AMD athlon ii x3 455 temp question

Ok so i got this new processor and I was able to unlock it to a phenom x4 b55. My question is it runs at about 66c under full load while using prime95... Is this a safe temp? I am on stock cooling by the way. And also I get the following error message that pops up in the system tray like every few minutes, but it doesn't happen if i am no stress testing or without the extra core

windows - system error
A machine check error has occurred. Please check the system eventlog for more information

I have no idea what this means and i couldnt find anything on google

Moved this to AMD CPUs for you. That temperature is definitely not safe or normal. You should keep it at or below 55°C loaded. If the CPU is operating at stock clocks, just unlocked, it sounds like your stock cooler isn't mounted well.

No idea on the error. What does the event log say? ..and what version of Windows are you using?

im not sure how to access the event log, im using windows xp pro 64-bit

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/835768

I would then assume that your 4th core may be a defective one.
"A machine check exception occurs when an internal fault is detected in your CPU."
It's kinda hot for that proc.. Have you tested that the 4th core is stable?

By the sounds of it it's defective (Or unstable simply because it's not receiving enough juice.. Sometimes you require some extra voltage to keep an unlocked CPU stable at stock clocks) .. But try running some tests for hours, etc. And I wouldn't say it's an ideal temp, no. Perhaps reseat the heatsink. Have you got it overclocked at all?

I'd suggest getting an aftermarket cooler if you can spare the cash for it!!

What are you reading those temps with and is it referring to actual CPU core temps or CPU socket temps?

Here I will post some pics of the hs to see if its mounted right. By the way it only runs about 10 degrees cooler without the 4th core.
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m607/Travis85904/2011-03-09_12-30-39_922.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m607/Travis85904/2011-03-09_12-30-49_343.jpg

Edit: they are core temps, I was reading them from hwmonitor, socket temp is around 45

Those pics don't really help .

If you're using the stock thermal paste that comes with the HSF, I suggest replacing it and re-seating your heatsink.

10 degrees is a lot of difference.. Have you manually set the voltage in the bios when you unlock the 4th core? If your settings are on auto it's entirely possible your motherboard is increasing voltage to try to stable itself with the 4th core.. I could be wrong though.

Either give us a list of your rig, or put your rig's spec's in your signature via User Control Panel (User cp)

I have already applied my own thermal grease and the voltage flips between 1.1 and 1.4 changing like every 20 seconds

Cpu: amd athlon ii x3 455
Mobo: gigabyte ma78lm-s2h
Ram 2x 2gb patriot ddr2 800
Gpu: evga gts 250 512mb
Case: antec 300
Psu: coolmax v600
Os: xp pro x64

Edit: what is a good voltage for me to put it on if I take it off auto?

I'd start by turning off that other core and seeing if the Vcore and temps settle down.

Yes, the voltage stays at 1.1 and the temps are 55 at full load when I do that

how are you getting core temps whilst being unlocked ?

Yes its around 65 core temp unlocked 55 locked. 45 socket temp though

Edit: and how am I to make sure the heatsink is seated properly? The clips are attached on both sides and it won't move up and down at all so is it good?

i am getting my temps from hw monitor

You haven't answered the questions asked lol. What program are you using to get those temps??

Hwmonitor, sorry I read it wrong lol

Try RealTemp and CoreTemp. See if they give the same results.. HWmonitor is a fussy program.. Some love it, some hate it.

Hmm ok I will have to do it tomorrow though as im on my way out of town for the night. Interesting about hwmonitor though, never heard that before but im not much into overclocking anyways, but I would be really happy to get another core

in some (if not all cases) unlocked phenom lose the ability to report the core temps. the mobo usually has a sensor related to the cpu (behind the board or near the socket).

I'm curious how you got your core temps to display in ANY program. I'm jealous and I want to know your secret

Wow really? I never even knew that I must be lucky. all I did was open hwmontor to
Watch my temps while I was checking for stability like any other normal person would. Is there any chance the readings might be incorrect? I hope the answer is yes lol although I am almost certain it is not

Usually, core temps are a little lower than socket temps with good air cooling.

tldavis98012 said:

Wow really? I never even knew that I must be lucky. all I did was open hwmontor to
Watch my temps while I was checking for stability like any other normal person would. Is there any chance the readings might be incorrect? I hope the answer is yes lol although I am almost certain it is not

Click to expand...

I don't believe in that kind of luck - there's an excellent chance you're looking at an incorrect reading!
I've never heard of any program that can read the core temp on a CPU with unlocked cores. My bet is you're looking at garbage.

Could you go back to three cores, run Prime95, and let us know what both the CPU and core temp readings are at load running 3 cores? After that, unlock the extra core, run Prime95, and let us know what the CPU and core temps are at load with four cores. HWMonitor is usually fine for AMD's. If HWMonitor doesn't work right then other programs seldom work right either, except maybe Easy Tune (for Gigabyte boards) and it probably won't show the core temp.

Mjolnir said:

Try RealTemp [snip] .. HWmonitor is a fussy program.. Some love it, some hate it.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't trust RealTemp on an AMD platform at all. They have ZERO experience with AMD and I, for one, will not be someone's guinea pig - especially when I'm overclocking. I need a program I can trust, one with years of reliable performance with AMDs like HWMonitor has. What few AMD systems HWMonitor doesn't work on require the manufacturer's monitoring program, (i.e., Probe II for ASUS boards), and not even CoreTemp works for those systems. Please keep your Intel bias to yourself when discussing AMD platforms.


BTW, I trust CoreTemp a lot. In fact, I prefer it once I've checked all the other readings on a new system with HWMonitor. That's why I snipped out the parts of your post that referred to it.