CPU too hot

[meester]

I have an Antec Sonata case, with a Yate Loon 120mm rear fan, Antec 120mm hard drive enclosure fan, and a Cooler Master 90mm heatsink http://www.coolermaster-usa.co...ct.php?product_id=2806 on a Q9550 running at stock (2.83GHz)

Temperatures are 90 degrees Celsius running prime95, about 75-80 degrees under my normal load. I have tried taking the side panel off, and the temperatures fall nearly 10 degrees. The system temperature falls from 46 to 42 degrees.

I guess I should replace my CPU cooler, any recommendations - I need something that doesn't require me to take my motherboard out for installation, as I really can't be bothered unscrewing all those screws and fiddling about.

 

[deimos3428]

This won't solve the entire problem, but try using the Antec as the exhaust fan and put the Yate on the drives. You might see some improvement in airflow as I believe the Antec has higher a CFM rating. Simple and cheap thing to try, anyway.

 

[yh125d]

If it drops 10c on the CPU with the side panel off, the main problem is airflow through the case. The sonata doesn't really have many options for airflow, all you can really do is get higher speed fans

 

[BassBomb]

How hot does it get when you do something of your normal use or interest?

My computer can hit 70C from Prime95 but never break 50 under gaming or my usual use

 

[meester]

Originally posted by: BassBomb
How hot does it get when you do something of your normal use or interest?

My computer can hit 70C from Prime95 but never break 50 under gaming or my usual use

I've got 4 vmware machines running, under load, at the moment. That is normal use. Plus normal background stuff - mp3 playing, etc.

Temps are 65-70 degrees (core 1 is always hottest), with the side panel off.

 

[Lemon law]

In MHO, anytime taking the side panel off improves your CPU temperatures, you have serious case and case fan problems. And thus that if the problem to address first. Simply recirculated already heated air leads to a vicious circle that not only reduces CPU life, but the life of everything else in the the case.

 

[meester]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
In MHO, anytime taking the side panel off improves your CPU temperatures, you have serious case and case fan problems. And thus that if the problem to address first. Simply recirculated already heated air leads to a vicious circle that not only reduces CPU life, but the life of everything else in the the case.

My case is the Antec Sonata 1. Is this a bad case?

I have installed an extra fan (hard drive bay) compared with stock, surely this should be adequate?

 

[Modelworks]

Something to consider with fans is that they may seem to blow lots of air when you have the case open or you put your hand in front but that isn't what they do when you close the case. Fans that only show the CFM rating are at that rating if nothing is blocking the output and it is in standard open air. If you put a fan in a case where the fan is blowing against a panel, heatsink or wiring that will change the CFM the fan produces. If the case has too much air moving into it then that will also lower the CFM of the fans as they have to fight that pressure to add more air into the case. I prefer to install fans with nothing blocking intake fans output or input and air moving out of the case faster than it is moving in or at least at the same rate.

Unfortunately most pc fans only show CFM and not static pressure ratings too. Sometimes going to the manufacturers site will give that info, but not often.


The bad part about this is when people say I have a 120CFM fan blowing into the case, it really means nothing without knowing what the static pressure is of the case or at least knowing what the graph looks like of the fans static pressure ratings. If it is a poorly designed fan , the 120CFM fan could be putting out 30CFM.