ekwb EK-MLC PHOENIX Series, User Manual, Page: 32 / 40

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TROUBLESHOOTING
IN CASE OF CPU OVERHEATING
Very high CPU temperatures are usually the symptoms of malfunctioning
liquid cooling loop, assuming the contact between CPU heat spreader and
water block itself is good and that the water itself is adequately cooled within
the radiator. This can occur either due to:
1. Malfunctioning or non-working water pump:
The symptoms usually
include rapid spike in temperature when stressing your CPU to the maxi-
mum (for example with Prime95 software). Make sure the pump is plugged
in to the power connector and that the liquid is indeed flowing in your sys-
tem. You should feel the pump vibrating in your hand. Observe the flow
indicator or flow meter reading if present. »The PWR GOOD LED indicator
on the PWM splitter should glow red when working. No light means no
power is getting through – please check electrical connections.
2. Malfunctioning or non-working cooling fans:
TThe symptoms
usually include rapid spike in temperature when stressing your CPU to the
maximum. make sure the cooling fans are plugged in to the power connec-
tor hub and that the blades are indeed rotating. »The PWR GOOD LED in-
dicator on the PWM splitter should glow red when working. no light means
no power is getting through – please check electrical connections.
3. Kink in the liquid cooling tubing: Very similar symptoms to both above
described. Thin-walled tubing may collapse easily under low radius turns or
when obstructed by other computer chassis elements such as closing side
panel doors. Check the tubing for any signs of kink which restrict the flow.
This is normally not the case when using original tubing.
4. Clogged microchannels in the water block:
Clogged microchan-
nels in the water block: microchannels can get clogged easily with various
dirt particles and impurities, especially with plasticizer powder which has
leached from the tubing (When using unsafe liquid cooling tubing). The
symptoms usually include rapid spike in temperature when stressing your
CPU to the maximum, flow rates are very low. Visually inspect the water
block internals for any buildup or contamination and clean the system if
necessary. In case the water block with translucent acrylic top is employed
this inspection can be done without disassembling the system.
5. Thermal interface material (paste/grease) not applied or appied im-
properly:
Lack of - or even too much TIM - may result in CPU overheating.
Please refer to STEP 2 in INSTALLING THE WATER BLOCK section.
Another culprit could be partially or completely defective CPU. Some CPUs
run at higher temperatures than the others. Overheating of the CPU can also
occur due to:
1. Poor thermal contact within the CPU itself:
Some CPUs, such as Intel
LGA-1151 socket based Skylake, Intel LGA-1150 based Haswell and older,
socket LGA-1155 based Ivy Bridge are notorious for their poor thermal con-
tact between the CPU die and the heat spreader (IHS) itself due to the use
of poor TIM. This is the problem of the processor and not the Phoenix CPU
liquid cooling unit. These CPUs are known to run very hot (80°C+) even on
factory set frequencies. For best performance it is usually recommended
to replace the TIM between the die and the IHS or to even run the proces-
sor de-lidded. Both require hazardous IHS removal which voids processor’s
warranty but can lead to temperature decrease of 30°C and higher.
EKWB deems der8auer Delid Die Mate tool safe to be used by
experts for de-lidding of the Intel Skylake CPUs.
Upon exhausting all options please consult EK knowledge base at
http://support.ekwb.com . Raise a question through EK Support
ticketing system if needed.