Phenom II 965 Running Hot

[Tranq76]

I recently purchased a Phenom II 965 for my computer, just to last me until I can afford a decent new system in around 6 months time (upgraded from Phenom 9550).

I had no intention of over-clocking just yet, so I put it straight in, and used my existing heat sink and fan, which is an AC Freezer 64 Pro.

Everything seemed to be fine. CPU temps when starting up and letting the machine idle were 29°, browsing, listening to music or watching a video around 33°. However, whenever I play games, the temperature shoots way up, even on old games. Trackmania went up to 65°, STALKER Clear Skies 69°.

Upon quitting out of the games, the temperature seems to drop back to the mid 30s very quickly and stays there.

Windows 7
Asus M3N HD HDMI
AMD Phenom II 965 x4
Nvidia 250 GTS
4GB Corsair DDR2
Cool N Quiet enabled

Obviously, it's a pretty weak machine, but the same games didn't produce this much heat on my old Phenom 9550.

Any ideas? I'm pretty sure I installed everything ok. In fact, I removed the AC fan and replaced with the stock, with pre-applied thermal paste, and that ran hot too.

 

[caddi daddi]

could you post a screensot of cpuid, hardware monitor please.
If you do not have it please download it from the cpuid web site.

 

[Mandrake4565]

What case do you have? In addition to Caddi's post.

 

[trents]

Yeah, we need to see both CPU temps and core temps. HWMonitor gives both. Have it open on the desktop and then start a 20 minute Prime95 blend stress test. At the end of that time, post back with an attached pic of HWMonitor. Use the Go Advanced button at the bottom of any new post window and the little paperclip icon to attach pics. Crop and save the image first, however, with Snipping Tool in Windows Accessories.

 

[Tranq76]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Not sure what the case is. Had it for 7 years, housed a few different systems. It could be better, but even running with side panels off, the temps are high. I certainly wouldn't expect a new processor running at stock values with an upgraded fan to run this hot.

CPUID after Prime95 running for 20 minutes.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Holy hot, that cpu cooler isn't great though it shouldn't have a problem at stock clocks. Your V Core seems way high for stock clocks. Could you post a Cpuid- cpu-z pic. I wouldn't continue to run it at those temps, are you sure it's not overclocked?

 

[Tranq76]

Nope, not overclocked. Taken out of box, installed, left alone.

And yeah, way too hot for me to be comfortable with! In fact, that was more like an 18 minute test, rather than 20. Just wasn't prepared to risk it any more.

CPU-Z pic.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Your mobo is raising the V core, on my board it's called CPU LLC on your it may be called cpu spread spectrum. I'm not familiar with it on older boards but you're going to have to figure out how to get it to not raise the CPU V core as much as it is.

 

[caddi daddi]

ok, let me ask the stupid question.
did you remove the plactic film from the base of the cooler?

 

[caddi daddi]

and lets drop the vcore to 1.35 right now.

 

[caddi daddi]

trents,
we have seen this once or twice before and it was cooler mounting issues, you might tell him how to properly mount it.

 

[EarthDog]

Your mobo is raising the V core, on my board it's called CPU LLC on your it may be called cpu spread spectrum. I'm not familiar with it on older boards but you're going to have to figure out how to get it to not raise the CPU V core as much as it is.

I dont think SSprectrum has to do with voltage. I thought its a frequency variation or something along those lines...

 

[caddi daddi]

right earthdog.
I think his load line cal is only on or off and it needs to be off for right now and turbo core turned off.

 

[trents]

Obviously, with the great swing between CPU idle voltage and speed compared with voltage and speed under load we can conclude that Tranq76 has Cool N Quiet still enabled. I think Mandrake may be correct in assuming there is a hefty amount of LLC going on but we can't be sure until the OP turns off Cool N Quiet so T. . . 76 please do that now as well as disabling C1E. Then rerun the 20 minute Prime95 stress test with HWMonitor open as before. Then post back with a new pic of HWMonitor so we can see what the default CPU vcore is at idle, not masked by Cool N Quiet. I think he also needs to remount and repaste the cooler as Caddi said. Probably more than one thing going on here.

 

[Tranq76]

Cool N Quiet and C1E turned off.

Gets hotter a lot quicker. Only 8 minutes Prime95, not prepared to push it any further at those temps.

 

[caddi daddi]

lets try a remount of the cooler please.
watching very closly that we get good contact.

 

[Khan]

And definitely try to drop the CPU voltage down to 1.35, 1.42 seems way to high for a stock 965.

 

[trents]

Tranq76, I recommend removing the heatsink and cleaning both the CPU face and the heatsink bottom with some paper coffee filters (they don't leave insulating fibers like kleenex, paper towels and soft cloth). Finish up the cleaning with a coffee filter moistened with a little rubbing alcohol. Reapply a quality thermal paste like Arctic Silver 5 or Arctic Cooling MX2 or MX4. Place a small blob (no bigger than a green pea) in the center of the CPU face. Don't try to spread it. Just clamp the cooler down and let the clamping pressure spread the paste. Trying to spread it beforehand can introduce insulating air bubbles. Then retest with Prime95 and post a HWMonitor pic again to see if it helped.

Also, make sure your cooler fan is spinning at 100% capacity. HWMonitor indicates it is only turning at about 2200 rpm and that's pretty slow for a stock AMD cooler fan. Make sure Quiet Fan is not enabled in bios (usually in a section called PC Health) so that the fan is spinning at full speed.

 

[Bobnova]

Some 965s have a VID as high as 1.4, give the temp that thing is running I don't think that's one of 'em.

I recommend lowering the vcore.

 

[Mandrake4565]

I dont think SSprectrum has to do with voltage. I thought its a frequency variation or something along those lines...

I wasn't sure thanks for clarifying for me.