PII X4 955 BE temperatures

[Allophyl]

I've read pretty much everywhere that the max safe temperature for a 955 is 62C, but I can't seem to get anywhere near that low at max load.

At the moment, I have only a very tiny overclock - 3.4GHz, 1.360V. I can't seem to get any higher than this stable no matter what I try. It won't even boot if I go above 3.6GHz.

With an ambient case temperature of 33C, it idles at 42C and at full load gets up to 68-69 cpu temp and 69-70C core temps. Even at stock settings, it runs at similar temps.

This build is 3 years old and has been running almost 24/7 since it was built (though in the last few months I've been trying to get into the habit of putting it to sleep when I'm not using it). The CPU is C2 stepping, not C3. The case is in an Antec 300 with 140mm top exhaust fan, 120mm rear exhaust fan, 120mm side intake fan and 120mm front intake fan, all set to their highest settings. All fans are working properly. The HSF is an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro and its fan is also working fine.

I've tried reseating the HSF, to no effect. I also routinely clean out dust from the computer and the front fan filter, and did so before taking these readings.

I do intend to replace the case with a HAF 932 when I have the money, but even in this case, it should still be possible to get temperatures below 62C, shouldn't it?

What else can I do to get a more reasonable temperature? And why can't I seem to get it to run stable at anything over 3.4GHz? Even with C2 stepping, it should be able to get to around 3.8GHz, shouldn't it?

 

[Lordred]

Stock heatsink? Do not overclock at all on it.

 

[Allophyl]

Stock heatsink? Do not overclock at all on it.

The HSF is an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro and its fan is also working fine.

 

[Lordred]

The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro might as well be the stock AMD 4 heatpipe heatsink. From the reviews I just turned up on it, and that it is rated for a wimpy 150w

It is good for keeping the CPU cool at stock. BTW is there a chance at all you have one of the rare 145w 955's?

 

[Allophyl]

That's annoying. I learned not long after getting the Freezer 7 that it was crappier than I thought and not the best choice, but I didn't realize it was that bad. I had bought it specifically because I wanted to overclock. I've been running 3.4GHz pretty much since I built the system 3 years ago, but I guess it'd be safer to take it back down to stock. Is it *really* that bad for it to be running in the high 60s at full load? It's not like it actually has to be under that kind of stress the majority of the time.

Would a Noctua NH-D14 be a good replacement? Would I likely be able to actually achieve 3.8GHz with one, or am I just not likely to ever be able to go above 3.4GHz no how good my cooling is?

And no, it's a 125W one.

 

[trents]

Freezer 7 has a poor mounting mechanism that doesn't put good pressure between the heatsink base and the CPU. As I understand it, that' it's main problem.

 

[Knufire]

NH-D14 is a good choice, but I'd check the max cooler height for an Antec 300 first.

Note that two intake and two exhausts should be sufficient case airflow, upgrading to a HAF932 isn't necessary other than space concerns.

 

[Lordred]

A coolermaster Hyper 212 would be perfect for you, as well as perform much better.

(not to mention they are super affordable)

 

[Knufire]

And in between a Hyper212 and the NH-D14 would be the TRUE Spirit 140. Not 100% sure an AMD mounting kit comes with it though.

 

[Allophyl]

Well, space is a concern. I find the 300 very cramped, and while the NH-D14 would fit (barely), it'll make it even more cramped. I'd probably get the case and HSF at the same time. I'm thinking it was short-sighted of me to cheap out on them the first time around, and it'd be worth it to invest a couple of hundred bucks on a really nice case and HSF that I can keep forever.

I looked at the Hyper 212 too, but honestly, I'd rather just put down the money for a great HSF now and not have to worry about replacing it again rather than waste money on another mediocre one that I'll probably end up replacing in my next build anyway.

 

[Lordred]

H80 if space is a concern.

 

[Allophyl]

H80 if space is a concern.

That has a 120mm radiator/fan, so it'd work in the Antec 300, but will it also work with the HAF 932's 140mm rear fan slot? And would it cool much better than the NH-D14?

 

[Knufire]

H80 should beat out a NH-D14 by a little bit.

 

[Allophyl]

The HAF 932 is a lot more spacious, has better air flow, larger fans means quieter fans, which is big plus, and the prospect of doing another build in this cramped case doesn't really appeal to me very much. If you really think the Antec 300 can keep things just as cool as the HAF 932, I might hold off on upgrading my case for now, but I think I'm still going to want to eventually because of the space issues.

 

[Lordred]

the correct application or airflow / case layout is required to acheive good temps.

Example.

having no wires in the way, the orginial CM-690 was never designed to hide the wires. I had modify it, alot.

 

[Knufire]

And that was my main gripe with the 300, zero cable management options.

In air cooling potential, the HAF series is unmatched. I feel like there are better quality cases (mid-towers) for the same price though. The NZXT Phantom was great, but I wasn't a fan of the amount of plastic used (the frame is metal and extremely sturdy). Lian Li cases are just incredible though.

 

[Allophyl]

Yeah. No cable management is annoying too. I've managed to keep the areas around the CPU and video card more or less clear of cables, but the very bottom of the case is a mess.

 

[Lordred]

Its a matter of choice, MAKE cable management, or pay for a new case.

 

[Allophyl]

I'd still like to know how dangerous it is to have these temps at full load, and what kind of overclocking I might be able to do once I get a better HSF.

 

[Lordred]

not really dangerous. Not yet.

With a good cooler, under 1.5V you should beable to go as fast as your CPU will be stable.