Am I crazy? Socket 939--lower RAM speed divider ----> dramatically lower CPU temps?

[WhipperSnapper]

Am I crazy?

Previously, my CPU would run at about 39 degrees C at idle and it would get up to about 46 degrees at load. My RAM speed, factoring in the RAM divider, was about 380.

In the past I'd had problems playing Unreal Tournament 2004 with 4 x 512 RAM, so I had had to remove 2 x 512 of it, but I wanted to try again with a lower RAM speed since someone on another forum said that UT 2004 doesn't like the RAM speed over 333 when you have four sticks.

So I reinstalled those two sticks of RAM and I'm using a lower memory divider, trying to keep the RAM speed at or below 333. To my amazement, my CPU temps have dramatically decreased !!! It's now showing 31 degrees C at idle and lately I've seen it at 39 degrees at load.

Obviously, I'm ecstatic about this, but I'd like to understand it.

For Socket 939 CPUs, does running your RAM at a higher frequency increase CPU temp and the strain on the CPU?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
To my amazement, my CPU temps have dramatically decreased !!! It's now showing 31 degrees C at idle and lately I've seen it at 39 degrees at load.

At the same cpu speed, and vcore?

For Socket 939 CPUs, does running your RAM at a higher frequency increase CPU temp and the strain on the CPU?

If running the RAM at higher frequencies raised the cpu temp, this is the first I've heard of it. But, yeah, the faster you run the RAM (and the lower the timings are), the more strain it puts on the memory controller, which I guess you know is on-die with Athlon 64's.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Yup--same CPU speed and vcore.

I really don't understand it. Only other explanation I can think of is that I remove my Arctic Cooling 64 Pro fan every time I want to get to the RAM and that perhaps there was some sort of a short in the wire that's now connected or the fan wasn't on properly before or some such. However, I have a hard time believing that that's the case.

One other possibility that I just now thought of--I did end up changing the dryer sheets that I'd been using as intake fan filters. Perhaps the case is getting better air flow now?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
One other possibility that I just now thought of--I did end up changing the dryer sheets that I'd been using as intake fan filters. Perhaps the case is getting better air flow now?

That would be my guess. I also use intake filters, and I clean them every few weeks, and my temps usually drop 3-5° C, depending on how long it has been since their last cleaning.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

It had been a while...months...

Now that I can see what a big difference this makes, I guess I'll be doing it once a month now.