IC7-MAX3 OTES is worsening temps with Zalman 7000 HSF

It's been getting upto 30C ambient in my attic where my main PC is situated. PWM temps started to range around 50-51C (even while I recently reverted back to a Northwood CPU) The OTES shroud feels extemely hot from above, just like all the heat is kinda trapped under there!? So I started looking into this and it's the combination with my Zalman 7000Cu that's prolly worsening things. The OTES shroud is open from beneith, and the Zalman is towering over it spirally blowing a lot of it's hot air into the OTES shroud. The small OTES fan simply isn't capable of exhausting all of this. There was only one way to find out; so I removed the OTES fan and sinked up the 4 large MOSFETS that were now exposed. Result; PWM temps dropped to 41-42C and the Zalman is now directly cooling the MOSFET heatsinks in the process.

I noticed that when mounting the stock Intel HSF the expelled air is not directed into the OTES shroud so it might actually work in that case.

When using watercooling there isn't any air directed over the PWM section anymore so you might actually need the OTES shroud in that case.

Here's a pic of how things are now...

You did a great job placing those sinks achieveing a drop of 10 degrees! How are they mounted? With thermal glue?
But you loose warranty, don't you? Can the sinks be removed without leaving remains?

yes he would of invalidated warrenty unless he can out everythign back tonormal with out any traces of himc hanging the board from its designed spec. Although it does look good

Phil

The original heatsinks aren't even bonded or thermal-taped to the MOSFET's at all! They click into the OTES shroud and are pressed against the MOSFET with a tiny spring, there is no Thermal Interface Material whatsoever!? When you take the shroud off you take the heatsinks off with it. I think people running Prescott CPU's might better bond those heatsinks with some thermal compound! The replacement heatsinks I used are Coolermaster units with thermal tape so I can always restore things in it's original state. I'm getting parts for a watercooling setup so I might even need to put the shroud back on by that time.