CPU too hot while folding? A good solution

[ajm]

I was stupid: I bought a 280 W processor hoping to be able to cool it sufficiently for FAH with an AIO.
But I found a good workaround fiddling with the toolbox that came with my motherboard. With Asus, it's called TPU, a part of their AI Suite 3. This software allows you, among many other things (not all harmless, mind you), to restrict the frequency of the processor. After a series of tests, I found that by limiting the frequency at the level of the CPU's "base Speed", one can reach a very good level of performance without too much heat. It should work with any modern processor and it can always be done at least in the bios, I suppose. Thought I'd drop a line.

[iceman1992]

Thanks for the heads up, might come in handy for others.
I assume the 280W processor is a Threadripper 3970X?
What size AIO are you using? And what kind of PPD do you get with it?

[ajm]

Correct! I now use a 280 and I ordered a 360.
I havent' tried to maximise the PPD yet. I only use half of the beast, at its base speed, closely watching the temp, and if I'm not mistaken (there a lot of difference), that half delivers between 400k and 1M, depending on the jobs.

[alxbelu]

Yeah, limiting the CPU frequency is also very useful on laptops, and there's many ways of doing that, here's a few (mostly for Intel, but the Windows power setting is universal): https://www.geeks3d.com/20170213/how-to ... -notebook/

[iceman1992]

Correct! I now use a 280 and I ordered a 360.
I havent' tried to maximise the PPD yet. I only use half of the beast, at its base speed, closely watching the temp, and if I'm not mistaken (there a lot of difference), that half delivers between 400k and 1M, depending on the jobs.

Nice! Do let us know what PPD you get when you use all cores

[BobWilliams757]

You can also limit heat using the FOH settings. Just tinkering earlier on my lowly 2400G system, I was adjusting CPU numbers to bring the temp where I wanted it. I had seen mention in another thread that when not all cores/threads are in use, the boost frequencies can jump higher and still not cause much heat. Finding the sweet spot on throughput vs heat/power might take a while for those of you with power systems.

With my system, it just goes from really slow, to really, really slow if I throttle it back some!

[ajm]

Indeed, with my former system (Intel), I could do that, but the temperature of those Threadrippers literally jumps passed the base speed, if you don't have a very powerful cooling solution. With my first AIO, it was easily be 20C for an increase of 0.1-0.2 GHz. It's really like a turbo...

[BobWilliams757]

Indeed, with my former system (Intel), I could do that, but the temperature of those Threadrippers literally jumps passed the base speed, if you don't have a very powerful cooling solution. With my first AIO, it was easily be 20C for an increase of 0.1-0.2 GHz. It's really like a turbo...

Holy crap, that's a big heat jump.

Being I'm using a 1st gen Ryzen with only 4 cores, I'm surely not heating a house with it.

But it sounds like now you have a reason to keep tinkering and seeing how much throughput you can get out of that beast without killing the current cooling you have.

[ajm]

It is a bit of a gymkhana so I thought I post a progress report.

I first used an Enermax 280 (as exhaust) with the TRX40 and it was very bad. I think this unit was faulty, actually. I replaced it with a Corsair 280 and it was much better, but not enough to really use the 3970x passed base speed. So I put an Enermax 360 as intake, because that was the best possibility I could get fast enough in the present economy. It's about the same cooling performance as the Corsair 280. Albeit I have to say that by the time I got the Enermax 360, I was out of thermal grease, my order was still days away and what Enermax had bundled with their 360 was totally unserviceable, part liquid part solid. I had to remix it (while the computer was open, the radiator fixed...) It was a mess, I had of that grease everywhere.

So I now have that Enermax 360 as intake with a very bad grease and I can run about 90% of the 3970x (56 threads) at base speed (3.66) under 80C. That delivers about 600-650K point/day, that is about three time what I can get with the 7940x at full speed.

Tuesday, I should get some decent thermal grease. I'll see what that can achieve. And in a week or two a Corsair 360 should arrive. Using it as intake, maybe it will be sufficient for the 3970x. There's a good chance I think because I'm now using the same Corsair 280 that was cooling the 7940x as exhaust (some 70C at 100% load) in a new case, this time as intake, otherwise with the same material (same MB and GPus, just less disks and RAM) and it delivers a much better performance in that configuration (<60C at 100% load). There's hope!

EDIT: The grease came today already. It's a 10C difference! Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (12.50W/m K).

[Xelvestine]

I'm running a 3900X W/ the stock Wraith Prism cooler and I've found folding whilst leaving it on its default boosting behavior is definitely too much for it. However, limiting the maximum processor state in Windows power settings to 99% effectively disables any boosting behavior and runs it slightly below baseclock, ( 3.725 GHz according to Ryzen Master and about 1.075-1.1 volts under full load and 70c or less. ) Default boosting behavior would run it at 4-4.05 GHz and ~1.33 volts under full load, resulting in load temps of upwards of 90c.

Obviously, that 300 MHz or so under full load isn't worth the temp and power trade off, at least not whilst folding. So if anyone else out there is running one of these on the stock cooling you may consider giving this a try. I'm sure you could delve into the bios or Ryzen Master and set clockspeeds manually that way but this works as just a quick toggle between normal boosting behavior and a lowered more efficient power state whilst folding.

[PantherX]

Welcome to the F@H Forum Xelvestine,

If you have the Ryzen Master software installed, you can enable the Eco-Mode on you CPU which will automatically reduce the TDP and hopefully, will result in more manageable thermals without a massive drop in performance: https://www.techarp.com/computer/ryzen-eco-mode-guide/

[Nathan_P]

Just be careful trying to use an AIO with threadripper, most of them don't have a cold plate big enough to cover the entire processor. The one that does have a big enough cold plate, the enermax, has been plagued with issues and isn't recommended. The only way to get the enermax to work as it should is to drain teh fluid, take it apart and make sure there is no gunk in it and then refill it with a different premix coolant. I have an enermax 360 on my 1920x and it does a pretty good job of cooling now that i've opened it up.

[ajm]

Yes, thank you Nathan_P!

I had noticed that problem with the size of the cold plate, and that's why I tried an Enermax first. It looks like a good concept, but it's very sloppily realized. I'll replace it with a Corsair, which is a rather middle-of-the-road (universal) concept, but much better produced. And then I'll take my chances dismantling the Enermax and refill it. Then I'll be able to compare on equal grounds in order to keep the best one.

[Nathan_P]

When you do take it apart there are a couple of good video's on how to do it and what to look for on youtube. Gamersnexus has done the best ones.

[ajm]

These I suppose? https://youtu.be/5i4_kI_FTG8 and https://youtu.be/0fobND-PZUg
But darn! Well, I guess it will be easier to fill with a wash bottle.