• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

I have some questions about temps/ hardware monitors.

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

cvriv.charles

New Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Hi:) My name is Charles and I just got done building a watercooled machine. It's my first time watercooling. I am curious about my temps. First, my rig:

PC Components:
MB: EVGA 132-YW-E180-A1 nForce 790i,
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300,
RAM: GSKILL DDR3 1333 4GB,
VC: 2 x EVGA 9800GTX,
SC: SB X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro,
PSU: Corsair 750TX,
HDD: Samsung 500GB,
C:CM Cosmos,
KB: X6,
M: X5

Watercooling Components:
RAD: BIX III Extreme
PUMP: Laing D5
CPU WB: Swiftech Apogee GTZ
NB & SB WB: BitsPower N790NS
VC WB: Swiftech Obisidian
RES: BitsPower 5.25 Bay
FANS: 8 x 120mm Yate Loon 88.9cfm
LOOP ID: 1/2"

Now. My temps. I'm running both SpeedFan and CPUID and both are reporting the same temps. Good.

First,... the videocards are reporting 29c - 30c each at idle. Thats fine.

Next, the cpu. Well,... here's what I dont understand. Both monitors have a cpu temp and core temps. The CPU temp says 34c at idle and the core temps 0 - 3 are reporting, 44c 41c 44 52c. Whats what? I mean it seems pretty obvious where cpu means the cpu temp and the core temps are teh temps for each core. But how is cpu 29c - 30c and the cores are 41c - 52c? And 41c - 52c,... isnt that a bit hot for for idle temps? Seeing that the cpu is watercooled.

Also,... theres a system temp too thats reporting 85c at idle!!! 85c? Thats hot. What is it though? My NB? SB? Both? It cant be. I am thinking that maybe it's my mainboard mosfets? When I was torture testing the rig using Prime95 the system temp went to 88c. I stuck my hand inside the case and felt the mosfet heatsink and it was hot. The only thing that could be 88c in that case.

When I did my torture test, all the temps except for the gpu's and maybe the hdd risen a few degrees but that was about it. I ran the torture for about an hour. At that point my rig froze. Had to do a hard reboot.

Anyone know if these temps sound right? I'm worried about the cpu and system temp, whatever it is. Some opinions would be appreciated.

I am going to tear down my machine and reinstall the blocks just to be safe. To see if any of the temps change.

Thanks.
 
CPU temp is TCase temperature calibrated in BIOS by every MB manufacturer and usually is useless.
Core temperatures are direct readings from CPU on-die sensors and their purpose is to trigger throttle and thermal shutdown. Unfortunately idle temperatures for 45nm CPU's are way off (usually) and they become more accurate in full-load.
So, take RealTemp and load your CPU with prime95 Small FTTs. Look at your load temperatures.

And about that 85C on MB it looks real if your rig froze in prime95 at stock speeds/voltages.
 
CPU temp is TCase temperature calibrated in BIOS by every MB manufacturer and usually is useless.
Core temperatures are direct readings from CPU on-die sensors and their purpose is to trigger throttle and thermal shutdown. Unfortunately idle temperatures for 45nm CPU's are way off (usually) and they become more accurate in full-load.
So, take RealTemp and load your CPU with prime95 Small FTTs. Look at your load temperatures.

And about that 85C on MB it looks real if your rig froze in prime95 at stock speeds/voltages.

My cores stayed around 50c under a full load with prime95. So I'm not really worried about them to much. Now the "system" temp, I need to know what this is so I can resolve it. What do you think it is? Can it be the mosfets? When I installed the NB/ SB block I had to take the stocker cooler off which also cooled the mosfets. I had nothing at that point to cool them off. I ordered a heatsink fan for it but it was the wrong one. So I just cut off the stoch heatsink and installed that. I cut it at the heat pipe. I figured that would be enough. So do you think that the system temp is that? How do I know what the NB/ SB temp is?
 
:welcome: to the forums.

I know that the previous Nvidia chipset boards ran really hot. Its possible the 790 is the same way.
If you are WCing the NB/SB, its not likely thats where the temp is coming from.

It is possible its the power area of the board as mosfets can get very hot. The fact that you interrupted their cooling is not a good thing.

If you touch the HS you put on the mosfets is it hot?

Also, what is your case airflow like? You still need a good amount of air going through the case even with WCing.
 
:welcome: to the forums.

I know that the previous Nvidia chipset boards ran really hot. Its possible the 790 is the same way.
If you are WCing the NB/SB, its not likely thats where the temp is coming from.

It is possible its the power area of the board as mosfets can get very hot. The fact that you interrupted their cooling is not a good thing.

If you touch the HS you put on the mosfets is it hot?

Also, what is your case airflow like? You still need a good amount of air going through the case even with WCing.

Yes the heatsink covering the mosfets was hot. Probably the hottest thing in the case that I could feel with my hands. The altered heatsink that i have on the mosfets is really no different from it's original state. Even the after market heatsink that i bought for them that didnt fit was really no different. but still 85c is a bit hot for my taste. i think i will go ahead and get the bitspower mosfet block for them.

Now whats i want to know is which temp using these programs is for the nb/ sb?!?!
 
Yes the heatsink covering the mosfets was hot. Probably the hottest thing in the case that I could feel with my hands. The altered heatsink that i have on the mosfets is really no different from it's original state. Even the after market heatsink that i bought for them that didnt fit was really no different. but still 85c is a bit hot for my taste. i think i will go ahead and get the bitspower mosfet block for them.

Now whats i want to know is which temp using these programs is for the nb/ sb?!?!

Well, if you are WCing the NB/SB its safe to assume they are both under 50c but you have an aweful lot in that loop.

Your Core temps seem high to me though. They should be lower when being WCed.. To give you an idea, right now my cores are 31,30,31,28 while writing this. Under load they get to mid-high 50's.

And thats with no WCing, just a 92MM Xigmatek. So your core temps seem high for the cooling you are using.
 
Core temps in reality will always be higher than cpu temp, which is a measure taken from the socket, I believe, and outside the die. In previous generation mobos before pins covered the entire bottom of the cpu you could see the temp probe in the center of the socket. It's like on big diesel engines you have a temp reading for the water jacket and another for t he core of the engine, the one you have to watch under load. The problem with all this is that the readings on these mobos and cpu cores are notoriously unreliable. I'm not sure how much good they do anyone. I think the only thing you can go on is whether or not your system hangs or crashes as you overclock. That's why it's important to do it in small increments so you minimize the risk of frying something.
 
Back