Q9650 running really, really hot

[msa6]

I built my first system about a year ago with a A9650, and decided recently that it wasn't performing as I thought it should. For the first time, I checked core temps, and they ran as high as 100 celsius at heavier loads...way too high!

As noted above, this is my first build, but it seems to me that the heatsink (stock) is on correctly, but how would I know for sure? All the pins are down, and I used the stock thermal stuff.

What should I look for to determine if it's on properly? Should I go for an aftermarket heat sink, and if so, which one? Any other thoughts on this are welcome. Concerned I may have had a bum processor from day one, but never checked it until now. Thanks.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

You just checked your temps after a year of use?

Is the HS&F clear of dust?

Is the Bios settings tweaked?

Pull the HS&F and clean the chip and HS and apply new paste.

The Q9650 is no slouch.

 

[msa6]

I know, I shouldn't have waited this long to check the temps. As I said, first build (living and learning).

Can the HS&F be improperly seated even though all four appear to be down properly? Is it conceivable that it could appear to be on properly, but is off enough to result in temps this high?

I haven't pushed any BIOS settings, but can someone give me an idea of what I should look for to be sure? Thanks again.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I know, I shouldn't have waited this long to check the temps. As I said, first build (living and learning).

Can the HS&F be improperly seated even though all four appear to be down properly? Is it conceivable that it could appear to be on properly, but is off enough to result in temps this high?

I haven't pushed any BIOS settings, but can someone give me an idea of what I should look for to be sure? Thanks again.

Yes, there can be too much thermal paste between the chip and HS&F but in your case, the paste is probably dried out... but worth checking. Take the HS&F off and take a look.. should take no more than a half hour for tear down and turn around.

Do you know if your HS fan is even running?

9/10 times if you leave the bios in default settings, things sould be ok but it's worth checking out with Hardware Monitor by CPUID

 

[GFORCE100]

You most definitely have a lose contact. Are the push pins fully through and can't be pressed down any further? Do note they can require quite a bit of force to get them fully in.

Also, various Q9650's will have different VID's. The lower the VID the hotter the chip. VID stands for Voltage ID just FYI.

If you do device to go for an aftermarket heatsink I recommend the Noctua NH-D14. Be sure to check it fits your board and case though.