CPU is heating up (?)

[marcoco]

I posted a similar message on the Techie Support forum, thought it might get more responses on the heat expert forum.

My newly built PC's CPU is heated up at about 62c after about 10 mins of being on. I'm running an un-overclocked 1ghz Tbird with a Volcano II hs+fan. I'm using the original thermal pad that was attached to the heatsink. I've re-installed the HS a few times, does that affect the pad at all?

I've been reading around about temperatures, and it seems most people keep their CPUs close to 50c. 62c, I'm told isn't outrageous. I'm getting this number by going into the BIOS at startup. Is there a way of checking the temperature while it's running?

Did I miss something in the install? Some of the Resistors near the CPU warm up and I'm worried that if I run the system for a few hours they might get too hot and pop. I actually had a dream about this last night! (scary stuff, when you start dreaming about PC building..) Is it possible that something is grounding that might be causing an overheat? Is this all normal and I'm getting worked up about nada?

I'm thinking that one day I might get adventurous and try Oclocking the little ah heck, I guess I'll need to keep my box in the freezer when I do.

Any advice from the experienced is appreciated.

 

[RickGr4]

Marcoco,

62C is too hot. I have a Volcano II, (Millenium Glaciator on order), and I never see temps above 51C. In my office right now, it is over 80F, my system temp is 30C, and my CPU is still at 45C.

Go to this site to download Motherboard Monitor:
http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

You should NOT reuse the thermal tape. Get yourself some Arctic Silver ASAP and reinstall your fan.

What can you do to your case to get better air flow? I have a Fong Kai case. Removing the back trim bezel and air duct inside the case saved me 5C degrees.

Do not overclock until you get lower temps!!!

 

[AvidOC]

You should not use a thermal pad more than once, i would get a tube of arctic silver 2 Arctic Silver Homepage , i have a t-bird 1ghz @ 1.1ghz with a lapped globalwin FOP32-1 Globalwin coolers and arctic silver 2, i have full load temps of 40C @ 1.75 volts! under rc5, cant remember idle temps...its been a loooooong time since my CPU was idle

what make motherboard do you have?

i wouldnt try overclocking just yet..

 

[Garion]

To expand a bit on that.. Once you use a pad once and your system gets hot, the pad should actually melt and provide a semi-liquid paste to provide better heat transfer between your CPU and HSF. Once you take it off, you break that bond and you loose most of your heat conductivity. In short, pads are a one-shot deal. Now that it's been off you need to clean off the pad (alchol should do the trick) and use some thermal compound like Arctic Silver. Read the instructions with AS carefully - You want as thin a layer as you can get, in general.

- G

 

[marcoco]

I reinstalled the HS a few times but dont think it ever melted down between re-installs. (unless it still looks like a styrofoam sticker after the meltdown)

I'm running the Iwill KA266R. Black and White seemed to run ok today. sometimes graphics were a bit choppy, but dont think it's cuz of heat.

I'm gonna see if I can find some thermal grease tomorrow. Hopefully it will make a difference.

So it sounds like I am a little bit hot. Is it possible that I'm grounded somewhere? Or do we think that it's mostly a thermal pad issue? Could anything else be heating me up?

 

[mstudd]

I think if you were shorting something out the machine would not boot up, probably terminally.
Sounds like a bad contact between the heat sink and die of the chip. Are you sure the pad is 100% intact and do you get an even looking contact pattern on the pad?
I know these are stupid sounding questions, but did you take the tape off the pad and is the fan running?
Good luck.

 

[marcoco]

You may have hit on something here..
There are no stupid questions when dealing with a newbie.

Did I take the tape off the pad?
What tape? oops.

I guess that's my problem. I just installed it the way it was.. no tape removed.

I downloaded that MBM5 program, and it's giving me the same numbers heat numbers.

I hope the radio shack down the street has Thermal Grease.. Is there anything special I need to know before I start applying this stuff?

 

[Regalk]

Do yourself a favour and clean out that HS with some Nail polish remover and apply Arctic Silver and watch the temp drop. Had my duron with a volcano 2 for a while - (600 o/c to 900) Idle was 35C and load temp around 48C). NEVER use the manufacturer's $hit pad on ANY HS period - it is absolutely disgusting.