Cooling & Overclocking FX-8350
Cooling & Overclocking FX-8350
So I've got a few questions here that hopefully somebody can help me out with.
First up is at what sort of temperature's should I feel comfortable overclocking My FX-8350. And if the Noctua Nh-C14S would be able to handle the overclock ed chip.
Next is yet another cooling question.
Just last night I decided to shift the 120mm fan that came in the front of my Spec-01 to the back of the case to exhaust heat from the CPU. The temperatures I got in games afterwards seem slightly worse at max than they did before moving the fan. But not by much. I hit 57 degrees in need for speed most wanted (origin gave it to me... it's bad) and my gpu hit a max of 66 degrees.
Before moving the fan I had a max of 52 degrees after about 3 hours of Tomb Raider 2013 and 55 after 3 hours of MGSV TPP.
And 67 on the gpu
So I dont really think it's necessary to go through the hassle of moving the fan back to the front. However I'm wondering if it'd be worth getting an NF-F12 industrial (or the regular one) for a case intake at the front. Note that those fans range from about $29-$52 in Canada.
And another question incase I just end up abandoning air cooling. What would be a good 120mm water cooler for this CPU. I've seen the h60 and h55 mentioned aswell as the h80i and h100 but I've also heard some bad things about them and I have an SSD and an HDD so there's no room for a 220mm radiator.
Thanks for all help in advance. I'm really loving this site so far.
your temperatures are quite high, but with just a single case fan (assuming it's a rear exhaust and installed correctly so it doesn't blow air into the cooler?) those increases are mainly due to the lack of a front intake. you definitely need both a front intake and a rear exhaust for proper airflow—this is exactly what it means. not trying to be sarcastic here.
the noctua is fine enough, though not ideal. with 120mm water coolers, you’d save around $60-70, especially in a spec 01. just rearrange your case airflow so it has a front intake plus a rear exhaust, and you should stay around 50°C max.
you don’t need to invest close to $50 in a front intake—there are many affordable options available.
i haven’t seen your GPU model, but if you overclock the noctua, it can reach about 4.5ghz once the case cooling is optimized. the main thing is knowing your motherboard model—it’s crucial for everything else.
your temps are quite high, but with just a single case fan (assuming it's a rear exhaust and installed correctly so air isn't entering the cooler?) those increases are mainly due to the lack of a front intake. You definitely need both a front intake and a rear exhaust for proper airflow – that term clearly explains it. Not trying to be sarcastic, of course.
The Noctua cooler isn't perfect, but it should work fine – 120mm water coolers won't hurt, especially if you're on a budget. Just rearrange your case to improve airflow; a front intake plus a rear exhaust should keep things around 50°C max. You don’t need to spend much on a front intake – there are affordable options available for around $20.
You didn’t mention your GPU model? If you overclock the Noctua, it should handle up to about 4.5GHz when the case cooling is set up well. The main thing is knowing your motherboard model, as that’s crucial.
Thanks for the quick reply! I think you’re on the right track. The Corsair logo should point to the back, just like it did when it was an intake.
Your GPU is a Gigabyte Gtx 960 Windforce with two OC modules, installed in the top X16 slot of an ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0.
Do you have a suggestion for an alternative to the NF-F12? One reason I moved the fan to the back was because my tower sits right next to me, making that fan very loud in front, especially during games. I also reached my maximum temperatures during those sessions, as reported by HWMonitor – I couldn’t monitor the active temps well since I didn’t know how to do that in-game.
Jon-93 shared some insights on optimizing case temperatures. He mentioned that with just a single rear exhaust fan, the temperature rise is mainly due to the absence of a front intake. He emphasized the importance of having both a front intake and a rear exhaust for proper airflow. Jon noted that while the Noctua cooler is decent, it might not be worth the investment for a standard 01 build, suggesting a potential waste of around $60-70. He recommended improving the case airflow by adding a front intake and a rear exhaust, which would help maintain temperatures around 50°C or lower. He also advised against spending much more than $50 on a front intake, pointing out that there are affordable alternatives available. Jon mentioned his GPU model and asked about the motherboard, highlighting its significance. He also shared tips on monitoring temperatures using tools like HWMonitor and Cam by nzxt, recommending specific software for better insights. He suggested using low-speed fans (140's) if noise is an issue and provided links for fan recommendations.
The temperatures are quite elevated, but with just a single case fan—assuming it's correctly installed as a rear exhaust—it's mainly due to the absence of a front intake. You definitely need both a front intake and a rear exhaust for proper airflow; that clarification is important. The Noctua model isn't perfect, but it should perform adequately if you use 120mm water coolers. You should focus on improving case airflow, adding a front intake along with a rear exhaust, which would help keep temps around 50°C at most. You don’t need to invest heavily in a front intake—other options are available for around $20. You haven’t mentioned your GPU model, but if you overclock the Noctua, it should reach about 4.5GHz when the case cooling is optimized. The motherboard model is also crucial to consider. Thanks for your quick response. I think you’re on the right track. The Corsair logo should face backward, just like when it was an intake. Your GPU is a Gigabyte Gtx 960 with two OC fans and it’s installed in the top X16 slot of an ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0. Do you have a preferred alternative to the NF-F12? One reason I moved the fan to the back was because my tower sits right next to me, making that fan very loud, especially during games. Those were the highest temperatures I recorded, as reported by HWMonitor. I couldn’t monitor active temps while playing since I don’t know how to do that in-game. For monitoring, you can use hwinfo64 and msi afterburner—there’s an overlay that displays detailed info. It’s a bit of a setup, but once it works, it’s perfect. A simpler option is Cam by nzxt: https://camwebapp.com/. It shows CPU usage, temps, and GPU stats without needing much configuration. Fans are recommended; two 140mm low RPM fans would be ideal if noise isn’t an issue. You can also check out the Fractal Design Case Fan fan list for more choices. It’s not perfect, but it works well. If you want to stay quiet, the front intakes are a solid choice—great airflow and minimal noise. I might try them since they’re affordable on NCIX, though shipping costs aren’t included. Also, when you mentioned keeping temps at 50°C max, did you mean at normal speeds or at 4.5GHz? I’ve seen people reporting temps as high as 68°C during games, with some even claiming 75°C—others advised buying an aftermarket cooler.
The 4.3/4.4 mark is usually when you need to start increasing the voltage on the 8 cores for stability. That’s also when the balance between clock speeds and performance becomes almost insignificant, in my opinion. At 4.3ghz with good case airflow, I don’t see your CPU exceeding 55°C under heavy loads with that Noctua cooler. In fact, case airflow often matters more than the actual CPU cooler. You can use a high-quality cooler, but if it’s slowing down the airflow from the GPU in 50°C+ cases, it will severely limit performance. You’re unlikely to make a mistake by adding a few of the fans I mentioned—you were expecting a 120mm fan for about $20, and two 140mm fans for a bit more will provide much better results.
So I ended up purchasing just one fan. I chose the Corsair AF140. One of the reasons was that the only other compatible fan header I have on my motherboard is located at the rear, which would mean the fan cable would have to cross over the GPU and isn’t particularly long enough.
Another concern is that once it ships, the price would likely exceed what I expect in terms of quality.
Also, placing a fan behind the drive cage doesn’t seem practical.
Anyway, aside from that, I haven’t noticed much change in my CPU temperatures.
I haven’t yet tested my usual games but instead played three rounds of CS:GO at maximum settings without motion blur, which I prefer.
I checked HWMonitor (which I had to use because NZXT’s CAM blocked CSGO launches) and it showed my max temperature at 53°C. Unfortunately, I didn’t play the game before adding the fan, so it’s not a reliable indicator.
Right after CSGO, I played about an hour of Bioshock Infinite at maximum settings, which didn’t raise the temperature further.
I’m aware that CS:GO can be quite CPU-heavy, but given that Tomb Raider pushed it up to 52°C, I think adding this fan made a noticeable difference.
I know the room temperature could also play a role, but it was quite cold—cold enough that I actually had to wear a sweater.
This is mainly just sharing my observations. But I’d also like to know if the NH-C14S down-draft cooler design affects things. Specifically, would the way case fans are arranged interfere with air reaching the heatsink?
With tower coolers, air flows more naturally from front intakes through the heatsink and then to the rear exhaust before exiting the case.
But with a down-draft cooler, the air would enter similarly but might be directed toward the motherboard or side panel before reaching the back. Or, in my imagination, the exhaust could be pulling cold air away from the CPU cooler before it can pass through the fins.
I don’t know if anyone else is still following this thread, but I’ll share some pictures later. If anyone is interested, they can provide feedback or joke about my cable setup.
I haven’t found any discussions that really address down-draft coolers. Hopefully, this thread will help clarify things.
Share some images, buddy. The noctua cooler might not live up to the reviews, but the intake should lower GPU temps more than CPU temps.
Sure, I'll take some pictures.
It's not really a concern about GPU power since I've reached around 68 degrees, which I think is quite high for a GPU.
It's also odd that the temperatures haven't changed even though the sides of the case feel cold.
Additionally, the thermal paste I'm using is the NT-H1 provided with the Noctua cooler.
Running a prime95 test (standard start will suffice) while maintaining and monitoring the CPU status on the screen, and observing the thermal margin after 3 or 4 minutes. I anticipate a minimum of 20°C, likely around the mid-20s with that cooler. If I'm using the button with those temperatures, the 52°C reading in Tomb Raider might not be entirely reliable.