New to OCing - High Temps?

[Mikezip007]

Equipment:
Q9550
P5Q-E
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 cooler (I have a Golden Orb II sitting around as well)
8GB DDR2 800 RAM
Radeon 4850
Room temp is +/- 72F

This is my first OC ever and I think my temps are way too hot.

I have it set to 350FSB x 8.5
RAM to 1.86V
Auto everything else

While running Prime95 my temps were:
A0 - 69C
A1 - 66C
A2 - 64C
A3 - 64C

vcore was reading 1.19V (set to auto)

I thought I did all the necessary reading but what am I doing wrong here? Why am I so hot? Let me know if you need more info... like I said, I'm new to this.

 

[error8]

I think it's a bit high, but not dangerous. I guess you're using RealTemp or CoreTemp for reading your temps!? Anyway, don't let your Vcore on auto in bios, since the mobo can overvolt it for no particular reason. Set it manually and see if you have any improvement.

Just remember, that Xigmatek cooler is not what they've told us all over the internet. I guess it starts crapping out when you're pushing more then 150 W of heat through it. But, it's not the case on your small oc.

 

[Foxery]

Those temps are perfectly safe, but slightly disappointing for a big heatpipe. Make sure your thermal paste is evenly applied, and that all four screws are firmly tightened down - there shouldn't be a 5C difference between cores. I would expect temps in the low 60s at your current speed, with some room to get to 70 when you push over 3GHz.

 

[Mikezip007]

I read on the intel website that the temp for the Q9550 shouldn't go above 71? That's why I'm so concerned.

 

[sgrinavi]

Like Error8 pointed out, you need to set your voltage manually in the BIOS, especially when your CPU is a brand new release... I had similar issues with my Asus board and my e8600. The minute I set the voltage manualy everything was normal.

 

[Mikezip007]

What's a good voltage to start out at? I read 1.34v somewhere...

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: Mikezip007
What's a good voltage to start out at? I read 1.34v somewhere...

If you put your own thermal paste on, did you put too much on?
Is your case cooling set up well to remove the heatsink exhaust effectively without it being recirculated through the heatsink?

Try 1.225V. If it won't post or becomes instable then bump it up one notch and test again. If it is stable then lower it a notch and test again. Repeat till you find the happy medium. Personally I then like to still bump it up one notch to account for longer term stability, since capacitors degrade slightly as they age and if you add or change parts your PSU may have a little slower recovery time or changes in rail voltage.

Edit: When changing voltages, especially lower ones on a system that has an existing windows installation, it is a good idea to make a backup of that installation in case CPU instability causes corruption. Same with trying more aggressive memory timings, memory or FSB speeds.

 

[Drsignguy]

Originally posted by: Mikezip007
What's a good voltage to start out at? I read 1.34v somewhere...

Unfortunately, this is something that we can only speculate as you are at the helm. Something I have done, is manually put the voltage at Default VID specs of the chip and then start over clocking in intervals and see how far it can go from stock. From there, after you start getting unstable, then voltage bumps are needed, among other settings. This is something that you are going to have to learn and get the feel of what and how your rig is reacting. By reading the sticky at the top of the forum, getting advice and understanding what you are doing, you will get to your projected goal. Take notes as you start your over clocking so that you can keep track where you are.