Experience instability when overclocking after switching to water loop mode.
Experience instability when overclocking after switching to water loop mode.
My set up -
Mobo - Z170-A Pro
CPU - 7600k OC @4.6
GPU - Asus Strix 1080ti
32gb ddr4 gskill
Issue - unstable GPU overclock after installing water cooling loops
- I had a stable overclock on the GPU prior to watercooling. Never had an issue for weeks. I had the core clock at 2050mhz (or +70 in Asus GPU tweak terms). Memory clock was maxed and stable in GPU tweak and I had the power limit all the way up to 120%. I left the voltage alone. However with this overclock I was getting temps reaching 82c since my case is no exactly air flow friendly. Fans were on 100% and it is quite loud. I decided to go to water cooling, something I have wanted to do for a long time. However, since watercooling, my gpu overclock is unstable. My temps are down by 25-30c, now in game (usually 20 minutes before I get display driver error) I run around 53c max. My CPU almost never goes about 50c which is extremely awesome in my opinion, might push that overclock a littttle more too. However, I'm still dumbfounded. Why would switching to water make my OC unstable even though its cooler? Any advice is appreciated.
Custom water loop info-
Pump/res- xspc x4 photon 170.
Radiator - xspc EX 360 (mounted outside of my case on its own little circuit)
CPU block - XSPC Raystorm V3
Gpu block - Bitspower Clear Acrylic
Thanks
Zac
Following the installation of the new processor, I'm pleased to report a consistent overclock at 2.1ghz on my 1080ti. Additionally, my OC on the 6700k is running at 4.8ghz with an offset mode that achieves a peak VCore of 1.387v. It appears stable, though I'm still a bit unsure.
Is the GPU performing well under stock configurations? If you haven’t tested it yet, try switching to stock settings and run a benchmark to observe its behavior. Additionally, which PSU are you connecting? It’s possible that the new water loop setup has increased your power consumption, and if your PSU isn’t capable, this could affect stability.
From a logical standpoint, the same performance goals should hold with improved cooling, though minor environmental shifts can still impact consistency.
There’s also a chance that installing a waterblock might have unintentionally harmed the GPU.
I also doubt I harmed the GPU, though it's possible. I was extremely cautious with everything. My 1080 Ti is my favorite.
In that situation, it's better to try with a slightly smaller OC.
I faced a similar but opposite problem with a CPU OC.
I unplugged the PSU to adjust things, then reconnected everything and suddenly my CPU could reach an OC it had previously failed at during benchmarks.
Interesting. Thanks for the feedback, I might try another PSU too. The GTX 1080 suggests a 600-650 psu, which is at the lower end. That doesn't count the water loop and OC, so maybe I'm running a bit short on power. Appreciate your thoughts.
Interesting. Thanks for the feedback, I might consider getting another PSU and trying it out. The GTX 1080 suggests a 600-650 psu, so I'm at the lower range. Probably missing a bit on power too, maybe due to water loop and OC settings. Appreciate your thoughts.
If you own a Corsair 600, it's likely time for an upgrade considering how much you've spent on your setup. The 600W Corsairs, especially the VS and older CX models, aren't very reliable.
Zachary_49 suggests considering the CX600 modular version. PCPartPicker provides a price list with breakdowns by merchant. The recommended PSU is the EVGA SuperNOVA G3 650W, certified 80+ Gold, fully modular ATX design, priced at $69.99 on Newegg. Total cost includes shipping and taxes. This recommendation aims to avoid office-focused power supplies and prevent potential issues with a high-end GPU.