Foo - Can't get CPU temp down

On my desktop PC, it's idling in the bios at 73C. Once I boot into linux, it's already throttling my CPU due to heat. Windows works the same way. I tried applying new heat sink compound and sticking a large fan on the side of my computer. I'm thinking I'll go get another compound tomorrow and try that. The case has plenty of fans.

Here are the specs:
P4 3.6GHz
Intel heatsink with fan
Cooler Master case with plenty of fans

I really just can't get the temp down, and I can't play any games like this at all.

Any ideas?

Any ideas?

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/hotcpu.gif

already tried that one. Maybe I should cover it in toothpaste.

How is the actual heatsink? Make sure it isn't gunked up with dust. Remove the fan and check the fins and have you made sure the fan is actually working? Maybe buy better fan/heatsink?

I have a new 12cm fan on my cpu - runs at 33C

Liquid cooling looks awesome.

What paste did you use?

Many require a long time to set. I use Arctic Silver ceramic because it sets quickly. Too much paste can also cause heat issues.

Cap'n, she needs more heatsink!

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/250/cmaz0.jpg

Stick it inside a minifridge turned all the way up. That might work.

dust? one leg on the heatsink loose?
heatsink sitting on capacitor instead of CPU?
too much thermal paste?

I remember the intel heatsinks having poor plastic legs for the mounting and the after market heatsinks would sometimes sit on the capacitors.

blew all the dust out. It's still possible that one of the legs where it pushes through the motherboard isn't letting it sit properly.

Another thing is that I can't find a 3.6GHz P4 on the intel site. This thing might be overclocked, since I got the motherboard/proc used a while ago.
N/M, it's a P4 660. They made those in 3.6GHz.

Damn damn damn

I just bought a BIG ASS HEATSINK. I know the P4 runs hot, so I probably really needed it to begin with. If this BIG ASS HEATSINK doesn't work, then I'm out of options.

It's also possible that the BIOS is reading the wrong sensor and thinking it's the CPU...

Heck I did not even know that computers had rectums.





wait for it.

Water cooling? I've never messed with it, because I fear that one crack in a hose and there goes the system, but I've heard of people swear by how a water-cooled CPU sink can keep the thing under 38 degrees (C) no matter what they do on the CPU.

Make sure that you use a thin layer of thermal paste when you mount the heatsink. I like the arctic silver instructions (http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_route_step2intelas5.html.).

The prescott line of processors did run hot. I'm not sure if yours is a prescott but it seems likely. One of the best heat sinks you can use is the tuniq tower. If that can't keep your system cool, nothing except water cool can!

You need one of these:
http://www.frostytech.com/ArticleImages/200803/scytheorochi.jpg

Along with a 6000rpm fan.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleimages/200803/imcscythe_3.jpg

Water cooling? I've never messed with it, because I fear that one crack in a hose and there goes the system, but I've heard of people swear by how a water-cooled CPU sink can keep the thing under 38 degrees (C) no matter what they do on the CPU.

only if you cool a Pentium D/E type, those leak so much heat you'd think an incandescent bulb was more efficient. :) Even then, water cooling on D/E would only get you average 40~45c idle

not worth the time and money for current processors. Overkill for C2D and Athlon X2. I think the water cooling on my X2 is overkill.

Where is the processor in relation to the fans.. Height wise?

Check to see that there is an open convection path from the processor to the fan.

Make sure that you use a thin layer of thermal paste when you mount the heatsink. I like the arctic silver instructions (http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_route_step2intelas5.html.).

The prescott line of processors did run hot. I'm not sure if yours is a prescott but it seems likely. One of the best heat sinks you can use is the tuniq tower. If that can't keep your system cool, nothing except water cool can!

The strange thing is the heat sink I plopped on the Core 2 Duo chip I bought last week when building a server had no heat sink grease with it, nor instructions to put any one... just drop the chip in, close the frame around it, jam the heat sink on the chip, and mash the four corner fasteners down. However, it seems to be working... the CPU is at about 38 degrees (C) however the CPU is pretty much idle other than for I/O operations.

Using the stock fan with the crappy stock thermal paste (tape, really), my Athlon 64 X2 idles at about 30-35 degrees (up to 60C under heavy load). Only reason I didn't use some Arctic Silver was that I was too lazy to clean off the stock stuff. I'm planning to eventually replace it with the largest fanless heatsink I can find, so I'll Arctic Silver it then.

Using the stock fan with the crappy stock thermal paste (tape, really), my Athlon 64 X2 idles at about 30-35 degrees (up to 60C under heavy load). Only reason I didn't use some Arctic Silver was that I was too lazy to clean off the stock stuff. I'm planning to eventually replace it with the largest fanless heatsink I can find, so I'll Arctic Silver it then.

Is there any real difference in cooling between Athlon 64s and Core 2 Duo/Quads? To me, if the chip supports the critical instructions (virtualization, etc), I don't care if its Intel or AMD.

If the stock HSF isn't cooling it and it's probably installed with a proper application of heat paste...something is wrong.

Is there any real difference in cooling between Athlon 64s and Core 2 Duo/Quads? To me, if the chip supports the critical instructions (virtualization, etc), I don't care if its Intel or AMD.Supposedly Athlons used to be quite a bit less power hungry than Intel chips, but I don't know if this is the case any longer.

The heat sink fixed the problem. I went from 60-70C idle to 38C idle. The computer runs much much better now.

holy moly, 60-70 C. That's pretty hot. I don't know what's normal for computers though

holy moly, 60-70 C. That's pretty hot. I don't know what's normal for computers though

for old Intel's, that's actually the higher end of normal for when they are under load.

If the stock HSF isn't cooling it and it's probably installed with a proper application of heat paste...something is wrong.

Yes there is. Intel made a P4 and every one above 3ghz runs hot as hell, so they supply a decent sized heat sink and fan, but it's still not good enough.

Yes there is. Intel made a P4 and every one above 3ghz runs hot as hell, so they supply a decent sized heat sink and fan, but it's still not good enough.

Incorrect.

sure.

Well, if that hadn't worked, you could always look at a Liquid Nitrogen system ;) CPU Idle temps of -190C are possible.

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20070612/134032/cpuA.jpg

Well, that definitely would have worked. I'm glad your problem has been solved.

tried dusting?

the highest i've seen with my scythe ninja on an amd 5600+ was in the 40's.

and whatup with all that ram fan crap? i've never seen ram fans before.

the highest i've seen with my scythe ninja on an amd 5600+ was in the 40's.

and whatup with all that ram fan crap? i've never seen ram fans before.

welcome to about 1.5 year ago :p
It was all the craze with "silent or overkill active cooling"
must have been about +80% voltage running through that RAM. :D

eh, what I have does the job. The next upgrade would be a new mobo and processor.

Which heatsink do you have and which direction is the fan blowing? Most of them are configured with the fan blowing onto the heatsink. Pull-through designs can be effective as well, but must be accompanied by shrouding that seals the fan and forces it to pull ALL of the air through the heatsink and not from around the sides.

Also make sure the case-fans aren't fighting each other. Typically the one at the front-bottom of the case will pull air into the case and the ones at the upper-rear will push the hot air out.

Dell had a bad design on their desktops where they actually pushed air INTO the case onto the CPU. After all that air was heated up by the CPU, it sat inside the case and heated everything up to the same temps as the CPU. Reversing the fan on this particular model immediately lowered temps by 20c.

Which heatsink do you have and which direction is the fan blowing? Most of them are configured with the fan blowing onto the heatsink. Pull-through designs can be effective as well, but must be accompanied by shrouding that seals the fan and forces it to pull ALL of the air through the heatsink and not from around the sides.

Also make sure the case-fans aren't fighting each other. Typically the one at the front-bottom of the case will pull air into the case and the ones at the upper-rear will push the hot air out.

Dell had a bad design on their desktops where they actually pushed air INTO the case onto the CPU. After all that air was heated up by the CPU, it sat inside the case and heated everything up to the same temps as the CPU. Reversing the fan on this particular model immediately lowered temps by 20c.

+1 on air path advice. When I built my recent server, I made sure to doublecheck airflow, so it pulls air in from the front, past hard disks and through the CPU fan (which also sucks air in from the side vents), and out the three (PSU fan + two 80mm) fans out the back. Not watching airflow direction can seriously impede cooling causing overheating issues, just like DannoXYZ mentions.

There is overdoing it though. When at Fry's, I saw that they had a case with two 300mm fans with transparant blades, one on each side. It looked cool, but in reality, I wonder how effective it would actually be, as the motherboard would block most of the airflow, and the venting would not pass air past the hard disks.