How are my temps?

[MidiGuy]

I just built my new system, and I'm wondering if my temps are good (or at least normal). It's an AthlonXP 1600+ with the retail heatsink and fan on a Soyo SY-K7V Dragon Plus! in an Antec SX1040. According to ITE SmartGuardian, my Chassis temp is 27-28C and my CPU temp hovers around 40C, often just below.

Also, is ITE SmartGuardian reliable? It seems to match what it says in the BIOS. Are the BIOS readings reliable?

Thanks!

-Midi

 

[SilverBack]

Yeah, Smart Guardian works fine.
Your temps are right inline. They look good.
The thing about the cpu temp.
The BIOS reports what the thermistor temp is. That isn't necessarily (sic) what the actual cpu temp is, but it's close.
It may be off by several degrees.
The XP's do offer on chip temp reporting , but you have to have a motherboard thats capable of reading it.
The dragons aren't .

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Silverback,

What do you mean by "The BIOS reports what the thermistor temp is. That isn't necessarily (sic) what the actual cpu temp is, but it's close.
It may be off by several degrees. "?

With a 1.4ghz XP, actual DIE temps would be ~31C over ambient case temp. This is based of overclockers.com die C/W testing, which gives very good results. Even taking into account a possible +-5C due to the loading program, his MB is still under-reporting temps by 10-18C. I'd say thats very significantly more than several degrees.



Mike

 

[DIRTsquirt]

My heat alarm just went off on my kr7a 1700+ setup the alarm is factory set at 50c. Man I got an antec case with 4 fans and an emermax dual fan powersupply. I was running T2 for 30minutes..
am I needing more cooling or is the alarm set to low?

 

[RossGr]

<< With a 1.4ghz XP, actual DIE temps would be ~31C over ambient case temp. This is based of overclockers.com die C/W testing, which gives very good results. Even taking into account a possible +-5C due to the loading program, his MB is still under-reporting temps by 10-18C. I'd say thats very significantly more than several degrees. >>



I will go look into the Overclockers .com report but my gut reaction is to say that this difference will be strongly dependent on yoru HS/fan. Also convert those degrees C to F and you get roughly 5-9 which does, IMHO, fall into the "several" range.

Edit:
I just went to overclocker.com.... I am at work, I could get fired for opening sites like that! please post a proper link to the report you are refering to.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

I Said overclockers.com

Here's a direct link... I used the retail heastink/fan C/W of .50. Midiguy stated he was using the retail heatsink/fan unit.

Overclockers.com Heatsink Roundup

Knowing that an XP1600+ runs at 62.8W, you get a rise over ambient of ~31.4C

Knowing that MIdiGuys Ambient is 27-28C, and adding in 31C for die rise over ambient, you're looking at an overall DIE TEMPERATURE of around 58-59C.

HIs MB is reporting 40C. I'd say his MB is under-reporting severely. In order for Silverback's statement to be accurate, the "several degrees" off would have to be ~15C, or ~27F. In either case, that is way more than slightly off.


Mike

 

[SilverBack]

Well overclockers.com is off in lu lu land then.
XP cpu's with a decent HSF will be between 11C and 15C over ambient.

Also he isn't using anything to evaluate his cpu temps other than his motherboard. His readings fall very well in line with many other "hardware sites" all over the net, including Anandtech.
The whole part of this thread was to allieviate his worries over his temps. He shouldn't worry, as his are FINE.

Mechwarrior2
Your whole assumption is based off of one hardware site.





<< Knowing that an XP1600+ runs at 62.8W, you get a rise over ambient of ~31.4C >>


Sure you do with no active cooling. What exactly is your point? Heat will be displaced by the SIZE of the HSF as well as air flow etc.
Are you saying that ALL XP 1600 cpu's will ALL run at ~31.4C over ambient rgardless of cooling? Of course you aren't.

From the article you happened to quote:




<< Last, remember that in-socket thermistors are not accurate measures of CPU temps. Every heatsink affects an in-socket thermistor differently, as does airflow over the motherboard. There is no consistency between motherboards as well. At a minimum, you can factor +/- 5 C to these temps. >>


Quite a general statement, but also one that validates exactly what I said.


DIRTsquirt
The alarm isn't set to low. I think if I were you, I would check to see if the HSF is seated correctly. It doesn't sound like it is.

 

[MidiGuy]

Thanks for all the input, everyone! I do have a few more questions though. My CPU fan speed reads 5670 rpm(or something in the 5600 range), but every little bit, it drops to 4440 for a moment or two, then goes back up. Is this an acceptable variation, or could it mean I have a fan or power problem?

Also, because of that, I took the side off of my case while it was running so I could look at the CPU fan (of course at that speed I couldn't see any difference in a speed change). I started to stick my head in a little for some reason, and as I did, the PC speaker put out this little series of tones, almost like an alarm but somehow perhaps more pleasent. I got up and looked at my temps, which didn't seem to have gone up (although they went up two or three degrees for awhile after I put the side back on). Was that the CPU alarm?

And one more thing. What is a dangerous temp level for an AthlonXP 1600+?

Thanks again!

-Midi

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Silverback

Based on the reatail heatsink, which has a C/W of .5(and this hsa been tested to be around .51-.55 on Internal Diode/Pentium 3 tests), a ~60W processor would run at 30C over ambient.

With a better heatsink, like a Swiftech or an Alpha with a C/W ~.3, the rise over ambient would be ~20C over ambient. That's with the best cooling units. So 10-15C over ambient would need water cooling to be true.

Also note that while overclockers.com says that +-5C is needed to adjust socket-thermistors, it isn't true with XP chips. The NEW PCB further blocks heat from the backside measurements. It knocks socket-thermistors to a level where they are even more inaccurate.



Mike

P.S. If you're gonna say Overclockers.com is in LA lA land, please note that the cooling articles are done by Joe, not that rambling fool Ed.

P.S.2. TO further refute your claims of slight inaccuracy, i've done a chart based on HardOCP(which has one of the most terrible testing methods) versus the Overclockers.com DIE simulator tests. I know how the die tests are done, and they're of pretty damn good accuracy for getting "die C/W".

With one exception of the millenium glaciator II(where the difference between DIE and socket-thermistor is -1.7), the average "miss" is -9C, with the worst being -13.8C. Quite a bit more than the +- (And i've NEVER seen a mb that needed a + adjustment) 5C. Chart comparing Socket-thermistor to DIE temps

And yes, this thread is ismply to ask "are my temps okay". HOwever, with your statements claiming that socket-thermistors are accurate is so misleading that I have to post against it. With a statement like yours, its no wonder why people with different "reading" mb's are always worried to crap about their temp readings.

 

[DARTHSINDER]

My Dragons CPU temp runs about 38-41 cel. I don't know exactly how hot they can run without any problems arising. Anyone give us any ideas on max operating temp!!

 

[Mikewarrior2]

If your readings are running 15C over ambient with retail sinks (and I haven't seen enough dragon + temps to draw a conclusion), then I wouldn't run the chip at anything more than 25C over ambient.

So for most people, no higher than 50-55C.



Mike

note: This only applies to the dragon +

 

[MidiGuy]

While I would like a way to know fairly accuratly how hot my cpu is running, I'll settle for knowing what readings are normal and when I should be worried. I think I forgot to mention that I don't intend to overclock, so I don't plan on making the cpu hotter, but if I start putting more things in my case, or the heater is on alot and the room starts to get hot or something else makes the temps start going up, I just want to know how hot is too hot going by the readings I can get. 50-55C then?

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Mikewarrior2]

I wouldn't go past 50-55C, or 25C over ambient case temp, knowing the certain characteristics of your Mb's temp probe.

What I dont' like is broad-based statements claiming these readings are accurate: Different mb's read temps differently and several mb's read well higher than the dragon +. :frown:


Mike

 

[MidiGuy]

I think I saw someone mention this in another post, but ITE SmartGuardian maxes out your CPU usage when you use it, at least under WinXP Pro. Any idea how I can make that stop?

 

[DIRTsquirt]

Still alittle confused? I removed the heatsink it was seated correctly, reinstalled it . System temp is 27.. at idle or surfing or minor stuff it runs 38-41... playing tribes 2 it got up to 47 (cooler in my house tonight!) I am thinkin I am gonna be hearing this alarm going off alot this summer!!
I may consider a new heatsink and fan as I bought a boxed processor and am using factory unit.. Any one know of good heatsink and fan that isnt a monster like my Buddies swiftech 462 that will keep it down to a reasonable temp. How big is the sk6? I am not interested in overclocking