Typical temps for AMD A6 6400k?

[PaneInTheGlass]

I just finished assembling an HTPC built around the AMD A6 6400k (black edition, if that matters). While poking around in the BIOS, I noticed the CPU temp was hanging around 57 C. That seemed a bit high to me, but this is my first AMD build, and this is the first time in a long time I've stuck with the stock cooler. I'm wondering if this is a bad thermal connection, or if this really is what I should expect at idle. If this is normal, then when should I start to be concerned? Is 70 still the red-line? I don't mind investing in an after-market cooler, but I'd like to be able to tell whether or not one is needed first. Thanks!

 

[Zap]

Some AMD boards run a load on the CPU while in BIOS, so potentially it is NOT the true idle speed. Also, even if not running a load, many motherboards run CPU at full speed while in BIOS.

You should monitor idle temperatures while in Windows with all power management in BIOS/Windows on defaults. This will allow the CPU to step down to a lower clock speed and voltage, for "true" idle.

Let us know what you get under those conditions.

 

[inf64]

70C should be max. before CPU starts to throttle (70C reported in CoreTemp!).
57C is OK temperature I guess. BIOS temp readings are always high, I have my 750K OCed to 4.3Ghz hitting 65C while sitting in BIOS. For comparison I get similar temp when running FritzChess or C11.5 MTed benchmarks.

 

[olimazi]

I recently set up a system with the same chip... mine idles around 30c/load around 40c. So your temps are very high. Especially with Cool 'N Quiet enabled. The stock cooler is merely OK for average use/non-overclock.
If you're worried about temps, invest in a Arctic Freezer 64 Pro (about $25) and be done with it.
I did notice on the stock cooler for that CPU that the thermal grease is way too much - it's pre-applied on the entire surface where the cooler comes in contact with the CPU - this is wrong. You only need a pea sized drop at the center of the CPU. Order some Arctic Silver and re-apply the paste.

I just finished assembling an HTPC built around the AMD A6 6400k (black edition, if that matters). While poking around in the BIOS, I noticed the CPU temp was hanging around 57 C. That seemed a bit high to me, but this is my first AMD build, and this is the first time in a long time I've stuck with the stock cooler. I'm wondering if this is a bad thermal connection, or if this really is what I should expect at idle. If this is normal, then when should I start to be concerned? Is 70 still the red-line? I don't mind investing in an after-market cooler, but I'd like to be able to tell whether or not one is needed first. Thanks!

 

[SiliconWars]

The stock cooler is fine. The problem is likely to be the motherboard getting the wrong temp (this is especially prevalent on ASRock mobos). Check the mobo disc for a tuning program and it'll give you the correct temps.

 

[PaneInTheGlass]

Thanks, everyone! Here's a bit more information about my setup. The motherboard is an MSI FM2-A75MA-E35, and I'm running Ubuntu 13.04 (for now, at least). I spent about an hour trying get the core temp in the OS, but as far as I can tell, my HW is not currently supported (hooray for open source!). I'll try a few other distros later and see if I have better luck. I'm planning on switching to Windows, but haven't decided between OEM and retail. Right now I'm taking solace in the fact that I could use the system for about an hour without any glitches, shutdowns, or magic smoke!

I was actually rather impressed with the stock cooler. The thermal material was laid out in a fine grid with each section neatly spaced by bare metal. This gave it just enough room to spread with the pressure from installing the heatsink, leaving a nice, thin, even coat. There's a really good comparison between different ways to apply thermal paste here (page 3 shows a pea on a heatsink). Unfortunately, if I do go after-market, I'll need something low-profile. My case has doesn't have the most clearance.

 

[PaneInTheGlass]

I realized I could expedite my investigation by making judicious use of Microsoft's 30-day "trial period". According to MSI's Control Center utility, my CPU is running about 42 C at idle and 56 C at load. This is much closer to what I would expect. Looks (to me) like I don't have much to worry about. Thanks for the help!

 

[Gigantopithecus]

I recently built two systems with the same board. One has an A6-5400K in it and the other has an A8-5600K in it. The BIOS doesn't report the correct temps on either of them, so they sound like jet engines on start up but quiet back down when I get to the desktop (when SpeedFan takes over). That the board doesn't detect the temperature properly is annoying - otherwise it's feature-rich, stable, and cheap.

 

[hellion111]

buddy that is a very stable temp for the processor i have my cpu over clocked 4.20 ghz with 2gb ddr3 1333mhz ram under clocked at 1066mhz and i rune at 65 Celsius witch is 5 celsius from being the cpu's stable temp