Summer and my i7

Drythn

Junior Member
Feb 25, 2010
2
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Hello guys.
For months I've been running at 3.8Ghz(1.225VCore/1.215VTT).
My temperatures on the hottest core used to be 43C Idle/55-58 Gaming, Rendering and WCG/65C LinX but now they are usually around 48C Idle/60CGaming, Rendering and WCG/69C LinX.
I can definitely notice a temperature drop at night when I create some airflow in the house but during the day those will be the temps.
I'm mainly concerned about the idle temps: are those fine until the summer passes at least?
 
Jan 27, 2009
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Those temperatures are perfectly ok. In line with the increases I get in the summer as well. Personally, I would always try to keep my temperatures limited to the low 70s for an Core i7 but some people are happy to run hotter. Also of note, your voltages are nice and low, that certainly helps improve the longevity of any chip.

Idle temperatures mean very little. The sensors on the Intel chips are not particularly accurate far away from TJMax and your chip is drawing very little power at idle, so minimal degradation anyway :)
 

BD231

Lifer
Feb 26, 2001
10,568
138
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Most people report peak temps of around 70c in these parts. Not my kinna chip but if you want top performance you're stuck with a space heater I guess??? I mean, your HSF has to be hot to the touch at those temps correct??

Why exactly do Intel processors report such high temps?? I couldn't even reproduce those numbers with a Phenom II @ 1.5v ... is it just a difference in temp sensors or are core processors literally a space heater like the numbers would suggest?

I never bothered with the core series so I don't have a hands on perspective on the part, but from what I've read those things are toasty.
 
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Jan 27, 2009
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It has to do with a difference in placement of the thermal sensors. Both i7s and Phenom 2 have similar TDPs. (Ok not a precise measure of power consumption but useful for crude comparison)
 

Ben90

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2009
2,866
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Yup, its the placement of the sensor. You could say that Intel's is more accurate since its closer to the core
 

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
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It has to do with a difference in placement of the thermal sensors. Both i7s and Phenom 2 have similar TDPs. (Ok not a precise measure of power consumption but useful for crude comparison)

Nope, it's because Intel heatsinks really are pieces of shit. If I put my fingers on the heatsink that came with my Phenom 9600 or Phenom II 1055, it's actually hot. The thing is moving a lot of heat, and that's why the processor is cool. The heatsink on my E6600 never feels hot. The UPS says it's drawing a lot of power, OCCT says it's about 70 degrees, but the heatsink still feels kinda cool. It's not moving any heat. The heat stays on the chip. Piece of shit feels like it's made of thick cast aluminum, it has no copper, and it doesn't even have anything resembling a cowling to guide the air over the heatsink.

People who get aftermarket coolers see a huge drop in temperature.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2521&page=5
Notice that over half of the heatsinks tested keep it less than 20 degree rise.
Stock Core 2 Duo is listed as 49 degrees. What the fuck? So it's literally 2.5x worse than the median.
 

BD231

Lifer
Feb 26, 2001
10,568
138
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Good points, my 955 setup @ 3.8ghz never gets hot to the touch even at full load though so these consistantly high temps have me hesitant to upgrade.
 
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Axon

Platinum Member
Sep 25, 2003
2,541
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I've had the same experience with my overclocked, but undervolted, i7 920 (underneath a Megahelms). Typically 44-46 on Core 0 during the more moderate seasons, less in the winter. This summer, however, I've been seeing 48 and 49 at idle. Its nothing to worry about, however.

Prime 95 brings it up to around 75-79, depending on how long I let it run. During Spring or Fall, I'll usually max at 75 for load. Still, I consider 79 more than acceptable for load temps, and since I never even run load, its not really a concern.