Is this normal????????

[Jeff7181]

I just built my brother a computer today. Ordered it all through the mail, and I put it together today and got it up and running.

It's an AMD Athlon XP2000+ CPU. I think it's a Palomino core because it's default voltage is 1.75 volts.

Well, I ordered that all copper heatsink/fan combo from Tiger direct, along with the copper CPU shim, got it running, installed motherboard monitor, and it says the CPU is running at 96 degrees F at idle, and I've only seen it as high as 102 degrees F. I applied the thermal compund that came with the heatsink, says it contains 10% silver. Is this normal? I can't believe this. I have an XP1700 and it runs at 105 idle, and as high as 130 under full load. But I also don't have that silver thermal compound or the copper heatsink and shim.

I'm getting a new motherboard this week or next week, so when I switch everything over, I'll put that silver thermal compound on it and see if that lowers the temp a lot.

 

[EKAtBzboyz]

is it in the same room?
maybe if its not his room temp is colder....

plus the copper probably makes a diff, and the somewaht silver compound

also the best way to check if its a palomino or tbred, is to see where the stepping info is located
if:
on core=palomino
on sticker=tbred

 

[Jeff7181]

Well... it's a Palomino then... and yes, they were in the same room when I tested temps. That's why it didn't make sense... plus, there's 2 case fans in that case, and I have 4 in mine... the one for my brother is so much cooler... I'm dumbfounded.

*EDIT*
You said "somewhat silver compound" 10% isn't much is it? Cause I was just looking at Arctic Silver 3, and that stuff says somethin like 50-60% silver. I wonder if it would be even cooler with AS3?

 

[Jeff7181]

I just put some Arctic Silver III on my XP1700 and now it idles at 102. Case temp is at 86 degrees, which seems pretty flippin high seeing as how I have 5 case fans and ambient room temp is 68 acording to my PDI Digital Multi-Meter with a temperature probe... yes 5, I forgot to include my 80 mm slot fan when I counted last time.

I just ran Prime 95 with the thermal pad that came included on the heatsink when I got it and the CPU temp went up to 120 and stayed there. Now I just ran Prime 95 again, and it went from 102 to fluctuating between 111 and 113 and case temp is at 87.

I guess now that I think about it I shouldn't be surprised. My computer has an aluminum heatsink, my brother's has a copper one. I have a GeForce4 Ti4200 that's overclocked, his has a Voodoo3 2000 I just stuck in there to get it running. And his case is an Antec Performance II Workstation Tower... mine is one that I got on eBay for $2... yes 2, not 20... then bought an Antec 350 watt PS for it.

So yeah... I'm pretty much just babbling now, I'll shut up.

 

[Jeff7]

What's the case fan configuration? It's possible that they aren't blowing quite right.
What shape is the core? If it's a Palomino, it should be square; otherwise, it'd be a Thoroughbred core. I don't know the T-bred's voltages though.
And give the ASIII a little while to settle; from their website:
"During the CPU's initial use, the compound thins out to enhance the filling of the microscopic valleys and ensure the best physical contact between the heatsink and the CPU core. Then the compound thickens slightly over the next 50 to 200 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability. "
Plus, ASIII is 70% silver by weight; that's a good bit more than the stuff that came with the heatsink.

 

[Jeff7181]

As far as the case fan configuration in my computer... I have 2 in the front, one blowing across the hard drive, one blowing underneath it... I have 2 exhaust fans in the rear right by the CPU, I have a slot exhaust fan under the video car blowing out the back, and then of course the power supply with it's exhaust fan, and the other fan in it sucking air into the bottom of the PS