Ivy bridge upgrade time

[davidthemaster3]

I have the 212+ on it ... I know I my temps are high with the overclock ... but I have re-pasted it threes times already ( I tested it each time I re pasted) and these are the best temps so far ... and my second application of TIM seemed fine ( my first was lousy) with just enough paste and spread all over ... I'm using Artic Silver 5 TIM ...

My temps don't rise above 65 degrees when I game ... I really don't know why they are that high ... but I'd guess I can't install the 212+ and paste correctly ... but it is on tight ...

 

[krnmastersgt]

Holy crap 95? What's your ambient temp at for it to be so high at only 4.4?

Also I'm not sure about the rest of the people here but I only use diamond paste anymore, better temps than silver typically (silver is theoretically better but over time loses efficiency pretty quickly) and I never have to re-apply it unless I'm taking the system apart for some reason.

 

[davidthemaster3]

I think ambient temps are ~25 ± 3 degrees ... usually lower, although it is very humid where I live and my computer's in the basement ...

 

[davidthemaster3]

At first I thought it was the voltage ... but I can't get any lower, I get WHEA logging errors when it's offset to -0.005 :S

 

[mfenn]

It's definitely the voltage that is causing the temps to be so high. That being said, there is probably nothing you can do about it except for back off on the OC or get a beefier cooler. At the end of the day though, overclocking success is based on luck of the draw. Some chips can get to a certain frequency on a certain voltage and others can't.

 

[davidthemaster3]

I thought as much ... what about idle voltages? When I'm at idle, my voltage is ~1.048V and here are my temps (doing nothing demanding; just looking at a desktop, browsing the web, etc...) ... now I know core temp differences are normal ... but I hardly think a 16 degree difference in temps is normal XD (I had this difference with my second application of TIM, though it was 20 degree before )

 

[mfenn]

No, 16 degrees is definitely not normal. What's probably happening is that there isn't an even amount of pressure across all 4 mounting points on the heatsink. Make sure that you tightend screws down a little at a time in an X pattern and that you use the same amount of torque on each screw. Basically just like you would do the lugnuts on a car wheel (if that helps, lol).

 

[davidthemaster3]

That's what I did ... I tightened the screws in an X pattern by half a turn until I couldn't tighten them anymore ...

How can I check if I have the same amount of torque on each screw? They are all as tight as can be ...

 

[davidthemaster3]

Is there any way I can check which core is which on a die shot? ... I tried searching but I found nothing ... it would give me a good idea of whatever is wrong, cause only one core is higher ...

 

[mfenn]

That's what I did ... I tightened the screws in an X pattern by half a turn until I couldn't tighten them anymore ...

How can I check if I have the same amount of torque on each screw? They are all as tight as can be ...

Well, to get an accurate measurement, you have to use a torque wrench. That's usually not necessary though and you can get it pretty close by feeling how much pressure you've applied to each. If you're pretty sure that you have them tightened down all the way, then you should also check that the backplate is even and not warped and that the base of the cooler itself is level.

 

[davidthemaster3]

Well the backplate seems even and the screws cannot be tightened anymore then they are at the moment ... I just realized that if I apply enough force I can actually turn the 212+ itself by at 15 degree :S it seems there might not be enough pressure D:

However, since my voltage is high anyways and mfenn recommended a beefier cooler, I,ve been looking around and so far the one the caught my eye the most (without actually costing me said eye) is the Xigmatek Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition for 45$
After reading a few reviews, it seems better and quieter than the 212+ and it seems good for the price

 

[mfenn]

Lehtv is more of a heatsink expert than I am, but the Dark Knight looks nice to me.

 

[davidthemaster3]

What about thermal paste?

I'va been reading skineelabs reviews for and while performane is hardly more than a degree better with any "good" TIM, that's with optimal results with the best mount/contact for that TIM ... So it seems AS5 is really dependant on the contact

Would I be better of with NT-H1 or MX-2? (MX-2 performs better than MX-4 and is cheaper )

 

[mfenn]

Nope, the paste itself doesn't matter much. Proper application (i.e. don't use too much paste) can improve temps quite a bit though.