MP 1,1-5,1 Cooler Northbridge on The Mac Pro 5,1 Dual CPU

[paulcons]

I wonder if anyone has thought of getting a swamp (evaporative) cooler and sitting it in front of the machine? The air being drawn in by the first intake fan would be certainly cooler than ambient... and it does not involve any kind of modification of the tray or heatsinks.

 

[h9826790]

I wonder if anyone has thought of getting a swamp (evaporative) cooler and sitting it in front of the machine? The air being drawn in by the first intake fan would be certainly cooler than ambient... and it does not involve any kind of modification of the tray or heatsinks.

You want the cMP to intake water vapour?

 

[RetroDan]

You want to cMP to intake water vapour?

Man, I know most Apple machines start with a 'Bong', but I don't think that's the kind they meant...

 

[paulcons]

The time I want my NB to be cooler is summer... so 95º ambient with 90% humidity is what is being drawn in. BUT you make a point, might be an idea for something to reduce the vapor, maybe a thin foam filter.

 

[MIKX]

Most people ( in the world ) use Centigrade not Fahrenheit.

My cMP's Northbridge Tdiode is currently at 50°C.

 

[paulcons]

Habits are hard to break, NOBODY I know (except some online friends & acquaintances) uses ºC... but I do make the effort to use always C for temps inside my computer (i.e. MacsFanControl is set for C). My NB is running 73.5C (boosta running about 1100), ambient 24.3C humidity 69%.

Was thinking more about my swamp cooler idea... is more water vapor good or bad WHEN there already are internal fans blowing on everything? It's still kinda evaporative cooling... so shutting down the cooler a good 15 mins before shutting down the computer does not so much seem to pose a hazard to anything.

 

[MIKX]

The time I want my NB to be cooler is summer... so 95º ambient with 90% humidity is what is being drawn in. BUT you make a point, might be an idea for something to reduce the vapor, maybe a thin foam filter.

Inputting moisture / water vapour into a Mac Pro ?
Absolutely NO, never. Suicide.

PS : The reason that Centigrade temps are preferred here is because the Mac Pro Forum is international.
Most Westerrn countries if not 99% of them use Metric / Centigrade.

 

[KeesMacPro]

I wonder if anyone has thought of getting a swamp (evaporative) cooler and sitting it in front of the machine? The air being drawn in by the first intake fan would be certainly cooler than ambient... and it does not involve any kind of modification of the tray or heatsinks.

It might be a lot more effective (and saver!) to put a (small) airconditioner close to the MP so the cold air coming out of the airco gets in the MP.

 

[MIKX]

In the peak of summer heat & humidity a small, cheap ( but powerful ) room fan placed strategically to draw hot air away from the rear of a Mac Pro would definitely be a satisfying move.

 

[startergo]

First to say, i have needed 7 tries, to get a model who can be used as printable model. So much functions of my 3D-Program give me defective and not reparabel models. So some parts are simpler replacemets.

Size is 170.30 x 50.50 x 87.50 mm

Without print and test i can't give a warrenty that this tunnel is just as effective as my PVC construction or making other problems. Perhaps it is also necessary to correct small parts.

The hole (position and size) for the cable is optimized for the Noctua 40x40x20 Fan (the plug must be removed with a small pin)

I just installed this. When I put the fan inside I can barely fit it in the tunnel by stretching a little bit the bottom ends. I am not sure if this is a manufacturing issue or design flaw. I did not go in details to check the measurements yet. Anyhow it works for the Northbridge and it dropped the Temp from 76 to 61, but I also saw My CPU-A temperature rise up a little. I now run with these settings to offset this:

I think this might be due to the restriction of the airflow to the heatsink.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Thanks for the feedback,

Can you tell me how much the cpu temp rise?

Did you modify something? Perhaps I will make the tunnel 0,1-0,2 cm wider, when you say it was problematic to install the fan.

Can you make some pictures of the installed tunnel, please?
I want to see, that all is like planed.

 

[startergo]

Thanks for the feedback,

Can you tell me how much the cpu temp rise?

Did you modify something? Perhaps I will make the tunnel 0,1-0,2 mm wider, when you say it was problematic to install the fan.

Can you make some pictures of the installed tunnel, please?
I want to see, that all is like planed.

It is a minimum of 6 degrees C increase in Temperature for CPU-A due to airflow restriction. I did not modify anything just streched the legs. I can't fit the fan in its exact place, but it is so tight that no bolts are needed either for holding the fan.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

On my prototype I have no increase of temperature, but for my test I have used the standard fan settings.

 

[startergo]

On my prototype I have no increase of temperature, but for my test I have used the standard fan settings.

This schedule seems to be working fine:

Fans:
PCI-min{800}curr{799}max{4500}mode{0}
PS-min{600}curr{815}max{2800}mode{2,Tp0C,43,53}
EXHAUST-min{600}curr{953}max{2800}mode{2,TCAD,45,70}
INTAKE-min{600}curr{950}max{2800}mode{2,TCAD,45,70}
BOOSTA-min{800}curr{1449}max{5200}mode{2,TCAD,45,70}
BOOSTB-min{800}curr{1304}max{5200}mode{2,TCBD,35,60}

 

[startergo]

On my prototype I have no increase of temperature, but for my test I have used the standard fan settings.

With standard fan settings I get 13-16 C cooler Northbridge.

 

[Homeboyspike]

With standard fan settings I get 13-16 C cooler Northbridge.

Can you tell me what you hooked the fan to? Also, does the airflow go towards or away from the heatsink?

 

[MIKX]

This is getting old now but still valid.

De-Dusting & Northbridge temp reduction in Dual CPU cMP 4,1 & 5,1

( NOTE : I feel that both Northbridge temp reduction AND de-dusting/de-clogging the cheesegrater DUAL CPU cMPs deserves a separate thread to embrace the concepts. Northbridge cooling requires that all that hot air be efficiently extracted from the CPU case...

forums.macrumors.com

In my 4,1/5,1 case my Typhoon fan pushes air TOWARDS the Northbridge heatsink = logical seeing that all hot air is ejected towards the rear of the Mac Pro.

 

[Sean__Wong]

The time I want my NB to be cooler is summer... so 95º ambient with 90% humidity is what is being drawn in. BUT you make a point, might be an idea for something to reduce the vapor, maybe a thin foam filter.

I've only seen Evap cooling using Ethanol or Methanol both of which are terribly bad ideas as they burn invisibly.
Also

Infographic: Only Three Countries in the World (Officially) Still Use the Imperial System

This chart shows countries which still (officially) use the imperial system.

www.statista.com

 

[Sean__Wong]

Habits are hard to break, NOBODY I know (except some online friends & acquaintances) uses ºC... but I do make the effort to use always C for temps inside my computer (i.e. MacsFanControl is set for C). My NB is running 73.5C (boosta running about 1100), ambient 24.3C humidity 69%.

Was thinking more about my swamp cooler idea... is more water vapor good or bad WHEN there already are internal fans blowing on everything? It's still kinda evaporative cooling... so shutting down the cooler a good 15 mins before shutting down the computer does not so much seem to pose a hazard to anything.

I did this tis a bit ghetto I concede

5,1 Mac Pro water cooled project - Working, with photos

@p11hlf Thanks for the post the watercool and your neat metal work looks good. Will you post your NB Heats sink shroud on thingiverse or another site ? I'd like to get some basic measurements on the Heatsink, I'm a bit stuck as I've only got one cMP 5,1 and I use it ! I'm keen to get a shroud...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[paulcons]

FWIW, after I wrote my last post, my CPU tray decided to give up... long story short I got an immaculate tray (nary a fingerprint) with 32G of what LOOKED like brand new ram for essentially what the RAM would have cost. All my temps are way, way down... thing run cool as a cucumber. NB is running around 50º I am perfectly happy with that, I see no reason to spend any time trying to get that lower. Now my old tray had the NB (with fan assist) running 74-76º with a huge difference from the heatsink. Git told it HAD to be that my rivets broke and the heatsink was just lying on top of the chip... guess what? Rivets were perfectly fine, heatsink was very solid (yes I COULD move it just a tiny bit laterally, meaning the springs were doing what they do.

My next crackpot but MAYBE not thinking is I HAD run my machine hot and heavy for 10+ years... during really hot summers, it did not live in air conditioning, so 2-3 months in 32º temps. Given how pristine clean this new tray was, my bet it it spent that 10 years doing much of nothing.

 

[KeesMacPro]

I HAD run my machine hot and heavy for 10+ years... during really hot summers, it did not live in air conditioning, so 2-3 months in 32º temps.

From my own experience (and ofcourse by reading several reports from others here) , there are different factors:
- the rivets itself ( to secure the right pressure)
- the thermal paste ( it ages and the quality does matter)
-the heatsink itself ( I've unmounted lots of NB heatsinks and never seen one with a perfectly flat and polished surface as for e.g. the CPU heatsink.)

I normally tape a piece of sanding paper ( grind 1000 going up to 3000) on a glass plate and polish the heatsink contact surface , clean it and repaste it.

 

[rx78]

What macs fan control settings are recommended now for a dual 4,1?

Mine are
PCIE: AUTO
PS: AUTO
INTAKE: NB diode 50-65C
EXHAUST: CPU A diode 45-70C
BOOST A: NB diode 50-65C
BOOST B: CPU B diode 45-70C

 

[KeesMacPro]

What macs fan control settings are recommended now for a dual 4,1?

As you may have read, opinions vary concerning the fan setup.
Another thing is that the Temps , thus the setup too, are quite different for a Single or Dual MP4,1/5,1.

Personally I've found this setup (Dual CPU) working very efficient for my workload , and a nice balance between "coolness" and noise.

PCIe: AUTO (unless T is high because of e.g. hot GPU > sensor PCI ambient min rpm: 32C max rpm :50C)
PS: AUTO (unless the powerdraw from GPU makes PS 2 run ~ above 40C constantly) sensor PS2 min:32C max: 50C
Intake: NB diode 55-80C
Exhaust: AUTO ( higher rpm has an almost insignificant influence on the T inside the CPU compartment, just more noise)
Boost A: NB diode 55-75C
Boost B: AUTO

 

[rx78]

As you may have read, opinions vary concerning the fan setup.
Another thing is that the Temps , thus the setup too, are quite different for a Single or Dual MP4,1/5,1.

Personally I've found this setup (Dual CPU) working very efficient for my workload , and a nice balance between "coolness" and noise.

PCIe: AUTO (unless T is high because of e.g. hot GPU > sensor PCI ambient min rpm: 32C max rpm :50C)
PS: AUTO (unless the powerdraw from GPU makes PS 2 run ~ above 40C constantly) sensor PS2 min:32C max: 50C
Intake: NB diode 55-80C
Exhaust: AUTO ( higher rpm has an almost insignificant influence on the T inside the CPU compartment, just more noise)
Boost A: NB diode 55-75C
Boost B: AUTO

Aye , yeah the values were so different for everyone I struggled to decide lol.

Mines cool but relatively noisy. The noisiest being my GPU which just ramps up like a jet engine lol

 

[KeesMacPro]

Aye , yeah the values were so different for everyone I struggled to decide lol.

Mines cool but relatively noisy. The noisiest being my GPU which just ramps up like a jet engine lol

Yep, there's no absolute truth lol

Vegas are known to be "a little noise" , yes