1.33ghz and Temp Problems

[Spiker]

I have a Thunderbird 1.2ghz overclocked at 10 X 133/33 to 1.33Ghz and I'm wondering how hot it should get. Right now my temp is at 48C and I have stability problems at 52C so I guess I'm wondering how to lower my temps without effect system performance? Should I get another case fan? I have a Casedge 300W ATX case with a front 90mm fan and my HSF is the Global Win FOP 32-I, with artic silver between chip and HSF. Need some help overclocking Gods of Anandtech!!

 

[Mikewarrior2]

What motherboard, mb bios revision, and ambient mb/case temp?


Mike

 

[Spiker]

MoBo is Abit KT7A-Raid with latest bios, I believe WB but don't quote me on that. Ambient case temp is steady at 23C. I have problems running 3D games at a core temp of 53C it freezes my machine. Up to that point, everything runs great.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Hmm... if its unstable, then yeah, something is wrong at 52C. Plus, with your 23C case temp, it would seem like you have good case-airflow?

Try reapplying the arctic silver in as thin a layer as possible that will fill the gap between cpu and heatsink(depends greatly on how flat your cpu is).


Mike

 

[Spiker]

Is there a good way to remove the old thermal paste from the chip itself. I can't seem to get it all off when I try. I'll try removing and putting my heatsink on again with less thermal compound. Thanks.

 

[kponds]

the best product I have found to use to remove thermal grease (especially arctic silver) is acetone. Go to your local drug store (Walgreens is where I got mine) and look in the fingernail polish remover. You should find a bottle that states is pure 100% acetone. About $2.00 a bottle as I recall. I use the acetone on a rag and then do a final cleanup with an old toothbrush.

Another thing I will mention that I have found on the 1.2's is that raising the CPU voltage hurts me in overclocking. I have two running on my test bench at 1.368 ghz at 1.70 volts (actual voltage using Motherboard Monitor). At 1.85 the CPU temps are up about 8 degrees C higher under full load (using the thermocouple on the Abit KT7a) with no increase in stable CPU speed. They seem to be stable at 1.330 at the 1.85 volts. At 1.7 volts I am running at 39C using AS and the FOP32-1. With 1.85 volts and lower speed I am running at 49C.

 

[Spiker]

I'll try the acetone trick. And I'm trying to keep my core voltage down to around 1.75. I don't understand how you could gain in performance by raising it too much higher??? And the stability problem only seems to araise in 3D games and benchmarks....they either freeze, give me a procedure fault, or just quit out of the program. So I'm also checking my drivers and directx for problems. Thanks for all the help you guys!!!