Cooling Issues

[SoSD]

Alright,

I have a 1.133Ghz Athlon, and a Thermaltake Volcano II fan,

I've used generic thermal compound (from radioshack) after removing the existing thermal pad, my idle temperature in Windows 2000 is 55C, according to the A7V133's thermal sensor, and rises to 57C when I'm playing Giants: Citizen Kabuto..

These temperatures do not seem very good, and I'm wondering what steps I could take to lower them somewhat.

When I was at the shop picking up most of the parts for this machine, I listened to a FOP38 and the whine too loud, so that rules out Delta 38CFM fan..

Would a PAL6035 be a better heatsink? And would a Delta 60x25mm 30 CFM offer significantly less noise? Well, that or a Taisol CGK, perhaps?

Also, what's the best way to remove thermal compound from a cpu die?

Thanks,

SoSD

 

[NordicNINE]

The fan on the Volcano II is supposed to be nice. Take it off and put it on an Alpha.

That's what I plan on doing. Plycon is supposed to be getting the Everflow fans off those separate soon.

 

[Duvie]

I assume you got one of the new "c" t-birds with 266fsb and you are not oc'ing? I would think this fan should do a better job then what temps you are showing especially for a stock bird....You really want to be in the mid 40's idle and upper 40's or low low 50's full load MAXIMUM. You shouldn't damage it at those temps but it should be a concern in the long term...

Check to make sure heatsink is making good contact with the paste on the core...Also I believe someone mentioned a rubbing alcohol as good to remove paste, but I would go to www.overclockers.com I think they have an article on it...Get some artic silver.

Take of old paste clean-up well, fingerprints on the core can inhibit heat transfer...do not touch.

Also look at case cooling and circulation...Does the volcano blow onto or off of heatsink? Good case cooling can easily make 5 degrees celsius difference. Try running with case off...Try blowing a desk fan onto the board around the CPU...

Let us know...

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Duvie,

Your statement is correct for most mb's, save the A7V series. For a7v series boards, asus implements a compensation that "causes reading temps" to be higher than on all other mb's.

SO, a 55C idle/58C Full load temp with an a7v class board is a perfectly "normal" temp.


Mike

 

[SoSD]

Thanks for the responses,

My chip is one of the newer kind of Athlons, the C models, and it is not being overclocked, though I did have to manually specify the front-side bus speed.

The fan on the Volcano II blows air onto the heatsink, and my case is open. I just built this machine last week and I haven't put the sides back on the case, yet. As for case-cooling, I've mounted two 80mm fans in the top back sucking air out, and I would like to have another in the bottom front as an intake, but I don't want to rip the case apart, so we'll see how well it works with just the exhaust fans. Both my hard drives (IBM 75GXP units) are also mounted at the top back, so that removes that source of ambient heat from the lower area of the case.. The CDRW and DVDROM are of course, in the top forward..

Would it be worthwhile investing in a Taisol CGK or Alpha PAL6025 with a Delta 30CFM fan?

Thanks again,

SoSD

 

[pbox]

I have a Taisol CGK. I cannot hear it over the hardisks and the PS fan. I really really recommend it. You just have to scrape off the thermal pad it comes with (and was it off with nail polish remover). Use some good quality thermal paste (like Arctic Silver) and not too much of that either.

Abit KT7A-RAID (8*133=1066) on an unlocked Athlon 1000. Idle: 32C, load: 48C max.

This is with the onboard sensor underneath the CPU (that was bent up a little bit and with thermal paste applied to the tip). This reading still need some thermal compensation, but these chips are 90C max (yours is 95C max- 1100/1133/1200) so we both are well within the limits.

Peter

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Pb0x,

If you got the socket-thermistor temp to 95C, you'd probably be looking at a fried chip. remember that compression gets worse as temps get higher...


Mike

 

[SoSD]

Thanks guys,

I still have questions, though!

First of all, I couldn't see the article on overclockers.com, so does anyone know the best way to remove the cheap radioshack 'heatsink compound'?

And second, anyone know which HSF would really be better? The Taisol CGK, or the Alpha PAL6035, both with the same Delta 30CFM fan.

-SoSD

 

[flyers1]

SoSD,
I'd highly recommend the Taisol CGK. I have my Duron 600 running at 1Ghz @ 1.8 volts and I never go above 47C max(A7V MB). It is a VERY quiet HSF also and I can't hear it above my PSU and 7200rpm HDD. Its a BIG noise level improvement over my old FOP38. Now I can't hear my PC when I'm in the other side of my apartment anymore!

 

[Big Lar]

I wrote 1 of the articles at Overclockers.com , and just trust me, it IS NOT the Radio Shack Paste that is causing the problem,Also, I personally use the RS paste, and have Never had a prob, I think the reason most get a Tab better temps with the Artic/ and others, is that they are paying closer attention when aligning the cpu/Heatsink, with the "High Buck" paste, versus the so called "standard" paste... I have done extensive tests with thermal Compounds, and have found that at best, you may get a 2 degree drop in temps among different brands.

 

[Duvie]

HERE IS A THREAD TO LOOK AT...for removal of the thermal paste

http://www.amdzone.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=29778

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Big Lar,

Since you appear to be testing with socket-thermistor based systems, you do realize that a 2C socket-thermistor reading change could indicate a 2-10C core temp drop between the various greases, right?

So your assumption that Arctic Silver only drops temps 2C is incorrect because you have no real way of determining the actual temp drop.


Mike