Question Should I reapply thermal paste for this CPU (i5 3570)?

[Turbonium]

I've had an i5 3570 system with a stock HSF in storage for literally almost a decade (sitting inside a cardboard box). Would it be best to leave the HSF as-is, or is it better to apply new, aftermarket thermal paste, and re-seat the HSF? I only ask because, as I understand it, stock cooling solutions/pads are designed to last longer than your typical grease (correct me if I'm wrong).

Also: I just finished a long gaming session, and I could hear something spinning at very high rpm, though I'm unsure as to whether or not it was the 670 GTX, or the CPU HSF. Either way, I think something is running too hot; what's the best thermal monitoring program out there? HWMonitor? Or should I use something made for my motherboard (Intel DH77KC) specifically (I remember Intel as having their own utility)?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Heartbreaker]

Run it it first, and see if temps are good enough. Paste dries after a time, but that doesn't mean it stops working.

I took off an old heat sink that was working fine for 8 years. The paste was completely dried out, but it really didn't affect temperature much, if at all.

But once you take it off, and find it dry, you have too replace the paste.

 

[Turbonium]

What software should I use for monitoring temperatures?

 

[Heartbreaker]

I use "Core Temp":

Core Temp

Core Temp is a compact, no fuss, small footprint, yet powerful program to monitor processor temperature and other vital information.

www.techspot.com

 

[aigomorla]

you can also run hwmonitor as it also logs yours gpu temps.

HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID

HWMonitor for Windows® x86/x64 is a hardware monitoring program that reads PC systems main health sensors : voltages, temperatures, powers, currents, fans speed, utilizations, clock speeds ... The program handles : CPU and GPU-level hardware monitoring...

www.cpuid.com

This way you can record your peak cpu and gpu temp while your gaming.

 

[Turbonium]

According to HWMonitor, maximum temperatures during gaming are as follows:

CPU (i5 3570)
package: 88 °C
core 1: 87 °C
core 2: 88 °C
core 3: 84 °C
core 4: 81 °C

GPU (670 GTX)
84 °C

Thoughts? The CPU temps seems a bit high to me, even for a stock cooler. And the GPU isn't much better.

 

[UsandThem]

Thoughts? The CPU temps seems a bit high to me, even for a stock cooler. And the GPU isn't much better.

Yes.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/732845/temperature-of-cpu-i5-3570/

 

[Turbonium]

Yes.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/732845/temperature-of-cpu-i5-3570/

Looks like I'm reapplying the thermal paste for the CPU HSF, but what can be done for the GPU, short of some compressed air?

 

[VirtualLarry]

GPUs can and should be re-pasted when they start overheating as well, even after you've blown the dust out.

 

[Turbonium]

GPUs can and should be re-pasted when they start overheating as well, even after you've blown the dust out.

Oh wow, I had no idea you could do that within reason. I thought the HSF assemblies are all pretty much permanent.

What temps should I be aiming for for the CPU and GPU? I'm thinking mid 70s at full load? Obviously, lower is better, but I'm trying to be realistic given the stock coolers etc.

(For now, I may just try the thermal paste reapplication with the CPU HSF, and stick to cleaning the dust out of the GPU HSF, and see if my temps drop to the desired "safer" levels.)

 

[Turbonium]

For what it's worth: the CPU is idling at mid to high 40s. The GPU is idling at high 30s. Ambient temperature is standard room temperature.

Also pretty bad I take it?

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm wondering whether this whole re-pasting lark is a by-product of how commonplace AC is in the US (or possibly just hotter ambient). In the UK, I've never seen in my line of work a definite need to re-paste (aside from replacing HSFs / CPUs etc).

 

[Turbonium]

I'm wondering whether this whole re-pasting lark is a by-product of how commonplace AC is in the US (or possibly just hotter ambient). In the UK, I've never seen in my line of work a definite need to re-paste (aside from replacing HSFs / CPUs etc).

Well do you not agree that my temps are too high, particularly under load?

 

[mikeymikec]

Well do you not agree that my temps are too high, particularly under load?

CPU looks high I guess, I wasn't questioning that. Have you cleaned the dust out of the heatsink? With the Intel ones it can be a bit of a pain but often a decent vacuum cleaner will get most of it out. Some people suggest compressed air. One thing I sometimes do is to use a little brush (I often get them with hair shaving gear) and get to any bits under the fan blades that the vacuum cleaner hasn't reached as sometimes the dust can get caked on.

I'd definitely clean the heatsink before trying to take it off because the latter involves as least as much work as cleaning dust out from the heatsink.

Your CPU idle temp looks higher than usual too. What's the fan speed like and what's the temp of the room the computer is in?

I'd also look up some old reviews for the graphics card / GPU and see what kind of load/idle temps can be expected for it. I once had an AMD HD 5770 and its fan would go up to 5000RPM and its temps were probably in the late 80C range as well; my point is that GPUs are somewhat more variable than CPUs have been, and there have been quite a few more typically high-temp GPUs in the last ten years than CPUs.

 

[Turbonium]

I'd definitely clean the heatsink before trying to take it off because the latter involves as least as much work as cleaning dust out from the heatsink.

Your CPU idle temp looks higher than usual too. What's the fan speed like and what's the temp of the room the computer is in?

I don't mind the extra work. I'm just worried about breaking something in the process. The weird thing is the heatsink fins already look pretty clean, with no obvious signs of caked-on dust.

Around 21-22 degrees Celsius. The fan speed is basically at maximum, whatever that may be.

Sidenote: I had the BIOS cooling profile set to "balanced" rather than "cooling" until now, but I doubt it matters much given fan speed would still max out at higher temps.

 

[mikeymikec]

Is there any chance the computer had this problem before its long period of non-use? I'm wondering whether the paste was applied (or applied incorrectly) in the first place. If it's a big-name PC this is incredibly unlikely.

 

[Turbonium]

Is there any chance the computer had this problem before its long period of non-use? I'm wondering whether the paste was applied (or applied incorrectly) in the first place. If it's a big-name PC this is incredibly unlikely.

I do not remember the fan(s) spinning quite as loudly, or the temps being quite as high.

It's a custom build, btw. I made it myself. The stock Intel HSF was not installed incorrectly, and had the thermal pad.

The odds of breaking something when removing and reinstalling the HSF are quite low, right? I know they're designed to be removed and reinstalled, but I never was a fan of the pushpin-style coolers.

 

[Turbonium]

I went ahead with removal of the HSF and reapplication of thermal paste.

When I removed the HSF (which was very clean and virtually dust-free), I found a bit of a disaster. The thermal pad did not have full contact with the CPU heatspreader, despite the HSF being properly installed (as far as I know). Granted, one of the four pushpins always gave me trouble, and this time was no different.

On the first attempt of reinstalling the HSF, that one pushpin was really borderline defective. I had to clean the thermal paste I had just applied, reapply it, and try again.

This time, I exposed the backplate of the motherboard to be absolutely sure things were lining up and locking into place correctly, and I eventually got it to work.

Current idle temps are high 30s, low 40s for the CPU. I haven't tried gaming yet, but I expect temps there to improve a bit as well. I'll edit this post once I have tested the CPU under such load.

EDIT: gaming temps (CPU) are high 60s, low 70s. GPU max temp is around 80. Huge improvement.

Is there any chance the computer had this problem before its long period of non-use?

It likely did, in some capacity, given the findings above.

 

[Furious_Styles]

Looks like you solved the problem. You can always buy a cheap 212 evo or similar and get those cpu temps quite a bit lower.

GPU might could use a solid cleaning and a re-paste might help some as well. Often though those are just kinda loud no matter what though, assuming it's a blower.

 

[Turbonium]

Looks like you solved the problem. You can always buy a cheap 212 evo or similar and get those cpu temps quite a bit lower.

GPU might could use a solid cleaning and a re-paste might help some as well. Often though those are just kinda loud no matter what though, assuming it's a blower.

The GPU was/is very clean, too, in terms of dust. But yeah, it's stock, loud, and runs a bit hot.

 

[Heartbreaker]

On the first attempt of reinstalling the HSF, that one pushpin was really borderline defective. I had to clean the thermal paste I had just applied, reapply it, and try again.

I almost posted last night about push pins. Those things suck and are often not seated correctly, and even when they are, they don't have a lot of clamping force.

 

[Turbonium]

I almost posted last night about push pins. Those things suck and are often not seated correctly, and even when they are, they don't have a lot of clamping force.

It's garbage design.

 

[aigomorla]

uhh.. sorry to chime in late... but i assume those temps where with the side panel cover on?
Can you regame, and recheck temps with the side panel on your PC OFF?

you may have a ventilation issue.
Also if you have some form of thermometer, even the kind you put in your mouth filled with mercury as a digital one wont work, leave it inside the PC and try to get a record of Ambient temp inside the PC.

If you have no such thing you can get something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Aquaneat-Aquarium-Thermometer-Vivarium-Terrarium/dp/B01N1QQ4EH/ref=sr_1_6?crid=14GGQ9G2HRHVR&dchild=1&keywords=digital+thermometer+fish+tank&qid=1635536158&sprefix=digital+thermometer+fish+tank%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-6

if the inside of your PC is HOT, it will make everything else HOT.
Your CPU temps and GPU temps are way too close together which gives me a slight suspicion possibly your case is starving fresh air source, or the air its taking in maybe high to begin with.

 

[Charlie98]

you may have a ventilation issue.

You beat me to it.

I had a similar problem with my gaming PC... the fan controller (stock Fractal) quit working, so the case fans were not spinning up... leading to crazy jumps in both CPU and GPU temps. The CPU has a 212 with a push-pull setup... and even it was spiking, despite the airflow over the cooler. Check that case!

 

[Fallen Kell]

Another vote to check the rest of your case fans as well. I had my 2 intake fans quit on me and couldn't figure out for a week why my temps were so high. Only had the exhaust fan working (and heatsink fans). Once I replaced them, temps dropped considerably (as expected).