CPU temprature 8350 accuracy HELP!

[TheOnlyPaulV]

Hi guys.
Ive been a long time fan of Anandtechs indepth reviews so this was the first place i wanted to come to to check some thing.
Usually when i have a problem i just read read read until i come to a conclusion but this one has me beat and no matter where i search or look theres no definitive answer.
Basically I have a Asus m5a99x evo r2.0 Mobo, amd 8350 fx CPU and a Kraken x40 cooler.
For years ive been using speed fan to vary the cpu fan speed on my old x6 phenom2. When i upgraded to the 8350 for video work i noticed a large increase in the cpu temp that speed fan reports. indeed when i over clock even a little bit the cpu temp routinely heads into the 60c on prime 95 torture test after 3 mins on speed fan and applying more voltage to over clock sends it into 70c after 3 minutes before i quit the test.
I re seated the processor multiple times, used different thermal pastes and got the same result each time. When reading up on this i noticed that people said that speed fan does not report the cpu temp, but the socket temp and theres wide ranging problems reading the FX series cpu temps. Indeed when i used my Phemon 2 i noticed an item in the temps list called 'CPU' yet now that item is missing and what i take as the CPU temp is taken from the Motherboard IT872F chip suggesting its not a reading coming from the CPU but from the Mobo?
I installed amd overdrive (which now uses a thermal margin, thus temp below the max) and the temps seem much more reasonable. I also assume that a company as big as AMD would not mess up the temp reading for their flagship processor in their own software so i assumed this software was more accurate.
Reading some more and installing 'core temp' software puts the temp at 42c in prime whilst speed fan reads 65c at the same time.
reading some more and installing CPUID HWMonitor gives me 2 temps. one in the motherboard section which reads the same as speed fan (65c+) and another under the CPU section called 'Package' which mirrors the coretemp programs reading and Overdrive reading (42c).
Am i correct in thinking that the 'package' temperature and temprature from core temp and temprature from overdrive is the actual real core temp and the one from the mobo is the socket temp?
If so, which one should i look to NOT take above 62c (as recommended by ever one), the package temp (overdirve, coretemp software and HW monitor) or the socket temp (speed fan)?
If so, whats the max on the socket temp?
If i experiment, will the cpu shut down automatically before it burns its self or the motherboard or do i risk warping/melting the cpu/motherboard?
Sorry for the long post but i wanted to get as much detail in as i dont want to burn the mobo or the cpu!

 

[Rickyyy369]

You are correct, the "package" temp you see in HWmonitor is the core temp and that is the temp that shouldn't go above 62c. The temp listed under the motherboard is the socket temp. Im not sure if theres a definitive max socket temp. I've heard 72c but Im not sure if thats official. I've never had my computer shut off because it got too hot, it just starts throttling the CPU down to 1.4ghz if the socket temp ever goes above 75C.

 

[PPB]

Socket temp (labelled as CPU on Hwmonitor) -> never go above 70-72c. That should be the rule of thumb, in my case I would just never let it go above 65 just to have extra precaution.

Package temp is just borked, dont rely on that.

 

[Jovec]

AFAIK, there is nothing official from AMD for FX. However, they have said for the Phenom II/Thuban line which most continue to use for FX:

1) Idle temps are inaccurate (anything under 42c)
2) Coretemp or AMD Overdrive for temp readings
3) There is no individual core temp sensor (i.e. all cores will show the same temp)
4) Throttles at 90c (IDC saw crashes around 87c on his 8350 instead of throttling IIRC)
5) Don't exceed 62c for extended periods of time

The reality is that no one really knows for the FX line.

 

[TheOnlyPaulV]

Just a big thanks to all the replies to this.
When I had all this confirmed i went on a more detailed investigation and found that speedfan V4.49 can read a Phenom IIs core temp directly but it cannot read an FX proccessors core temp at all.
The temp i was getting was indeed the socket temp; the only temp speed fan can read. Ive emailed the author of the software but seeing as its not been updated in ages and the FX problem has never been fixed, I dont think it ever will be now.
Basically my cpu never went above 54c but my socket temp continuously goes to the high 60s and touches into the 70s at times. My research tells me this is because there's current going through the socket and this is heating the socket. combined with dead air (I use a kracken x40 so no fans near the cpu) means the socket is overheating and one it reaches 72c the mobo (I feel correctly) throttles the cpu.
Ive been told airflow is the key and i purchased a new case (corsair obsidian 750) but get the same problems with (I believe) good airflow in the system; socket at 68c.
So I now have a 8250 @ 4.3 ghz @ ultra high Load Line and 1.332v. I cannot put any more voltage in to over clock any further as it sends the socket temp into the upper 70s.
Oh well, it encodes quicker than the phenom II so at least thats good.

 

[Rickyyy369]

I have the M5A99FX Pro R2 and I also had problems with my socket temp getting way too high. What I ended up doing was taking a slim 120mm fan like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA30R1981569

and zip tying that to some cables behind the mobo tray so it blows directly on the socket, and that ended up reducing socket temps by ~8C which stopped the throttling problems.

 

[FlanK3r]

tjmax is 90C for FX line. But every chip is different a bit. In Coretemp+load are most chips OK up to 65C for long time (real is it around 80C). For benchmarks crashed in 70-72 C.