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Socket Temperature holding me back from overclocking

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ab98

Registered
Joined
May 26, 2014
My PC has been upgraded multiple times, and here are the specs as of now:

CPU: AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 GHZ (1.35 V)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60
Motherboard: ASUS M5A99X EVO R2.0
GPUs: 2 x MSI Radeon R9 270X Gaming 2G (both at 1150 MHz/1440 MHz)
RAM: 1 x 8GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3 1600 MHz overclocked to 1680 MHz
PSU: Corsair CX750
HDD: 1 TB Western Digital 7200RPM WD10EZEX
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912

I got this motherboard as an upgrade going into ATX from mATX (no good AM3+ boards there) and decided to try overclocking. The temps in the beginning were fine, so I tried bumping it up. I got it to about 4.5 GHz for a couple days until I started getting warnings about socket temp. It started getting over 70 C. I brought it down to 4.2 GHz and stabilized. I ran Prime95 for a bit, and got to 72 C on the socket, but only about 45 C on the core. I decided to keep it at this, because all I am doing is BF4, which won't stress it like Prime95. Every time while gaming, my CPU socket gets to about 65-66 C and the core stays at about 40 C. I am trying to overclock because the BF4 maps like Siege of Shanghai and every other map, except for China Rising maps and Operation locker brings my CPU usage up to 75-80, and I get stuck at like 50% usage on the GPU (until yesterday when I got a second GPU) and now they both run at about 30% usage in BF3 and BF4 (not as bad in BF3, still bad) and I get about the same framerate, but a bit higher in CR. I want to overclock to alleviate this strange activity, which seems like a bottleneck, but not giving me 100% usage on my CPU, but rather just limits my GPU. It is odd. I cannot do this because my socket gets up to the limit at 70 C. I ran Prime95 today and it got to 79 C before throttling. My case has good airflow, 3 fans blowing, 2 intake and 1 exhaust (1 more exhaust, but that is the radiator fan). Any suggestions on increasing FPS and GPU usage/socket temperatures?
 
Short answer. A water block has removed the air that overflowed from an air cooled cpu, from the cooling situation and the socket/VRM temps since they are very much "wedded" have shot up.

Because of what is outlined above, the majority of us who water-cool have gone to 2x50mm fans attached over the VRMs. Or in my case a 92mm fan blowing directly on the VRM area when my water block is on top of the cpu. And more than a few are now even mounting fans blowing onto or pulling the hot air from the rear of the mobo in the socket area. Any of those 3 options or combo of them as many have done will work and can lower the socket temps as much as 10c depending on air flow overall in the case itself.
RGone...
 
I hope you aren't expecting much of an overclock with that H60 cooler. That just isn't enough cooling capacity for that CPU.
 
At 4.5Ghz...

I hope you aren't expecting much of an overclock with that H60 cooler. That just isn't enough cooling capacity for that CPU.

He was showing >>got to 72 C on the socket, but only about 45 C on the core << I think he is only trying to get to 4.5Ghz and with socket temps brought under control...well he might just do that with that low core Temp. But he surely has to rein in the socket temp for sure.
RGone...
 
Here's a couple of examples of what RGone was sying with respects to the fans.

Capturefan.PNG

vrm fans.jpg
 
Would cooling the VRMs actually help with temperatures on the socket?
 
Here are some results of some Prime95 testing:

After 5 minutes: 2lm1ndc.jpg
After 10 minutes: 25qf5ew.jpg
After 15 minutes: 25iorkh.jpg
After 20 minutes: 27ydgkm.jpg
Some throttling experienced: optw84.jpg
Putting this into perspective, here are my idle temps: k97z9h.jpg

My core temps are fine, but my socket temps are way too high.

Of course I know about thermal margin, it isn't the actual temperature, it is how far away from the maximum (62 C) it is.
 
That's why we use HWMonitor free version it shows core temp and CPU/socket temp. As for cooling the VRM that fan on the back of the mobo does a great job. See those chips to the right in that picture. They'll go well over 100c when pushing the CPU so it creates a lot of heat that is transfered to the socket. When I had my 8350 on an M5A 99FX board I was getting a temp difference of 20c+ between socket and core. After installing that fan in the pic which is only a 50 mm chipset fan it dropped the socket temp by 10c
 
That's why we use HWMonitor free version it shows core temp and CPU/socket temp. As for cooling the VRM that fan on the back of the mobo does a great job. See those chips to the right in that picture. They'll go well over 100c when pushing the CPU so it creates a lot of heat that is transfered to the socket. When I had my 8350 on an M5A 99FX board I was getting a temp difference of 20c+ between socket and core. After installing that fan in the pic which is only a 50 mm chipset fan it dropped the socket temp by 10c

Do you know if my case or motherboard have to be modded in order to do it?
 
Well your case has the hole cutout in the motherboard tray already so that's a plus., you don't need to cut any holes in the side door and there should be ample room back there to fit a small fan. The one I used is 50mm x 15mm @ 5000 RPM. I had it hooked to one of the fan ports on the motherboard so it would only spin up when things got hot. I used double sided tape and stuck it to the bracket for my cooler
 
Well your case has the hole cutout in the motherboard tray already so that's a plus., you don't need to cut any holes in the side door and there should be ample room back there to fit a small fan. The one I used is 50mm x 15mm @ 5000 RPM. I had it hooked to one of the fan ports on the motherboard so it would only spin up when things got hot. I used double sided tape and stuck it to the bracket for my cooler

What is the best 50mm fan for this?
 
If you have the original heatsink from the CPU you can use the fan off of it.
 
If you have the original heatsink from the CPU you can use the fan off of it.

Would that give me the best cooling? Also, I noticed that my cores are being parked. I tried many programs, but nothing. Yesterday, I went into the registry and changed ValueMax to 0. Restarted. It worked for a bit, but now it is back to parking them again. This may be what is giving me bad performance in BF4. Any ways to fix this?
 
Would that give me the best cooling?

BEST is a relative term actually. "johan" mentioned it since the OEM cpu cooler fan was likely sitting around garthering dust. BEST? Surely works, but BEST? I am sure that a fan with more CFM would be 'better', but work fine for most sistuations without buying another fan? Yes that might be the 'best' solution.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2646060/en-us
An update that selectively disables the Core Parking feature in Windows 7 or in Windows

Server 2008 R2 is available
 
BEST is a relative term actually. "johan" mentioned it since the OEM cpu cooler fan was likely sitting around garthering dust. BEST? Surely works, but BEST? I am sure that a fan with more CFM would be 'better', but work fine for most sistuations without buying another fan? Yes that might be the 'best' solution.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2646060/en-us
An update that selectively disables the Core Parking feature in Windows 7 or in Windows

Server 2008 R2 is available

I run Windows 8.1, not 7 or 2008.
 

Alright - news - I have put the CPU heatsink fan on the socket. I got to 60 C on the socket and 50 C on the core after about 15 minutes, but got to 72 C after 45 on the socket and 56 C on the core. Any help? Much better than before and is much harder to get it to 70 C, but it still gets there at 10K iterations with Prime95. Also got the core parking issue resolved. It is for some reason reversed for me in the registry...

ALSO - I am going to play a few games on BF4 and see how it does. Since BF4 is not that CPU instensive, do you think I may reach 4.5 GHz?
 
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