Core i7, is it too hot?

[asus6983]

My core i7 950 is running at 4.2ghz and will reach 90c-20 passes LinX and 86c-7 hours prime95. The vcore is at 1.356 and I'm using an H50 to cool it. I've noticed it only reaches 76c when running vantage on the extreme setting and only 68c-69c when playing bad company 2 for 1 hour. Is there anything I can do to improve cooling?

 

[Harvey]

When you assembled it, I hope you used a very thin coat of a high quality heatsink compound like Arctic Silver 5.

Heatsink compound is intended to fill minute gaps between the chip's cooling surface and the HS. Anything more than the minimum needed to do that will actually impede cooling.

 

[asus6983]

When you assembled it, I hope you used a very thin coat of a high quality heatsink compound like Arctic Silver 5.

Heatsink compound is intended to fill minute gaps between the chip's cooling surface and the HS. Anything more than the minimum needed to do that will actually impede cooling.

I just used the TIM already applied on the H50's copper surface.

 

[Harvey]

I just used the TIM already applied on the H50's copper surface.

I'm not well versed on water coolers, but this thread on overclockersclub.com notes lower temps with different thermal compound. They're also noting lower starting temps than you report.

Got to run to dinner with my mom so I'll leave it to others more familiar with your setup to suggest alternative products and other possiblities.

 

[billyb0b]

i have a i7 - 975 OC'ed to 3.8 ghz and i get around 38-42 idle on my h50 using dual fans in push/pull config. i removed the stock paste on the h50 and put on some IC7.

 

[CitanUzuki]

This should be expected, the h50 isn't that great for overclocking(especially out of the box). Things you could do are:

1. Add another fan for push/pull
2. Replace stock fan to a better one(and add a matched one)
3. Have the rad exhaust INTO the case. Which is what I believe corsair specifies as the proper way(although I wouldn't want it oriented this way unless my gpu was water cooled).

 

[asus6983]

i have a i7 - 975 OC'ed to 3.8 ghz and i get around 38-42 idle on my h50 using dual fans in push/pull config. i removed the stock paste on the h50 and put on some IC7.

Yeah, I get about those same idle temps but what about load temps?

 

[bryanW1995]

what are you using to measure temp? temp monitors actually just measure the distance to tjmax. if your temp monitor is using 100c as tjmax then you're getting pretty close, but if it uses 105c or 110c then you are gtg.

of course, unless you run DC 24/7 you're not going to have any problems with your current setup regardless of whether you're at 10c to tjmax or 20c.

I personally prefer realtemp, but coretemp is nice and I hear that speedfan isn't too bad, either. regardless, set your temp monitor to display max temp, run the computer for a few days and see where you stand.

conclusion: if during your normal usage pattern you stay below 85c or so then you're ok and shouldn't mess with the stable oc.

@billybob: 4.2 is a whole lot more challenging to cool than 3.8. you could probably get 3.8 on a stock hsf at 90c.

 

[asus6983]

This should be expected, the h50 isn't that great for overclocking(especially out of the box). Things you could do are:

1. Add another fan for push/pull
2. Replace stock fan to a better one(and add a matched one)
3. Have the rad exhaust INTO the case. Which is what I believe corsair specifies as the proper way(although I wouldn't want it oriented this way unless my gpu was water cooled).

1.it's already in push pull
2.it's running a cooler master and tuniq 120mm
3.exhausting didn't work well for me considering it made my case extremely hot.

 

[asus6983]

what are you using to measure temp? temp monitors actually just measure the distance to tjmax. if your temp monitor is using 100c as tjmax then you're getting pretty close, but if it uses 105c or 110c then you are gtg.

of course, unless you run DC 24/7 you're not going to have any problems with your current setup regardless of whether you're at 10c to tjmax or 20c.

I personally prefer realtemp, but coretemp is nice and I hear that speedfan isn't too bad, either. regardless, set your temp monitor to display max temp, run the computer for a few days and see where you stand.

conclusion: if during your normal usage pattern you stay below 85c or so then you're ok and shouldn't mess with the stable oc.

@billybob: 4.2 is a whole lot more challenging to cool than 3.8. you could probably get 3.8 on a stock hsf at 90c.

I tend to run both realtemp and coretemp when i stress test.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Stock thermal compound on the H50 is good stuff - Shin Etsu. Corsair just puts too much of it on.

Using it on my brother's PhII X6 1090T O'cd to 4.1. Temps are in the low 50's after 2 hours OCCT, push-pull on the H50's radiator.

 

[CitanUzuki]

I don't know about those two particular fans but all fans are not created equal when moving air through a radiator. Are they both the same speed as well and what speed are they?

 

[asus6983]

I don't know about those two particular fans but all fans are not created equal when moving air through a radiator. Are they both the same speed as well and what speed are they?

I know the cooler master is near 3000rpm at full speed and the tuniq just tends to sit around 1800rpm.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

This should be expected, the h50 isn't that great for overclocking(especially out of the box). Things you could do are:

1. Add another fan for push/pull
2. Replace stock fan to a better one(and add a matched one)
3. Have the rad exhaust INTO the case. Which is what I believe corsair specifies as the proper way(although I wouldn't want it oriented this way unless my gpu was water cooled).

I have the H50 exhaust into the case. It's pretty warm in there with a MSI GTX 460 Cyclone (doesn't exhaust out of the case), but mobo temps max in the 50's. I replaced one of the case's front 5.25" panels with a mesh panel, and that drops temps a bit.

 

[CitanUzuki]

I know the cooler master is near 3000rpm at full speed and the tuniq just tends to sit around 1800rpm.

So the cooler master is running around 1800rpm I take it. Generally speaking you would want them running at the same rpm so that one isn't hampering the performance of the the other.

I will leave this to the water cooling guru's, but from what I have read you want a fan with a high static pressure for use with radiators. I've also heard that gentle typhoons work well with rads. I have two running at 1850 and they move a LOT of air(although Im not a fan of their sound signature).

 

[Markfw]

I would post in cases and cooling, but I think that H50 can't deal with the I7, not enough capacity. I would use the megahalem, or better.

 

[Campy]

Your results are in line with if not better than what you could expect from the h50. http://www.corsair.com/products/h70/default.aspx check the "resources" tab. I don't really see the temp as a problem unless you expect to have all the cores at full load under normal usage, but you could probably drop your temps 10-15 degrees if you move to a H70, it has much better capacity than the H50.

 

[billyb0b]

Yeah, I get about those same idle temps but what about load temps?

even 70 under prime 95 load for 6 hours straight

i have push/pull exhaust going out of the case. using two noctua fans

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

I would post in cases and cooling, but I think that H50 can't deal with the I7, not enough capacity. I would use the megahalem, or better.

H50 should do fine (but not great) with i7.

http://hardocp.com/article/2010/08/05/corsair_h70_cpu_cooler_first_install/

Of course, there are several posts here that prove this.

 

[asus6983]

I've yet to see it go near 80c when gaming besides when I ran vantage which got me to 75c-76c. Chances are my i7 will be fine.

 

[Rubycon]

If your mount was really the problem LinX would shut down your PC. (well you hope!)

With the H50 high idle means your ambient is high or your fans are not pushing enough air through the radiator. Delta is nearly the same both ways. (again unless your TIM is inefficiently placed)

If the air inside your case is significantly warmer than your room temp your idle temps will be high. Your case should be (at worst) <5C higher than your room temp. A well ventilated case such as the RV02/FT02 will approach ambient! It's also important that your case does NOT recirculate air as it will heat up excessively as well.

The H50 CAN handle an overclocked/overvolted i7 but it is right on the edge as well. This is why they came out with the H70.

 

[asus6983]

If your mount was really the problem LinX would shut down your PC. (well you hope!)

With the H50 high idle means your ambient is high or your fans are not pushing enough air through the radiator. Delta is nearly the same both ways. (again unless your TIM is inefficiently placed)

If the air inside your case is significantly warmer than your room temp your idle temps will be high. Your case should be (at worst) <5C higher than your room temp. A well ventilated case such as the RV02/FT02 will approach ambient! It's also important that your case does NOT recirculate air as it will heat up excessively as well.

The H50 CAN handle an overclocked/overvolted i7 but it is right on the edge as well. This is why they came out with the H70.

My idle temps are 38-43c. Also, the case I have should have sufficient airflow considering the number of fans it has (2-120mm intake, 2-120mm exhaust, 2-90mm exhaust, 1-250mm intake and the psu fan if you count that).

 

[Rubycon]

My idle temps are 38-43c. Also, the case I have should have sufficient airflow considering the number of fans it has (2-120mm intake, 2-120mm exhaust, 2-90mm exhaust, 1-250mm intake and the psu fan if you count that).

What is your ambient? Those idle temps sound typical.

 

[asus6983]

What is your ambient? Those idle temps sound typical.

Room temp is currently 22.8c

 

[bryanW1995]

I've yet to see it go near 80c when gaming besides when I ran vantage which got me to 75c-76c. Chances are my i7 will be fine.

you should leave it alone if you don't even get over 80c. that's a great oc, and the temps are nearly identical to what I get on my TRUE with push/pull fan combo while running @4.2.