Increase in idle CPU temps, is this normal?

[deadbunny]

I just put together this PC:

i7 860 @2.8 (stock fan/heatsink + arctic silver 5)
ASUS p7p55d-e PRO
Antec 300 Illusion (4 case fans)
8800 GTS
Corsair 650tx
Intel x25-m 80
250gb WD
1TB Seagate
4gb 1600 DDR3
(i may be forgetting something...)

Now for the first few days of use I had been monitoring CPU temperature with RealTemp 3.40 and would have fairly consistent idle temps of 30-35. But after about 5 days my idle temps now seem to stay in the low 40's. I have not really changed anything since besides install a few programs and am wondering if this is normal or what might cause this change in idle temps?

 

[modestninja]

I just put together this PC:

i7 860 @2.8 (stock fan/heatsink + arctic silver 5)
ASUS p7p55d-e PRO
Antec 300 Illusion (4 case fans)
8800 GTS
Corsair 650tx
Intel x25-m 80
250gb WD
1TB Seagate
4gb 1600 DDR3
(i may be forgetting something...)

Now for the first few days of use I had been monitoring CPU temperature with RealTemp 3.40 and would have fairly consistent idle temps of 30-35. But after about 5 days my idle temps now seem to stay in the low 40's. I have not really changed anything since besides install a few programs and am wondering if this is normal or what might cause this change in idle temps?

Has the room temp stayed constant that whole time? Has dust started to accumulate and/or started clogging up filters leading to less airflow? Have you moved the case around a lot where you might possibly have lessened the contact between the heatsink and the processor?

If everything else stays constant, with AS5 you should see a slight decrease in temps as it cures.

 

[deadbunny]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check the filter and cpu heatsink. Can I remove the CPU fan/heatsink and reattach it without having to reapply thermal paste? Worrying about CPU cooling is new to me.

(Looks like it might of been the heatsink getting moved. I adjusted it and now the temps seem to be back in the mid 30's. Those push pins are a really stupid design... i think im going to replace the stock cooler with something better.)

 

[MisterDonut]

Hyper 212+ if you are letting TurboBoost bump it up for you. Mugen2 if you wanna do it yourself 😛.

 

[modestninja]

Hyper 212+ if you are letting TurboBoost bump it up for you. Mugen2 if you wanna do it yourself 😛.

What he said. Hyper 212+ is your best bang for the buck ($30 normally, I've seen it as low as ~$20 on sale) if you aren't going to OC too far. If you're looking for a good OC, but huge and a hassle to mount, grab the Mugen 2.

If neither of those sound great and you want to get a really good OC, you're looking at a Megahalems, Venemous-X or Noctua NH-D14.