H80i -- What type of rubber washers should I get?

So, the backplate is loose with the H80i, I know that is a common thing with it, but I don't even know what type of washers I should go with for the backplate.

 

The reason I am doing this is that it is not applying enough pressure onto the CPU, so my i7-4790k is idling at about 38C and on 95% load it is hitting 92C.

 

Anyone dealt with this issue before, and can point me in the right direction on where to buy these washers?

 

 

 

 

Also, another thing is that the instructions for the the H80i recommend it to be used as an intake fan, and currently that is how it is installed. I am using a stock case fan on the lower front as an intake, and then the top rear is the H80i also as an intake. Then in the middle (closer to the front) at the ceiling of the case is the other stock fan being used an exhaust. Should I keep it that way?

The area that the computer is in gets warm, which is why I thought it would be best for the H80i to cool the incoming air.

 

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Edit:

Would this type of nylon washer work? -- http://www.amazon.com/Nylon-Washer-Finish-Nominal-Thickness/dp/B00DHV5UGI

and then what sizes should I do? I was thinking of going with a mix of 0.2 and 0.3 range for the thickness just to cover my bases, but what about the interior and exterior widths?

Anything non-conductive (rubber/nylon) will work. I would probably recommend Nylon since it is unlikely to change shape when exposed to heat for long periods of time. Nothing wrong with those washers, except maybe the price and shipping. You should be able to find these at your local hardware store, Home Depot, etc. What thickness you need will depend on how much of a gap you have when the mounting posts are all screwed down. Diameter is not particularly important. It should be large enough for the thread but not ridiculously so. Might want to get two different thickness washers so you don't have to make another trip. Washers should be less than $2 for a pack of 4, but maybe you live in NYC.

As for whether you should use the H80i as intake or exhaust, that little tid-bit in the instructions trips a lot of people up. If you were running CPU benchmarks, you would get cooler temps by using it as an intake. But real life use and the environment play a far bigger role in determining which set-up is better for you.

 

1) What kind of graphics card are you running? If you have the normal blower type (with one radial fan underneath) it exhausts hot air out the back of your case where your monitor plugs in. If you have the H80 as intake right above it in the 120mm slot, it will draw a lot of that hot air back into the case. You CPU temps will suffer, along with your internal ambient and motherboard temps. This is even more problematic if you have the back your tower pushed against the wall. The way to address this is to place the computer so that 120mm slot has access to fresh air and to use whatever homemade remedy you can come up with to move the GPU exhaust away from the PC. The short time I ran this way, I took a shoebox, cut off the ends of the box and then turned it upside down to tunnel the GPU exhaust away 12-14 inches.

 

That said, if you have an ACX style card (with two or more open fans on the underside of the card), then I might indeed use the H80i's fans as intake. Most the ACX style heat comes off the top of the card and is then pulled up and out the top of the case. The less warm air coming in from the H80i is also pulled up and out. Still, if moving the back of your case away from the wall is not an option, then I would run the H80 as exhaust. The top and rear fans will help pull more fresh air in through the front of the case than would normally occur.

 

2) Room environment. As above, if the case has to be tucked into a small space or pushed back against the wall, I would probably go exhaust either way. The negative pressure from the top and rear exhaust will help pull more clean air in from the front of the case.

 

3) What do you do with your computer? If this machine is used for CPU only intensive tasks then the GPU considerations become far less relevant and you may want to use it as intake. Most people do more than that, and unless you have one of the newest 900 series cards, the GPU is the hottest thing in your case -- even compared to an overclocked 4790k. It should be the cooling priority.

Before you throw the rubber washers on make sure you have the backplate lined up correctly. It is notched out on 1 side to go around the screws that come out of the actual socket backplate.

http://i60.tinypic.com/6j3rc4.png

@c-attack:

I mostly am just using Amazon's pricing for an an easy reference, but I also have Amazon Prime, so shipping is free.

 

The card I have is an R9 290X, but it is one of the reference cards, so it gets hot. I already ordered, and am still waiting for it to be delivered, an Accelero Xtreme III to switch out its stock cooling.

 

It is not possible to move the PC away from the wall that it is up against, so I'll switch it back to exhaust when I open it up, and the room itself gets a bit warm, too.

 

As for my computer's use, it would be a mix of both CPU and GPU intensive usage. I have the software Plex, which has to convert video content prior to uploading it to my Google Drive for use with the Plex app (Roku and PC), and that pushes the CPU during that process. I also plan on using the computer for some gaming, so that would be for the GPU.

 

Until I get all the cooling aspects of this PC straightened out, I am using it very lightly.

 

 

 

@HOODedAssault

 

I'll make sure it is when I reattach the backplate.

It should be, though.

I think you have a pretty common situation and like most people, you will better of running the H80i as exhaust. I've never used a cooler like the Accelero, but it seems like it essentially converts a reference GPU into an ACX style (or perhaps a hybrid). In theory, that should release more heat straight up, instead of out in the case, but still think you will come out ahead. Likely you will just have to try it out. If CPU temps get way too high, then you'll have to try something else.

 

For comparison, I have an overclocked 680 blower and the H80i is above it as exhaust. My i930 is at 4.2Ghz right now. Prime 95 Large FFT will only bring my chip to a flat 52C at 21C ambient. It can hold that temp for hours +-1C. But if I go play a CPU intensive game, my average CPU temps will between 48-54 with peaks between 56-60. This is the heat coming off my GPU being sucked into the H80 and reducing it's effectiveness. However, I am way under my thermal comfort level and those number are much less that 70C I try to keep the GPU under to prevent throttling. I can give my CPU bad air, and it will still be cooler than the GPU. I suspect your set-up will be the same. The added benefit is it keeps my motherboard and memory cool. Having the H80 as intake can dump hot air straight onto your MB components.

Alright, so this bump is to say of how the H80i is now working, and for anyone else who is looking for an answer to the same problem I'll throw in everything.

 

I ordered two bags of washers (just used Amazon), and two of the slightly thicker ones I used on the left side (when facing the back) and two of the thinner were on the right.

This was because I noticed that the left side had slightly more give than the right side, and so two different types balanced it out. Then I did a vertical line of paste on the CPU, and sealed everything back up. Also, the H80i is being used as an exhaust.

 

The PC idles now at around 28-32 (in a warm room) and when using Prime95 for 10 min it peaked at 58C.

 

 

Washers used:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FMWUBA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FN166Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Also, the hole size that fits perfectly is #8.

something isnt right if you had to use 2 different washer thicknesses ,,you shouldn't have needed them at all unless your m/b is thinner than standard.

sounds as tho the standoffs are different or not tightened evenly...

something isnt right if you had to use 2 different washer thicknesses ,,you shouldn't have needed them at all unless your m/b is thinner than standard.

sounds as tho the standoffs are different or not tightened evenly...

 

They were definitely tightened, even triple checked them.

And you checked the orientation of the notch on the backplate before you added the washers?

 

I agree with wytnyt, something's wrong if you're using two different washer thicknesses. Some photos might help us figure out what exactly is going on here.

 

Yup, another thing that I made sure of.

From what it seemed like the screws on the left side of the backplate weren't as secure within the backplate itself than the right ones.

They seemed to have more give, which gave them a slight bit of more space when properly secured.

Not sure if something happened when I took out the two left side standoffs when I went about fixing things (they were really in there, had to take a pair of pliers to turn them).

 

Also, the washers aren't too different from each other, just two are 0.012in thicker.

 

It's all working anyways though.

Running Prime95 for 10 min with it only reaching 58 at its peak on Core 1 seemed to be pretty good considering it was 30+ C hotter before.