Help! I'm running hot!

[jamesbond007]

Alright, so I currently have an ASUS Rampage Formula (X48 chipset) motherboard. Now, these things run notoriously hot across the board as far as chipsets go. The heatpipes that run through the motherboard get very hot and we all know heat is electronic equipment's worst enemy.

That said, I currently have my CPU (Q9450: 2.66GHz, 12MB L2, 1333MHz FSB) overclocked to 3.2GHz/1600MHz FSB at stock voltage, which seems to be about 1.2V according to Hardware Monitor. You can see how warm it gets when I play Counter-Strike: Source and then exit the game here. I can play CS for hours, but I recently added a second HD4870 and setup crossfire, so now my case gets ludicrous hot. When I load up Crysis, you literally cannot keep your fingers on the exhaust grilles of my 120mm case fan nor the exhaust ports of my dual 4870 setup.

I have an Antec mid-tower with two 92mm intake running full blast and a 120mm exhaust also running full blast. All fans are Antec brand...

I'm eyeing the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro to replace my stock Intel HSF that I'm currently using. Ideally, I'd like to run 8x450 and get 3.6GHz and up the juice to around 1.3V likely. Obviously, I am running dangerously already and probably shouldn't even be where I'm at with the current setup since my temps are so warm. But hey, everything works, so why fix it if it isn't broken, right?

I'd like a new HSF, but I'm very reluctant to pull my motherboard since my case is packed tightly and I don't feel like installing a bolt-mount HSF unit. There is, however, VERY good airflow through the case - I had a friend help with cable management and things are tucked away and there shouldn't be any severe hinderance of airflow. Ambient temps range between 76-80F in my bedroom.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any insight!

EDIT: What about this fan and a rheobus of a sort to control it? Maybe affix a second one inside the case to blow on the chipset area? I really don't mind noise and my computer is already pretty loud.

 

[zagood]

Sounds like you have the Solo or P150. Here's some tips to improve air exchange.

1. Remove the front air filters.
2. Cut out the fan grills.
3. Use the included HDD suspension instead of the hard drive docks.
4. Regularly check the sides of the front door for dust buildup - those holes need to be clear ALL the time.

I have that case, and honestly when you're overclocking it just gets a little too warm. I ended up switching my main rig to the 300. Not as quiet, but cools much better.

-z

 

[jamesbond007]

zagood,

Thanks for the suggestions! I actually figured out that my motherboard, left on AUTO for most voltages, was over-volting my stuff. My NB was getting 1.64V when the stock is somewhere around 1.2V I believe. Since I'm overclocking, I put it to 1.35V and all is well. Additionally, I lowered my VDIMM to 2.0V from 2.2V.

As I'm typing this, my CPU is idling at 34C and my NB went from ~82C way down to 57C. I am leaving my graphics cards at 35% fan because when they heat up to ~80C idle at default settings, the rest of my case and temps suffer way too much.

Needless to say, everything seems to be running great, pretty quiet, and my temps are within range - for the most part. My load temps actually peak at 80C, so I'm going to order the XIGMATEK HDT-S1283. I figure this way I can cool my CPU better without having to remove my motherboard for installation and make my CPU last longer.

 

[somethingsketchy]

In the long run, I would suggest replacing the stock cooler with an aftermarket cooler (even if it is the Arctic Cooler Pro 7, which I have used on two different processors for about 10 months). It will help every bit for both the overclock and the processor itself. Running with a mild overclock that cooler did very well.

Just looking at your last post, I see you're going with the HDT-S1283. I'm using that right now and it is very nice. At ~900RPM the heatsink moved some good air, at 1500RPM that is another matter At any rate you'll enjoy the lower temps once you replace the stock cooler.

 

[Binky]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
literally cannot keep your fingers on the exhaust grilles

That made me lol. Somehow, I doubt that your use of the word "literally" is correct here. Your exhausted air cannot be hot enough to cause pain...