Initial Custom Water Loop (High CPU Usage)
Initial Custom Water Loop (High CPU Usage)
I’m a newcomer, yet I’ve spent years exploring forums and this platform. After nearly 18 years crafting computers, I needed to ask for assistance.
This machine is only six months old, but I recently replaced my graphics card and upgraded my AIO with a custom water loop from EK Water Blocks. This project was both nerve-wracking and thrilling for me.
Here are the specifications for the PC:
- Intel i7 7700k (delid with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal) (OC to 5.0ghz @ 1.36v)
- ASUS STRIX Z270H motherboard
- 32gb Corsair Vengeance LED Memory (3000mhz, 1.35v, 15-17-35)
- EVGA GTX 1080ti FTW3 (EK liquid cooled water block) (2000mhz, 11,800mhz memory)
- Samsung EVO 960 m.2 500gb
- Samsung EVO 850 250gb SSD
- WD Black 1tb HDD
The water loop components are:
- EK-CoolStream PE 360 (front-mounted with three thermal take ring fans in push configuration)
- EK-XRES 100 SPC-60 MX PWM (includes pump)
- EK-Supremacy EVO CPU Block
- EK-DuraClear 9.5/12.7mm
- EK-ACF Fitting 10/13mm - Black
- EK-FC1080 GTX Ti FTW3 - Nickel
- EK-CryoFuel Navy Blue Concentrate (mixed into 1L of solution)
Flow direction follows: Pump → Rad → CPU Block → GPU Block → Pump, repeating.
Before installation, I thoroughly cleaned all parts with distilled water to eliminate any manufacturing residue, especially around the radiator. After assembling everything, I ran a leak test for roughly 17–18 hours. The results were clear—no leaks or issues detected.
I connected the pump to the AIO PUMP header on my motherboard, and in QFAN it’s set to full speed.
Once operational, I launched Heaven Benchmark to evaluate the GPU performance. The results were encouraging; temperatures stayed around 50°C under load.
The CPU temperatures remain a concern. My readings often exceed 80°C even during stress tests, whereas with my previous Corsair H100 AIO, I never surpassed 70°C at 5.0GHz overclock. If I revert to Auto voltage and clock speeds to 4.2GHz, the temps would hover near 55°C—consistent with expectations, though slightly lower.
I’m curious: are these temperatures typical? I expected a significant drop after installing the Delid and custom loop, assuming it reduced heat more than my AIO. I’ve repositioned the CPU block three times without any improvement. Any advice would be invaluable, as I’m concerned about the pump size or installation order.
Thank you for your support!
Pictures of the installation/build
liljamerz :
marko55 :
First, you should be able to watch your pump RPM assuming its connected to a fan/opt header on your motherboard. It should be spinning up higher when your CPU comes under load, assuming you've got that header configured properly in your BIOS. Do you see it varying during load?
Second, in regards to loop order, there is a best practice and yours is actually backwards. Its recommended to feed your components directly out of the pump and then have the hot liquid go through the radiator to cool it before it goes back to the res. Yes, your loop is small and not super complicated so it may not make a huge difference but it could, and that's straight from EK's recommendations. To achieve this you could just switch the tubes at the...
Your idle temperatures are normal. The pump appears to be operating correctly.
I was at university all day and came home to turn on the computer immediately.
Current idle temperatures are between 20-22°C for the GPU (expected since it usually stays cooler than the CPU) and 30-34°C for the CPU. When I opened HWMonitor, my CPU temperature reached 59°C. Are there other ways to verify the pump is functioning properly besides observing fluid flow or ripples?
Then it's not your pump, because with low idle temperatures a bad pump would cause much higher temps. The I7-7700K tends to rise quickly in temperature but also drops back down fast, which is typical for that CPU and 59°C isn't unusually high. Non-delidded usually jumps to nearly 80°C instantly when it's loaded.
Are your load temperatures in this custom loop unusually high compared to your Corsair H100 AIO? Even with a delid, you feel the temps shouldn't reach 70-80°C, unlike when using the AIO where they stayed around 50-60°C during games. Maybe your expectations are too high for a custom setup? It might help adding another radiator.
It's not uncommon to notice higher load temperatures in a custom loop compared to a Corsair H100 AIO. Even with a delid, the temps seem close to 70-80°C, whereas with the AIO they stayed around 50-60°C during gaming. It might be due to my expectations or perhaps I need more radiators. Have you ensured the system is fully purged of air? Look for bubbles in the lines and try tilting the case to help purge. Spitballing here.
Not to be rude, but have you taken off the protective film from the CPU block? Check if the inlet port is centered on the CPU and if the orientation and jet plate are correct. Also, confirm the water block installation.
How long has the new cooler been installed? A well-ventilated room is essential—ideally 20-22°C for the GPU. This suggests air might be trapped inside the CPU block due to poor mounting or incorrect configuration.
Did you remove the CPU before putting on the waterblock? That could affect the delid process.
Reference: 7700k 1.344 vcore cpuz stress 70°C on air.
I took off the protective film on the cpu block and attached it with Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut. I placed the suggested water jet inside, with the inlet positioned in the middle; the recommended part was already installed. This build is three days old. I live in an apartment where the air conditioning is about two meters to my left, so everything remains quite cool. I haven’t removed the CPU at all, and the setup worked perfectly before. I’m not sure how a different cpu block would affect the cooling, but it seems unlikely.
I’ve seen air bubbles occasionally, but all the microbubbles are gone now. Still, I keep moving the computer around to try removing as many bubbles as possible. Could a stuck air bubble cause such a large effect if there’s a temperature difference between the radiator and the cpu block?
I took off the protective film on the cpu block and attached it with Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut. I placed the suggested water jet inside, with the inlet positioned in the middle; the insert I used was the one already installed. This build is three days old. I live in an apartment where the air conditioning is about two meters to my left, so everything stays quite cool. I didn’t remove the CPU at all, and the setup worked perfectly before. I’m not sure how a different cpu block would impact the cooling, but it seems unlikely.
I’ve noticed air bubbles occasionally, though all the microbubbles are gone now. Still, I keep moving the computer around to try removing as many bubbles as possible. Could a stuck air bubble cause such a large effect if there’s a temperature difference between the radiator and the CPU block?
Hopefully rubix_1011 sees this.
Yes, I’ve experienced air bubbles affecting the block’s performance.
How was the TIM spread pattern? Are there any caps or other parts interfering with the mount?
Could you share a picture of your setup?
Biglizard summarized the process, mentioning the removal of the protective film, installation of Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut, and placement of the water jet. He noted the build was three days old, with a cool apartment environment due to the air conditioning being two meters away. He mentioned not removing the CPU and that setup worked well before. He asked about the impact of a different CPU block and whether air bubbles could affect performance if temperature differences occurred in the radiator or CPU area. He also inquired about the TIM spread pattern, potential caps interfering, and offered to share a photo of the setup.