How are these i7 temps?

[The111]

I have tried reading around for normal temps, but I can never tell whether or not people are referring to core temps or CPU temps.

My new setup: i7 920 (stock 2.67GHz for now), Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 cooler, Antec 1200 case, 6GB OCZ DDR3 1600 7-7-7-24.

Room temp 25C.

Temps taken from EVEREST:
Idle: CPU 29C, Cores 42C (avg)
Prime95 (blend, 8 threads): CPU 52C, Cores 66C (avg), NB 52C, VRM 74C

I want to O/C this CPU eventually but first want to make sure these temps are normal for stock speeds.

The VRM seems high to me so I am going to put an Antec Spotcool on it. Mainly curious about the coretemps.

Thanks!

 

[jandlecack]

At 2.8GHZ fixed (i.e. turbo mode frequency via 20x increased BCLK) my core temps using RealTemp never hit 60C in that same Prime95 test. They hang around 58 at most, that's core #0. The others usually 3-5C lower.

I have the D0 stepping and the CPU at 1.18V though, with that configuration. Rock solid.

 

[The111]

Well, if I turn my case fans up all the way that drops 5C (but it's loud as heck). That puts us a lot closer (61 vs 58), and maybe those extra 3C come from room temps? My room is not the coolest... 26C right now.

I got the D0 too, but like I said haven't gone above stock yet.

 

[jandlecack]

Are you using good thermal grease? Did you apply it properly?

Your temps aren't bad by any means. Just making sure you're getting your money's worth.

 

[Harmattan]

Those temps are not irregular at all. You should try clocking it higher. I haven't tracked metrics yet, but the i7 can be strange with temp: seems counter-intuitive, but temps may be higher at lower speed. My i7, for example, runs 50c idle/76c load at 3.6ghz with 1.32vcore; it runs 45c idle/72c load at 4.0ghz with 1.37 vcore.

 

[PUN]

Originally posted by: Harmattan
Those temps are not irregular at all. You should try clocking it higher. I haven't tracked metrics yet, but the i7 can be strange with temp: seems counter-intuitive, but temps may be higher at lower speed. My i7, for example, runs 50c idle/76c load at 3.6ghz with 1.32vcore; it runs 45c idle/72c load at 4.0ghz with 1.37 vcore.

I totally agree.
Mine idles at 48C/78C @ 3.7ghz stock volts
48C/79 @ 4.0ghz 1.275volts

No matter at what volts, it seems to be the same.

 

[The111]

Thanks guys, good to hear. I will O/C soon. I'm waiting to get the Antec Spotcool to aim at my VREG.

Jandle, I'm using the grease that came with the Noctua unit, it's supposed to be really good. I used my "modified" version of the rice grain method. Add a tiny dot to center, clamp down, remove to see how much distributed. Add another tiny dot to center if it didn't spread very far. I repeated this about 3 times until I had it spreading in a circle all the way to the edges of the heat spreader. True, I still chopped off the corners of the square, but the cores are in the center anyway.

 

[jandlecack]

That paste is pretty good, but I still don't trust anything but AS5, maybe that's just me.

In any case there's a certain method used to apply thermal grease depending on CPU. It got my temps down a fair bit after I had cleaned the CPU and heatsink with isopropyl alcohol neatly.

Do this: Position the CPU so that the orange triangle is located in the top left corner. Now put a thin line of thermal paste horizontally from left to right, exactly centered. Then put the heatsink down and fix it half a turn on each bolt everytime to ensure it is lowered down as levelled as possible.

 

[1ManArmY]

Originally posted by: jandlecack
That paste is pretty good, but I still don't trust anything but AS5, maybe that's just me.

In any case there's a certain method used to apply thermal grease depending on CPU. It got my temps down a fair bit after I had cleaned the CPU and heatsink with isopropyl alcohol neatly.

Do this: Position the CPU so that the orange triangle is located in the top left corner. Now put a thin line of thermal paste horizontally from left to right, exactly centered. Then put the heatsink down and fix it half a turn on each bolt everytime to ensure it is lowered down as levelled as possible.

this is specific for an core i7 CPU correct

 

[jandlecack]

Yea but there's a very similar procedure for Core 2 Quads. I think you just position the CPU so that the orange triangle is located to the bottom left instead.

Check out more detailed instructions here: http://www.arcticsilver.com/ar...ilver_instructions.htm

 

[The111]

Well, I haven't taken the time to re-seat my HSF and paste (not sure I will), but last night I did my first O/C, all the way up to 3.8GHz at STOCK VOLTAGE! Ran Prime95 for 1 hour (will do longer later) and max core temp was 74C (room 26C... and my case fans were turned all the way down still). I'm pretty happy with those results!

 

[1ManArmY]

Originally posted by: jandlecack
Yea but there's a very similar procedure for Core 2 Quads. I think you just position the CPU so that the orange triangle is located to the bottom left instead.

Check out more detailed instructions here: http://www.arcticsilver.com/ar...ilver_instructions.htm

yeah I just found these instructions last weekend and I'm starting to believe that my TRUE 120 is adjacent to my core i7 as my idle temps average 42 degrees. I need to reseat again and make sure it is horizontal and hopefully my temps will drop to the mid 30's

 

[bleucharm28]

I recently replaced my CPU cooler from CM-V8 to Thermalright 120 Black with 2 Noctua 120 fans (push/pull). I oc'd my CPU to 3.2g, disabled speed step, lower CPU voltage to 1.15v from auto (1.21+v).

My core temperature now sits at 38-34-36-31. I ran Prime95/FFT for 2 hours or so and all 4 core never made it pass 62C. I am not sure if these temperature are good or bad, but it's certainly better than what I had before using CM V8.

I haven't lapped my TRUE 120 yet. I think I'll just leave the way it is until I get liquid cooling.
___________________________________________________________________________
Asus Rampage II X58 | Core i7 920 2.66 (3.2g) C0-SLBCH | Corsair Dominator 6gig (DDR3 1600) | WD VelociRaptor 300 | EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 SSC Edition | Vista Ultimate 64bit | Supreme X-Fi | PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W | Thermalright Ultra eXtreme 120 Black | Dell 2408 WFP | Silverstone TJ-07 | LG H20L Bluray SATA

 

[jandlecack]

At 1.18V, 3.2GHZ I never hit 60C in Prime95. In Linx it topped out at 60C, too. If that. Don't remember. I run 3.4GHZ with the same Vc now and get roughly the same temps plus ~3.

 

[bleucharm28]

/cry i want a D0

 

[jandlecack]

Yeah, you can even undervolt the chip at stock speeds and get an incredibly cool plus fast processor. The D0 is pretty nice. Although I have to say when I run it at 4GHZ I do hit temps as high as 80C in Linx.

 

[Shmee]

I have a C0, with a TRUE black push pull. I am at 3.7, about 55 C under linpack. Strangley, I cant seem to get remotely stable at 3.8. do I need to up vcore more, or QPI VTT? on the UD5. vcore currently at 1.375 about, and I already upped QPI VTT a bit.

 

[1ManArmY]

Originally posted by: Shmee
I have a C0, with a TRUE black push pull. I am at 3.7, about 55 C under linpack. Strangley, I cant seem to get remotely stable at 3.8. do I need to up vcore more, or QPI VTT? on the UD5. vcore currently at 1.375 about, and I already upped QPI VTT a bit.

what fans are you using in your push pull? I am looking replacing my stock fan that came with the TRUE 120 after I re-seat it. Did you use wire clips or a black fan bracket to attach the fans in your push/pull?

 

[Shmee]

I am using a high speed yate loon, and a very powerful scythe fan. I got to 3.8 now, stable, just had to up QPI VTT to 1.44 i believe it was. Should be able to break 4 ghz now.