How hot is too hot?

[Synomenon]

I've got a PentiumD 940. I just built a new system and haven't gotten the OS installed yet. Before installing the OS and going further, I tested my RAM for 29 hours with Memtest86+ v1.65. At the end of the 29 hour test ( http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=1824980 ), I rebooted, went into the BIOS and into the system health screen. It showed the CPU temp at 62 degrees C. Isn't that too high for a PentiumD 940?

 

[stevty2889]

What are you load temps with dual prime95? Thats what I would be more worried about. If you start hitting around 72c under full load, you are throttling. That seems a bit high for stock speeds, I was able to hit 3.6ghz on the stock heatsink with my 920 with load temps in the mid 60's.

 

[Synomenon]

I don't have an OS installed. How do I run dual prime95?

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
I don't have an OS installed. How do I run dual prime95?

You'll have to have an OS installed first...but I would recomend re-seating your heatsink, you'll have to clean off the thermal pad and replace it with something like artic silver 5, but it's still safe to intsall your OS at those temps, it will throttle around 72c, and shut itself down prior to reaching critical temps, but there seems to be something wrong if you are at 62c in the bios.

EDIT: By the way, what motherboard do you have?

 

[2gigs]

Perosnally, 65 and up, i turn the thing off, 65 is the max i think


but i think investing in a cooler would help

 

[Synomenon]

It's a Shuttle SD36G5M XPC. I used Arctic Silver 5 and the XPC uses it's own ICE heatsink. I followed the instructions on Arctic Silver's site and put AS5 about the size of a grain of rice on the center of the CPU then I put the heatsink on.

 

[Synomenon]

Originally posted by: 2gigs
Perosnally, 65 and up, i turn the thing off, 65 is the max i think


but i think investing in a cooler would help

What do you mean a "cooler"? Are you talking about a heatsink? The Shuttle ICE is one of the best heatsinks out there.

 

[ahfunaki]

my pentium d 820 idles at 60c...

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: ahfunaki
my pentium d 820 idles at 60c...

Thats not normal either, they do run hot, but even on the stock heatsink, my 830 didn't idled in the upper 30's and low 40's, my 805 idled around 34c on the stock heatsink at stock speeds.

 

[Luckyboy1]

While 72 C is spec on that CPU, I've found and others have found as well that long term, it will break down over time if you don't keep it under 65 C.