New System, Temperature Problem, need tips on fan-placing/airflow etc. (amatuer)

[Fokuz]

Hi everyone on Overclockersforum, my first post here and I'm here looking for expertise-help or maybe actually mediocre knowledge of air cooling theory of computer systems, I've tried googling a bit but as I understand it is different on different systems, and it is messy so I try to ask Overclockers.

As the title says, I bought a new motherboard and processor, I know almost nothing about hardware but I have a new system which I paid 300euro for and therefore wants to try to make sure not to damage the components due to laziness / foolhardiness. EasyTune6 (motherboard "monitoring software") indicates a high level of system / CPU temperature. Which is my problem, in combination with virtually total ignorance of airflow.

SYSTEM:

Motherboard (Gigabyte 990FX-UD3)
Processor (AMD FX 8150 8core 3.6 Ghz.
Ram memory (Corsair XMS3 2133MHz 8GB Vengeance CL11)
PSU (Corsair 650W)
GPU (ATI Radeon HD 3870X2)

Case: Apevia X-Cruiser any link attached: http://www.apevia.com/ProductsInfo.asp?KEY=X-CRUISER-BK

Fans I have Right now:

fans supplied with the chassis: 2 x 80mm
Cooler Master Mega Flow 200 (200mm)
+ One not connected 140mm (nexus one)

FAN STORY:

What I have done is I have modified the plexiglass so that 200mm fan is facing, in principle, the entire motherboard with easy focus on the northbridge.
Left Behind is the old hole for some sort of air tunnel that came with the chassis. (Can they cause problems in the air circulation?)

I have mounted 80mm fans in the back and one on top, with no safety net in between and also cut a hole in the chassis where the rear fan is position-ed. 200mm fan blowing air inwards and 80mm fans blowing air out. In addition, an "air channel" on the front of the chassis.

Right now the temperature is; 36 (System) 32-36c (CPU), but when I play, and streams simultaneously pendle up to 40 and up to 55 degrees at the highest. I have a temperature gauge, I pressed the "CPU-clump", so I guess they are in for when I feel the black "blobs (chip?)" Below (south) on the processor becomes very warm, the ones to the left is relatively cool. (when computer is somewhat idle in windows temp is around 25)

PSU has a fairly bulky cable-out so I tried to squeeze in as much as I can below the DVD player that is located at the top at the front, but stills blocks a small proportion of the fan on top of the chassi.

MAIN QUESTION:

Can I install the fans in any other way to optimize my cooling based on the components I have access to at the moment?
I can take photos of what it looks like if can be helpful.

For-I also wonder if they are playing a major role in case I connect the fans to PSU'n by molex or in case they are equally-good to put them directly into the motherboard (which means that I can read the RPM speed suppose I '.) If I overclock the graphics card, do I expose the other components of a risk to harm or I can feel safe about it? (GFX card, I do not care so much about). And tips for good software to see how much I can clock up the graphics card in without exposing it to intense-danger, is it perfectly fine to do so (overclock) with EasyTune? And finally, from the front panel, I have an O-connected white 4pin molex which is a 2pin (2cables) that says (Output "X(number)volt/ampere dunno Fan control something") what is this?

Thanks in advance if anyone can give me some advice on this stuff, I might stay along here and learn more.

 

[\dev\goat]

Can you apply a real load using a stress test like Prime95:
ftp://mersenne.org/gimps/p95v277.win64.zip

and then measure the temperature with a better program like Coretemp:
http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/php/download.php?id=3

and post back your results ?

 

[bassnut]

You are not the only one that has come looking for help with cooling the FX 8120 / 8150 CPU. Go check the AMD CPU section and you will see 3 or 4 other threads all trying to acomplish the same thing.

 

[Fokuz]

Ok I downloaded the programs, never done this thing before but I clicked benchmark, in the other program, and this are the two different temperatures that the program where telling me.




The max temperature it went up to was 55 but then I closed all applications and it stabilized at 49. Can I use this program to measure the temperature while running Diablo and streaming, and then what temperature should I aim to stay below? (I have no winning in overclocking my CPU now because my graphic card is that bad, though I would like to OC the GFX card, in what best possible way I can do that.

But Gigabytes program says, a totaly different number, should I remove that program, as it seems it gives me false data if this thing is correct.

CoreTempDump if that is good for anything, it's somewhat "greekish" for me:
http://textuploader.com/?p=6&id=NCjvh

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[Fokuz]

Now it's even telling me 13c stable, this Core Temp Program.

 

[bulldog1963]

Looks like you have messed up air flow. Big hole in the side. big hole in the back. and more exhaust (i bet) than intake (that CM is only 110 cfm and i would bet the 2 80s are at or above that). Plus, i have to repeat : The Holes. Stick 80's in the front as the machine is designed...at least 1. I would plug up the holes. those, to me , are akin to leaving off a panel. it doesn't allow air to flow in an orderly fashion. I shoot for positive pressure (more in than out). But you have it right for positioning. Intake in the front and side, and exhaust in the rear and top.

And to me those temps you have at load are more than what i get OC'd but your idle is looking okay. But you have to realize, your idle is coming in at an underclock of more the 50% off. At the very least look at an aftermarket cooler for your CPU. You have a 125 watt power hog for a CPU so it can get pretty hot. find out how much room you have for one and do some research. Tons of info/testing on air cooling out there.

I've learned a ton from the guys here...even if some of them have the first response of building a custom loop for 1-2 grand. Or, my fave, "How do I get my GTX 480's in SLI under control?" "Get a 580 instead." Haha...if we we all had trust funds...

 

[Fokuz]

Looks like you have messed up air flow. Big hole in the side. big hole in the back. and more exhaust (i bet) than intake (that CM is only 110 cfm and i would bet the 2 80s are at or above that). Plus, i have to repeat : The Holes. Stick 80's in the front as the machine is designed...at least 1. I would plug up the holes. those, to me , are akin to leaving off a panel. it doesn't allow air to flow in an orderly fashion. I shoot for positive pressure (more in than out). But you have it right for positioning. Intake in the front and side, and exhaust in the rear and top.

And to me those temps you have at load are more than what i get OC'd but your idle is looking okay. But you have to realize, your idle is coming in at an underclock of more the 50% off. At the very least look at an aftermarket cooler for your CPU. You have a 125 watt power hog for a CPU so it can get pretty hot. find out how much room you have for one and do some research. Tons of info/testing on air cooling out there.

I've learned a ton from the guys here...even if some of them have the first response of building a custom loop for 1-2 grand. Or, my fave, "How do I get my GTX 480's in SLI under control?" "Get a 580 instead." Haha...if we we all had trust funds...

Thank you, the holes, when you mean cover up. Do you mean like put filter at the holes where I connected the fans so dust can't enter? Or do you mean where the hole that is just blank open without fan?

Should I take the 140mm fan and put as inblow at the front or should I take the 80mm there and put the 140mm as exhaust (blow out?) at the back?

 

[bulldog1963]

Well, If you were to stick with the fans you have, I would cram the 140 in the front, leave the 80s in the top and back. take duct tape and cover the holes completely. There are plenty of "escape" areas already in the case for relief of positive pressure. but when you have gaping holes on the system, it messes with the airflow. the pc case should pretty much be a closed environment when you are air cooling.

Those holes affect that airflow and could reduce airflow over the parts in the system that need the cool air intake. Like when I am making changes to parts in my system and dont button up everything properly, my temperatures rise noticeably. When I am done messing around and batten down the hatches, it returns to homeostasis.

Some guys, though play with no cases at all. I can't think of any that aren't completely water cooled or set up as a testing rig. Also, you temps do rely, heavily on the ambient air temp. if you are keeping your computer area at 80 F, your system will start off half-baked. I keep my place between 70-72 (costs a ton) but helps the cooling tremendously because the air intake is colder.

 

[Fokuz]

After reading your previous post I kind of immeaditly shut down the computer, and started to think of a solution, I did what logic told me and when I logged on and read your last post, It recommended me to do exactly what I've done. Felt good to not be so completely off the edge or whatever you say. The problem now is that it's kind of sketchy, I'd put it on the somewhat diagonal to fit the holes, got now drill and it's 5am here. I'll do a better work tomorrow, because now cables and hard-drive is blocking a part of the the airflow from it, and the metal thing that holds "whatever device, HDD etc". I can take some pictures on the entire thing tomorrow and hope for some recomendations, we have some stores open so buying more fans if needed is no problem.

 

[bulldog1963]

Well the front intake fan can be cockeyed. the bla des are round after all LOL. I had to do it with a 200mm on my HAF XM case because Cooler Master doesn't, apparently, set their mounting holes quite in line with NZXT (my 200 maker). As for the HDD blocking...that's a good thing. The HDD needs coolin, too, But it shouldn't generate the heat levels that would raise the temps of your case air flowing in. all the front fans are set this way as far as I've seen. You can also move your HDD to a drive bay that is pout of the way if you want to do so.

As for cable control. well, in some cases you just gotta do your best to keep them from blocking the air. re-route them, zip-tie them, tuck them inot corners/sides, but try to minimize air flow blockage.

Ahh. just looked at the case. nothing you can do with cabling except tie them up as far out of the way as possible. however, you can move the HDD to the very top bay, it loods like, and it will reduce air inflow obstruction OR grab a 5.25" mount for your 3.5" HDD and put it in one of the 5.25" bays. You have 4. I use 3: 2 for the res, 1 for dvd drive. You have 4 so you could easily throw your hdd up there out of the way. It might hel with cable control, too, by having all the stuff you have in the upper drive bays.

just a few thoughts...

 

[Mandrake4565]

Fokuz, This isn't exactly an apples to apples comparison but I thought I'd put this out there for ya. I had an X Cruiser case before my current one and had my Oced 955 in it on air. I was having heat issues also. I finally gave in an bought a the case in my signature. My temps dropped 4 deg on my cores and 7 one my cpu socket.

Like I said it's not an apples to apples comparison, the FX 8150 put's out way more heat then my 955 and I didn't modify the case with a 200 mm fan. But you may want to consider buying a better case.

 

[Knufire]

In general, for air cooling:

• Front, bottom, and side should be intake.
• Top and back should be exhaust.
• No big holes without fans.

The "pressure" (whether there's more intake or exhaust) shouldn't matter, having a flow of air is more important than anything else.

 

[bulldog1963]

Hah! when I went to my HAF XM i dropped 11 degrees. I was coming off an MSI case (decent case just not what I needed, especially with the radiator (gtx 480) in the case).