[jcburchett]

I just finished building a new PC, and it's running great. However, my cpu is idling in the middle 50s and running about 63 degrees under load. I'm using the stock HSF on an Intel Q9550, which I've overclocked 15% to 3.2gHz on stock volts. When I take the OC off it, the temps drop, but only 1-3 degrees, so the change is certainly nothing huge.

I'm not having any problems per se, I just want to be sure I'm not setting myself up for damage in the long term. This is in an Antec 900 and I do not have a fan on the case side, though I'm considering adding one. The rest of the fans are on the medium setting, and I don't observe any change in temp when I crank them to high speed launch mode. I've got Best Buy thermal paste on right now, the brand name of which I can't remember.

I have reseated the cpu a couple times and I get the same temps, though I might give it one more whack. So, my questions are the following:

1) Do I need to be concerned about this temp?
2) What can I do on the cheap that will help to lower it? I just spent a pile of money on this box and I really can't spend much more right now. $15-$20 is about all I can justify to the wife for the next month or so for this machine.
3) Right now, the mobo doesn't have a fan on its heatsink, but I have one I could add. The case temp is about 33-35, and I know my video card runs hot, thereby cranking up case temp. If I put a fan on the heat sink for the mobo, could that help?

Thanks for your responses and help.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by jcburchett

I just finished building a new PC, and it's running great. However, my cpu is idling in the middle 50s and running about 63 degrees under load. I'm using the stock HSF on an Intel Q9550, which I've overclocked 15% to 3.2gHz on stock volts. When I take the OC off it, the temps drop, but only 1-3 degrees, so the change is certainly nothing huge.

I'm not having any problems per se, I just want to be sure I'm not setting myself up for damage in the long term. This is in an Antec 900 and I do not have a fan on the case side, though I'm considering adding one. The rest of the fans are on the medium setting, and I don't observe any change in temp when I crank them to high speed launch mode. I've got Best Buy thermal paste on right now, the brand name of which I can't remember.

I have reseated the cpu a couple times and I get the same temps, though I might give it one more whack. So, my questions are the following:

1) Do I need to be concerned about this temp?
2) What can I do on the cheap that will help to lower it? I just spent a pile of money on this box and I really can't spend much more right now. $15-$20 is about all I can justify to the wife for the next month or so for this machine.
3) Right now, the mobo doesn't have a fan on its heatsink, but I have one I could add. The case temp is about 33-35, and I know my video card runs hot, thereby cranking up case temp. If I put a fan on the heat sink for the mobo, could that help?

Thanks for your responses and help.

Yeh, it does sound high. While not dangerous, its not ideal.


First thing is what thermal paste are you using? If its really really cheap stuff this could be a problem. Try to get some Arctic Silver.

Secondly, if you can afford it, try to get a Arctic Freezer 7 Pro. This is a good cooler for a very modest budget (less than $30)

It comes with good pre applied paste so no need to spend extra on new stuff.

That shoudl get your temps down nicely.

What program are you using to read the temps? You might want to try Real Temp, which is generally regarded as the most accurate. Core Temp tends to be 10 degrees out high.

Finally, you can try bringing the voltage down. Auto will probably give it way more than it needs.

[Bubba]

Are you sure about that serverguy? I'm running a Q9450 with the same case and my temps are always in that range. I solicited info from many people on several sites and was assured that those are normal safe temps for that series of chips, much like higher temps are normal with the 9800GX2 GFX cards. I'm also pretty certain that the Intel spec sheets say the same thing.

Right now with nothing but this browser, Mcafee, and the normal Vista crap running, my temps are CPU1: 60, CPU2: 52, CPU3: 50, CPU4: 60 and my GFX readings are 63, 60, 61, and 62. While these readings are from my NVidia system monitor program, I have found them very compatible to the temps in the BIOS when i used to double check them regularly.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by Bubba

Are you sure about that serverguy? I'm running a Q9450 with the same case and my temps are always in that range. I solicited info from many people on several sites and was assured that those are normal safe temps for that series of chips, much like higher temps are normal with the 9800GX2 GFX cards. I'm also pretty certain that the Intel spec sheets say the same thing.

Right now with nothing but this browser, Mcafee, and the normal Vista crap running, my temps are CPU1: 60, CPU2: 52, CPU3: 50, CPU4: 60 and my GFX readings are 63, 60, 61, and 62. While these readings are from my NVidia system monitor program, I have found them very compatible to the temps in the BIOS when i used to double check them regularly.

Well, I'm not massively experienced with these chips (who is - there too bloody expensive!) but I still feel they are high.

I never like to let a CPU go past 60 degrees at FULL load. I certainly wouldn't want to idle at these temperatures.

Intel will not guarantee a full 3 years lifespan if they exceed 70 degrees C.

If you're idling at 60 ish, I wouldn't like to think what you are at a full load

How about downloading Real Temp
http://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/

And Intel Burn Test
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download...9d0f9f96c3bb65

Let it do about 10 rounds and see what your temps get to. Please stop it if you approach 70!

[Bubba]

Is that intel burn test the new one they just came out with? I read about it if it is, either in an article posted here or on a news site somewhere............

I have been wondering how good it was since I read it (only a couple of days ago at the most) and am glad to see you recommend it. I feel more comfortable using it now lol.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by Bubba

Is that intel burn test the new one they just came out with? I read about it if it is, either in an article posted here or on a news site somewhere............

I have been wondering how good it was since I read it (only a couple of days ago at the most) and am glad to see you recommend it. I feel more comfortable using it now lol.

Yeh, I use it exclusively now. It really stresses the CPU, more so than any of the others, and it works much faster.

10 seconds of it is equal to 10 hours of another stress test apparently and I think I agree. Speeds up OCing a lot.

This is a post I made about it
http://www.computer-juice.com/forums...program-19010/

[Bubba]

Yeah I just saw that lol and was about to edit my post to reflect that. Too late now. I'll give it a whirl tonight before I go to bed. i had to slightly OC my processor to get it to run right and have been wondering about the stability ever since. When I say slightly I mean VERY slightly, maybe one or two settings over factory........

[Bubba]

Holy poop on a stick. If I am reading this right there is a huge difference in what I thought were the temps and what the temps actually are (according to the program you suggested serverdude).

If I do this right you there should be a shot of the results:



EDIT: Ok, I did it right lol. Click the image please server and tell me if i am correctly reading that the temps are around 20C LOWER than what nVidia system monitor said they are..........

[Carbon]

Core 2 Duos are engineered where 70 is the absolute highest you should be at load (that's the danger temp). I would expect two things:

1. Quads will likely be made to properly withstand higher temperature due to..well, it's a quad
2. A load temperature of 63 isn't that bad on any C2D, it's a little high but 65 is around the max I'd want to keep it around.

I wouldn't be too concerned with it. If you're stil concerned throw a Xigmatec on it for $20 and call it a day.

[Bubba]

Well I'm running that program, 6 passes, sorry, I forgot how many so didn't see 10, and my max temps are at 76, 75, 73, and 77. So am I frying my chip? I sent you (serverguy) a pM before I started but got impatient and just went ahead and did it, i have the fry's warranty lol. I don't know how many passes have completed, but after about 20 minutes I ran the temp thing you suggested which is where i'm getting my "values." The core temp then was 75, 70, 73, and 77. Distance was 20, 25, 22, and 19.

I went with stress level 1 which is maximum stress. I don't smell anything burning yet. I also noticed that it only regognized 6.87 GB's of my 8 GB's of RAM. What's up with that? Oh, and BTW, i'm on my old computer typing this lol. The only thing other than the intel and basic background stuff i'm running on the 'new' one is the temp program you linked.