Phenom Temp question?

[nocrapman]

Hi guys,
I am running a Phenom II x4 940 Deneb off a Gigabyte 790gx motherboard. Have been running the stock cooler/HSF with following temps in speedfan with minimal load (not idle):
Temp 1: 44
temp 2: 36
temp 3: 51
Core : 50-51

What does these temps represent?
Am I running too hot?
Do I need to upgrade the HSF?
If I am OK, do I have room to increase the multiplier a bit to try some very minimal OC?
Should I use a different temp monitoring software?

Any comments help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[erocker]

Use AMD Overdrive and check all of your temps with that.

I'm taking an educated guess:

Temp 1 = CPU socket
Temp 2 = "Motherboard"
Temp 3 = North Bridge

 

[Zubasa]

Hi guys,
I am running a Phenom II x4 940 Deneb off a Gigabyte 790gx motherboard. Have been running the stock cooler/HSF with following temps in speedfan with minimal load (not idle):
Temp 1: 44
temp 2: 36
temp 3: 51
Core : 50-51

What does these temps represent?
Am I running too hot?
Do I need to upgrade the HSF?
If I am OK, do I have room to increase the multiplier a bit to try some very minimal OC?
Should I use a different temp monitoring software?

Any comments help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

It is always recommanded to get a better cooler before you OC.

 

[nocrapman]

Use AMD Overdrive and check all of your temps with that.

I'm taking an educated guess:

Temp 1 = CPU socket
Temp 2 = "Motherboard"
Temp 3 = North Bridge

OK installed the AMD overdrive...
All the cores seem to be doing 50-51C on it. Are these too high?

 

[nocrapman]

It is always recommanded to get a better cooler before you OC.

So all these stories I hear about folks OCing the Phenom on stock air upto 3.6Gs stable are makebelieve?

 

[Zubasa]

So all these stories I hear about folks OCing the Phenom on stock air upto 3.6Gs stable are makebelieve?

Well I can get my Phenom II to 3.5Ghz on stock cooling, but the temps are just horrible.
You can do it does not mean you should do it.

My core goes no higher than 55C on OCCT stress test @3.5Ghz.
You can figure that out yourself.

 

[erocker]

Maximum safe temperature according to AMD is 62c for the CPU (socket) temperature. You are within the limits, however a better aftermarket cooler will definitely bring the temps down.

 

[chuck216]

50c is a bit high for a 940. I'm running my 940 @ 3.5 ghz and my idle temperatures are ~38c, and that's with an ambient temperature around 80f.

 

[nocrapman]

50c is a bit high for a 940. I'm running my 940 @ 3.5 ghz and my idle temperatures are ~38c, and that's with an ambient temperature around 80f.

In that case I am concerned. The room temp varies b/w 76-80. This is a large ATX case with plenty of ventilation and good circulation (at least thats what I thought!).

On the other hand, I haven't had any issues...

What do most folks use as an aftermarket cooler that wont get too loud but cools impressively?

 

[chuck216]

In that case I am concerned. The room temp varies b/w 76-80. This is a large ATX case with plenty of ventilation and good circulation (at least thats what I thought!).

On the other hand, I haven't had any issues...

What do most folks use as an aftermarket cooler that wont get too loud but cools impressively?

You're still within the acceptable range and higher end coolers do make a difference over the stock one. I wish I could give you a comparison but I've never used the stock cooler with my 940, I already had my Big Typhoon which I figured was better than the stock one. Your system specs don't list what case you have but that could be a factor in the difference between our temps. Let's face it when it comes to airflow and ventilation there are very few cases that can match the Antec 900. Heck even my 4870 idles at only 26c.

 

[KH0UJ]

Try updating the BIOS, on my case ived had high temp issue before on my 5200+ but after I updated the BIOS it dropped 10 C lower, but I guess it depends on the mobo manufacturer though, 50 C idle is high, if you stress test that temp i think its gonna reach over the maximum temp. try putting an after market cooler,

 

[MT Alex]

She's a hot one

Your temperatures are pretty close to what I had with my 940 and stock cooler, and I was concerned. It would hang between 34° - 38° at idle on a cool day, and around 42° on a hot one. I would play Supreme Commander, exit to Windows, and immediately check my temps, and they would be between 56° to 60°. Pretty darn hot. When I would run Everest's stress test, after 30 seconds my temperature would be 63°+, which is over the spec limit.

So I called AMD and talked to a rep who stated that these were fairly common temperatures for this chip, and not to really worry until around 70°, and even if it got too hot the chip had an auto shutdown that would save it before being fried.

Well, I wasn't too happy, because I had also been reading a bunch of posts about people with overclocks and temperatures with the stock cooler that were no where near mine. I was also worried about stressing the brand new $190 processor I had just bought, and to top it off I probably wouldn't even get to overclock it, and dang it, it's supposed to be a Black Edition!

Save yourself a bunch of fretting, and open up the door to overclocking by buying an after market heatsink. Since your processor is so hot right out of the gate, I would recommend any with HDT (heat pipe direct touch). I got my Xigmatek s983 for about $35. You don't really need a hulking tower for good performance.

Here is a thread I started in relation to this whole problem.
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?p=1499710&posted=1#post1499710
The posts towards the bottom give my temps after installing a new cooler.
Also, until you get things ironed out, Lavaly's Everest program would be extremely handy because it gives good temperature readings with a decent stress test, and it's free for a month. After a month I would switch to OCCT, which has a harsher stress test, but not as much info as Everest.
http://www.lavalys.com/products.php?ps=UE&lang=en&page=1

By the way, my 940 at x15 rides at 1.408v, not 1.35. Maybe yours does too? That may explain our heat problems, we got processors from a hot batch.
Good Luck
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=645622

 

[nocrapman]

My voltage is set at 1.35.
I have added the case I have in my system specs.

I am very likely buying an aftermarket HSF. But before I do that I want to make sure that the current stock HSF is optimally placed. During installation, I went with the layer of GOO that came on it and not my own thermal paste. I am curious if taking care of that might be a first step?

I did try OCCT - in 3 mins the temps went from 49 to 59C.
I ran prime 95 - in 5 mins the temps went from 49 to 61.
I stopped the tests at those points respectively.

 

[MT Alex]

Just wondering how your temp troubles turned out, and what aftermarket heat sink you went with, if any.

 

[nocrapman]

Hey Alex,
Thanks for checking in...
As it happens... ordered the Xigmatek s1283 a while back but never got around to installing it. In the last few days I was experimenting to see if I could make the stock HSF work better by reapplying the TIM. So I tried that for a few days, with different orientations. Gave me dip of 2-3 degrees at best, but a difference for sure.

Today I installed the Xiggy and in the last 2-3 hrs, saw a dip of 6-7 degrees C. It seems to be gradually cooling down further though. Currently idling at 41 degrees C.... no OC.
I am little bummed though. I had imagined a bigger decrease in these temps. Maybe I need to be patient and wait for the TIM to settle down.
To make things worse, I had to SACRIFICE a RAM module that sits closest to the CPU. The Xiggy wouldnt sit with all the 4 sticks of OCZ in. I tried to remove the heat sinks from the first RAM stick, but the darn thing just came apart. Ended up just with 3 stick of RAM... Arrrrggggh.... and feeling like a fool.

 

[MT Alex]

That does still seem like a high idle, but it depends on your ambient temps as well. It's about 74 degrees in the room I'm in and I am idling at 32 C (89 F) which is 15 degrees above ambient.

Too bad about your RAM stick falling apart. I think if you rotate your cooler 90 degrees on your board your first stick may fit under your fan. That s1283 is a monster.

Good Luck

 

[nocrapman]

That does still seem like a high idle, but it depends on your ambient temps as well. It's about 74 degrees in the room I'm in and I am idling at 32 C (89 F) which is 15 degrees above ambient.

Too bad about your RAM stick falling apart. I think if you rotate your cooler 90 degrees on your board your first stick may fit under your fan. That s1283 is a monster.

Good Luck

Here's the conundrum though: The BIOS before windows has loaded, shows the temp as 25-26 C. As soon as windows loads, the softwares like Coretemp/speedfan/OCCT show the temps as 41-42 C - all while, the system is idling. I am at a loss trying to make sense of this.
I couldnt have rotated the HSF around, as the MOBO has the retention clips in only one orientation. I dont think I made the right choice with the Xigmatek.

 

[MT Alex]

I couldnt have rotated the HSF around, as the MOBO has the retention clips in only one orientation. I dont think I made the right choice with the Xigmatek.

Refer to the link I posted in my first comment regarding an X-Type bracket. Also, I'm pretty sure that Coretemp is made for intel chips. Maybe try AMD's Overdrive. I always feel confident with it. Finally, that xiggy is one heck of a cooler.

 

[CrackerJack]

CoreTemps is for all cpu's. RealTemp is for Intel only.

Those temps look fine, your on a stock HS. My temps are alittle lower... around ~40c idle/~55c load. But i have a aftermarket cooler. If you want to OC. Get a really good HS and some mx-2 paste. You will notice a big temp drop. Then I would try to OC from there.


*Use CoreTemp and post the temp back on here before you do anything. AMD Overdrive and Gigabyte don't always get along. I can't see my fan speeds, gpu volts, and a few motherboard stats.


CoreTemp Link

 

[MT Alex]

Those temps look fine, your on a stock HS. My temps are alittle lower... around ~40c idle/~55c load. But i have a aftermarket cooler. If you want to OC. Get a really good HS and some mx-2 paste. You will notice a big temp drop. QUOTE]

He is using an s1283, not stock cooling anymore. You're right about Overdrive and Gigabyte not always getting along. I can't OC using OD, I get any immediate crash. If I enter the same changes in my Gig Bios things work just fine.

Also, thanks for the info and link to Coretemp. Already downloaded.

 

[CrackerJack]

What his air flow like? You could have the best air cooler and get shit results if you don't have decent air flow threw the system. Kinda defeats having it then. Good air flow and good HS is the key!

 

[MT Alex]

Word.
Antec p182, doesn't lool like a bad case.

 

[nocrapman]

Refer to the link I posted in my first comment regarding an X-Type bracket. Also, I'm pretty sure that Coretemp is made for intel chips. Maybe try AMD's Overdrive. I always feel confident with it. Finally, that xiggy is one heck of a cooler.

I did not notice that!!
Well since I have already sacrificed my RAM, I will let it be for now.
Overdrive gives the same readings...

 

[nocrapman]

*Use CoreTemp and post the temp back on here before you do anything. AMD Overdrive and Gigabyte don't always get along. I can't see my fan speeds, gpu volts, and a few motherboard stats.


CoreTemp Link

I agree with you on Overdrive not working very well... other than what you mentioned, it does seem to freeze up my system occasionally and mess up the display in a way I have never seen before.... like TV in the days before satellite on a stormy night! Especially true when OCCT had been run before or is currently running.

 

[nocrapman]

Word.
Antec p182, doesn't lool like a bad case.

p182 is not a bad case from the airflow point of view. Since the PS is at the bottom, the fan from the Xiggy drives air thru the fins of the HSF and is sucked out by the top case which is right above it.