Is my T-bird too hot?

[1sikbITCH]

I have a T-bird 1Ghz and am experiencing loss of video and system crashes during cpu intensive programs (Unreal Tournament). It's at 120 degrees Farenheit.

 

[natedog]

I think you answered your own question. In other words, yes, it is most likely too hot.

Natedog

 

[Mikewarrior2]

What heatsink, what is your ambient case temp.



Mike

 

[AdamK47]

120F is too hot for a T-Bird? Thats news to me.

 

[rmd2001]

No it isn't hot enough to cause crashes(it's within specs). I have my 1G running ~122 under heavy load(Unreal) and it never crashed. You definetely have hardware/software conflict somewhere.

 

[Bignate603]

I run RC5 all the time at 130F and it's crashless in games and everything. The only time it crashes is if I open Internet Explorer (Microsoft strikes again)

 

[MissingLinc]

According to the AMD Athlon Processor PGA Data Sheet, page 21, Table 1 (and a couple of other tables, also) says the maximum temperature of the 1100+MHz processor die is 95C (203F), and the 1000MHz and lower processors list max die temp 90C (194F). The same table also shows the 1000MHz processor typically dissipates 49W, max 54W.

Technically, you are well within limits. That little tiny piece of sand and copper is putting out an awful lot of heat for its size, so I would expect some high temps from it. Still, from what I have seen from the systems I have built (office and friends'), 120F (49C) ain't bad. Still, well-implemented passive cooling might be able to help that temp a little more without getting crazy with fans (depending on how things look in your case).

A friend of mine with a nicely cooled Antec SX1030 (I mod'd it for him) with a 1000MHz T'bird on a Abit KT7 RAID with a PAL6035 and YSTech HSF from memman.com, and an Asus V7700 Deluxe, reports at most 42C when he is raging. I put in a Sunon 92mm intake on the far bottom front along with a Sunon 80mm intaking over the pair of IBM 75GXPs. A Sunon 80mm and one of the free Antec cheapie 80mm's exhaust the back of the case near the processor. He did not want me to add a second fan to the P/S (to further help exhaust) yet since he wanted the P/S to burn-in for a few months before I break that warranty seal.

First, are you sure the HSF is properly attached to the processor? Are you using a decent HSF, that has shown well in the many reviews and comparisons done all over the web? Are you using a good heatsink grease (like the stuff at Radio Shack at a minimum)? Second, do you use intake and exhaust fans? Do what you can to unclutter the cables that may impede the airflow as it intakes the bottom front and exhausts the top rear (and near the processor, if possible). Use cable ties and even wire loom to get those cables out of the way (there are many articles about rounding cables). Also, leave the PCI slot below the video card open (with the slot cover removed) and try to place a short card in the next slot occupied below the video card.

Just some things that I have found helpful...

 

[Charles]

I also have 1 GHz Athlon. I use Alpha PAL6035 with 3 different fans, I have one loud high output YS Tech fan, a not so loud Delta fan, and the quiet Adda to cool down the CPU.

I'll make it simple:

PAL6035 + YS Tech fan: Good performance but it's too loud. Simply unbearable! So I decided to replace it with a quieter fan.

PAL6035 + Adda:
1000MHz 1.65V Max CPU Temp: 111 F
1100MHz 1.65V Max CPU Temp: 120 F (I'm scared, replaced the fan with a delta fan)

PAL6035 + Delta:
1000MHz 1.65V Max CPU Temp: 103 F
1100MHz 1.65V Max CPU Temp: 105 F

The CPU temp was measured with MBM 5.03 with a modified DLL and INF files (Alex gave it to me) so it can display the CPU Voltage correctly.

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Charles,

I wouldn't worry about hte adda/1100 mhz setup. Your voltage is nice and low, and your chip isn't pushing more than 54W, so even wiht the adda fan your CPU will be cooled more than adequately.



Mike

 

[Charles]

MikeWarrior2 or anyone else who is reading this, what would you do?

Hurt Me Plenty
7 Volting the case fan
1100MHz Athlon 1.65V + Alpha PAL6035/Quiet Adda fan
Result: Quiet, average cooling performance, high cpu temp (Max 46C)

Hardcore
Running the case at normal voltage
1100MHz Athlon 1.65V + Alpha PAL6035/Normal Delta fan
Result: Not so quiet, good cooling performance, very low cpu temp (Max 41C)

Nightmare
Running the case at normal voltage
1200MHz Athlon 1.75V + Alpha PAL6035/Normal Delta fan
Result: Not so quiet, good cooling performance, high cpu temp (higher than 43 for sure, I didn't try it yet)

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Personally, I'd get one of hte slim delta 60x10mm fans that taisol uses and compromise. 21+ CFM, plus fairly quiet operation.



Mike

 

[Charles]

Why you are so sure that in my case, Adda fan is more than adequate?

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Because alpha's drop-off with a lower fan is not as bad as with some other heatsinks.

I don't see hte PAL dropping in thermal resistance above .45C/W(and that is probably a high estimate) with a slower CFM fan. And .45C/W is capable of handling a 1.1ghz chip okay.

(Additionally: I don't think its .45.. Probably at worst .40C/W(stock is .38C/W with a 20CFM Sanyo-Denki Fan. Goes to .37ish with the Y.S. tech, .36ish with a Delta 38CFM).


Mike

 

[1sikbITCH]

Thx for the info, all. I also have an irq problem which is most likely causing the crashes. The problem is that all the peripherals are auto-assigned to port 9. That's whatever vidcard I use at the time, SB Live!, 2 nic cards, and a 56k modem in addition to the ATA100 controller and assorted system stuff. No matter what I do it won't let me change this from the bios or device manager. I have called on 30 different tech pages and walked through it with a few ppl and still cannot change any device resources at all. I have the latest bios, and latest 4 in 1 drivers. No dice. I was told by more than 1 person that if it doesn't report a conflict than there is no conflict but that has to be BS. Sometimes a blue screen will come up and it will say STOP ERROR driver irql is not equal or less than.....
So I am convinced that that's the problem.
If I don't respond again right away it's because my dsl is down and has been since yesterday so who knows when I'll get back on. Cyas

 

[sitka]

Where did those pages go that Mikewarrior2 was pointing to. It gave the C/W of some of the more popular 'sinks. There was a yellow chart comparing out of the box numbers and lapped and silver paste situations

*************A Ha there it is**********************

linkified

 

[sitka]

1skiBitch, I was trying to assign dedicated IRQ to VIDEO as well. Did a search @ M$ knowledge base. This is related to ACPI function. Microsoft claims that the assigning of IRQ is now handled exclusively by this stuff. Bios settings allow disabling ACPI so after a while I reinstalled 2KPro with ACPI disabled. Same results, still can't reasign or reserve IRQ's. Not to much information out there on what all this means.

 

[Charles]

Mikewarrior2,

<<Additionally: I don't think its .45.. Probably at worst .40C/W(stock is .38C/W with a 20CFM Sanyo-Denki Fan. Goes to .37ish with the Y.S. tech, .36ish with a Delta 38CFM>>

Did you say that the temp reading is higher than the actual temp?

 

[Mikewarrior2]

WEll, it depends on your ambient case temp... it could simply be reading both temps too low. For example, the 40.5C 1100mhz Delta would run at approximately 20C over ambient, while the adda would be ~21C over ambient. Wouldn't be the first instance ever seen of &quot;reverse&quot; compression, but this is hte unpredictability of socket-thermistors.(it isn't common to over-read, though).

Now, assuming that the heatsink was contacting properly with both fans installed, I see no reason why either fan wouldn't be capable of running yoru chip at acceptable temps, irregardless of thermistor readings.


Mike