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Problem with i7 temps

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Dominatu

Registered
Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Hello all,

I made a thread about my problem on a different forum aswell, but I want to know ur opinions too and I hope someone can help me or give me some suggestions. I have a temp problem with my i7 920 and TRUE Black. Using a Silverstone FM-121 attached to the TRUE and 'Chill Factor' thermal paste. When I installed the CPU for the first time the temps weren't great, but I thought it would be ok for now. About 78 load at 3.8ghz HT on.

But now I can't get my temps right anymore after reinstalling my motherboard. I made a couple screenshots to show u.

stock i7 with stock cooler: http://i44.tinypic.com/r2sto1.jpg, 83c load after 3min.
stock i7 with TRUE cooler: same idle temps, but about 65c load

i7 @ 3.8ghz HT on with TRUE @ idle: http://i44.tinypic.com/kvj8n.jpg
i7 @ 3.8ghz HT on with TRUE @ load: http://i39.tinypic.com/2w20ket.jpg

What I tried:

- Refitting the cooler, different amounts of thermal paste
- Refitted with washer mod
- Push/pull config
- Using stock cooler

The main thing that's bothering me is that I am using very little voltage. If I raise the voltage to 1.325v the temps go over 90c (http://i44.tinypic.com/2m780a1.jpg). The only thing I can try is lapping the TRUE, but I doubt that will help anything, because when I use the stock cooler, the temps are 45-50c idle too.

Thinking about RMA'ing the i7, but is it possible to RMA a CPU when the temps are too high? I have the feeling they will just say; "CPU is working fine!" Is there anything left to try? :(
 
Did you touch TRUE heatpipes/fins when you have 90C? It should burn your finger.
I guess you're prone to lapping, TRUE base is not really a state of the art piece of work. :(
 
Did you touch TRUE heatpipes/fins when you have 90C? It should burn your finger.
I guess you're prone to lapping, TRUE base is not really a state of the art piece of work. :(

Yes I tried touching the heatpipes and fins. I dunno about temps, but they where just a little warm, but definatly not hot.
 
if you have filters on the case fans check them as if they are clogged that could be part of the problem
 
Hmm, then it looks like a poor contact between TRUE base and IHS.
78C load at 3.8ghz HT on is not too bad. Still 22C until TJMax, you're on the safe side, but 90C at 4GHZ looks like entering in danger zone.
We have a test here and for an i7 920 @3.9GHz 1.368V Vcore loaded with LinX that guy has 74C with a TRUE lapped and 72.5C with TRUE lapped and modded mount. Open stand, ambient room 20C and a 3000 RPM fan.
 
I guess I could try and lap the TRUE. I'll be back with some results tonight. :D
 
Ouch! i never has a true but u can tell you should only see those temps@ 1.4v and above my 920 is @ 1.36v blck of 185 turbo mode on reaching 3.9ghz the hottest core fluctuates between 68 70c on blend. Is that typical of all true's? also what is lapping? does that hurt the true? andhow much thermal paste are you using? a few dots should be enough and when u reseat do you clean off the old thermal paste before you add new?
 
What case do you have? How is your TRUE mounted in that case? ( i.e. in my Antec 900 I have the TRUE pointing up and the fans that are on it [push/pull] are blowing the air up and out the top of the case)

At 3.8ghz (19x200) HT on, turbo off and 1.4v to the cpu ( I keep it there for when I wanna bench as I just change the bclk and multi when in bios) I idle at almost 40c (which is almost where the stock cooler was). When I am under load at the same freq it is in the mid to upper 60s and my apt is freezing right now in michigan, it is like 20 degrees fahrenheit outside and my windows suk so it almost the same inside. It makes for a good benching atmosphere but not cool for all the time lol.

Now when I go to my other settings in my sig it climbs to about 77c under load and close to 45c while idle. Same cold ambient apartment temps as the 3.8ghz/

I had my TRUE facing so that the air blew from the front of the case over the TRUE and out the back and my temps were worse than yours at 3.8ghz. I would get about 45-50c when idle.

Yes, the TRUE base is not a perfectly machined surface but I think if you reposition it you might get better contact and lower you temps without having to lap it just yet. Hope my own findings will help you out a little bit. Good luck.

Oh yeah and :welcome: to the forums. Even though you joined last year lol.
 
Ouch! i never has a true but u can tell you should only see those temps@ 1.4v and above my 920 is @ 1.36v blck of 185 turbo mode on reaching 3.9ghz the hottest core fluctuates between 68 70c on blend. Is that typical of all true's? also what is lapping? does that hurt the true? andhow much thermal paste are you using? a few dots should be enough and when u reseat do you clean off the old thermal paste before you add new?

Thanks guys for trying to help me.

I tried a couple of methods with the thermal paste, from 1 dot to a couple dots or a straight line from the north to the south (I hope u understand :p). And ofcourse, the old paste is removed before I put any new on it.

The only thing I haven't tried is turning the TRUE 90 degrees so it's horizontal. Could help, but I think I will lap it anyway.

Oh yeah and to the forums. Even though you joined last year lol.
Thank you :D. I come and check the forums now and then.
 
Thanks guys for trying to help me.

I tried a couple of methods with the thermal paste, from 1 dot to a couple dots or a straight line from the north to the south (I hope u understand :p). And ofcourse, the old paste is removed before I put any new on it.

Here is arctic silver's instructions on how to apply thermal paste to an intel quad core cpu. I do it this way and it seems to be a fraction better (although keep in mind that alot is not good also, it actually hurts thermal performance).

http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appinstruct/as5/ins_as5_intel_quad_wcap.pdf

Here is an addendum to the link from the sites previous page.

NOTE: The Core i7. Please use the quad core instructions at left with one modification: If you orient the CORE i7 chip where the triangle marker is up and to the left it will put the cores on a horizontal plane. With the cores (quad) being on a horizontal plane you will apply a horizontal line of thermal compound as depicted in our quad core instructions.
 
Yeah, thats the exact way I applied it. btw Henzo, did u lap your TRUE?
 
I think I just found the problem and fixed it. What I did:

- Refit the TRUE and turned it 90 degrees + different thermal paste
*still bad temps, but the cooler is actually getting hot now*
- Silverstone FM121 from 1200 to 2200RPM
*temps went down with atleast 10c!*
- Removed the Silverstone and added 2 CM fans with some nice CFM and not too high RPM
*good temps, finally!*

4Ghz HT off with 1.3v vcore... 42c idle and 70c load now. Im going to buy some good CFM fans that do have to be quiet tho for my TRUE. Any suggestions?
 
Yeah, thats the exact way I applied it. btw Henzo, did u lap your TRUE?

No sir, I might do it later on but for now it is good. Summer is on its way and I may do it then.

Grats on the temps, the dual fan push/pull is really the way to go with these coolers and i7s for sure.

Yate Loons are really good from what I have been reading, they are quite with good flow and they are cheap too.
 
I think I just found the problem and fixed it. What I did:

- Refit the TRUE and turned it 90 degrees + different thermal paste
*still bad temps, but the cooler is actually getting hot now*
- Silverstone FM121 from 1200 to 2200RPM
*temps went down with atleast 10c!*
- Removed the Silverstone and added 2 CM fans with some nice CFM and not too high RPM
*good temps, finally!*

4Ghz HT off with 1.3v vcore... 42c idle and 70c load now. Im going to buy some good CFM fans that do have to be quiet tho for my TRUE. Any suggestions?


glad to hear you got it. I would recommend yate loons. their fans are great cfm for low noise.
 
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