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Athlon64 3000+ and weird CPU temps...!

N

NeoDaywalker

Member
Hello to everyone.

Yesterday i assembled a new motherboard and CPU combo. The processor is a 754 socket Athlon64 3000+ and the motherboard is a Chaintech VNF3-250. My problem are the temps. While doing minimal tasks, like playing an mp3 or a movie & browsing the net, the CPU temps are 47-48C. The temps for the motherboard on the other hand, are normal - 27C. I have two outake 80mm fans (not much horsepower in them though) and one 80mm intake. The cooler that is on the CPU, is the stock cooler that was in its packaging. As for thermal compound, i used the one that came with the motherboard (white coloured, not AS3).

I havent tested the system yet in games or anything more demanding. But still 47C for the CPU while doing minimal tasks? I find it tottaly weird. My old AthlonXP 2400+ was 43C while doing such tasks and 42C while in idle state.

So. What could i do to remedy this situation? Any suggestions would be most welcomed.
 
What do you mean you used the compound that came with the mobo? You should have just used the heatsink as it came, with the pad on it. Otherwise, get some AS compound (either 5 or the ceramic stuff). I was seeing lower temps than you even before I installed the Thermalright HS and Panaflo fan on my Athlon64 3400+ processor. I was using the retail heatsink with the thermal pad on it, just as it shipped from AMD.

I suggest you look into getting some better fans and redo the thermal compound on the heatsink. Especially if you removed the pad that came on it and went with the junk that you got with the mobo. Follow the instructions on the AS site when you use their compound and you should get much better temps.
 
Originally posted by: akira34
What do you mean you used the compound that came with the mobo? You should have just used the heatsink as it came, with the pad on it. Otherwise, get some AS compound (either 5 or the ceramic stuff). I was seeing lower temps than you even before I installed the Thermalright HS and Panaflo fan on my Athlon64 3400+ processor. I was using the retail heatsink with the thermal pad on it, just as it shipped from AMD.

I suggest you look into getting some better fans and redo the thermal compound on the heatsink. Especially if you removed the pad that came on it and went with the junk that you got with the mobo. Follow the instructions on the AS site when you use their compound and you should get much better temps.
Click to expand...

Yes i did remove the pad from the retail heatsink because i thought it was one of those old type thermal pads that had a hard wax like texture. The moment i started to rub off the pad from the heatsink, i realized my terrible mistake. I had some thermal compound (like AS) to replace it, but unfortunally it wasnt enough to cover the entire CPU surface. Since i couldnt install the CPU without any kind of compound on it, i used the one that came with the Chaintech mobo. White coloured and gooey. But heck, i had to build the comp because of work emergency. Otherwise i would just wait till Monday and get some normal AS compound.

Anyway, tomorrow im going to get some AS compound and a couple of panaflos. The system is working fine, but such temps are a tad weird, especially during winter time.

Thanks a lot for your input!

 
its normal, my 3000+ idles at ~44C, it has 3 fans all around the heatsink, and i took the sides of my case off, without all the protection it was idling around 50C and i've been at full load @ 72C.. man i hated that. I dont like my cheap ass arctic cooler once i took the temp sensor off its been ok though.
 
Originally posted by: asm0deus
its normal, my 3000+ idles at ~44C, it has 3 fans all around the heatsink, and i took the sides of my case off, without all the protection it was idling around 50C and i've been at full load @ 72C.. man i hated that. I dont like my cheap ass arctic cooler once i took the temp sensor off its been ok though.
Click to expand...
That's hot! (No, I'm not Paris Hilton)
 
Undervolting your CPU is another method to lowering temps & who knows maybe your motherboard is overvolting your CPU causing your temps to be on the high side. I know my A64 3000+ can run stable full speed @ 1.4V (1.5V standard) & it's a Clawhammer (pre '04). I've heard Newcastles can go lower on the voltage.

YMMV if ever attempted.
 
I have the same CPU and MOBO, and had similar problems. My CPU wasn't retail though. I paired it with an Speeze HS/Fan, and have one 80mm exhaust (Arctic Cooling - amazingly quiet) and a 120mm intake (Vantec Stealth). I was running mid to uppper 40's idle and low to mid 50's under load, then after the fans, I was getting about what you got when idling. How high are you getting under load? My problem was air flow. I had to raise the case on a two inch stand since the main front intake was almost UNDER the front bezel. I'm now at 38-40 idle and mid 40's under load, topping out at maybe 47-48.

Another thought: have you updated your BIOS? I know some of the early BIOS's for the board reported the CPU Temp incorrectly.
 
Originally posted by: Hurricane Andrew
I have the same CPU and MOBO, and had similar problems. My CPU wasn't retail though. I paired it with an Speeze HS/Fan, and have one 80mm exhaust (Arctic Cooling - amazingly quiet) and a 120mm intake (Vantec Stealth). I was running mid to uppper 40's idle and low to mid 50's under load, then after the fans, I was getting about what you got when idling. How high are you getting under load? My problem was air flow. I had to raise the case on a two inch stand since the main front intake was almost UNDER the front bezel. I'm now at 38-40 idle and mid 40's under load, topping out at maybe 47-48.

Another thought: have you updated your BIOS? I know some of the early BIOS's for the board reported the CPU Temp incorrectly.
Click to expand...

Before i answer your questions, an update:

Today i bought two 80mm panaflo fans and an Arctic Silver5. The two panaflos serve as outake fans at the back of the case, there is another 80mm fan working as an intake at the side of the case and another intake 80mm Zalman fan in the front. Note that i HAVENT applied Arctic Silver5 on the CPU. That will probably be done during the weekend. Anyway, the temps now are as follows:

Idle:
CPU: 45-46C
Mobo: 25C

Load:
CPU: 48-49C
Mobo: 25C

As you said Hurricane, i too am starting to think that this is a BIOS issue. The above temps still dont seem normal to me. I touch my case from all sides and its STONE cold. Problem is, im too chicken to do a BIOS update. Not that i havent done it succesfully before (on my old ASUS A7A-133 mobo) but still, i find it to be too risky, especially on a brand new mobo and CPU.

Anyway perhaps after i apply AS5 in the weekend, the CPU temps will drop even more. But still....weeeiirrd temps.
 
NeoDaywalker, does the mobo come with a utility that allows you to update the bios from within windows? MSI and Giga-Byte boards have such tools/utilities that allow you to have a less painful bios update proceedure. I've used it, very succesfully, many times and believe it's the only way to fly. Especially these days where even pc's are [finally] starting to come without floppy drives.
 
Originally posted by: akira34
NeoDaywalker, does the mobo come with a utility that allows you to update the bios from within windows? MSI and Giga-Byte boards have such tools/utilities that allow you to have a less painful bios update proceedure. I've used it, very succesfully, many times and believe it's the only way to fly. Especially these days where even pc's are [finally] starting to come without floppy drives.
Click to expand...


Akira, i used one of the utilities you mentioned on an ABIT-NF7S. I did everything according to plan but the system NEVER rebooted properley and stayed dead.

Never again will i use such a method.
 
NeoD, I suspect that something wasn't right with the way the abit did it... As I mentioned, I've done it on several Giga-Byte and MSI boards without incident. Each and every time it's gone off without a hitch and has allowed me to update the bios from within either win2k or xp pro. This is good since I've found making boot floppies a royal pain in the ass for either 2k or xp pro. Yes, it can be done, but I've had poor luck with them working reliably. Also, floppies are very prone to failure. The only time I use them is for booting to do a ghost backup/image. Even then, I usually have to make fresh floppies by the time I want to run the tool again. I almost feel sorry for anyone that depends on floppies for any kind of file storage or movement.
 
Originally posted by: akira34
NeoD, I suspect that something wasn't right with the way the abit did it... As I mentioned, I've done it on several Giga-Byte and MSI boards without incident. Each and every time it's gone off without a hitch and has allowed me to update the bios from within either win2k or xp pro. This is good since I've found making boot floppies a royal pain in the ass for either 2k or xp pro. Yes, it can be done, but I've had poor luck with them working reliably. Also, floppies are very prone to failure. The only time I use them is for booting to do a ghost backup/image. Even then, I usually have to make fresh floppies by the time I want to run the tool again. I almost feel sorry for anyone that depends on floppies for any kind of file storage or movement.
Click to expand...

Yes i know what you mean. I have a floppy drive on my system, but its not even connected.

Anyway, i think i will wait until i apply AS5 on the CPU and see what happens then. The white thermal compound i used (that came with my Chaintech mobo) clearly wasnt quality stuff. But as i said earlier, it was the only thermal paste i had available to use at the time of the assembly.
 
I took the extra step of when I ordered my SLK-948U to also order up a tube of thermal compound (AS ceramic). Whenever I've used retail heatsinks on processors, I've used the heatsink as it has come. Typically that's with a thermal pad. That means you don't need to worry about incorrectly applying the compound, and get your system up and running sooner.
 
The BIOS update is actually pretty easy with this board, though you can't do it from within Windows. When you boot up, I believe it's Alt-F2 to access the AWARD flash utility (I'll confirm when I get home for you). I don't even have a floppy drive, so I burned the BIOS file to a CD and flashed from there. I don't even think the CD has to be bootable, since the flash utility is built in to the board. It really is OK to do, but I can certianly understand anyone who's had a bad flash (no not that kind, the PC kind) being a bit gunshy. I'd probably wait if I were you too and see what happens.
 
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