I'm doin' everything right, but my 1.4 is @ 64C@IDLE!

[Smokin'_1.4]

[Long time lurker, first time poster:)]

I just put together my new system, and the stinkin' thing is reporting temps that just seem too high to me... All the temps are CPU temps - I haven't taken any case temp readings.

Here's what I have (all new stuff):

T-Bird 1.4 (266fsb)

Alpha PAL6035 cooler w/ generic thermal grease from 2CoolTek.com. Tried both a 24 cfm and 40 cfm fan w/ only a 3 degree difference...

Fong Kai 603 case w/ duct that sucks from above CPU and exhausts out the back.

80mm, 43 cfm intake (bottom front) and exhaust (top rear) fans

Biostar KT266 mobo

WD 7200 rpm, 30gb hd

Ambient temps in my apt are about 75 degrees F.


It started out with the CPU running at 67C @ idle, so I replaced the case fans w/ higher flowing ones - that lowered it to 64C. I tried the 40 cfm YS Tech fan, and that only lowered it to 61C, and made me deaf, so I went back to the 24cfm one... I've looked at the footprint on the heatsink, and it looks like it's making solid contact. The case airflow seems to make sense to me, and I feel like I've done everything right! Everything I've read about the 6035 and this Fong Kai case say they're great for cooling, but it's still running HOT.......or is it? I have had NO stability problems whatsoever. Not one freeze up, even compressing/editing video, playing heavy 3d games, etc. Could it be possible that the mobo is calculating the temp wrong?

So - waddya think? It's a stinker, ain't it? I've got some Arctic Silver coming in the mail Friday, so we'll see if that helps, but I'd really appreciate some thoughts in the mean time! Especially anyone w/ this Biostar board and wierd temp readings!


Thanks!
Jason

[RangerJoe34]

i say you get a separete thermometer just incase you have a jacked up mobo read out, that happens alot, and that generic thermal paste isnt helping anything. you should lap the bottom of the HSF to give it a mirror finish that lowered my temps 4 c(from idle and load)

[CrackedSKull]

try touching your heatsink after you shut down(or on if your brave) if you can leave your finger on there for maybe 2-4 seconds, I don't think it could be60c. Also are you 100% sure your mobo has any temp monitoring capablities at all? Take my az11 for example. Has no temp nor volt monitoring, yet all programs say I have a 3.1vcore(which is impossible)

[Thelemac]

The PAL series really isn't that great for the fast Tbirds. That might actually be your main problem. It was designed when the cpus were slower and produced less heat.

[Patchmaster]

I have two PAL6035s on a dual Celeron MB. I recently bought a 235CFM 6" fan I'm going to mount on the side of the case blowing right on heatsinks. After having this fan blowing into the open case for a few days I began to wonder if the 60mm fans mounted on the heatsinks might just be getting in the way. They only move 30-or-so CFM and, given the relative positions of the CPUs, end up fighting each other to some extent. Anyway, I pulled off the heatsink fans and am now using just the 6" fan propped up next to the open case. My temps dropped considerably when I switched to this setup.

I'm not suggesting this for you, but mention it as prelude to the following observation. With my Celerons, which contact about five times as much of the heatsink surface as your T-Bird, the pins in the middle of the heat sink, directly above the CPU, are noticeably warmer than those near the edges of the heatsink. In your case I would imagine the heat would be concentrated even more in the center. Unfortunately, the ability of this type of heat sink to dissipate heat is worsened by the dead spot in air flow due to the placement of the fan motor right above the area that would most benefit from increased air movement. The upshot is that this heatsink design is probably not the best for your situation. Assuming it will fit, I would imagine one of the side-mounted fan designs would do a better job.

[lennytiger]

are you sure the HSF is on the right way round?

The best heatsinks are

Global Win CAK38
Thermalright SK6
Millenium Glaciator


try the sk6 and glaciator first the CAK38 isn't special really.

Make sure you lap the bottom if any heatsink to a mirror finish, and make sure its on securely!

[Warlord2]

make sure you clip on the heatsink in on the right way


I put my friends on backwords and it was in the 60c

[portorock]

you said that there was a blowhole sucking air from the hsf. unless teh fan on the hs is sucking pulling air from the cpu, you are just choking the hsf because the air it would normally use is being taken by the blowhole fan. either have air blowing into the case or turn the hsf around to suck air off the hs. good luck

[Thelemac]

The PALs are designed to suck air off the heatsink. So he probably has that the right way.

[Smokin'_1.4]

Yeah, I have the fan blowing upwards into the duct that leads out the back.

I'm sure the clip is on the right way, too. You know why? Because I put it on backwards when I first got it and the *%&$ thing wouldn't run for more than a few minutes. I figured that out after about 2 days of replacing stuff...


I set the bios to display the temp as soon as it started up today, and about 4 seconds after turning it on, it read 43 C. Ambient temp is about 24 C (75 F). Can these things heat up that fast?

My Arctic Silver is coming tomorrow. We'll see if that makes a difference.


THanks for all your help, guys!

Jason

[DanteE]

my friend put his 6035 on with the clip going the wrong direction (due to the fic ad11 being very cramped to work with, it was just the easiest way to attach the heatsink) - he ended up with extremely high temps, but when he attached it the right way, things were as they should be - nice and cool.

[lennytiger]

Just be careful you don't fry your chip taking that heatsink on and off all the time!!

[Smokin'_1.4]

Well, the AS2 didn't make much of a difference. 1-2 deg at idle, and 2-3 deg at load. The bottom of the heatsink was already nice and flat and shiny, so I didn't lap it.

I'm not going to worry about it. The machine is rock solid, and I can touch the heatsink just after I turn it off with minimal discomfort. I really think this sensor is lying to me! It says 63 at idle, and 67-68 at load. I guess the 40 cfm fan could get me another 2 or 3 degrees, but it's just too darn loud...

Maybe when it starts crashing I'll invest in a PAL8045 with that quiet little 70 cfm fan. :D


Thanks again, guys!

Jason