help requested

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Fleex

Junior Member
Jan 22, 2003
5
0
0
This is a cry for help...

I have an Athlon 64 X2 5600+ with a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme heatsink and a Noctua 120mm 800rpm fan attached on top (airflow upwards) on a Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe mobo. I have used just the right amount of thermal grease too. Mounted about 2 inches above my cpu fan is an EVGA 8800 GTX KO AC3 vid card (which does run rather warm). This is all inside a Lian Li 1000 case (that's why my cpu sits low and everything else up high...upside down from most cases). The case also has 2 Noctua 120mm 800rpm fans, one in front, one in back.

Idle conditions with the side panel off, I'm getting a cpu temperature of about 46C from my mobo's "AI Booster" monitoring program. With the side panel attached, the temp climbs to 48C.

Under load, it gets quite a bit hotter...it can get up into the 60s and sometimes even up to 70C. Meanwhile the system itself overall runs at about 44C.

Based on all the reviews, forums, and such, I figured my operating temperature would be closer to the 30s. I've even replaced my heatsink with a new Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme thinking that perhaps I was unlucky enough to get a dud or one that was missing the fluid from inside the heatpipes.

I'm running out of ideas as to why this is happening. I might try seeing what kind of temps I get with the stock cooler. But could something be wrong with my cpu?

Or is what I've described about normal? Should I expect this much? Should I get heatsink fan with higher rpm? Or case fans with higher rpm? Or could something more be fundamentally wrong with a component or the system? Any ideas?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Humbly yours,
Fleex
 
adairusmc

adairusmc

Diamond Member
Jul 24, 2006
7,095
78
91
What kind of thermal paste are you using? The included thermalright stuff?

Maybe try orienting the fan on the Ultra120 to blow towards the back of the case, instead of straight up. You try using any other temperature monitoring utilities besides the AI booster?
 
S

SinfulWeeper

Diamond Member
Sep 2, 2000
4,567
11
81
Ambient room temp?
Possible bad readings, perhaps, but not limited to air being blown in the general direction of the sensor? Not likely, but possible.

46C seems a little warm. If it is indeed that warm, you should be able to tell just by putting your finger on it. Also dairy stores have laser thermometers, you might be able to borrow one with a security deposit. Those laser thermometers are very accurate as they have to be, even from great distances. If they provide inaccurate results and the health inspector comes in and finds they are out of compliance, they can be shut down. Aim that sucker right on the base of your heatsink. That ultra 120 will not have anything blocking it's way. Add a couple degree's simply cause your aiming at a cooled medium vs the direct egg boiling IHS cap of the heatsink. 4 degrees would be a reasonably safe number.
 
9

996GT2

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2005
5,212
0
76
Is the base on your Ultra-120 extreme flat and smooth? Lots of people have reported base/mounting problems with the Ultra-120 Extreme.
 
VinDSL

VinDSL

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2006
4,869
1
81
www.lenon.com
Hrm...

Thermalright HSF - Lian Li case - Summertime in the northern hemisphere.

Dude, that's a deadly combination! :D

Turn down your air conditioner, get a good case, and lap that eXtreme...
 
9

996GT2

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2005
5,212
0
76
Depends on cooling really...but IMO idle temps around 35C and load temps around 50C for an OC'd dual core are pretty good on air cooling
 
Cerb

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
33
86
Cables in the way? Is there clear direction for air flow (OK, most Lian-Li cases force this)? If the case temp is 44C, check to see how the case temp rises with the CPU temp. If it rises a lot, like 10+C, then you've probably got an issue with case air flow, or maybe recycling hot air. If it only rises a little (0-5C), then something is not right with the HS. Your post is a little ambiguous about this.

Maybe check to see if the base if properly flat?

You might also want to try another fan on the heatsink (I'm leaning to this). The Noctua's don't seem to like pressure against them. It could be that simple, I guess. If you have another around, I'd try this first (it's easy to do compared to applying stock cooling for a test).

If the case temp is 44C and remain that through loads on the CPUand video card (or within a few degrees), then 70C could be the Noctua. Unfortunately, all evidence for this is anecdotal, AFAIK.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article646-page3.html
Here, your temps would require their good old reference fan to running at 5v-7v (+26C over ambient, assuming 44C ambient). Notice how the temps are outstanding at 9v and 12v, even with the humble Nexus. OTOH, the Nexus is faster than the Noctua down to 9v, and has nice big ol' fins. I know, yours has more pipes, but that's not proven to be too much more useful compared to the standard version.

Finally, if it is the fan, and you replace it, turn the HS so that the fan sits vertically, moving air horizontally. I have a couple very noisy Yate Loons (folks who make the Nexus ones) due running them horizontally in my ignorance.
 
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