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The importance of active memory cooling


Guest Dangermouse_merged

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Guest Dangermouse

Just thought I'd give a good example of what a fan blowing on your memory/pwm area can do for you.

 

When I first started out, I could only get 2-3-3-6 @ 220, and my pwm temps were around 52-53C after memtest. That was at 3.2v on the memory. If I tried switching the 4v jumper, forget it, I wasn't even stable at stock settings!

 

So I got a pack of BGA ramsinks, and put them on every available chip in the PWM area, I even put one on the factory heatsink up in the corner. That helped by a few degrees. Then, just for fun, I took an old 80mm fan, and propped it up on some cables, so it blows right on the memory and all those heatsinks. I went into the bios, and watched the temp start to drop. Started at 51C, and dropped down to 38C!!! 13 degrees from a fan! :eek:

 

So after that it was all gravy, I switched the 4v jumper, and started playing. I'm now running 2-2-2-5 @250, 1:1. Temps are still around 40C. I'm going to replace my temporary solution with the coolermaster crossflow fan for my stacker case, hopefully that will work just as good if not better.

 

So if you're doubting as to whether or not you need active cooling on your memory, YOU DO!!! :D

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I agree.. :nod:

 

Even when im using tccd5, I still have 2x 80mm fans blowing across the ram and top of the mobo.. It helps for sure.. Later when im home from work I'll post a pic of how I mounted 2x80mm's in my stacker..

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I've noticed as well the benefit of active mem cooling,didn't think it'd make a diff at 2.8vdimm,but it did.

 

Using TCCD @250FSB wasn't stable enough to complete OCCT and BF2 kept ctd,hmmm...I wonder,so lo and behold tried 2x80mm fans over the ram and viola,stable enough to pass OCCT test and no more ctd

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Just so people aren't under any illusions:

 

1) Yes, cooling that area and the memory itself helps stabilise things and get higher memory clocks.

 

2) DO NOT judge the temp reported by the PWM area sensor as accurate. It is exposed and will be massively biased by the temperature of the air blowing on it.

 

I am watercooling my CPU mosfets and the PWM area is reported as very hot because I have no air movement round that area. I can get a higher stable overclock because of it though.

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Just so people aren't under any illusions: DO NOT judge the temp reported by the PWM area sensor as accurate. It is exposed and will be massively biased by the temperature of the air blowing on it.

 

The accuracy component of your comment is almost certainly correct. However, using the BIOS readings to evaluate cooling solutions, e.g. "...went into the bios, and watched the temp start to drop. Started at 51C, and dropped down to 38C!!! 13 degrees from a fan! " is useful and appropriate.

 

I believe that the PWM sensor is surface-mounted and, if so, would respond quickly to fan-motive air. While that initial reading would not accurately reflect component temperatures, at some point in time a useful equilibrium temperature will appear ... useful for evaluating a cooling strategy if not true component temperature ... and we all doubt the sensor reports true component temperature anyway.

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I am watercooling my CPU mosfets and the PWM area is reported as very hot because I have no air movement round that area. I can get a higher stable overclock because of it though.

 

Do you have any pics of that ? I'd like to see how you water cooled the mosfets..

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Guest Dangermouse
I agree.. :nod:

 

Even when im using tccd5, I still have 2x 80mm fans blowing across the ram and top of the mobo.. It helps for sure.. Later when im home from work I'll post a pic of how I mounted 2x80mm's in my stacker..

 

 

Please do, I'd like to see that! Do you have the crossflow fan?

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Guest Dangermouse

I'll try to take some pics tonight. Also, I used the thermal image pictures as a guide. I forget where it was, but google for it and you'll find it. Worked good for finding all the hot chips.

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