D 820 Heating Issues! Help!

[Anzy]

I own a Gateway GT5016E, upgraded PSU (Enermax Liberty 500W) 3 gigs memory, and GPU (7800GT). The CPU in this computer ran stock around 45ish Celsius. After I added these upgraded, I figured I should just try to lower that temperature a bit so I threw on Artic Silver Compound. Instead of decreasing the temperature, the temperature jumped 10 degrees celsius and is running IDLE at no lower than 55 C. This is just unacceptable. So I tried to upgrade the cooling on this, tried a couple different products for LGA775 BTX FF, and neither of them fit, RMA'd to Newegg and TD. Now I'm stuck... bear in mind i'm new relatively new to this whole thing (not computers, just changing things inside the case.) Haven't built a computer yet, though I have full confidence I could do so easily... I have no idea what I'm going to do about this temperature. The coolers that I tried to replace the stock heatsink and fan, did not line up with the holes in the motherboard, so I was unable to attach... Please help! I'm getting the idea that these temperature are slowing the CPU down, along with slowly killing it? Help!

BTW, mb is an Intel D945GCZ (Here)

 

[stevty2889]

How much artic silver did you use? Too much can increase your temps. Did you clean the old stuff off thuroughly? There isn't as wide of a selection available for BTX since it's not very common, plus the the motherboard for the gateway is likely proprietary, so a it's very possible that only their heatsink will mount to the motherboard. I would try with the stock heatsink and artic silver 5 again. Make sure you clean the CPU and heatsink off completely, then apply a small amount of AS5 about the size of a grain of rice to the center of the heatspreader on the CPU. When you install the heatsink it will squish it down and distribute it evenly. Also what kind of cooling does you case have? You should have both input and exhaust fans.

 

[Anzy]

I tried the method of applied a the pea size to the center of the processor, that retained the 55+ temperature. Then I did another method where I read you can spread the compound with your finger to make it very thin... so thats what I did and still the temperature has not changed. I used the chemicals that Artic Silver suggests (there own 2 step product to cleaning) The case has an BTX intake at the front of the case, PSU fan and the back exhaust fan... I'm really stumped on this... isn't there some sort of product that has a flexible way to attach itself to the MB, like some sort of adjustable thing to fit? This is completely ridiculous...

 

[BadThad]

NEVER use your finger to spead the thermal compound. Oils from you fingers will contaminate the compound. Use a razor blade or even a credit card to make an ultra thin layer on the cpu (a little thinner than a piece of paper) and then dab a little on the heatsink and rub it in a circular motion (using rubber gloves or a plastic bag), use barely any of this, there shouldn't be a visable layer.

 

[BadThad]

Instructions

 

[Anzy]

Still no success, did a couple times today using the above techniques... temperature hasn't improved, are there any other options? The heatsink gets very hot, which would seem to tell me the thermal paste IS working, but the heat is not going far from the heatsink... this sucks.

 

[mechBgon]

Since it's BTX, the CPU should get first shot at the intake air. Is the computer in a place where it's getting cool intake air? It's not stuffed inside of an enclosed space such as a computer desk's cupboard, is it?

 

[Anzy]

Yes, the intake hits the heatsink directly, and it is air from my room... which is usually pretty cool, thanks for the thoughts!

 

[stevty2889]

I thought the airflow was supposed to be reversed in BTX cases? Rear should be intake, and front exhaust? Otherwise the ambient temp would go up, since the warmer air spends more time inside the case.

 

[mechBgon]

Excuse my next silly question, but the intake fan is verified to be functioning, correct? Welcome to the Forums, by the way

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
I thought the airflow was supposed to be reversed in BTX cases? Rear should be intake, and front exhaust? Otherwise the ambient temp would go up, since the warmer air spends more time inside the case.

Ahhh! If that were the case, then the installation of an aftermarket PSU would cause the front and rear fans to fight eachother. :Q But I thought the rationale with BTX was that the CPU would be up front and would get room-temperature air from the intake. Which would mean a front-to-back airflow.

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: stevty2889
I thought the airflow was supposed to be reversed in BTX cases? Rear should be intake, and front exhaust? Otherwise the ambient temp would go up, since the warmer air spends more time inside the case.

Ahhh! If that were the case, then the installation of an aftermarket PSU would cause the front and rear fans to fight eachother. :Q But I thought the rationale with BTX was that the CPU would be up front and would get room-temperature air from the intake. Which would mean a front-to-back airflow.

Well after looking around, seems the airflow is still supposed to be front to back. So much for my theory

 

[Anzy]

Inside computer

Everything is fuctional at the moment, even with this horrible temperature problem...

 

[Anzy]

Well if there is no way to attach an aftermarket air cooling solution to this sucker, is there an liquid solution I can use? I'm kind of desperate at this point I really can't stand the fact that the processor, if I even try to play a game easily hits over 65 C and would continue to climb until shutdown, sucks...

 

[mechBgon]

I'm going to take a wild guess here, since I can't see enough detail from your photo.

Assumptions:

1) the heatsink is fastened down with screws that have springs under their heads.

2) the screws are designed to screw down until they bottom out.

3) the motherboard has fairly big holes, and the screws are supposed to pass through the holes so that when they eventually bottom out, they're bottoming out on the threaded metal bewbies under the motherboard, which would be part of the chassis metal. Like in this photo here.


Now my theory is that one or more of these screws is not lined up with the hole in the motherboard itself. So instead of passing cleanly through the hole in the motherboard, and bottoming out on the metal below the motherboard, instead the screw is landing on the motherboard and bottoming out on the topside of the mobo. This would reduce the compression of the spring, since the screw is not fully bottoming out. And that would lead to the heatsink not being held down squarely.

Maybe I can render an example if this isn't clear. trueSpace powars, ACTIVATE!!! :Q

 

[mechBgon]

Ok, quick & dirty but what the heck:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/mechBgon/good.gif goes through the hole cleanly

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/mechBgon/bad.gif gets the mobo sandwiched between the screw and the mobo tray

 

[Anzy]

Thanks for the pics man! I believe, as far as I can tell that I am screwing them in right, when I take the screws out at a certain point they pop up, so I guess that means that they were down. I just recleaned the heatsink and CPU and redid the thermal compound, redid everything and the temperatures are still the same.

Two pictures of this problem closer up...

CPU Area
Heat Sink

Sorry for the quality, one is dark and one is a bit blurry, but you should be able to get the idea, thanks for everything so far guys!

 

[stevty2889]

Hmm, not sure what else to try, doesnt' seem you can use another heatsink, and the one you need to use doesn't seem to be working well anymore. AS5 does have a burn in period, and the temps can drop as much as 10c. When you removed the heatsink to clean and re-apply, was the AS5 spread out fairly evenly, or did it look like there were some gaps where it wasn't making good contact? It may matter which direction the heatsink is mounted, have you made sure the intake fan isn't clogged with dust?

 

[LTC8K6]

If it's functioning correctly and not throttling, it's fine.

You have added more heat to the case with those upgrades. This may be the reason for your higher temps.

Did you pssibly do a bios upgrade? This could also change your temp readout.

 

[Anzy]

I actually updated the BIOS last night, got rid of the Gateway branded bios, and updated to the newest BIOS on the Intel site, also the temperature seems to have gone down a few degrees steady around 47 - 50 C. Still not that great, is there any way I can add some sort of cheap liquid system to this to anniliate at least the CPU heat? I know it sound stupid to add that to a Gateway, but I'm not too happy with these temperatures, maybe if it goes down a few more degrees I'd be happy... not sure yet.

 

[Anzy]

Right now, at startup, the CPU temp is about 40ish (40 - 43) C, but then slowly starts to climb. I'm thinking that it is like someone else said, that with the added upgrades, more RAM and 7800 GT + more powerful PSU, that the temperature rises as kind of a group effort on behalf of the computer as one, not just the CPU, so what should I add, I have one slot open in the back, should it be Exhaunt or an intake?

 

[stevty2889]

Exhaust

 

[Horsepower]

My 840 on D955XCS (BTX) in a 70 degree room is running at 36C as we speak. That BTX fan module is the scariest assembly I've ever done, because you really can't see the processor seating properly. <fwiw>