Got an E6400 @ 3.2GHz? What voltage are you running at?

[MichaelD]

Like many of you, I'm running my E6400 at 3.2GHz (8 x 400). I did not play with the voltages at all; I hard set it at the CPUs default VID of 1.320v and called it good. I have PC6400 memory, so it's running at stock speed/voltage.

I've got decent cooling (AC Freezer w/AS5). I idle at 54C (Intel TAT) and stress temp is 58C. Darn good HSF! But I have a strong suspicion that it's the voltage, not the speed of the CPU that's got the temps way up. My stock idle temp was 42C, IIRC.

When at stock speed, I noticed the motherboard would auto-volt the CPU at anywhere from 1.1-something to 1.2-something volts.

Is it possible to run stable at 3.2GHz with a lower voltage than 3.2GHz? By "stable" I mean 24 hours of Intel TAT, along with all the standard tests. (PCMark/3DMark/SuperPi/etc)

What voltage are you running at?

 

[Thor86]

Orthos large FFT testing for cpu stability. And try setting the vcore besides auto.

 

[MichaelD]

Hey Thor86. The vCore is NOT on Auto now. It WAS when I was at stock speed. When I OC'd to 3.2GHz, I noticed the motherboard overvolted automagically to 1.4-something volts. I thought that was high, considering at stock speed, it ran at 1.1v.

So, I disabled the AUTO voltage settings and hard set it to 1.320v.

 

[SniperWulf]

unless I'm mistaken, default voltage is 1.325 to 1.35v

 

[Noubourne]

The mobo doesn't auto over-volt your CPU depending on the overclock you set. You do it manually, or it stays at stock volts.

A 4C delta on air between idle and load is highly suspicious. Unless it's not being loaded properly or temps are not reading properly...

You're already undervolting it. Pushing less volts is the only way to get it cooler than that.

Or mount it better (54C is very high for idle if you really are only feeding it 1.32v). I've heard the AC Freezer thingies are good although I've never tried one myself. In any case, I think most C2Ds at stock volts idle more in the mid 40s range or lower, not the mid 50s.

What are you using to read temps? Core Temp? I'd use that. You should know the temp for each core, not just one temp.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Noubourne
The mobo doesn't auto over-volt your CPU depending on the overclock you set. You do it manually, or it stays at stock volts.

A 4C delta on air between idle and load is highly suspicious. Unless it's not being loaded properly or temps are not reading properly...

You're already undervolting it. Pushing less volts is the only way to get it cooler than that.

Or mount it better (54C is very high for idle if you really are only feeding it 1.32v). I've heard the AC Freezer thingies are good although I've never tried one myself. In any case, I think most C2Ds at stock volts idle more in the mid 40s range, not the mid 50s.

What are you using to read temps? Core Temp? I'd use that. You should know the temp for each core, not just one temp.

Thanks for your response. I stated in my OP what I'm using to read the temps. I agree that the 4C delta is suspicious. I've thrown everything I can at the CPU/system at this speed and it is stable. I've not seen anyone on AIR, at 3.2GHz, running under 50C according to TAT. The bundled EasyTune software (on Gigabyte boards) is spiffy-looking, but basically useless b/c it reads socket temps.

 

[Duvie]

I use a NInja scythe and Mine coolers and in all instance I have been giving it 1.46v at 3.4ghz.....The E6400 and E6600 idle at 29-30c (38-40c core temp) and load 39-41c (48-50c core temp) under F@H, and 49-51c (58-60c core temp) under 2 instance of orthos


At stock settings I could do 3.2ghz on the E6400 and it idles at 26c (35c core temp) and loaded dual orthos at 46c (55c core temp)

 

[Noubourne]

Well I would use CoreTemp to measure it, because 54C is clearly wrong at idle and stock volts, unless your heatsink is mounted improperly. Volts creates the heat. Stock volts at idle, it doesn't really matter what Mhz you have it set at. It's not really doing much, and the temp difference will be negligible. Temps will stay about the same till you start kicking more volts to it.

I can go from 1.8Ghz to 2.6Ghz at stock volts and only gain a few degrees over stock speeds. Once I kick in .1v though, I gain 10C+ right off the bat.

According to your OP, you're UNDERvolting the CPU with temps that are 10C+ higher than folks who are OVERvolting theirs. Something is wrong here. Mount, Temp reading.... something is not right.

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks, Duvie. That's the detailed kind of response I was looking for.

How much testing have you done at lower (hard set) voltages? I've done exactly none.

How loud is your setup on the 3.4GHz? If I let the HSF run full speed, my temps drop by about 5C...but then it's noisy as heck. My current temps are w/a virtually silent rig. I hear the PS all the time and the HD when it's seeking. That's it.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Thanks, Duvie. That's the detailed kind of response I was looking for.

How much testing have you done at lower (hard set) voltages? I've done exactly none.

How loud is your setup on the 3.4GHz? If I let the HSF run full speed, my temps drop by about 5C...but then it's noisy as heck. My current temps are w/a virtually silent rig. I hear the PS all the time and the HD when it's seeking. That's it.

I haven't done any!!! Most of them from messing with the first 6300 I was so confident would do at least 3.2ghz I usually never start any lower....

My Ninja has fan running 1200rpm...dead silent...fan on vid card is louder ...overall thing in case is very silent...

the Ninja Mine fan has higher rpms (1500) but that is because it has a 100mm fan...it is also dead silent

 

[The-Noid]

It is because the fan speed is controlled in bios. Change it to manual. What is happening is it won't spin up till processor loads and gets quite hot. As for Auto. It will keep raising voltage if you raise the fsb.

 

[MichaelD]

So, I need to set the fan control speed to manual? But then how will the fan work? I don't understand.

Even though Duvie's using a better heatsink than I am, he's using more voltage and his idle is 14C lower than mine! Something's wrong. I know the HS is ON THERE...I checked and double checked it. Shoot. This stinks. I'll go mess with the fan speed.

The system is so quiet now, though.

 

[Duvie]

Are you using AS5? Go to their website...there is a new way to appl yit according to their instructions for dual core chips...check it out!!

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks, Duvie.

Well, I disabled the auto speed control in the bios. I'm now idling at 46/43C (Core1/2) according to TAT. That's better. :thumbsup:

But now my system is noisy! That's VERY bad. :thumbsdown:

I've been SO happy with my new quiet system (P180)...I'm putting it back, heat be damned

BTW; what's the diff b/t the diff speed control methods? There's Legacy/Intel QST/etc.

 

[Duvie]

I like the gigabyte boards...With easy tune I can adjust fans manually by adjusting the top and low end of temperature and percentage for each...I have 120mm fans so until they get 1500pm they are not noisy at all....I like them in the 1100-1200 range...

Does Asus have some sort of utility like gigabyte's Easy Tune 5????

 

[MichaelD]

Duvie: THanks for the tip; those instructions are indeed new. That may be my prob; I covered the entire heatspreader with TIM, ala the AthlonXP way.

I'll give it a shot this weekend. :thumbsup:

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Duvie
I like the gigabyte boards...With easy tune I can adjust fans manually by adjusting the top and low end of temperature and percentage for each...I have 120mm fans so until they get 1500pm they are not noisy at all....I like them in the 1100-1200 range...

Does Asus have some sort of utility like gigabyte's Easy Tune 5????

Dunno about Asus. I have a DS3...I thought that the EasyTune utility goes by temp of the cpu in order to set fan speed...can you hard set the speed? I will have to look into that. 1500rpm sounds like a good compromise. 700rpm is dead silent, 2600rpm is noisy as heck...1500 sounds like an ideal medium.

BRB.

 

[MichaelD]

OK, I can't figure out how to manually control the fan.

When I set it to AUTO in the bios, I can only set fan speed according to CPU temp in the EasyTune util...that's about as imprecise as it gets.

When I DISABLE the fan speed in the bios, the entire Smart Fan menu is disabled in Easy Tune. Help?

*EDIT*

OK, this is weirder than weird. There are two settings for fan speed in the bios. I set the first one to Legacy and the second one to PWM. My fan speed is now 1577-1680rpms. Right where I wanted it

I definitely can hear the fan, but it's NOWHERE near what it sounds like at 2600rpm.

My idle temps are 48/45C (TAT). I can live with that. I will reapply the AS5 as per AS's new instructions, this weekend.

Thanks guys!

*ANOTHER EDIT*

OK...now the fan cycles +/- 300rpm...and it's annoying as hell b/c the rest of the PC is so quiet! :roll: I've gotta figure something out. I'll reapply the AS5...give it a few thermal cycles to break in, then try the Auto/Auto again.

 

[Markfw]

E6300 count ( almost the same chip ) I have 2, both at 1.45, but under load they are 1.41v. Temps are 51c and 48c full load both cores.

 

[MichaelD]

Hey Mark! Long time no see, man. What kind of cooling are you running on your E6300's?

 

[Duvie]

MIne are constantly under 100% load and so I am not getting any temp variations to see or hear rpm fluctuations that big. I raised up the lower level so that it runs 70% speed at like 30c and 100% at 45c...That way I see 950-1000 at idle and 1200-1250 at full load....Again it is always folding so load always stays 100%...

The spacing on the ninja fins is nice and there is no audible hum I can detect

 

[Markfw]

Big typhoon's. They don;t really need that much, but I replaced my crap pentium D's , and thats what they required, so I have them left over. No sense in buying new....

 

[NYHoustonman]

I honestly wouldn't worry so much about temperatures. There's always going to be some compromise between noise and temps...

I'm in the same type of situation, only different motherboard and a Scythe Ninja (I'm glad I went this way, as it's basically inaudible with the included fan on high, even if it doesn't move THAT much air). I've gone through a lot of different configurations, trying to get my temperatures where I want them while also keeping the system quiet (this is not easy to do with a furnace of a video card sitting in there). I generally idle around 44-47C, and on load I'm generally in the mid-high 50's (although using TAT my temperatures shoot right up to around 60, depending on ambient temperatures). Could I go lower? Yeah, but only if I turn up the 2 exhaust fans in the back (both stock Antecs @ low... I put a Yate Loon in the front... And that also reminds me, I experienced a drop of about 3-4C just by having both fans there; I started out with just one), and the Antecs on medium are simply too noisy compared to the rest of my fans. In any case I top out at maybe 53C while gaming, so I never really come close to 60 in everyday use.

You could look into something like a Zalman fan mate to manually control the fan speed (it's kind of a shame Asus doesn't have that kind of thing on-board) if the idle temps bother you that much.

 

[MichaelD]

Yeah, I must admit that I'm a bit "temperature obsessed."

This is one of those things that if I never knew what the temps were, it'd probably run fine forever. :roll:

I removed the HSF and I have to say that I applied too much AS the first time around. I covered the entire IHS and it was kinda thick. But, it was 0230 and I'd just spent the past 6 or so hours building the system...I wanted it done!

I applied the AS5 in accordance with the new directions listed here.

Right now, I've got a bunch of IE windows open, intake temp (I've got a digital thermometer sitting on the floor in front of the case ) is 17.1C. I'm idling at the same 52/54C I was before. Then again, there's been ZERO break in period at this point. I'll get on that right away...I'm in a HL2 mood.

BBL.