Should I watercool my HD6850?

[SirKeldon]

Hi all,

I've been thinking these last days about watercooling my GPU, an ASUS EAH6850 DirectCU that i purchased one year ago, the stock cooler is great and for the most of games it runs at 50-60ºC top ... but when running Diablo III or CS:GO on "very high" settings @ 1920x1080 for example, is hitting 70-75ºC (on summer hit 78ºC) and as I'm planning to run more "exigent" games in the future such as BF3 or Assassin's Creed III, i'm in doubt if I should go watercooling this card or it isn't worth due to it's "limited" performance. Only thing i'll need is the block, i found an affordable one at 60 EUR (sending + taxes inc.)

I've been watercooling my CPU for more than 3 years but never did it with GPU, I just wanted to know your experience watercooling your own and the impact on temperatures ... and also when replacement time arrives, do you always go next with a new GFX + block or you wait to purchase a new waterblock when you see the temps of the new card at gaming? Any help with the decision will be appreciated

Thanks in advance

[MxPhenom 216]

I don't think its really worth water cooling that card. Just get a aftermarket air cooler if you want better cooling without blowing money on a water cooling loop, that will end up costing as much as you paid for the card.

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vg...ii.html?c=2182

Thats what Id buy at this point.

[McSteel]

While watercooling would bring the temps down, 75°C is actually fine. Up to 80°C is acceptable, unless it's 24/7, and since yours is a gaming setup, I doubt you're such a dedicated player.

The DirectCU is a pretty good cooling solution, and going for watercooling, you'd be better served by a reference design - there are more options available for such cards.

If you're up for experimenting, then go ahead, it can be both fun and a learning experience, but as to whether it's actually necessary... It's not. Maybe if you're looking to overclock...

[MxPhenom 216]

Originally Posted by McSteel

While watercooling would bring the temps down, 75°C is actually fine. Up to 80°C is acceptable, unless it's 24/7, and since yours is a gaming setup, I doubt you're such a dedicated player.

The DirectCU is a pretty good cooling solution, and going for watercooling, you'd be better served by a reference design - there are more options available for such cards.

If you're up for experimenting, then go ahead, it can be both fun and a learning experience, but as to whether it's actually necessary... It's not. Maybe if you're looking to overclock...

^^this.

[SirKeldon]

Originally Posted by MxPhenom 216

I don't think its really worth water cooling that card. Just get a aftermarket air cooler if you want better cooling without blowing money on a water cooling loop, that will end up costing as much as you paid for the card.

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vg...ii.html?c=2182

Thats what Id buy at this point.

I had one aftermarket solution on an old HD4850 and it worked quite well, problem now is the "limited" space between the GFX fan and the PSU fan, it's a small gap to bring "fresh" air even i have one Delta 120mm pointed right in front of them. WC the card also will help to get the PSU more fresh. Price difference for my current card with a good air cooling solution and the block i choose is just 20 EUR, and it will be just 1/3 of the money i paid originally for the card approximately.

Take a look here, PSU is just behind the right G5 plate with fan facing down:

Originally Posted by McSteel

While watercooling would bring the temps down, 75°C is actually fine. Up to 80°C is acceptable, unless it's 24/7, and since yours is a gaming setup, I doubt you're such a dedicated player.

The DirectCU is a pretty good cooling solution, and going for watercooling, you'd be better served by a reference design - there are more options available for such cards.

If you're up for experimenting, then go ahead, it can be both fun and a learning experience, but as to whether it's actually necessary... It's not. Maybe if you're looking to overclock...

Yeah as i say, in pretty much everything stock cooler is doing great, from playing HD1080P to running CS:Source or LoL, but when it comes to more recent games things change.

I'm not such a dedicated player, that's true though that, i live in the mediterranean coast and in summer i'm sure that it will heat 85ºC possibly. I'm up to experimenting too, besides the "air gap" problem explained quoting MxPhenom216 ... the other problem is i know myself and when i decide to change GFX ... i'll doubt too to buy the waterblock directly (knowing that everyday the gpu's are getting hotter) or wait till i see the temps

Thanks to both!

[TacoTown]

I can say this, don't buy any mid-low range Arctic products. They are pretty shoddy and when you try to RMA them they dont listen to you at all, there are no emailing contacts on their website and even if you speak german and call their head office they tell you to go to a non existent page and hang up on you

[SirKeldon]

Originally Posted by TacoTown

I can say this, don't buy any mid-low range Arctic products. They are pretty shoddy and when you try to RMA them they dont listen to you at all, there are no emailing contacts on their website and even if you speak german and call their head office they tell you to go to a non existent page and hang up on you

Well, the weight of the older one was certainly curving my 4850 but as the card was old, never RMA'd it.

[SirKeldon]

Finally i'm almost decided to take an universal GPU block instead of a full block for the 6850. My biggest concern is the PSU intake and GFX intake which is always a "hot spot", warm air that i cannot take off or cool in any diff way which is blown to the PSU and GFX ... and i'm getting a bit paranoid.

Only doubt is which waterblock to get, i like MCW82 because of the compatible-full-heatsinks that exists for many cards but I'm worried due to the flow as i'm using an Apogee XT Rev.2, the other option will be an EK-VGA Supremacy. Which option do you think it's better? Considering that my pump is giving 4.0m of pressure and 800 LPH

Thanks in advance!