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AMD 64 3500+ Winchester Temps

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pulsedrive

Senior member
I have spent a good week searching forums like these trying to get an strait answer to this question and I have gotten some that make me feel better and other that don't. So here is the Question: I am running an Athlon 64 3500+ Winchester with the 90nm and 939 socket. 2 80mm case fans bringing air into the case at the front. 1 120mm at the rear sucking air out, as well as a PCI card slot blower right below my video card. Room temp is approx 70-75F. The CPU idles at about 31-34c, which is well withing range from what I have seen. But it jumps up to 53c under full load, 100% useage for hours. Haven't seen it go above this and as soon as you close the app causing this usage it drops immediately back to about 42c. I used the stock HSF and thermal paste that came with it, added a TINY(less than 1.4 grain) of artic silver to the CPU before putting down the stock heatsink with thermal paste on it.

Any ideas, or is this perfectly good for this CPU, from AMD's specs I see that 65c is supposed to be the MAX, but then again I would like a good buffer since the TEMP readers are notoriously wrong.
 
I have the same CPU as the one you described in your post. My temps get as high as 53C too. That temperature at full load is perfectly normal and well within the chip's operating parameters. As you already stated AMD recommends keeping it below 65C and I believe even that is conservative. You have absolutely nothing to worry about with those temps. I'd be concerned if your reported max temps were greater than 60C.
 
Originally posted by: pulsedrive
I used the stock HSF and thermal paste that came with it, added a TINY(less than 1.4 grain) of artic silver to the CPU before putting down the stock heatsink with thermal paste on it.
Click to expand...

Hold on a minute. I just re-read your post and saw this. You did install the heatsink/fan incorrectly. You should NOT use both teh thermal pad that comes with the heatsink AND arctic silver. It's one or the other. I recommend you take off the heatsink and reapply it ASAP! Clean all of the thermal paste/grease off the CPU and the heatsink. Then add just a drop of arctic silver (about the size of a grain of rice) to the CPU. Then reattach the Heatsink/fan.

Your temps are normal so you're lucky there. You'll probably see the temp readings go down a bit after you reapply the thermal grease the correct way.

Edit: By the way, WELCOME TO ANANDTECH!
 
thanks for the welcome.

See this is something I am confused on. Heat "pads" are not supposed to be extremely malleable like grease correct? I touched this stuff on the bottom of the HEatsink when I got it and it smeared just like thermal grease. I figured I would need to reseat it I just didn't want to have too because it is a pain and it took forever to get the damn heatsink on to beginwith because the northrbidge heatsink is too close. Either way I was considering reseating it. Thanks for the quick response.
 
Just one more question, is 91% Isopropyl Alcohol enough for cleaning a heatsink and CPU or does it need to be 99%?

NVM I found the answer in another thread. Thanks.
 
Yep, that pad is supposed to be like that. It's not like the old Pentium Pro permanent pad-it's kinda like a clay consistency and it will smear.

Your temp of 53C in a ambient room temp of 70-75F is absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about whatsoever.
 
When I got home I decided to go ahead and get this over with. Well, I let it run for a few mins to warm up the thermal paste so that it would be easier to get off. Well apprently it didnt' help, the CPU came right off with it. *sigh* But none of the pins were damaged, so I figured all was well. Cleaned both off with the isopropyl alcohol. Nice and clean. Let them dry off for a few mins and reseated and regreased with AS5. Came back up fine and is running about 2c cooler, and I figure it will run even cooler once the grease settles after the first month or so. Thanks for all the advise and help. Only weird thing was it completely lost pwoer right in the middle of rebooting WoW but it came back up fine and then ran for 2 hours and hasn't had a problem since, I think I accidentally hit my PSU off button. *shrugs* We will see. It didn't overheat beacuse it hasn't gone above 51c even at full load.
 
My 3500+ Winch runs at 2.442GHz, 1.425v, 34C idle, 44C max load, DFI nF4 Ultra-D. Using a Zalman 7000Cu with AS5. Ambient temp of 25C (79F). The Zalman 7000 series is a great match for the cool running Winchesters (no need to overbuy for moderate overclocking). 7000AlCu from Amazon is $27 shipped and comes with all the necessary hardware to mount.
Don't forget, case cooling has a huge effect on CPU cooling. I use an Antec 3000b with front and rear 120's.

m 🙂
 
dont forget to cleen put your case every month or so, especially the hsf, and intake for your case fans
 
Oh yeah, god at my last job I once saw a person bring in a computer than had a beard. This thing was GROWING things in it. It was really disgusting especially since I was having to take out the hard drive and back it up for them. *shivers* took me hours to get that crap off my hands. *smirk* The Stock HSF seems to be working just fine, I don't plan on OCing the CPU. This machine is brand friggin new so dust isn't an issue right now, but I do have a cat, so I will actually probably need to clean it out more than once a month, I already have cat hair clinging to the plastic case window. Got plenty of air cooling. 2 80mm bringin air in up front and a 120mm and a PCI slot fan pulling air out in the back, as well as a directed vent in front of the CPU on the side of the case.
 
Glad to hear that everything worked out. I'm curious, however, what do you guys all use to monitor your temperatures?
 
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