Accurate tool for monitoring temps?

[Locut0s]

I'm new to OCing and I've just started to OC for the first time. I bought a i7920 D0 stepping and it's running on a Gigabyte x58A UDR3 mobo with 12GBs of GSkill 1600 mem. Right off the bad I have been able to just enter a base clock of 200 and achieved a 4Ghz overclock without changing any of the voltage settings. Windows boot fine and I started to run Prime 95. Thing is though I don't have any 1 tool that I am confident is giving me accurate temps on my CPU. I have 3 tools that are all reporting different numbers. Gigbytes own EasyTune 6 says about 58-60C, SppedFan is giving me about 85-90C and Speccy is giving me high 80s as well. These are under load at 4Ghz with Prime 95 running. The last 2 temps are way too high but I don't know if they are acurate. At idle Both Speed Fan and Speccy read about 47C while EasyTune6 reads 37. Now the BIOS is telling me about 37 as well under idle so it seems that EasyTune might be the more accurate. But I don't like the fact that 2 utilities are both reading in the high 80s! Is there a tool out there that I can trust!?

Oh yeah the cooler I am using is the Noctua NH-D14.

 

[Locut0s]

Here's a pic of what I mean. CPUz is reading 2400 because its at idle:

 

[Locut0s]

Ok I just downloaded Core Temp and it's reading the same as Speccy and SpeedFan so I'm guessing these numbers are right Need to get some more fans I guess. Not surprising considering I only have 3 other case fans.

 

[Ben90]

If you want an accurate tool for temps you need something that tells you the Distance to TJMax directly. This is currently the ONLY way to get 100% accurate temps, but the downside is that it doesn't actually tell you a temperature, and just how far the core is from throttling.

I hope one of two things happens (in this order):
People stop using *C and use the much more relevant DTJMax
Intel has a way to allow something to read what the TJMax is set to for each core.

Unfortunately neither of these are going to happen.

 

[Locut0s]

If you want an accurate tool for temps you need something that tells you the Distance to TJMax directly. This is currently the ONLY way to get 100% accurate temps, but the downside is that it doesn't actually tell you a temperature, and just how far the core is from throttling.

I hope one of two things happens (in this order):
People stop using *C and use the much more relevant DTJMax
Intel has a way to allow something to read what the TJMax is set to for each core.

Unfortunately neither of these are going to happen.

Well Core Temp can be set to show Delta to TJMax. However most places I've seen recommend not getting your core temp above about 80dec C or so. TJMax for the i7920 seems to be 100C but I don't think running at even 90C and above is a very smart idea. I would like to get my load temps, with Prime95, down bellow 80C. That will either mean adding more fans, thinking of adding 3 more noctua case fans, or throttling my OC back from 4Ghz or both. Right now I'm just going to keep it as 4Ghz and not load it much until I get more cooling, then I can start to stress it some. Anyone have any other recommendations?

 

[Ben90]

That sounds like a smart idea. I have a P182 case and I lowered temps by about 10-15*C by removing the side panel. Still not enough to allow me to have a beastly overclock since I'm using the stock cooler, but it definitely allows me to go a little higher.

My temps have been around 80*C for about a year strait since I run DC at a 4Ghz OC. I'm convinced temps are not that big of a deal with this process. I think once I upgrade in a few years ill see how long this thing lasts without a heat sink as a science experiment.