Looping Gaming Benchmark

[richiegore]

Hi All,



I'm building a CPU + GPU water cooling loop and want a realistic gaming load which I can use to test its performance. I don't want to use prime 95 + furmark as it is too extreme.



Thanks, Richard.

 

[R0H1T]

How about aida64 stress test ?
This one ~ AIDA64 Extreme Edition (EVEREST) 4.20.2800 / 4.20.2833 Beta

 

[Jodell88]

unigine

 

[KaRLiToS]

Unigine Valley or Unigine Heaven.

You can also loop 3dmark if you want to.

But you can also play games to verify stability.

 

[Mushkins]

You want to stress test, but don't want to use stress testing programs because they're... too stressful?

I don't see the point. If you're only worried about actual load and not stability under maximum theoretical load, there's no point in stress testing. Just play whatever games you normally would and run gpuz in the background with temperature alerts on. If something wigs out or a temp alert goes off, troubleshoot it. If not, then you're fine.

 

[OCGuy]

Wouldn't the solution be to play a game?

 

[richiegore]

Thanks for the advice guys. I want to cool a 2500k @ 4.5 and a 780ti @ stock with a 240mm rad... I know its mad but I want to try it before I go hacking my case... I think it will be fine but I worry a bit that a long gaming session will start to cause the gpu to throttle. I don't want to use furmark as it is a totally unrealistic load... My CPU is prime 95 stable currently... I would simply play a game but I don't have time for any marathon 2hour+ sessions at the moment hence I want the looping benchmark...

 

[KaRLiToS]

Never use furmark. In my opinion, furmark should NEVER be used. Like I said, let Valley or Heaven run or 3dmark as also a loop option.

What I do with 3dmark is select a single scene and loop that scene, there is a loop check box.

Good luck my friend.

 

[richiegore]

Thanks, I will report back my results but it may be a few weeks before I get it all assembled and run the tests.... Dying to know how effective the rad will be...

 

[KaRLiToS]

Which radiator do you have and which blocks are in this loop?

 

[MrK6]

Thanks for the advice guys. I want to cool a 2500k @ 4.5 and a 780ti @ stock with a 240mm rad... I know its mad but I want to try it before I go hacking my case... I think it will be fine but I worry a bit that a long gaming session will start to cause the gpu to throttle. I don't want to use furmark as it is a totally unrealistic load... My CPU is prime 95 stable currently... I would simply play a game but I don't have time for any marathon 2hour+ sessions at the moment hence I want the looping benchmark...

3DMark doesn't load both the CPU and GPU like a game does, and what you'll be looking for is a realistic TDP estimate from both chips loading concurrently. That said, a decent, thick 240mm (XSPC RX240, etc.) is fine to handle that heat load as long as you don't go crazy with the overclocks or voltages. You might have to crank the fans to get the temps down, but hey, it's a trade off.

 

[richiegore]

Its a black ice gt stealth, hardly the best radiator in the world but its a drop in replacement on my hp blackbird. Using some akasa apaches which are a seriously good fan in my opinion. I can put back the 38mm deltas which came with my case if they are too weak. The deltas are 800-2200 rpm so are actually pretty quite at idle. Using a koolance 380i waterbloack, koolance single bay reservoir with a mcp35x pump and an ek gpu waterblock...

 

[lavaheadache]

I have found that Crysis 3 is a much more intensive than Valley or Heaven. I can run valley, heaven and 3dmark for a while and think an overclock is good to go. That is until I fire up Crysis 3, in less than a minute I'll either see artifacts/crash or it'll be good.

 

[KaRLiToS]

Its a black ice gt stealth, hardly the best radiator in the world but its a drop in replacement on my hp blackbird. Using some akasa apaches which are a seriously good fan in my opinion. I can put back the 38mm deltas which came with my case if they are too weak. The deltas are 800-2200 rpm so are actually pretty quite at idle. Using a koolance 380i waterbloack, koolance single bay reservoir with a mcp35x pump and an ek gpu waterblock...

Is it a 360mm radiator or a 240mm?

For a CPU + GPU loop, I recommend at least a 360 (or 480 for silence).

 

[Face2Face]

I have found that Crysis 3 is a much more intensive than Valley or Heaven. I can run valley, heaven and 3dmark for a while and think an overclock is good to go. That is until I fire up Crysis 3, in less than a minute I'll either see artifacts/crash or it'll be good.

+1

Crysis 3 and Metro LL or 2033 have been the best way to test for a stable OC for me. Metro LL just broke my rock stable OC of 1320MHz or so I thought.. jumped her down to 1306MHz for gaming and no issues thus far.

I always start with Valley, heaven, 3Dmark for OC testing, then move to gaming to fine tune.

 

[KaRLiToS]

+1

Crysis 3 and Metro LL or 2033 have been the best way to test for a stable OC for me. Metro LL just broke my rock stable OC of 1320MHz or so I though.. jumped her down to 1306MHz for gaming and no issues thus far.

I always start with Valley, heaven, 3Dmark for OC testing, then move to gaming to fine tune.

Exactly, I do the same procedure, sometime I go straight to gaming

 

[richiegore]

Unfortunately its a 240, as I said far from ideal, long term I'll get a thick 280 rad which is close to a 360 rad or add a second 120mm rad but I don't have the time at the moment for so much nodding so I want to try just the 240...

 

[KaRLiToS]

If you want to save money, don't put the GPU in the loop. A 240mm is not enough for CPU and GPU.

Last year I built a i7 3770k @ 4.5 Ghz with a GTX 780 at stock and I also put a Temperature sensor in the loop to monitor the water temp. I used a XSPC RX 360 in the loop (60mm thick). When playing games such as Far Cry 3 and Metro Last Light, the water temperature could reach 40'C in a matter of time. The ambient was 25'C. This gives a Delta T of 15'C which is considered a below average loop.

I suggest you to keep the GTX 780ti outside the loop, and anyway, GK110 is not too hot at stock.

 

[richiegore]

Thanks for the advice KaRLiTos, Can't decide what to do, its killing me.... I could return the gpu water block and get sound proving for my gpu chamber.... Its separated with a 120mm fan blowing on it in my case (HP Blackbird 002). Or I could get a second 240mm radiator but it would obstruct most of the PCI slots except for the top one... Finally I could try replacing my 240mm rad with a 280, almost the same area as a 360...



KaRLiTos, I know your delta t wasn't great but what temps were your CPU and gpu running at? Surely it was still better and quieter than air cooling?

 

[sxr7171]

I have found that Crysis 3 is a much more intensive than Valley or Heaven. I can run valley, heaven and 3dmark for a while and think an overclock is good to go. That is until I fire up Crysis 3, in less than a minute I'll either see artifacts/crash or it'll be good.

+1

 

[tviceman]

I have found that Crysis 3 is a much more intensive than Valley or Heaven. I can run valley, heaven and 3dmark for a while and think an overclock is good to go. That is until I fire up Crysis 3, in less than a minute I'll either see artifacts/crash or it'll be good.

I had similar issues with Bioshock Infinite and my CPU overclock. I could run a 10 loop maximum IBT stress, but Bioshock would blue screen about 15-20 minutes into a play session unless I either upped my CPU voltage or lowered my overclock. Leave it to good old UT3 to find instability that IBT couldn't.

 

[richiegore]

I've heard crysis 3 is good but don't have it, I do have bioshock infinite so can give that a go

... I think I'm going to give the single 240mm rad a go with an aim to upgrading to a 280mm rad in push-pull in the near future... When you multiply it out, a 280mm rad is 36% more area than a 240mm rad which makes it slightly less, but close enough to the 50% increase of going from a 240mm to a 360mm... I think that increase combined with going push-pull should give decent results.... Thanks again to everyone for your contributions!

 

[KaRLiToS]

Thanks for the advice KaRLiTos, Can't decide what to do, its killing me.... I could return the gpu water block and get sound proving for my gpu chamber.... Its separated with a 120mm fan blowing on it in my case (HP Blackbird 002). Or I could get a second 240mm radiator but it would obstruct most of the PCI slots except for the top one... Finally I could try replacing my 240mm rad with a 280, almost the same area as a 360...



KaRLiTos, I know your delta t wasn't great but what temps were your CPU and gpu running at? Surely it was still better and quieter than air cooling?

CPU was around 75'C and it was i7 3770k @ 4.5 Ghz and the GPU was a GTX 780 and I was able to OC it a lot with Skynet BIOS. GPU temps were Max 50'C.

I've heard crysis 3 is good but don't have it, I do have bioshock infinite so can give that a go

... I think I'm going to give the single 240mm rad a go with an aim to upgrading to a 280mm rad in push-pull in the near future... When you multiply it out, a 280mm rad is 36% more area than a 240mm rad which makes it slightly less, but close enough to the 50% increase of going from a 240mm to a 360mm... I think that increase combined with going push-pull should give decent results.... Thanks again to everyone for your contributions!

You can always keep the 240mm and just add the 280mm in the loop.

WaterCooling is fun ! ! !
__________

By the way, any games can be good to stress test de GPUs.

 

[richiegore]

That sounds good enough temp wise to me, cpu isn't great but Ivy bridge is just hard to cool. Sandy bridge is much easier to keep at low temps but obviously ivy has a slight performance advantage per clock.... Good to know you were OC'ing the gpu too.... Skynet bios sounds good, have you ever had any bother with it? Might keep the 240 alright and add it into below the gpu, make a special cowl to use my 120mm front intake fan to push the hot air from the 240mm out the back of the case.... Plans plans plans....

 

[KaRLiToS]

That sounds good enough temp wise to me, cpu isn't great but Ivy bridge is just hard to cool. Sandy bridge is much easier to keep at low temps but obviously ivy has a slight performance advantage per clock.... Good to know you were OC'ing the gpu too.... Skynet bios sounds good, have you ever had any bother with it? Might keep the 240 alright and add it into below the gpu, make a special cowl to use my 120mm front intake fan to push the hot air from the 240mm out the back of the case.... Plans plans plans....

Skynet did a BIOS of each Nvidia GPU brands. I personally tried his BIOSes on a Reference GTX 780 and a MSI GTX 780 Twin Frozr Gaming OC and they both worked flawlesly up to 1.212 v and power tune at max %.

Better put two rads in the loop for perfect temps, you can mount it anywhere to the case... there is always a way to DIY.

By the way, Ivy and Haswell heat a lot because they are not delidded. But in my opinion, they don't heat the water as much as a 3930k or a 4930k.