Why is my Duron still so damn hot? (And other newbie Q's)

[Gendo]

Hey all,

Posted a while back about my severely overheating new Duron 700 on my also-new Abit KT7A - well, since then I've bought myself a Chrome Orb (wanted a Volcano II but didn't want to pay more than $15 and couldn't find it in stock for that price), some Arctic Silver II, and a new case fan. I'm now doing ok at the stock 700mhz - idling at around 42-43 (I was getting around 58-61 before) with a system temp of 26, but even overclocking to just 805 where I am now I'm already up to around 48 at idle. I see tons of people in the CPU database that are reporting 1ghz with this chip using nothing but Orbs for cooling and getting temps in the same range I'm getting at 805 - do I just have a chip that doesn't want to overclock or what? I'm not willing to go with a loud Delta fan or to run with my case open (I've at least removed all the spare gates from the back of my machine), so is this about as far as you think I'm gonna be able to go?

Also, while the Via Hardware Monitor is giving me that 48 degree temp, Sandra's telling me I'm running at 28! What's the deal with Sandra's numbers?

One last important Q about the motherboard (I could split this into the MB group but I may as well ask everything at once) - the KT7A has a setting to, according to the manual, change the CPU FSB independent of the PCI bus (up to 28mhz higher). Yet Sandra is still reporting I've got a 76mhz AGP and 38mhz PCI bus on my 115mhz FSB. In the BIOS I've got it set at 100/33 with a +15 for the CPU. Is Sandra just looking at the CPU FSB and dividing its own numbers? In other words, should I worry about this or not? Everything seems to be working fine, so I'm thinking Sandra's just not taking the features of this motherboard into account fully.

Thanks for any help.. this group's advice is what got my temps down in the first place, so I'm glad to hear any answers.

[hooziewhatsit]

48 at idle? what are you under load? Unfortunately, you might need to spend more than $15 to get a GOOD hsf that will actually help. I wouldn't really trust the in socket thermister at all, but I would believe the via hw monitor over what sandra says. I'm not sure what to tell you about the fsb.

[The Chomper]

Get A FOP38 Or A DELTA Fan

[Bovon]

Be DAMN carefull if and when you remove that orb. That thing has killed more processors than any one thing else. Almost every forum I visit, I see one or two (recent) posts where the Chrome Orb chipped the edge of the cpu...and now its dead as a wedge.

You also probably have one of the aluminum core cpu's, and they do run hotter and do not O/C nearly as good as the copper core jobs. I have a friend that builds custom systems..if you want it clocked, he will run it up to the last ounce, if thats what you want. He says the 700 & 750 ( don't remember if he was referring to the T-birds or Durons, or both) just plain sucked as far as clocking them. The company that he works for, orders processors by the tray...so, he has access to more than just one, when he builds a system.

Most of the clockers are running the cpu at 133 fsb for best results, you will have to unlock it, if you haven't already done so.

[Wega!]

Bovon (Mar 21, 2001 03:23 a.m.):
Be DAMN carefull if and when you remove that orb. That thing has killed more processors than any one thing else. Almost every forum I visit, I see one or two (recent) posts where the Chrome Orb chipped the edge of the cpu...and now its dead as a wedge.



Yeah U are very right there. A friend of mine bought one ( that fool didn't ask me first), he has put it on his CPU, but then he remember that he had forgot to put on thermal compound on. Now he can't get the damn thing off again, any advises?

[oc jason]

dude-those chromeorbs /goldorbs are CRAP, just ask around-you need a different fan/HS-go to 3dcool.com and try there-they have some GOOD stuff-aol instant messenge is truluvRR

[Gendo]

Bovon (Mar 21, 2001 03:23 a.m.):
Be DAMN carefull if and when you remove that orb. That thing has killed more processors than any one thing else. Almost every forum I visit, I see one or two (recent) posts where the Chrome Orb chipped the edge of the cpu...and now its dead as a wedge.


Yeah, it was a real pain to get it on, especially on my KT7A with the capacitors right there (and I'm using the smaller version of the Chrome Orb made for this board). I had to move a couple of them out of the way a bit when I put it on. I'm not looking forward to taking it off again.

Most of the clockers are running the cpu at 133 fsb for best results, you will have to unlock it, if you haven't already done so.

Actually, I don't need to unlock it to change the bus speed on the KT7A - after I posted I experimented a bit more and I got it running fine at 933 on a 133mhz bus at 1.65v. But it was just too hot (once it got up to 50 I rebooted and stepped it back), so now I've settled at 857 on I think a 122mhz bus at 1.625v (still at about 48 - maybe I'll just live with that; these CPU's are only about $40 now so if I break it it's no real big deal). I'm thinking I should try the pencil trick so I can use multiplier settings as well as FSB clocking, but as you mentioned the main problem is I've got that Orb stuck on there now and I'm not sure I want to risk taking it off for what's probably only going to be a few extra mhz.

Oh well - I did manage to overclock my memory a bit, so that partially makes up for my low CPU overclock. At least one of my three sticks won't run at 133 so I'm stuck at 100, but I've got 4-way interleaving and fast timings set on all of them, and my Sandra memory scores are better than the benchmark 1ghz Athlon with no stability issues yet. Not bad for three generic sticks. I wonder what that tradeoff (CPU vs. memory speed) is going to mean in terms of real-world performance.