Single RX120 enough?

[TaHoward]

I'm finally investing in water cooling parts for my current system. The only part that will be in the loop is an E8500 @ 3.8 w/ 1.24 vcore. Current temps are about 55 C max with 25 C ambient while running games. I'd like to get this to drop down to about 40~45 while loaded.

My big question is if a single XSPC RX120 radiator will be able to handle my little dual-core. These are the parts I have on order:

1 x Swiftech MCP355™ 12 VDC Pump
1 x XSPC Dual 5.25" Bay Reservoir for Dual Laing DDC
1 x EK-Supreme HF High Flow - Highest Performance CPU Water Block - Nickel
6 x PrimoFlex Pro LRT Black Tubing -1/2in. ID X 3/4in. OD
6 x Bitspower Premium G1/4" High Flow 1/2" Fitting - Black Matte Finish
1 x XSPC RX120 Extreme Performance Radiator
6 x Primochill Resuable Hose Clamp [19mm, 3/4" OD] - Black

The res is for expanding to a seperate loop when I'm willing to upgrade from my current GPU.

I'm expecting to run the rad with a fan at about 1000-1500 RPMs.

 

[erocker]

I used one on a hot E8600, it will work nicely.

 

[PaulieG]

I used one on a hot E8600, it will work nicely.

Maybe, but a 240 will work significantly better, and the price b/t the 2 is minimal. I certainly think it's worth the extra cash.

 

[erocker]

Not maybe, it will work. Of course it would work better with a 2x120. I would of used one if I had the room. I'm assuming he's placing it in a spot that will only allow a 120. On it's own it's fine with just the CPU, and my chip was very hot. I don't know, I have experience with that exact radiator, I can pretty much guaranty that it will work and work well.

Think about it, a Corsair H50 will have no problem with that chip. A RX120 plus the rest of the parts listed are above and beyond a H50.

Use a push/pull config with your fans if you can, and gentle typhoons or Scythe slipstream 1600rpm's work great with that particular radiator.

 

[angelkiller]

I agree with erocker in saying that it will work. However I hope you're choosing a 120mm rad due to space requirements. Some general watercooling advice is to always get the largest radiator you can fit. The radiator probably has the most influence on how well the loop cools.

 

[TaHoward]

I've tried researching the wattage that the two radiators can dissapate on skinee labs. The E8500 run stock at about 95W... OC im not sure. But probably no more than 130W~ Flow rate should be extremely high, short of getting a modded 655 pump.

Using skinnee's data I figured my delta will be somewhere between 5 and 10 degrees for the water if the wattage load does not pass 130 on my CPU. With fans at 1500rpms the RX 120 would dissapate more than what my CPU produces. This is where I'm not sure an RX240 or any other dual radiator is going to make a huge difference for my setup other than being able to run fans at lower rpms for similar temps.

Correct, my choice is for space requirements. I'm willing to mod my case if there is a significant differrence in temps though... like 10C or something crazy.

Edited again: My bad!! idle wattage without power management is (total system power) 180~ at 4.0GHz and around 225~ load. about 40 watts more than stock at full load. sounds like 70 watts if you know load is 30 watts at stock.

 

[zanzabar]

if u have not ordered yet, i would change the pump to the 9W 350 u wont need all of the power of the 355 with a top and since u are looking at about a 130-140W max cpu load and only going for 1 block on a 1fan rad the less powerful pump wont make a difference but cutting almost 10W off the load will. u may also want to change to a swiftech rad they are alot cheaper and u will get the same performance if not better with 1500rpm or lower fans. last i would get 3/8x5/8 tubing, i have some 1/2x3/4 primoflex now and its a pain to work with and takes alot of space so if u are low on space and if u are going to cover the air space that your ram is in the smaller tubing will be better all round, its not like there is a performance drop as u are not going to 1/4 or smaller ID.

u may also want to change the pump to the DD cpx pro or the EK rebadge of it they are about $55 were a ddc is about $80, and u can mount a nice ek tube rez directly to it in a 5.25 bay, and since the acrylic on the ek rez is a tube and has no angles u dont have to worry about it cracking or leaking


on if u should mod, i had an mcr220 with a 355 with top and a dtec v2 promount on an e6850 and it loaded with some sanaces @ 1200rpm to 50c with a 3.8ghz at 1.35V (i think it was 1.35V) then i changed to a pa120.2 and a 720be and at 3.8 with that it loaded at 35c and idled at 20c so if u have overkill u will get really low temps and when u eventually change to a quad or more or get a part that will oc to 4ghz or higher u will already have the work done to drop it in or add a gpu into the loop

 

[angelkiller]

I've tried researching the wattage that the two radiators can dissapate on skinee labs. The E8500 run stock at about 95W... OC im not sure. But probably no more than 130W~ Flow rate should be extremely high, short of getting a modded 655 pump.

No. Noooooooo.

The E8600 has a 65W TDP. The E8500 has been measured to draw under 35W under load. This review shows the E8600 drawing the same amount of power as a E8500.

Your CPU has an extremely low power draw. Even if you put a massive OC on this with lots of voltage, I doubt you could get this chip over 70W. This is a very cool CPU.

 

[TaHoward]

Thank you. I must be reading the reviews wrong... perhaps I'm seeing total system power not CPU power.

LOL ya, I wasn't reading the title of the graphs... You are definitely right about 30 watts stock. So for this proc. It seems I'm looking forward to great performance.

Zanzabar, thanks for the advice. This is my very first WC loop. I still really like the XSPC res for expandability reasons. It takes 2 5.25 bays, but it can perform two complete loops or be tubed together so the pumps run in tandem with the purchase of a second DDC pump. For now this loop should do until I save up for i7 +700D

Since I already have the 120 rad on order I'll probably add another for some nice dedicated VGA cooling while a 360 chills the CPU and chipset. Thats a long time from now though.

With Angel's correction I can't see the 2x120 rads doing much even with real world errors thrown in for cooling the E8500.