Warm weather problems

[SteveI]

I have a dreaded problem. Today, the warmest day of the year so far (75 degrees), locked up both PCs.

CEL2 566@850 1.85v & 1.95v, on GORBs

Last year when I built these, I had no heat problems.

Problems:
1. Lousy cheap cases, (vert PS, yeah I know now).
2. No CPU temp gauge (themistor) on my VT6x4's.

Last year the PCs were fine when it was warmer in my PC room.

Now, I need your help, please keep the colorful descriptions to a minimum. I am going by system temp, not cpu, and it gets up to 41C, that is when they are at risk of locking up. Also, what is System Temp? the chipset?

I plan on doing the following:
1. get thermistors to read CPUs.
2. lap GORBs (need instruction on how to properly)
3. get arctic silver thermal grease.
4. replace greenie with blue orbs
5. maybe replace cases...

The last one is most costly, and while I know i should, I would like to avoid that if possible. Am I missing something?? Also, I appreciate a "best guess" for improvement.

I've read about lapping but very little in terms of what exactly to do, I get the idea, but I also read warnings about screwing it up.

I would be happy to post fixes as I make them with improvements...may take a few weeks. (Just so other people can learn from an o/c fool's blunders.

By the way, the causes are the usual, cheapness & laziness.

Thanks.

 

[Door Knob]

Get rid of the glorbs...don't waist your time lapping them. Good alternatives are a globwin for $20 if you can stand the noise or $25 for an alpha w/ the ys tech fan, or $30 for alpha w/delta (noise again). Do lap your new heatsinks though. Also with the money you can save on buying new cases (you really shouldn't have to) you could get some high quality and airflow fans...Sunon make same good ones. Artic silver is also a very good idea. What is your current fan layout. 40C system temp seems way too high for your motherboard temps if air temperature is 70 degrees.

 

[SteveI]

Thanks DoorKnob.

Picture this, I am using minitower (generic-Panda) cases w/ vertically mounted 250W PS's. Not much room. The MB is almost at the top of the case on one side, vt6x4 (slot1) on the slot adaptor, the GORBs are just about touching the side of the PS, right by the vent that sucks air into the PS and out the back. In front I have an 80mm fan sucking in. The bezel does not have a vent in front, but underneath. I think this reduces airflow. (the only time I locked up before (due to heat) was when I left the case on the floor, which also has deep pile carpeting.) The case cannot handle any more fans without mods. The back has plenty of venting, and there are even vent holes on the sides. BTW, i removed the side, and same result in terms of heat.

I'll start with the thermistors first, I need to get out of the dark before I can make things better. I checked out my radioshack and no luck...I'll keep searching.

Regarding the heat sinks, do they stick out on the sides? I can't use them if they do, PS would be in the way. Are all 'modern' heat sinks a major improvement over the GORB? When I got them last year, everyone was falling all over themselves praising them. I guess Gorbs were just a fad, my bad.

 

[SteveI]

Where exactly do I put the thermistor when I get it?

 

[Door Knob]

The alpha stick out a bit because the fan goes in from the side...ended up a pain in my system. My roommate has a globwinfop38 and it sticks out around 1/4 of an inch around the chip. And yeah, orbs were just a fad, they look cool but just don't get the job done when compared to other coolers.

 

[Colin]

I will second the FOP HS recommendation. If nothing has changed in your system since last year, it's time to blow the dust out with some compressed air.

 

[SteveI]

Thanks for the advice.

I can go for the FOP32 idea....but the size makes me nervous. Not much room because of the stinking side mount PS. Since it is only a cel566, i don't want to go nuts just yet, (evil grin). I am planning an overhaul to AMD in a few months. For now, I need to cool it down just a bit.

Update, I opened a window and after a while my temp onboth my PCs dropped to 31C from 36C idling, (that's system temp not cpu). I decided to push it and it didn't go over 36C.

But i better get ready for the summer..
Back to the heatsinks... do the one's you mentioned stick out farther than the GORB? If it does, I won't have room.

 

[Door Knob]

Lucky you i have a chrome orb (same deal as gold orb) sitting around around and have a flop38 to compare size to. From what I can tell the length and width are equal but the globwin does have the corners ya know. The alpha will probably stick out too much for you though due to its fan being on the side.

 

[dimmreaper]

GlobeWin makes a bitchin all copper heatsink now, that might be a good way to go. . . . .

 

[Thelemac]

I though Intel cpus had built in thermistors...

 

[SteveI]

Can anyone confirm for me about the Thermistor? I checked the manual for the ABIT VT6x4, and it says that there is a header for the thermistor, and to get the cpu temp, I have to get one. The health monitor in the BIOS say 0C for the CPU....??

If Cel2's have it built in, why can't I use it? Is there SW or a bios that can?

 

[Door Knob]

Thelemac (Apr 09, 2001 09:49 p.m.):
I though Intel cpus had built in thermistors...

They do. I think that the temperature he is getting is his processor temp as it seems way to high to be the motherboard temperature. I am not sure where the motherboard temp is read from when you get in bios or whatever prog you got. Anyone out there know where the thermistor on the board is?

 

[Door Knob]

SteveI (Apr 09, 2001 09:55 p.m.):
Can anyone confirm for me about the Thermistor? I checked the manual for the ABIT VT6x4, and it says that there is a header for the thermistor, and to get the cpu temp, I have to get one. The health monitor in the BIOS say 0C for the CPU....??

If Cel2's have it built in, why can't I use it? Is there SW or a bios that can?

Looks like your post beet mine in. I really have no idea on how to get that temp than.

 

[SteveI]

I'm using MBM4.18
I checked the sensors:
"Via686A - 3" is at 32C now - this is what I am going by.
"Via686A - 1" is at 24C.

Is this the chipset, or part of it?

 

[dimmreaper]

Not all MoBos will read the on-die thermistor. Your MoBo won't. In fact very few MoBos will. Most of the ones that will are 440BX boards. The Abit I815 boards will. Some of the ASUS VIA 694X boards might, but I'm not sure 'bout that one.

 

[stool]

[quote}I'll start with the thermistors first, I need to get out of the dark before I can make things better. I checked out my radioshack and no luck...I'll keep searching..[/quote]
The shack does sell thermistors, but you have to solder them to wires, and have a two pin connector. Your manual for the mobo should show you the right connector As an alternative, they do. however, sell digital thermometers (indoor/outdoor) with remote sensors you can use to do room(ambient) temps, and case temps at the same time. Just DON't place the remote sensor between your hsf anf CPU. they are way too large for such a purpose, and will quickly kill a CPU.

 

[SteveI]

I checked RadioShack online and they do have my thermistor, but you are right, I have to solder it to the right connectors...What kills me is it costs 55 cents!!! I don't have the patience to find the stinking wires and the right connectors and solder them...Never done that before, (yet).

Toomany hassles, car broke down, house leaks..now my PCs are a heat bomb....somebody just shoot me.
sorry...
Anyone know where I can get a thermistor with the right 2 pin connector...10Kohm.?