[Snippy]

Hello,

I've recently found a program that monitors CPU temperatures and I ran it and on idle I'm
getting around 47/48 C idling. Now on load I get around 55-60C . Is this too high for CPU
temps? I was just playing cod4 demo for about 20min and it went up to 60C, my graphics card
went up to 92C when I was playing crysis demo yesterday for about 10min, but I'm getting a
new cooling setup for that soon. Should I upgrade my cooling on my CPU? If so I'm going to
buy thermal right heat sink and attach a fan on it for maximum cooling. So just voice your
opinion if I should upgrade my cooling. And one more thing, I bought a heatsink for my graphics
card and I'm going to put a fan on top of it, where should I direct the fan, where the air is blowing
on the heat sink or blowing above the heat sink?

Thanks,

Snippy

Edited by Snippy, 03 November 2007 - 09:49 AM.

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Those temps wouldn't be far off for a Pentium D or a Pentium 4 but if that is the Core 2 Duo that is in your signature then it is a bit hot. It isn't hot to the point where it would be damaging your CPU though. As far as the GPU goes 90C is really pushing it. It varies from card to card on how much heat they can handle but I wouldn't trust any card at that temperature, especially after only 10min of gameplay.

Due to the high ammount of heat of both of these componants I think you may have bad airflow in your case. Also it may be in need of a cleaning.

Steps to Take:

Make sure all your fans and heatsinks are dust free.
Open up the PCI exanpansion panel next to you video card.
Make sure that your back fan is exausting out and your front, top, or side fan is intaking air.
Use zip ties to keep PSU and other cables confined to produce better airflow.

CPU still hot? Try remounting the heatsink and apply new thermal compound.

Let us know how it works out.

Edit: Is your GPU passivly cooled right now?

Edited by Titan8990, 03 November 2007 - 11:23 AM.

[Titan8990]

Those temps wouldn't be far off for a Pentium D or a Pentium 4 but if that is the Core 2 Duo that is in your signature then it is a bit hot. It isn't hot to the point where it would be damaging your CPU though. As far as the GPU goes 90C is really pushing it. It varies from card to card on how much heat they can handle but I wouldn't trust any card at that temperature, especially after only 10min of gameplay.

Due to the high ammount of heat of both of these componants I think you may have bad airflow in your case. Also it may be in need of a cleaning.

Steps to Take:

Make sure all your fans and heatsinks are dust free.
Open up the PCI exanpansion panel next to you video card.
Make sure that your back fan is exausting out and your front, top, or side fan is intaking air.
Use zip ties to keep PSU and other cables confined to produce better airflow.

CPU still hot? Try remounting the heatsink and apply new thermal compound.

Let us know how it works out.

Edit: Is your GPU passivly cooled right now?

Edited by Titan8990, 03 November 2007 - 11:23 AM.

[james_8970]

What software are you using to record these temperatures, I generally recommend you use 3 or 4 programs to assure you are getting the right temperatures from your components. As for your GPU temperature only use Catalyst Control Center (CCC), I find this to be the most accurate.

The x1900xtx is known to run hot, if you have already purchased a heat sink for your card please post it here. Before you start dissassembling your card, be sure you know exactly what you are doing, otherwise you'll cook your card. This card can run over 100*C before damage begins to set in.

Your processor is a bit on the warm side, though not quite warm enough for any damage.

As titan has mentioned, I'd take a look at airflow within your PC, if you can get some cable out of the way or add additional case fans, you could likely improve the situation, though nothing is alarmingly high.

James

Edited by james_8970, 03 November 2007 - 12:12 PM.

[Snippy]

Hello,

My setup with the wires seems to be fine, and I've zipped the wires to out of the way positions, did the best I could. I've already replaced the stock cooler on my card with a better one but it doesn't seem to be going good lately so I'm replacing it with a thermalright heat sink and going to place a fan on top of that for maximum cooling. Here is the heat sink: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835109135. I am using Fanspeed to monitor CPU temperatures and ATI tool to monitor graphics card temperatures. When I first start a game like say call of duty 4 demo, it will run fine at a reasonable fps but then after about 10-25min it will start getting choppy and fps will drop because of the extreme temperature the card is running at. Here is a shot of the inside of my pc, and remember I do not keep the side panel on, it's always off. And yes my CPU is indeed core 2 duo.


Thanks,

Snippy

Edited by Snippy, 03 November 2007 - 12:31 PM.

[james_8970]

If you're purchasing that aftermarket cooler your going to need to purchase some RAM sinks as well as this kit doesn't appear to come with any. I havn't really heard anything bad about that aftermarket cooler, it's a great product.

With the side panel off these temperatures are not acceptable, though nothing is going to ba damaged at the temps you provided.

What are you ambient (room) temperatures?

Since that isn't a stock CPU cooler, which cooler is it? What kind of thermal paste are you using?

James

Edited by james_8970, 03 November 2007 - 02:50 PM.

[Snippy]

I already have memory heat sinks on the card and as for the kind of CPU cooler it's a masscool, I don't know anything else about it 'cause I purchased it like 6 months ago. And my room temperature is about 65-70F. I have made a diagram to show you my setup and which way the fans are blowing.

Edited by Snippy, 03 November 2007 - 03:53 PM.

[james_8970]

I found your CPU cooler, when you order your new video card cooler, I suggest getting some Artic silver 5.
The thermal compound that comes with that cooler is quite poor from what I can tell and that cooler operates about the same as the Intel heatsink. Be sure you clean of the existing thermal compound, other wise your going to get poor results.
Also, from the picture it looks dusty so I suggest dusting it when you remount the heatsink.
Are you sure your PSU fan isn't sucking air in and blowing it out the back, I have yet to see a PSU and sucks air into the case.
Again, none of your temperatures are anything to worry about, but if you do want to improve them I suggest doing the instructions above.
James

[Snippy]

I took your advice and cleaned out the CPU fan completly and reaplyed thermal paste to it, but I'm still getting the same results. Well the temperature to worry about is my graphics card, as when I play Crysis demo for 20min it spikes up to 92C and this causes me to lose 10-20 fps and making it really choppy gameplay. I've already ordered a new heatsink for my graphics card here: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835109135 and I'm wanting to know, I bought a fan to go on top of the heat sink for maximum cooling, but where should I place the fan? I mean where should the air be blowing, on the heatsink or away from the heatsink? I'm going to mount it on top of the heatsink but just need to know which way I should face it for max cooling.

Thanks,

Snippy

[james_8970]

The fan should be blowing away, I have a feeling the CPU heatsink may be worse then the stock one. What thermal paste are you using?
James

[Snippy]

I am using arctic silver 5, I think I may have too much paste on it, let me get a picture of it and show you. Because I was watching a video of some guy putting thermal paste on his CPU and he only put a very small amount.

Edited by Snippy, 04 November 2007 - 07:49 AM.

[Titan8990]

That is way too much thermal paste. When that much is applied i actually insulates the heat the the CPU produces. Be very careful when removing the paste apply new stuff. If any of that gets down in your socket you can call it done. One actic silver tube should last 3-5 applications. That is in bad need of beeing cleaned up. You only want a very thin layer like you probably watched in the video. A good technique I use is to only spread it over about 3/4s of the CPU and allow the pressure of the heatsink the spread it the rest of the way.


I will say it again because it is very important. Do not get any thermal grease in your socket. This looks like pictures of my first screwed up MOBO for the same reason....

Edit: Isoporal(sp?) Alcohol is the best use when cleaning up on thermal grease.

Edited by Titan8990, 04 November 2007 - 08:21 AM.

[stettybet0]

isopropyl It can be found in some types of rubbing alcohol, look on the bottle. You want at least 70%, more is better.

Good job everyone helping, pretty much everything that needs to be said has been said.

Fixing that thermal paste overdose should keep the CPU down to normal temps. As for the GPU, you may want to install a side-mounted fan if possible to blow on it. Putting one on my Antec 900 lowered my GPU temps about 10C. Even if your case doesn't have a side mount, you could still drill some holes for it, or use lots of electrical tape.

[Snippy]

OK I have cleaned off all the thermal paste and reapplied it in a smaller amount. I still get CPU temperatures of 50C idle. I'm am going to order some more arctic silver 5 for when I install my new heat sink on my GPU. I will probably be getting it tomorrow or Tuesday so whenever I get them I will post back here with my results regarding the GPU temperatures. As for the CPU temperatures if it gets to be a big deal when I play newer games that are going to be released soon (Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare, Crysis, Gears of War) I'll just buy a thermalright CPU heatsink and attach a fan to it, because I've only heard good things about thermalright's heatsinks so thats what I'll buy! One more thing, would getting windows vista increase my game performance frames per second wise, and by how much change? Would it be worth to upgrade to windows vista for the new games coming up like callofduty4?

Thanks,

Snippy

Edited by Snippy, 04 November 2007 - 09:55 AM.

[james_8970]

Just a word of caution, Arctic silver 5 is a metallic paste, if it falls onto the circuit board you will fry something as the paste does conduct electricity, please be careful. The amount you need to put on is about the size of a grain of rice.

As settybetty mentioned, 70% at least the more the better, I generally suggest not less the 90% for best results, the higher the concentration of alcohol, the faster is evaporates and it leaves less impurities behind.

At the moment no, vista doesn't really give any performance gains, just gives you the option of using the DX10 API (you have a high end DX9 card, not DX10).

Still those temperature are to high, either your still applying to much thermal compound (your had easily 3 times as much as what you needed) or that heatsink needs to go.
Also, many computer enthusiasts take their components apart because manufacture put way to much thermal compound on, one company that does this is apple, they put A LOT on, so don't assume what they do is right.

James

Edited by james_8970, 04 November 2007 - 08:18 PM.

[stettybet0]

The amount you need to put on is about the size of a grain of salt.

Have you looked at a grain of salt recently? It's about as big as the period at the end of this sentence. You really want the amount to be the size of a (cooked) grain of rice.

Also, on the topic of cleaning off thermal paste: use the isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip, and rub as much of the paste off as you can. Then use a lint-free cloth (a coffee filter will do in a pinch) to remove the residue. Rinse and repeat. (Note: Don't literally rinse and repeat, as spraying your mobo with water would certainly damage it. It's a figure of speech.)