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Placing thermal sensors

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gcwebbyuk

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
I have just ordered a Scythe Kaze Server fan controller.

I will have 4 thermal sensors which I intened to place on:
CPU
GPU
Northbridge
Hard Disk

How do I go about fitting the CPU and GPU ones, should I take off the H/S and put the sensor underneath, although I am guessing that would prevent proper heat transfer to the H/S.

How do you guys/gals do it?
 
Yup, you're right, can't put the sensor directly at the cpu or gpu. GPU mostly are exposed die, so its impossible, while CPU today with IHS, you could do something like this HERE and assuming your sensor is that small too, but I doubt you will do something like that on your new shiny cpu, are you ? :D

For CPU, GPU and NB, I think the best you can do is to stick the sensor at their heatsink base as close as possible to the heat source, while for hard disk should be easy.
 
could you make that etch into the heatsink instead and have the same results ?

would rather take a dremel to heatsink than the cpu
 
could you make that etch into the heatsink instead and have the same results ?

would rather take a dremel to heatsink than the cpu

I don't see why not. That is what I'd do so I could use multiple different CPUs with the same mod for no extra work.
 
If you're up for the dremel work then that's really the way to go. Otherwise you have to realize that these sensors aren't too important, you can get better readings within the OS on everything you're concerned about.
 
Put them where they can get some degree of heat when the temp increases. You can adjust the fan controller for any temp to trigger fan speeds. It doesn't have to be the exact temp of the device. CPU air heatsink? On top of the copper block. NB? On the heatsink as close to the heat source. Same with the VRM/Mosfets.
 
There's a good chance you already have sensors at all of those locations.

I know my signature system (which is 5 years old) has sensors on the GPU, CPU, and even hard drive. For the hard drive, make sure you have the SMART feature enabled. SMART is like a monitoring/diagnostics feature.

Even if you did want to place sensors at those locations, there's also a good chance they won't be all that accurate considering placement is the toughest part.
 
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