Is GPU Water Cooling Really Worth It?
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- Is Water Cooling Really Worth It? In this video, the third in our "Is It Worth It?" series, we are going to find out if water cooling an Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 OC with a GPU AIO makes sense. Our "Is It Worth It?" series is focused on showing you just how much you can expect to increase the performance of your system with a drop-in upgrade. One of the biggest challenges with upgrades is that they can rapidly spiral out of control if you are not careful ... you start with good intentions but rapidly find yourself rebuilding your entire machine ... that has happened to me way too many times to count. So for this series we are going to limit the upgrade to only one component ... no major generational upgrades that would require multiple components to be changed will be allowed.
As you will see in the video, it's really not rocket science, it's Lego … my goal is to help you make the right component choices and put them together the right way, every time.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:14 PC Cooling Basics
02:27 Air Cooling
02:57 Liquid Cooling
04:07 Test Components
05:19 RTX 4090 AIO Upgrade
08:35 How To Best Orient an AIO
10:02 Testing Methodology
11:17 Benchmarks
13:11 Is It Worth It?
15:03 Wrap-Up
Thank you for watching this video in the "Is It Worth It?" upgrade series, if you enjoyed today's video please hit that like button and subscribe so that you don't miss out on future episodes as I delve into every aspect of PC building.
Blackbird PC Tech Links:
Website: blackbirdpc.tech/
Store: blackbirdpctech.store/
Benchmarks: blackbirdpc.tech/
Membership: / @blackbirdpctech
PC Component Affiliate Links:
GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition = amzn.to/48mWp5y
CPU: Intel Core i7-14700K = amzn.to/3vaO9HT
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme = amzn.to/3RSSiZS
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6400MT/s CL32 = amzn.to/3RTx7Xi
CPU Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin III 360mm AIO = amzn.to/41uR1v7
Fans: BeQuiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 120mm PWM fans = amzn.to/3NB2vYh
GPU AIO: Alphacool Eiswolf 2 360mm AIO for RTX 4090 Strix + TUF = www.performance-pcs.com/water... - Ігри
Just disassembled my EVGA 3080 Ti FTW3 to install the Alphawolf Eiswolf 2 AIO water block.
Anytime I played Cyber Punk on Linux and some other games not made for Linux, my GPU was getting 92c, so after some research and speaking with Alphacool I settled on this. I haven’t been able to get it over 60c even once. Very happy.
When you install it correctly it works really well … the first time I installed the backplate I didn’t tighten the screws enough and the temps were not great but after reassembling it and tightening the screws properly the temps were fantastic.
@@JoshMilanMusic I know this comment is 4 days old but how are you liking it. I’m looking to get one for my 7900xtx
Hooray, another BBPC video! Great explanation of how cooling works. Though I understand this, there are probably lots of PC enthusiasts who do not.
I once built a fully custom liquid loop (mostly EKWB) with a 6850K and two 980Ti cards in SLI. I never had any leaking, and the cooling solution worked way better than two triple-fan 980Tis just a centimeter apart. But it was completely inflexible. And of course, SLI provided marginal performance improvement at best. So when I upgraded, I went with a single air cooled 1080Ti and an AIO on the CPU. That same configuration, in a different case, is still in operation.
In this video, the 4090 was already operating well within its thermal limits and was not throttling in any meaningful way, so making a little bit cooler made a negligible difference.
Love it ... I am currently posting once a week every Thursday at 5pm EST ... need to figure out how to do the benchmarking faster 😉 And yes, the air cooler is over designed so it can handle the power draw of the 4090, hence the minor benefit from water cooling.
Great video with accurate information. Even tho I'm a watercool nerd I am amazed with the fan temps..!
Thank you … it’s funny, the first time I put it together the temps were terrible, so I pulled it apart and tried again … I tightened down the backplate more this time and sure enough the temps were great. A very fine line between good and not good. Thanks for watching!
Very well done!
Thank you!
Great channel, I'm so glad to found you! 😉
Thank you, so glad you did too !!
I really hope your channel will grow fast this year because you tell simple truth and facts that big companies hides and lie about.@@blackbirdpctech
Something cool to share with you … can you reach out to me at: mjtarascio@blackbirdpc.tech
@@blackbirdpctech Hey Matt. Happy I found your channel, too. Hey, word on the street is that the 7900 XTX responds extremely well to this Alphacool watercooler when overclocked. Much more so than Nvidia GPU's, in terms of FPS increases. Would you consider reviewing an Alphacool 7900 XTX (preferably a premium card with some really good memory that can be OC'd well). Please?
@@CourageOO7sure, will add it to my list … it makes sense because the power draw is higher, so if you can cool it more effectively it should boost higher/longer. Have some good news to share with you so please send me an email at the email address shown above 😉
Other issues to take into account, space savings of an AIO to get back PCI-E slots on motherboards with limited or bad placement of PCI-E slots, if you are going to a server card that doesn't normally have a cooling solution and other things make the AIO more attractive.
Very true, especially with the larger current gen cards that can take up 3+ slots.
@@blackbirdpctech Or you are trying to stack a bunch of them into a case for AI stuff these days, you really need to have them fit in smaller sizes, or you have to go the old Miner route.
I have one in a PNY 4080 super and the main difference is the noise, if you care about the noise, this is the best option
Great point … I recently purchased acoustic test equipment so I can measure the noise when I test components moving forward.
Of course converting an air cooled card to use an AIO won't be much different performance-wise. They're intentionally limited and will hit their other limits far before they hit their temp limit. You'd need a separate vBIOS to get any kind of performance gain. For example, look at the Asrock 7900XTX Aqua. It's exactly the same PCB as the 7900XTX Taichi, but the Aqua gets a separate vBIOS that gives it a decent performance increase over the Taichi, even if the Taichi is watercooled.
While that is somewhat true with modern GPU's, the reduction in temperature will help the card boost higher for longer, so there is some benefit. However you are correct that you would need a new bios to take full advantage of a water cooled card and you would ideally need the voltage limits to be relaxed, something Nvidia has forbidden. Given what has happened recently with Intel and their i9 fiasco, I can't really blame Nvidia for controlling partner cards even though it sucks for enthusiasts.
You’ll get a little core temp reduction. But you’ll increase the VRM running it with an AIO. I get max temps at 62c on my 4090 air cooled
Thanks for your comment but why do you think the VRM temps will increase? The AIO block has thermal pads that make contact with the VRM’s, that’s how I was able to OC the memory more with the AIO.
its worth it in some cases. i got a used reference 7900xtx with hotspot temp problems for 300$less , bought an Alphacool GPU AIO and now it runs perfectly fine and quiet, and it cost me alot less than the liquid devil 7900xtx.
Very clever to remove the faulty vapor chamber and use the Alphacool AIO … the discount on the card alone paid for the AIO and I really like the look of it too.
yes, the only problem i had was the thermal paste application using alphacools paste. it wont spread well and stick to the chip, so i had to use another brand.
@@EinuhreinsI didn't even try using their thermal paste but I did have a different issue ... I don't show it in the video but when I started to run benchmarks after assembling it for the first time my temps were worse than on air. I disassembled it, repasted and made sure all of the thermal pads hadn't moved. I believe the issue was mounting pressure ... I don't think I screwed it down hard enough the first time ... the second time around everything was great.
Yup in the same boat over here. Bought a 7900XTX and had the hotspot problem. It ran OK when in vertical position but still got pretty hot. I opted for the Alphacool AIO instead of a lenghty RMA kerfuffle. It did the trick and then some. I wouldn't recommend it in most other cases though.
This was really helpful. Do you think that if the pump of a Liquid-Cooled GPU, like the Colorful Neptune, dies I could just add a Custom Loop Pump between the Card and the Radiator? That would mean I don't have to buy a Waterblock and open up the PCB, right?
That’s likely not a good idea but it should still work. A non working pump will add resistance and would provide a surface for debris to build-up. If you are adding a custom pump you might as well add a water block … but yes, that’s a lot of hassle.
@@blackbirdpctech Thank you, appreciate it!
$280 for ~2 fps increase is criminal, unless like mentioned in the video, you care about the temps. Also it would be interesting to see your opinion on the noctua NH-D15 as that will be in my next build for the cpu cooler :D (P.s great vid as always)
Thanks … I was planning to test that against the new offerings from Corsair and Bequiet … I’m curious to see if it’s still the best. If you are planning to use it with AM5 then make sure you get the offset bracket from Noctua … will make a big difference.
this is my first time hearing about an offset bracket. I will research into it @@blackbirdpctech
I have a 3080TI and for me a temperature reduction as well as a noise reduction would be worth it at 65% fan speed my card is noticeably loud.
Then definitely consider this upgrade … it’s a great kit and very easy to install … just be careful to provide sufficient mounting pressure when you put it together … I didn’t show it in the video but I had to pull it apart and reapply the thermal paste because I didn’t tighten it enough the first time. The loop is also refillable. Thanks for watching!
No word on noise performance? This would be a good reason to upgrade to AIO.
I didn’t think that was relevant given that both solutions require three cooling fans. Something to consider moving forward.
@@blackbirdpctech one consideration may be the size of the cooling fans. larger fans are typically quieter at the same flow rate
@@pwnsh4rk6that’s true … so a 280 or 420 could be setup to be quieter, good point.
Hello I have question.. I have 4090 tuf oc with pcb that masure 27cm. not sure why there are 2 diffrent tuf OC 4090 producet.. are there AIO gpu that are that big ?
That sounds very strange ... try checking the Alphacool website to see if they make a product that is tailored to your specific model.
@@blackbirdpctech Thanks for fastseed feedback :)... just find a problem is a 4090 TUF OG OC.. ;( not sure if is better than normal OC edition or a crap.. ua-cam.com/video/ZWuWxxUaSmQ/v-deo.html
Wow, that's crazy ... not surprised that it's Asus doing this ... I'm pretty sure it will perform in a very similar way but it will likely be tough to find an AIO waterblock for it. If they are simply using a 3090 Ti circuit board then I assume that a 3090 Ti AIO waterblock would fit, but I'm not sure if there are any differences.
You totally ignored the most relevant reason for switching to an AIO.
NOISE!
That’s because in most cases you are simply moving the source of the noise, not eliminating it. That said it would be good to understand specifically what you mean … how does installing an AIO on a GPU reduce noise?
@@blackbirdpctech some people heard of water cooling before they heard of newer quieter fans i guess >.>
i subscribe cause its knowledge
Thank you!
is it a lot quieter. because thats a fine upgrade if its say 30-40% quieter too. Performance isent the only meaningful stat when you have a box of fans 3ft from you.
That's true ... unfortunately I didn't test the noise levels when I conducted the testing for this video. Both solutions use 3 fans however with the AIO you do get to select the fans that you use, so that can be an advantage. I used BeQuiet! low noise fans, so they should be better than the stock fans on the TUF card. That said I tested these on an open testbench and I didn't notice any appreciable difference in noise.
This would interest me for my 4070 ti just to get rid of the annoying fan noise at load.
It isn't terrible since my case is decently cooled and card is slightly undervolted, but I'd love the idea to play demanding games with minimal noise
Is it compatible with the 4070 ti tho?
It’s a fantastic AIO, high quality and looks good … just make sure you get one that is designed for your specific brand/model … all of the PCB’s are a little different.
@@blackbirdpctech Right, I wasn't sure I can find one for a 4070 ti oc aero gigabyte v1. Might ask caseking.
@@user-qb1nk1ey2dit would be good to ask gigabyte if their 4070ti pcb is the same as their 4080 pcb … if it is then you can use this AIO. Is it fan noise or coil whine that is annoying under load?
@@blackbirdpctech no coil whine so far thank God, it's just the fans going at 70% rpm that become more noticeable than I'd like.
Gpu is at 65 Celsius max when playing max settings in 1440p, so temps are fine. But the thought of having no fan noise while gaming or editing is mouth-watering haha
Fan curves in msi afterburner won't help, as the fans ramp up and down more often so I'd rather leave the stock curve as is.
Heck, I even thought about water cooling the pc with flexible tubing but I've never done it before and seems challenging.
Great video Matt!
This is why I tell people not to bother with AIOs on their CPUs. If a video card (which makes a LOT nore heat than any CPU) sees little to no benefit, then a CPU won't either. It just adds unnecessary complication and risk to your PC for no real benefit.
You're missing the point. It's not about boosting fps, but getting rid of whiny stock gpu fans.
The stock fans on the TUF card are actually good wrt noise levels and you can get coil whine on any card, regardless of cooling solution. An AIO does however give you more flexibility to place the fans and to select different fans to meet your needs.
@@RadicDotkey quite down and think before you speak
Where is temp compare?
The temps are written on the synthetic benchmarks … they are on screen when I talk about thermal differences.
As a person with a water cooled 4090, the answer is yes it is worth it. To me an AIO is not worth it, unless certain things, like it is a test system. But all in all I am glad I water cooled my entire system.😁
Custom water cooled systems look great and perform well, even switching out the cooling liquid and performing routine maintenance is not a big deal … the only issue I have with them is when it’s time to upgrade. If you plan to keep your system for a while then it’s not a big deal but if you upgrade often then it’s a pain.
If you live in a hot and humid country, and have a rendering PC that runs at 100% for more than 5 hours at a time, then water cooling is utterly pointless. Even the best custom loop will succumb to eventual temperature equilibrium. Most if not all of the water vs air benchmark that shows 10+c difference are only stress tested an hour at most.
I don't really understand your point ... if you have a PC and live in a hot humid country why would your PC see those ambient conditions? If you have AC then it doesn't matter. If you are using your PC outside or with the window open then I would somewhat agree that an air cooler may be a better option however, if you plan to run your PC at 100% for more than 5hrs in those conditions I would recommend investing in a better environmental cooling system and closing your windows.
Fast answer to the video title:
NO.
It’s fast but is it right? For performance it doesn’t matter but there are other considerations, such as case fitment and performance in airflow constrained environments.
@@blackbirdpctech still not worthy at all. If you are going to build a PC you should know first the total space you got for a GPU and get one that fits in preferably, also if that's the only problem, you can literally get a new case with better airflow and all instead of wasting almost $300 on a GPU block + loop parts to "solve" this, and I'm not even saying "get a bigger PC case" because some ppl don't like big cases, but even then, there's some good quality SFF cases that can fit a full size 4 slot GPU on a tiny package and also solve the GPU fans facing the glass problem.
The only scenario I can see that is "worth" to WC a GPU is if you already have a WC custom for the CPU or you're going to build one, so you can WC both CPU and GPU, which makes sense, but custom WCs still not worth to the wallet at all in first place, people do because it looks cool. If I would guess, I would say that 95% of ppl that have custom WC loops don't even touch the grass in front of the gate to the overclocking world to justify having a custom WC, they do it just because it looks cool.
The video is focused on GPU water cooling with a GPU AIO, as shown in the thumbnail ... probably a good idea to watch the video 😉
Why show CPU air cooler when discussing about water cooling GPU?
Not sure what you mean, the thumbnail shows a TUF 4090 and the AIO that I used ... please be more specific.
I think u did somethin wrong cause i got hella lower temps
What specific card are you using and what benchmarks did you run it on? GPU temps in the low 50's for a highly overclocked card are pretty good, so I'm curious to see some data behind your claim.