Recommended CPU & GPU Liquid Coolers for i7 950, 3.7GHz, 8GB GPU
Recommended CPU & GPU Liquid Coolers for i7 950, 3.7GHz, 8GB GPU
Hey There,
I've got an i7 950 with an OC of 3.7 GHz, 16GB RAM, and a GTX 1070 8GB GPU. My Noctua D15 has two fans and the CPU stays at 75°C during peak loads. I'm trying to raise it to 4.0 GHz but it gets too hot, so any liquid cooler recommendations would be great. Also, can I find a single liquid cooler that handles both the GPU and CPU?
It's referred to as a custom loop. Or at least expandable models such as the current EOL EK Predator. On a positive side, there are EK Fluid gaming kits available. However, there isn't a CLC cooler that can significantly improve performance beyond the NH-D15. You likely won't be able to achieve 4GHz just by adjusting the cooler.
it's referred to as a custom loop. Or at least expandable models such as the current EOL EK Predator. On a hopeful side, there are EK Fluid gaming kits available. However, no CLC cooler can match the performance of an NH-D15 in this regard. You're unlikely to achieve 4GHz simply by switching coolers. Thanks for the information—I've gathered various details online, so I'm not overly confident about committing to a liquid cooling system. If EK's custom kits are delivering 70-72 under load while temperatures stay around 75-80°C, why would I upgrade? I'm just seeking clear insights from others—curious that liquid coolers might drop idle temps to about 20-30 and peak at 50-60, yet the readings I see are significantly higher.
with a high-quality custom liquid loop, the idle temps stay close to room temperature.
the load temp isn't a good measure. this is especially true since users often push their overclocks to the limit and stop only when temperatures reach reasonable levels.
Your current overclock settings and HT status are as follows: the voltage is set to 1.27, HT is disabled, and other parameters match your configuration. When aiming for 4GHz, you're adjusting the voltage accordingly. The 920 reference settings were: 4GHz, XMP, CPU Ratio 21, BCLK FREQ 191, PCIE FREQ 100, DRAM FREQ 1149, UCLK FREQ 2298, QPI LINK AUTO, with CPU voltage at 1.27 and other values similar.
Based on the 920 in my profile these were my configurations:
4GHz
XMP
CPU Ratio: 21
BCLK FREQ: 191
PCIE FREQ: 100
DRAM FREQ: 1149
UCLK FREQ: 2298
QPI LINK: AUTO
CPU VOLTAGE: 1.27
CPU PLL: 1.88
QPI/DRAM 1.25
C1E SUPPORT: ENABLED
HT: DISABLED
A20M: DISABLED
INTEL CSTATE: DISABLED
Appreciate you sharing your settings – I’ll experiment with mine as well. You’re really challenging the chip!
Thanks for the feedback - I'll experiment with your settings too. You're really challenging the chip! That said, early issues were tough. Reducing memory frequency actually helped me get stable at 4 without increasing vcore or voltage. It's still running smoothly and hasn't had any problems.
Thanks for sharing your configuration – I’ll experiment with it too. You’re really testing your setup! Early on, it was tough, but lowering memory frequency eventually brought stability at 4 without extra boost or voltage changes. It’s still running smoothly. Just wanted to note how much your specs are valued – updated the BIOS and got a cooler running around 5-7°C. Thanks again!