There seems to be an issue with cooling the i5-6400 and GTX 970.
There seems to be an issue with cooling the i5-6400 and GTX 970.
I was discussing standard water cooling. Your situation doesn't quite match that, right?
The D5 water pumps are 100% water cooling and normal!
Which pumps are you thinking of that seem like a vacuum running at 1500w?
We're not focusing on closed loop coolers. Most people who watercool just think of fake liquid cooling solutions—things anyone can install and claim they 'liquid cool' their PC. Their performance is similar or even lower than standard air cooling.
My parts are original, I still have a locked CPU, but I continue to watercool.
Why? Because I prefer to do it.
I’ve overclocked before, especially with earlier components that came with watercooling equipment passed from one build to another.
So why do I do it?
First, because I enjoy the process. There’s a sense of achievement when configuring a loop and observing its behavior—CPU and GPU loads spike, but there’s no audible change in noise or temperature indicators like 70°C for CPU and 85°C for GPU. Try 45-50°C and 40-45°C instead.
Second, I gain more knowledge each time I set it up. After nearly 14 years of watercooling, every build still brings new insights or tweaks.
Third, not everyone can install an air cooler. While some claim to be watercooled, you’re actually compromising performance with a less effective solution. There’s value in the craftsmanship, simplicity, and complexity of a well-configured loop. Each part serves a clear role, and there’s a reason behind it.
I have a fully functional Corsair H110i GTX in storage, used only for testing—it won’t be used on a real system anytime soon.
Gingerbread :
Obviously nothing sounds like a "vacuum running at 1500w"
FYI: There are some high speed server style cooling fans that are actually louder than that, as a matter of fact they sound closer to a jet sitting on a runway waiting for take off orders!
I have 2 of them that were sent to me when I did the
Cooling Fan Roundup
back in 2012.
They are not in the roundup because they are so loud they are just not feasible for any cooling setup that you expect to stay in the same room while they are running.
I did however test 2 of them mounted on a Noctua NH-D14, their cooling performance was very impressive, the only problem was I could not stay in the room with them while the test was going on.
I still have them by the way, I gave away a lot of the fans after the roundup was completed but not those bad boys.
That kinda explains why most business servers are either setup in a closet, or their own closed rooms.
This is the power level of cooling fan I am referring to.
4Ryan6 :
Gingerbread :
It’s clear nothing resembles a "vacuum running at 1500w".
By the way: there are some high-speed server-style cooling fans that are actually noisier than that. In fact, they sound more like a jet waiting to take off on a runway!
I own two of them that came to me during the Cooling Fan Roundup in 2012.
They weren’t included because they’re too loud for any setup you’d want to keep running in the same room.
I did test two of them with a Noctua NH-D14, and their cooling performance was really good. The only downside was I couldn’t stay in the room while testing.
I still have them, though—I gave away most of them after the roundup, except for these excellent ones.
This explains why business servers are usually placed in closets or private rooms.
This is the kind of cooling fan I’m talking about.
WOW! I’m sure those would boost the performance of the Noctua units I have. I think they’re probably the same fans found in my inuke amplifiers, which is why replacing them is so important.
😛
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0acD2uFFkg
The best part? They’re nearly $90 in Canada
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.asp...6835213001
That was a great post—it’ll really help me soon.
Jasonhickman17 :
Gingerbread :
You're wondering why you'd keep running your CPU at stock speed with water cooling for years to come? That's just a waste of money. It's similar to upgrading your GPU—just wait for the next generation and invest in a solid GPU instead.
Right now I have an I5 OC'd to 4.6Ghz at 1.375V with the Hyper 212 Evo cooler, and it's working fine after stress tests. It stays under 60°C, but I'd like it to be cooler and quieter too. The GPU 970 is also noisy during gaming while staying under that temperature, so I think a cooler and quieter setup would be better.
I'm sure you'll upgrade eventually, but preferably soon.
Thanks!
I own that rig i5 6400 on a budget 80 dollar pro mate with a basic aio CPU cooler base call at 198hz, which is around 4.7ghz with a 970 16 gig ddr4oc to 3400 total cost. The setup runs games smoothly at 1440 and some titles like elder scrolls online and series at 4k ultra settings. FPS ranges between 1080/1440. This is with vsync on at 4k 45fps, power consumption stays under 400 watts. Running it 24/7 might cost about 11 dollars a month—maybe I just got lucky. The downside is you’ll need to make a custom bios to OC and lose sensor read-in, but my CPU cooler gives very accurate temperature readings on the LED display.