CPU cooling problems with Nepton 140xl and i7-3930k
CPU cooling problems with Nepton 140xl and i7-3930k
Hi everyone,
I have a few things I need to figure out.
I have had a Cooler Master Nepton 140xl installed on my i7-3930k for about 2 years now. I have been able to overclock to 4.3GHz previously ok and temps at load would max out around 75C. Idle is anywhere from 30-40C depending on room temp. I had expected a bit more to be honest.
In the last week or so I noticed the temps at load had gone up above 80C and when I did a stress test it went to 90C. I have cleaned out the system entirely of dust, including all the fans. I have dialed back to 4.1 GHz but it still seems to be running hot. I am going to replace my thermal paste with Arctic Silver MX-4 in the next week or so when it arrives. Current using Arctic Silver 5 (about 2 years old). Also replacing the radiator fans (these are too noisy).
In trying to figure out what's going on I noticed something odd in Asus Fan Xpert - the RPM for the Nepton pump is at c.7,500RPM. I know this is actually not the RPM as voltage is actually measured but this has always seemed high. Doing a bit of research suggests I'm right. I have moved the pump from CPU_FAN header to CHASSIS_FAN 3 header and it's the same. I can adjust the speed but know you're meant to keep this at a constant. When I did reduced the speed I saw the temps increase a fair bit - I'm talking 5-10C when reduced to around 5-6,000RPM.
Basically I want to get the best cooling performance I can out of this. I think I'm doing the right things in cleaning the system, applying new paste and upgrading some fans but I've never been that satisfied with the cooling. Does anyone have any suggestions one what more I can do with this set up? Also any advice on the RPM issue I mention too?
Advice appreciated.
I maintain the pump at a steady voltage and it consistently spins around 7000 RPM. Reducing the speed below 6000 caused temperatures to rise by about 10°C, leading to a processor that was overclocked beyond its safe limits. The cooler's water block or pump contact surface feels quite rough, which I plan to improve next time. This should help lower temperatures slightly. The radiator stays much cooler than the processor, suggesting the CPU/block heat transfer isn't optimal. I'm using a high-quality TIM, the Noctua Nt-h1.
I maintain the pump at a steady voltage and it consistently spins around 7000 RPM. Reducing the speed below 6000 caused temperatures to rise by about 10°C, leading to a processor that was overclocked beyond its safe limits. The cooler's water block or pump contact surface feels quite rough, which I plan to improve next time. This should help lower temperatures slightly. The radiator stays much cooler than the processor, suggesting the CPU/block heat transfer isn't optimal. I'm using a high-quality TIM, the Noctua Nt-h1.
So you're suggesting the RPM might be fine? It's been this way since I've had them, and I'll check the cooler surface after a week or two when I change the thermal paste. I'm hoping that works out. I really aim for around 4.3Ghz with solid cooling. My main use is flight simming, which is known to be CPU-heavy.
Yes, 7000 RPM is typical for 12v systems. The exact value varies between samples just as it does with fans. Pumps are generally designed to operate at full speed continuously. At reduced speeds they may lose synchronization with the permanent magnet impeller and deliver less fluid.