Need Advice on my Water Loop

[iskout]

Okay, let me start this off by saying I'm a cheapskate. I'm on a 4 year upgrade path because I don't like spending all that much money. That said, I just dumped just under $500 into upgrading my motherboard/CPU/RAM, and now my GPU is my next target.

 

As it stands right now, I have a BFG GTX 260 MAXCore 55 (GTX 260 Core 216, overclocked). I bought it used for $80 about 4 months ago, and I was pretty happy with it. Now that I've upgraded my CPU, however, I've noticed that it's been holding me back in benchmarks. I've overclocked it to as high a temperature as I'm willing to risk. It hits 98C in Furmark, with fans at 100%, and hits 84C while gaming, with fans at about 60-70%. Right now, I'm at 675/1500/1200 for core/shader/memory, and I'm not getting the numbers I'd like (I want to break 20K 3dMark06)

 

I do intend to upgrade my GPU by the end of the year.

 

So, my options are these:

 

Buy a waterblock for the card for ~$150: I'd prefer not to do this, as it's almost double what I paid for the card, and completely negates the value of the card.

 

Buy a used waterblock: I found an EK-FC280GTX for $50 used, but that's still kind of pricey for something that I'll be using for a short time, and never using again.

 

Buy a universal chip-cover block like an MCW-80 for $55: I was hoping for your input on this, guys.

 

Stay with what I have, wait for the upgrade: This is probably what I'll end up doing. I just kind of wanted some advice on the matter

 

OC the hell out of it, and damn the temperatures!: Possible... AFTER I get my new GPU

Edited May 4, 2011 by iskout

[MercuryDoun]

This

Buy a universal chip-cover block like an MCW-50 for $55: I was hoping for your input on this, guys.

 

or This would be my best recommendations. With just waiting it out being the best option.

Stay with what I have, wait for the upgrade: This is probably what I'll end up doing. I just kind of wanted some advice on the matter

Too hell with the benchmarks, does it play the games you want with no lag? If yes then just wait... if no... Well... Id say new GPU, You actually have a decent overclock on the card now, so adding another 10% or so overclock with the additional cooling isnt going to life altering.

I do really understand the fun behind overclocking and benching too. Heck im actively involved in Competitions and Duels, but benchmarks are a poor reason to upgrade.

[iskout]

This

 

or This would be my best recommendations. With just waiting it out being the best option.

Too hell with the benchmarks, does it play the games you want with no lag? If yes then just wait... if no... Well... Id say new GPU, You actually have a decent overclock on the card now, so adding another 10% or so overclock with the additional cooling isnt going to life altering.

I do really understand the fun behind overclocking and benching too. Heck im actively involved in Competitions and Duels, but benchmarks are a poor reason to upgrade.

 

Ah, but you see.. my friend and I have a little competition going. He's got me right now with XFire 5770's on his Phenom II 940 @ 3.8GHz.

 

I at least want to get this card into the 20k area. I'm at 19500 or so right now. Anyone have any experience with the performance from the MCW80, since I'd be using that on my next card as well?

[Drdeath]

Universal block will not cool vram

[MercuryDoun]

Ah, but you see.. my friend and I have a little competition going. He's got me right now with XFire 5770's on his Phenom II 940 @ 3.8GHz.

 

I at least want to get this card into the 20k area. I'm at 19500 or so right now. Anyone have any experience with the performance from the MCW80, since I'd be using that on my next card as well?

 

If you dont get a response from him on your thread here, PM El_Capitan, I believe he uses that GPU block on one of his GTX570's.

 

Hmm... i was ALMOST able to get 20k points in 3DMark 06 when i had my single HD 5770. If i could have gotten my CPU to 4.4+Ghz then like i can now, i could have gotten it i think, Plus i manged to get another 75mhz on the memory of my 5770, so i know i could have gotten 20k with a single 5770 and my i7-930... Good luck beating 2x 5770's with a single GTX260 . Those 5770's are no slouch.

 

Have you tried cleaning your GTX260 really well, make sure you get all the dust out of it??

 

Also before you buy a GPU block or anything. Why dont you take apart your 260, and apply some new and very much so better TIM. Some fresh and just higher quality paste could do wonders for your temps, i could totally see 10c+ drop in temps. We reapplied TIM to my buddy's old 9800GTX+ and while @ stock clocks went from like insane high 80c temps(Very bad for the 9800) to like 60-something-c. Gave him a TON of room to overclock his card and keep it for a few more months.

 

This reminds me to take a look at an old 9800GX2 that my other friend got for free but HATED because it was so loud because even at idle it ran at like 75% fan speed... I didnt think about it at the time, but dried up/poor quality TIM could really cause the GPU temps such causing high fan speed all the time. You have unintentionally helped!!

[MercuryDoun]

Universal block will not cool vram

 

I havent seen you around the forums in months Drdeath. Where ya been?

[iskout]

Universal block will not cool vram

I know this. I'd also be buying some ram heatsinks from newegg.

 

If you dont get a response from him on your thread here, PM El_Capitan, I believe he uses that GPU block on one of his GTX570's.

 

Hmm... i was ALMOST able to get 20k points in 3DMark 06 when i had my single HD 5770. If i could have gotten my CPU to 4.4+Ghz then like i can now, i could have gotten it i think, Plus i manged to get another 75mhz on the memory of my 5770, so i know i could have gotten 20k with a single 5770 and my i7-930... Good luck beating 2x 5770's with a single GTX260 . Those 5770's are no slouch.

 

Have you tried cleaning your GTX260 really well, make sure you get all the dust out of it??

 

Also before you buy a GPU block or anything. Why dont you take apart your 260, and apply some new and very much so better TIM. Some fresh and just higher quality paste could do wonders for your temps, i could totally see 10c+ drop in temps. We reapplied TIM to my buddy's old 9800GTX+ and while @ stock clocks went from like insane high 80c temps(Very bad for the 9800) to like 60-something-c. Gave him a TON of room to overclock his card and keep it for a few more months.

 

This reminds me to take a look at an old 9800GX2 that my other friend got for free but HATED because it was so loud because even at idle it ran at like 75% fan speed... I didnt think about it at the time, but dried up/poor quality TIM could really cause the GPU temps such causing high fan speed all the time. You have unintentionally helped!!

I was tempted to PM El_Capitan, but I dislike bothering people like that.

 

I had my 260 at stock (625/1400/1100 or something?), and I was hitting 105C in Halo 2 PC. I decided to clean it out/reapply some TIM. After that, it dropped 20C. That's when I OC'd to where I am now.

 

I'm thinking I'll order the MCW80 + ramsinks after the next paycheck or two. I have only a cell phone bill coming up to worry about ($80 down the tubes), and I have to get my mother a birthday/mothers day gift, too. (Her birthday is 5/5, Mothers day is 5/8. I figured I'd combine the two), before I can order it, so it might be a little bit.

 

I was already leaning towards buying the MCW80 because I wanted to WC my next GPU as well. My case has TERRIBLE airflow, since I had to change out all of my fans for lower RPM ones so that I could turn my computer on without having the police press charges for disturbing the peace. I intend to get a Scythe Slipstream 1200 RPM for an intake soon. I'm contemplating cutting out a spot for my radiator/exhaust on top of my case as it is. If I WC my GPU as well, even if I am limited with my OC's because of my single 120.2 radiator, I won't have to worry about airflow as much.

[LuckyDeath]

Is buying a 2nd GTX 260 for SLI out of the question? Or am I missing something? You could spend less than you would on a water block (~$100), but get some serious performance increase?

[iskout]

Is buying a 2nd GTX 260 for SLI out of the question? Or am I missing something? You could spend less than you would on a water block (~$100), but get some serious performance increase?

Because of my powersupply, case, and the cost of the card itself, doing SLI would cost much more than I can afford. It wouldn't be unreasonable to just buy a GTX 560ti with how much it would cost me, total.

[MercuryDoun]

Because of my powersupply, case, and the cost of the card itself, doing SLI would cost much more than I can afford. It wouldn't be unreasonable to just buy a GTX 560ti with how much it would cost me, total.

 

This is kind of my point.

[iskout]

This is kind of my point.

Yeah, but because of my cases poor airflow I'd like to WC my next GPU, at the very least.

 

And I was referring to the SLI, not the card. SLI is not feasible in my case, honestly, unless it's with smaller cards.

[MercuryDoun]

Yeah, but because of my cases poor airflow I'd like to WC my next GPU, at the very least.

 

And I was referring to the SLI, not the card. SLI is not feasible in my case, honestly, unless it's with smaller cards.

 

I ment the card, but i see that you noticed that.

 

Another option if you havent though about it already... Why dont you just get a new case?? Lol

 

A decent new case with proper airflow isnt gonna cost that much, and could give you the ability of SLI/Xfire in the future, and ought to bring the card temps down quite a bit.

 

I dunno, being that you already have a WC loop, the universal water block isnt a bad idea. I just dont think its a very good idea just for a GTX260, your already able to OC it quite well. I dunno how much more you really gonna get out of it even with water cooling, Temps in your case are the first wall you hit, but your core and memory are only gonna go so far, regardless of cooling.