i9 9900 Build Cooling
i9 9900 Build Cooling
I noticed a lot of discussions about specifications and features, but nothing really practical. That's why I decided to share my experience.
I used a Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra with 32g 3600 GSkill Trident and storage options ranging from 2TB to 8TB. The setup included an 850 EVGA Platinum and a Corsair 115i AIO case. My first attempt was with an Asus Hero, but the BIOS failed to reach more than 3.6ghz. After switching to the Gigabyte model, it worked properly and improved to 4.7/5.0 using the GBs OC tool. It reached 5.3 for some benchmarks, though it wasn't stable with Handbrake, which motivated me to create a new build.
The system overheated significantly, reaching temperatures around 165W with a 50x multiplier, dropping to about 98°C at 70°F ambient. I explored advanced watercooling and considered Noctura 3000 fans, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, I opted for a high-performance 240mm radiator setup, achieving a noticeable cooling improvement.
For gaming, I'm running two 4K HDR monitors with free sync at 60Hz. Most games run smoothly up to 4K in HDR, though FPS drops are sometimes visible. I managed to keep 60FPS in a raid battle with two accounts, including 60FPS on both screens. While some might criticize the setup, it's a solid solution for my needs without breaking the bank.
I'm open to feedback and wondering if upgrading the CPU heatsink with better cooling components would help. The temperature difference between the CPU and case was still around 30 degrees, even after equalizing the Corsair block.
Please let me know your thoughts!
I'm still getting the hang of things (went through two gig z390 boards), but if you're OCing, you should set your AVX offset to -2 or -3. This will reduce your OC by 300 MHz when the CPU deals with AVX instructions, especially when using handbrake. My current setting is 4.9, and I expect the OC to drop to 4622 on cores handling AVX instructions.
It helps save some CPU power. As for temperature, it runs in the mid-70s while running handbrake, with the house at 72°F. The wife adjusted the thermostat up to 74°F, but my temp alarm went off (like the sirens on ships during WWII when there was an attack) – it would reach 85°C or a few cores hit 85°C just from a small rise in ambient temperature.
Just a quick note, I'm setting up a PLAX server with roughly a 600 Bluray collection. I'm trying to preserve it for personal use, not for distribution.
You're still getting the hang of things (had to go through two gig z390 boards). When optimizing, set your AVX offset to -2 or -3. This will reduce your OC by 300 MHz if you use -3 when the CPU hits heavy AVX workloads, and handbrake does support AVX. My setup is still at 4.9, but with handbrake I see the OC drop to 4622 on cores that run AVX instructions.
It helps save your CPU power, and the room temp stays around the mid-70s when running handbrake, with the house at 72°F. The wife adjusted the thermostat up to 74°F, but the temperature alarm went off—similar to the sirens on ships during WWII when an attack was imminent. It would reach 85°C or a couple of cores spike to 85 just from a 2°F rise in ambient temperature.
I've been considering liquid cooling, but it's really confusing. Once you lock in the right configuration, someone might just say "XXX" brand is a bad idea and send you back.
I'm also curious about the fans—do they blow hot air into the case?
I'm still getting the hang of things (experienced with two gig z390 boards), but when OCing, you should adjust your AVX offset to -2 or -3. This will reduce your clock speed by 300 MHz if you use -3 whenever the CPU deals with heavy AVX workloads, and handbrake does support AVX. My current setting is 4.9, so running handbrake will show an OC drop to 4622 on cores that handle AVX instructions.
It helps save your CPU power, and regarding temperature, I run in the mid-70s while handbrake is on, with the room at 72°F. The wife adjusted the thermostat up to 74°F, and my temperature alarm went off—similar to the sirens on ships during WWII when an attack was imminent. It would reach 85°C or a couple of cores would spike to 85 just from a 2°F rise in ambient temperature.
I've been considering liquid cooling, but it's really confusing—once you lock in the right configuration, someone might randomly mention a "XXX" brand and send you back to confusion.
I'm curious though, you mentioned "...and the fans that came with the 115i are pushing more air into the case." Are they blowing heated air directly into the case?