As many of you may have seen in my worklog, I just set up a new water cooling system. I have a stock-clocked AMD Phenom II 940 quad core and an Nvidia GTX285 on a single loop. I'm using Feser 1 coolant (the black stuff), Danger Den copper/acrylic CPU waterblock, Danger Den GTX285 waterblock, tygon 3/8" tubing, metal fittings, two 2" diam x 7" long reservoirs, and a Blackice GTX360 radiator with 3 low profile 1600rpm fans.
My CPU temp seems high. It idles around 40-44C, and the GPU around 60C (much cooler than it used to be). The load temps for each, at least running Far Cry 2 for a short time, are only a few degrees higher. But I've seen a lot of rigs with the same processor and idle temps in the mid 20's C. Are those maybe running higher CFM fans, bigger radiators, CPU on its own loop, etc to get the lower temps? i don't think there's anything else I can really do to mine to lower the temps: a bigger radiator and/or standard thickness fans won't fit, although I could get fans that spin faster. Just curious...thanks!
PS - left the machine idling with most of the fans air access cut off...it made an alarming difference - the CPU was idling at nearly 60C! won't do THAT again.
PPS- just occurred to me that I've got both res's sitting on top of the rad, with warm air from the rad blowing on them...basically heating the coolant up a bit after it comes out of the rad...that might have something to do with it. Any suggestions on insulating the undersides of the res's?