I've been having problems with high temperatures for a while, but today I decided to take the IHS off my processor. Believe it or not.. the temperature actually got worse! Idle temps before were 47-50 and 55-64 under load. Thats at 3ghz with 1.425v. Now, at stock I'm getting 44*c idle, with cool and quiet turned on which I think slows down the processor when its not under load therefore generating less heat. I've got a Silverstone NT-06 Lite cooler with an Akasa 120mm fan on it, controlled by Q-Fan which is set to turn the fan to maximum at 47*c, Although seeing as it hardly ever goes below 47*c the fan is always at max anyway. I'm starting to think the cooler's knackered or something, because I've gone through 3 CPU's now and never gotten it lower than 47*c My original processor was a Venice 3000+, then I installed my current CPU a Toledo 3800+ and today I received an Opteron 144 which was even worse. I've reseated the cooler so many times now I've gone through nearly 2 tubes of paste! Spec's are in sig and I'm running Vista 32bit (I'd run 64bit but it gives me problems when using 4gb of RAM) Another thing that baffled me, is since I installed vista (Yesterday) the temps have gotten lower, although I think thats due to some funky power saving stuff that Vista does.
Remember that when the IHS is removed, the cooler needs to be seated lower. Is it still making proper (firm) contact?
I'm pretty sure it is, its quite firm. I daren't move it too much incase I put too much pressure on the core and crush the damn thing!
Removing the IHS could cause temperatures to go up if it lowered the clamping force on the heatsink too much. Usually the difference in clamping force is just about perfect because an exposed die requires less force, but you might have gotten unlucky and may need to tighten the mounting bracket somehow. Additionally, remember that you don't want a blob of thermal compound, just a very thin layer to fill in the cracks. It's possible you've got too much, and it's nothing to be ashamed of - 90% of computers I see have far too much on them. However, 47 isn't really too hot. I mean, yeah, it's hotter than normal and it'll probably shorten your CPU life a little - so don't plan to still be using that CPU in 2020. As long as the system is stable, your temperatures aren't anything to worry about. Even at 64 degrees, that CPU will last well into obsolescence. Be aware, however, that your chip will start to throttle at about 71 degrees. If that happens, you'll want to buy a new cooler or reapply thermal compound to avert disaster and keep your system running at full speed.
I'm thinking its the cooler to be completely honest. Whats the best cooler out at the moment? I was thinking about the Freezer 64 but I'm not sure if that would work properly due to the lack of an IHS.
The thing is, I've noticed, as soon as the cpu hits 57*c it hangs. I've just tried ducting the air from under the heatsink to the rear fan, and it actually made the temps go UP. It's currently at 49*c at 1.42v. Althoough, this is the first time I've ever felt warm air coming out of the rear fan. Its usually cold, even when the cpu is hot. What are the chances of the cpu cooler being knackered? I remember when I bought it, the temps were no different to the stock cooler temps, and I really expected them to be lower seeing as its a huge heatpipe thing. This is the cooler I have by the way: http://www.pro-clockers.com/review.php?id=243
Well, I'm planning on getting a Lian-Li v600 soon, and the XP120 won't fit. Oh, and the XP120 would crush the core with its mounting mechanism.
The Zalman looks interesting. I was looking at a different zalman the other day, http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=448653 Does anyone know just how much pressure a A64 x2 core can take? I really don't want to kill this thing! Although I've got a 3000+ with broken pins (Still works, just doesn't support dual channel anymore) that I could butcher.. Edit: Couple of screenshots for y'all
