Not happy with my H50 performance

I upgraded my system from a q6600 to an I7 930 D0 and have not been happy with the cooling results on this new processor. I run a coolermaster push/pull setup and tried an overclock to 4ghz using 1.25v and not long after stress testing I blue screened with a bios error of overheating CPU. I monitored the temps and they slowly climbed through the 90's on linpac testing.

Is my H50 faulty after changing the setup?

Do corsair offer a step up program to the H70?

Dos your water pump and radiator fan run at full speed.

Have you installed the pump correctly.

Yeah I have both my fans connected direct to PSU so they are at 100% all the time and my H50 Pump is connected to CPU header but set to run at 100%.

I think my pump is correctly fitted... I fitted it so there is just a slight wiggle (turn clockwise/anti-clockwise).

Since my H50 performed so well with the Q6600 I was expecting good results with the I7 but this is a joke!.. I spent a lot of money on upgrading only to be limited by what is suppose to be a good CPU cooler :(

Yeah I have both my fans connected direct to PSU so they are at 100% all the time and my H50 Pump is connected to CPU header but set to run at 100%.

 

I think my pump is correctly fitted... I fitted it so there is just a slight wiggle (turn clockwise/anti-clockwise).

 

Since my H50 performed so well with the Q6600 I was expecting good results with the I7 but this is a joke!.. I spent a lot of money on upgrading only to be limited by what is suppose to be a good CPU cooler :(

The pump should be connected to a pwr header not the CPU header. The pump should not wiggle on the mount. Your thermal paste may not be doing so well with a mobile connection.

The 930 processor is set to run at 2.8GHz and you have a successful 3.8GHz overclock with a bolt on cooler. Considering it sounds like your installation leaves something to be desired, I do not see your complaint about the limitations of the cooler.

To push the 930 to 4.0GHz you need a custom cooler loop or something much more exotic. The H50 performs with the top air coolers, not the LN2 solutions.

Have a look at kkolbo H70 setup in the link, his solution have worked for many H50/H70 users.

http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89387

Overclock.net has its own tread: Official Corsair H50/H70 Club

There you can fiend a lot of tips, the tread is at the moment over 1300 pages long. :eek:

- http://www.overclock.net/water-cooling/612436-official-corsair-h50-h70-club.html

I dont have it at 3.8ghz.. I have it on stock now. I removed my H50 and noticed that AS5 had not spread much from the centre so I cleaned and removed and AS5 and re-applied this time applying a very thin layer of the cpu.. Reconnected H50 and switched on computer and it was idle at 70c with stock settings. Removed the H50 and noticed the H50 plate was still clean like it's not making contact with the CPU, I had made sure the screws was tight too. I have applied more (more than normal) AS5 in a stipe down the middle and this seems to be making contact as the temps now idle in the high 30's at stock settings.

Could the CPU bracket be restricting the H50 from seating properly?

To push the 930 to 4.0GHz you need a custom cooler loop or something much more exotic. The H50 performs with the top air coolers, not the LN2 solutions.

I disagree with that statement. On my other machine I am running a Core i7-920 D0 @ 4ghz without much effort using a CoolIt Domino. My temps never exceed 85c. The Domino and H50 should be very comparable and both are inexpensive solutions. I have run the machine at 4.2, but temps begin to exceed 90c and I am not comfortable with that.

The pump should be connected to a pwr header not the CPU header.

What difference would this make? My CPU Header is set to 100%? :confused:

I disagree with that statement. On my other machine I am running a Core i7-920 D0 @ 4ghz without much effort using a CoolIt Domino. My temps never exceed 85c. The Domino and H50 should be very comparable and both are inexpensive solutions. I have run the machine at 4.2, but temps begin to exceed 90c and I am not comfortable with that.

I consider 85C to be too hot. Intel specs 68C average core temp. I stop in the low 70's

What difference would this make? My CPU Header is set to 100%? :confused:

As long as the header is feeding it full voltage which some do and some don't you would be OK. Make sure you are reading around 1440-1450 RPM.

I dont have it at 3.8ghz.. I have it on stock now. I removed my H50 and noticed that AS5 had not spread much from the centre so I cleaned and removed and AS5 and re-applied this time applying a very thin layer of the cpu.. Reconnected H50 and switched on computer and it was idle at 70c with stock settings. Removed the H50 and noticed the H50 plate was still clean like it's not making contact with the CPU, I had made sure the screws was tight too. I have applied more (more than normal) AS5 in a stipe down the middle and this seems to be making contact as the temps now idle in the high 30's at stock settings.

 

Could the CPU bracket be restricting the H50 from seating properly?

Depends. AS5 is very hard to spread...it is not exactly friendly when it comes to covering a CPU. Now the question is what will your temps be after 200 hours of on/off from your system since it takes forever for AS5 to cure.

I disagree with that statement. On my other machine I am running a Core i7-920 D0 @ 4ghz without much effort using a CoolIt Domino. My temps never exceed 85c. The Domino and H50 should be very comparable and both are inexpensive solutions. I have run the machine at 4.2, but temps begin to exceed 90c and I am not comfortable with that.

The i7-930's have had issues with requiring high voltage to OC as well as i7-920's. For whatever reason many of them run very hot.

I think my pump is correctly fitted... I fitted it so there is just a slight wiggle (turn clockwise/anti-clockwise).

 

Since my H50 performed so well with the Q6600 I was expecting good results with the I7 but this is a joke!.. I spent a lot of money on upgrading only to be limited by what is suppose to be a good CPU cooler :(

My H50 also wiggles on when my mount is tightened all the way down. I don't think that the mount in my system is applying enough pressure. Even the plastic feet of the metal mount have been slightly deformed due to tightening all the way to my motherboard and I can still twist the pump/block on my cpu.

Before my upgrade from an AMD 6000+ OC'd to my Phenom II 940be, I was seeing decent temps with my AC Freezer Xtreme. If I remember, they were maxing ~42-46c. My 940be jumped up to 65c on load. So, I started looking into the H50. It has taken lapping the cpu and block, testing TIM's (AS5, Shin-Etsu x23, Indigo Xtreme, and IC Diamond 7), upgraded my fans with high static pressure configured in a push/pull. Now I see temps around 53-59c depending on my room temp which ranges from 24-31c (yes, warm).

End result, I hav given up on the H50 and am not going to build my own version of the H50. Got a thick 120 radiator , pump/res combo, and block on the way. It is costing me 3-4 times what I paid for the H50. Although, considering I have spent $120 on upgraded fans and TIM's to test for better temps, that makes my H50 cost $180. Now that is 2/3 of what I am now going to build. Live and learn.

Isn't it great that I actually enjoy all this tinkering? Hours upon hours of fun! Oh I can't wait to build my first WC settup. Its all the H50's fault. I got the bug now.

So what paste are people using these days that's better than AS5? I stressed using OCCT test and didn't go over 65c over the hour with default settings.

I had to remove the Thermal Paste Corsair put on the h50 as I switched CPU's, currently using Zalman Super Grease, and the temps are about the same as the h50 paste without cure time.

So what paste are people using these days that's better than AS5? I stressed using OCCT test and didn't go over 65c over the hour with default settings.

I prefer MX-3. I have found it gives me cooler temps then AS5 and it seems to spread ok. MX-2 is close to MX-3 but spreads real easy.

My i7 920 is at 3.5Ghz. . . (1.15V) Plenty more room to push it.

Idle Temp: 30-34C

Max Load Temp: 58-60C (2 hours P95)

Ambient: 24-25C

Case:29-30C

I used the line method of applying AS5. My pump mounts tightly, no movement whatsoever. Push/Pull blowing out of the case, 2 2000RPM 90CFM fans. I have never seen a 70 since installing this cooler. Also I re-seated it twice just to check out how well the paste was being distributed, it was good every time. I have still yet to let it cure for 200hrs. Can't wait to see if it improves over time. 85C seems extremely high, I won't let mine run past 74 at full load, but I am paranoid about it being to hot.

The idea behind the paste is to fill in the tiniest of spaces between the CPU and COOLER. Idealy they would both be perfect flat finishes and no thermal paste would be needed (but unfortunately not the case) so make sure you seat the pump properly, and only put enough paste so as it spreads to the edges.

You must not use to much TIM on the CPU.

Here is a very good guide from Arctic silver.

core i7- http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/vl/intel_app_method_vertical_line_v1.1.pdf

All Intel guides- http://www.arcticsilver.com/intel_application_method.html#

All AMD guides- http://www.arcticsilver.com/amd_application_method.html#