P4 3.0E with Zalman CNPS-7000B Cu gets 56C when idle!

[imported_pygmalion]

Hi! I just purchase P4 3.0E, motherboard Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000-G and Zalman CNPS-7000B Cu cooler. I used the thermal paste supplied by Zalman. I checked the CPU temperature using Gigabyte's EasyTune5 program and it reads 56 Celcius when idle. When I play game and the CPU is about 50% busy, the temperature rises to 67 Celcius. The room temperature is about 28-30 Celcius, I live in tropical South East Asia.

I then tried the Intel stock cooler that came with the processor, and I found out the temp to be not much different than Zalman, about 58-71 Celcius.

As I read in many reviews and some posts in this forum, Zalman CNPS-7000B Cu has been praised to be able to get the temp much lower than Intel stock cooler, down to about 30-40 Celcius, so I was really confused to get 56 Celcius when idle.

I try to touch the copper heatsink and I don't feel heat at all, it's really cool. And I also never get system crash or halt. I wonder if the temp reading of EasyTune5 is incorrect or is it normal for P4 3.0E to get 56C when idle?

 

[quakefiend420]

if the heatsink is cool to the touch...chances are you arent making good contact with the cpu core...

 

[imported_pygmalion]

Well, I unscrewed the cooler and found out that the thermal paste has been spred very thin on both CPU core and heatsink contact surface, so I think they made good contact. I cleaned the paste, applied some again, screwed the cooler again until I can't turn the screw anymore and ... still the same: 56 C when idle.

 

[wisdomtooth]

I think there is some variation from one CPU to another.

At the place where I work, there are ten identical computers all with P4 3.0C CPUs, the same heatsinks and the same thermal paste, same case ventilation. The CPU die temps would vary-- One of them idles at just 33C while another idles at 50C.

I think it has to do with how Intel applies thermal grease under the CPU heatspreader slug. Some get more complete coverage than others and affects how heat is transferred from the silicon to the slug to the heatsink.

If you tear off the die slug on your CPU I'm willing to bet you will see incomplete coverage on the silicon.

HTH.

 

[Operandi]

Welcome to the forums!

You're room temp of 28-30C is pretty high, what are your system temps? If you're sure the HS and CPU are making good contact it could be false reading try checking the temp in the BIOS. Lastly you could try a higher performance thermal compound like artic silver.

 

[Zucarita9000]

CPU temp. depends heavily on room temperature. I have the same CPU/cooler as you, and when my room temp is about 21C, the CPU idles at around 40C. However, during hot summer days, I've seen it idling at 47-49C.

What kind of case ventilation do you have?

If the heatsink is not warm, the the heat is not being tranfered to it.

You don't get system crashes because Prescotts can work without problems even at 75C. My max full load temp to the date has been 58C.

 

[imported_pygmalion]

Operandi, I'm not sure about system temps, the 56C is the temp with the case open. Temp in BIOS is even higher, it reads 61C.

Zucarita9000, my case is using perforated steel so it has hundreds of tiny holes all over on side and top panels, it has a 80mm intake fan in front, a 80 mm intake fan on left side panel, a 80 mm exhaust on top, a 80 mm exhaust on rear, my PSU has a 120mm exhaust on its bottom. The heatsink is lukewarm, if I reduce the fan speed, it gets warmer. I'm sure the cooler is secured tightly to CPU as the screws are fully tightened. If the heat cannot be transfered, I suppose thermal paste is the issue, am I right? I'm turning on air conditioning now and it's currently idle at 51C.

 

[Zucarita9000]

Well, I didn't use the thermal paste that came with my Zalman, I got some Artic Silver 5.
However, I don't think the stuff that Zalman puts in the package is bad.

You seem to have pretty good cooling in your case. 51C with air conditioning is still a bit high, but not dangerous for a Prescott.