Raptor Computing Systems Hardware > Mod Zone
Custom cooler mount
Woof:
Woo-hoo - the changes to strengthen the Noctua mount resulted in a stable system! I can wobble the cooler now and I have no crashes, so next will be long term testing (I have two earlier spares without amends for the AM5 mounts which I'll be sending to @vikings.thum). Some photos:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-13/noctua-1.jpeg
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-13/noctua-2.jpeg
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-13/noctua-3.jpeg
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-13/secufirm2.jpeg
Tomorrow I'll test with a water block.
Woof:
Today I tested the mount with an EK AM5 water block. This needed a compromise in the design (which I could work around with custom threaded fittings, but each cooler/water block would need its own design, whereas what I have here works with any AM5 cooler) adding a 4mm copper heat spreader on top of the CPU:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/am5-copper-hs.jpeg
It's a smooth machined lump of copper with a pocket to grip the top of the CPU. I used a Thermal Grizzly Kryosheet pad instead of thermal paste (which was frustrating to cut to size), which I used to aid the potential repeatedly dismantling. I mounted the water block on that:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/am5-ekwb-1.jpeg
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/am5-ekwb-2.jpeg
The whole thing is designed so the screws go all the way in (hand tight) to get the maximum out of the springs. Tightening was done in a cross pattern, a few turns at a time. Then the same Alphacool radiator hooked up I use for tests:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/am5-with-rad.jpeg
The mount is solid, as it is with the Noctua fan, and can be pushed and prodded with no play. I ran the same tests as I did with the Noctua and earlier Alphacool water block, with these numbers:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/bc2etc-gen-waku-ek-am5.png
The temperatures are higher than the with the Alphacool:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/bc2etc-gen-waku-acool.png
My solution runs nearly 10 degrees hotter, which is probably a combination of thermal pads vs paste (I used Kryonaut Extreme as the paste, at around $95 USD per pot over here, which we use at work for GPU water cooling) plus the compromise of that lump of copper. But a maximum of 57 degrees is cool running!
I've decided against custom fittings and will keep the compromise of copper heat spreader, but I will switch over to thermal paste and re-run the tests next week.
It's quiet, with the fans stalling and shutting off, and with temps better than the Noctua fan:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/bc2etc-gen-noctua.png
And certainly better than the IBM HSF:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-07-14/bc2etc-gen-hsf.png
More tests next week!
Woof:
Well I did what I said I wouldn't do and went all-in with custom mounts for the EK cooler to eliminate the copper heat spreader/shim:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-08-12/custom-mounts.jpeg
These attach to the earlier bracket and allow the AM5 water block to mount directly on the POWER9, all properly loaded and torqued:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-08-12/ek-am5-mounted.jpeg
The temps are amazing:
https://wip.numfum.com/cw/2023-08-12/bc2etc-gen-waku-ek-am5-custom.png
This is running flat-out and it's around 40 degrees. I'm using a graphite pad instead of paste, so it's not entirely comparable to the first tests I did with the Alphacool bracket from Vikings, and at a guess it would go even lower with the Thermal Grizzly paste (but I just couldn't bring myself to clean off any more paste!). I'll say I'm 100% happy with the result and will re-add the second CPU. The pad will never dry out and should be good for life.
I'm going to document and write this all up in the next weeks, plus make the CAD files available. What I will say, though, is if you want a quick and easy way to water cool, the option from Vikings is probably for you. My solution gets a few more degrees for a much greater cost (especially since this was all one-off custom machining, although with a group buy the price would come way down).
I do think the Noctua fan is a good solution for most people wanting a quieter T2 or Blackbird. Vikings Thum will hopefully publish his findings with a 3D printable version of the same bracket.
ClassicHasClass:
Any added noise or fully silent?
Woof:
With such good contact with the CPU, for regular use the radiator fans aren't even running, so it's just the sound of the pump.
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