http://obasau.netfirms.com/Image002.jpg
http://obasau.netfirms.com/Image003.jpg
http://obasau.netfirms.com/Image004.jpg

Ideas:
* a pinched tube ?
* air bubbles ?
* displaced temp probe ?
* rad air flow impediment ?

* a pinched tube ? --> i dont see any kinks
* air bubbles ? --> i dont see any of those either
* displaced temp probe ? --> that would give me lower temps, woulndt it ?
* rad air flow impediment ? --> no everythings outta the way

im running plain distilled water, because its a copper only loop.

ack the aqua comp res!! im so jealous!!!

Did you try reseating the block? I dunno im new to this stuff :)

i reseated the maze3 again.
still no improvement.
Im using AS3. I applied a very thin layer like it says on their website.
Somethings wrong here...

How did you lap the blocks? To make sure that it is flat it should be done on a mirror or a pice of glass. Anything else may cause it not to be flat. Also after you are done placde the block on a flat surface to make sure you did't actually round the edges and therefore cause it not to be flat.

i had them on a piece of glass.
i first used 400 then 600 and then 1000 grit.
i also had the sandpaper wet all the time.

Re lap it with 600. Someone did a test that showed more than that was causing problems.

Are you sure your temperature is 52 degrees C? I have a air cooled system that started at 40 degrees C, but went up to 50 degrees C. I was concerned but could do nothing to lower it by much. It kept going up till it reached 100 degrees C and then after that it was showing negative temperatures. It turned out my temperature probe on the motherboard went bad. That system is a ABIT KT7A. You can not always believe what your motherboard sensors report. I also have a ABIT KR7A that reports my voltages lower than they really are. I thought I had a bad power supply.

@ Jholub : i trust my mobo probe because its showing 41 deg C now with stock speed and 1.85V. And its a brand new KX7, too.

@ webmedic : ok i'll try that. but does it make that much of a difference ?

Not sure I didn't read the article but I just heard about it.

All I know is that I never get those kind of temps unless my waterblock is not seated right and since you have ruled that out it couldn't hurt. Also I can't tell from the foto's but what size tubing are your using and what parts are you cooling with?

It looks like a bix with your setup. If it is that may be part of your problem they cool ok but not as well as a heater core. And last if your system is using 3/8 tubing do try to goto 1/2 inch instead.

Also what are your room temps because if your room temp goes up so will your cpu and case temps. For instance here during the summer temps get into the 90-100f reange and during the winter it's around 70f in my shop. That extra 10-30f makes a difference in how cool my cpu runs.

i wouldnt bother relapping it. as far as the rounding is concerned, its no big deal. the edges will typically round from the lapping, but the last time i checked the core sits in under the middle of the block, not the edges :p

you might try putting on a little more paste (you shouldnt be able to see the core under the paste).

try laying the sustem down on its side for a moment; air could be trapped inside the rad...

ok i relapped the waterblocks again.
the temps are waaay better now.
yeah its a BIX and the tubing is 6mm ID. yeah i know thats pretty thin but this company here in germany uses those really cool fittings and they only have em that small.
my room temps are pretty cool, like 19 deg C, cause its a basement.

Wow that 19c should help things allot. On my system during the winter I get about 24c system and 30c cpu but during the summer I have more like 29c and 35c cpu.

i guess my problem is the casetemp then...
it goes up to 29-30deg C !

I've read the same article that WebMedic did, and actually, although they were testing 600 grit as the optimal lapping (as per some spec somewhere), they found better results from 800 grit.

the lapping should be ok now, but i think since the radiator is inside the case the water gets too warm...
do you guys think it would help ducting the 2 80mm fans in the front to the BIX ?

Re: My setup is suddenly performing pretty poor...
 

[quote]Originally posted by Obasau
[b]I built this setup about a month ago.
It performed pretty good and i got socketprobe temps around 38 degrees C. One day i lapped the maze3 and the geforce3 block.
I didnt change anything else with the cooling, at least not on purpose.
Now i get temps of up to 52 degC.
Here are some pics of it:
(sorry for bad quality)

QUOTE]

Hrmm, other than what everyone else has said:
1) switch to 1/2" tubing and Nips (will drop temps 1-2C usually)
2)Build a spacer shroud inbetween your Fan and rad... bout 1-2in at least
3) MOVE it to the very front of the case, so that more cooler outside air will get to it. From what it looks like, it's a sucking setup, so it's also pulling warmed air from inside the case
4)How did you lap the blocks? You might have worn a side more than another slightly, which could be causing a slight gap, which is all it takes to screw temps up...Relap that block with a mirror or very flat object.
5)Do some impression tests with your thermal grease to make sure the block is making optimal contact

Good luck dude! :)