VRM's getting hot

[ShadowFold]

My MSI DKA790GX Platinum's VRM and black box things are hot to the touch. HWMonitor shows TMPIN0 at 45c and I'm wondering if that's the VRM's. It's not scorching hot to the touch but hot enough where you say "Hmm that's kinda hot.."




It's hot under load. I have F@H SMP running.

[Dippyskoodlez]

I'm assuming you mean the small black boxes, since the rest has a heatsink.

This is probably half of the temperature ceiling for the components, which is probably closer to 100C, but I'm not a motherboard engineer, so yeah. I could very likely be wrong.

They have lots of current flowing through them, afterall

I'd say the component temperature you would want to worry about are the capacitors if anything.

[ShadowFold]

The VRM's are under the DrMOS heatsink, that's the thing that's the hottest. The black boxes are hot but not as hot as the VRM's.
Capacitors aren't hot at all, just felt a bunch of them just to make sure before.

[nafets]

Whether or not the TMPIN0 reading is your VRM temps is up for grabs.

Consider that if you never even had that reading, you probably wouldn't be worrying about the temps of your PCB components/circuitry.

As such, I wouldn't waste any breath over it. If you start having stability problems that aren't traced to other areas of your PC (memory OC, GPU OC, etc...), then you might consider alternate cooling methods.

That specific area should get a decent amount of direct/indirect airflow, if your CPU heatsink's fan blows from east to west (memory slots to back panel).

Something that may be "hot" to your fingers, can easily be well within proper operating temperatures, as is the case usually with high temperature components such as VRMs, mosfets, chipsets, etc.

If TMPIN0 is in fact your VRM temps for that specific area, 45C is nothing to worry about, and is quite acceptable...

[DaMulta]

I found I could get a better clock when I was freezing VRMs on a 8800GT. I think that the voltge passing through them when it's cooler makes for better clocks because the wave is more stable. That's a guess about the wave because I don't have a digital orascope....

[Dippyskoodlez]

Originally Posted by DaMulta

I found I could get a better clock when I was freezing VRMs on a 8800GT. I think that the voltge passing through them when it's cooler makes for better clocks because the wave is more stable. That's a guess about the wave because I don't have a digital orascope....

I do believe the max operating temperature for mosfets hovers around 90-100C.

Electricity just seems to love the cold

[kiriakost]

Originally Posted by DaMulta

I found I could get a better clock when I was freezing VRMs on a 8800GT. I think that the voltge passing through them when it's cooler makes for better clocks because the wave is more stable. That's a guess about the wave because I don't have a digital orascope....

Interesting story ... the truth are that VRMs are not smart components , and very simple made.

Temperature does not effect their job , at list until 120C .
So, specially about them , the "hot to touch" indication does not count.

[Dippyskoodlez]

Originally Posted by kiriakost

Interesting story ... the truth are that VRMs are not smart components , and very simple made.

Temperature does not effect their job , at list until 120C .
So, specially about them , the "hot to touch" indication does not count.

Actually I think a "Hot to the touch" is a good sign, because at 120C its probably "Too hot to touch"

[DaMulta]

Originally Posted by kiriakost

Interesting story ... the truth are that VRMs are not smart components , and very simple made.

Temperature does not effect their job , at list until 120C .
So, specially about them , the "hot to touch" indication does not count.

True story tho. Does anyone happen to have a newer orascope...I have an old school one.

[Mussels]

Warm - 35C or less
"kinda hot" 35-45C
"hot" 45C
"Too hot to hold my finger on for more than a few seconds" - 55-65C
"ouch that hurts" 65-75C
"OW f*ck" - 75C-85C
Blister/burn - 85C+

Funnily enough i'm more accurate with this system than my hardwares temp sensors

[Dippyskoodlez]

Originally Posted by Mussels

Warm - 35C or less
"kinda hot" 35-45C
"hot" 45C
"Too hot to hold my finger on for more than a few seconds" - 55-65C
"ouch that hurts" 65-75C
"OW f*ck" - 75C-85C
Blister/burn - 85C+

Funnily enough i'm more accurate with this system than my hardwares temp sensors

Haha, scary isn't it?

maybe someday we'll get reliable hardware sensors.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by Dippyskoodlez

Haha, scary isn't it?

maybe someday we'll get reliable hardware sensors.

i have an infrared thermometer (wireless... point and get temp thing), but its broken now. mah fingers are more accurate.

heatpipes at 95C leave a mark for a few days.

[OnBoard]

Originally Posted by Mussels

i have an infrared thermometer but its broken now.

Well there's your problem I was looking at the previous post with the nice finger-temp- scale (Mussels™) and wondered why are you sticking your finger to everything

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by OnBoard

Well there's your problem I was looking at the previous post with the nice finger-temp- scale (Mussels™) and wondered why are you sticking your finger to everything

it started off as "hmm this bits hot to the touch, i better measure it!"

Eventually i got accurate guesses within 10C, most of the time within 5C

[nafets]

Unlike Mussels, not everyone is a human thermometer.

But an intriguing skill, nonetheless...