92 Degrees Overheating - Scared to push too hard on the heatsink. Help!!

[BernicusMaximus]

PC Mech Gurus,

I'm just putting together my first build and i've gotten it to POST and have been able to start the bios, but it's running mad HOT! 91 - 92 degrees celsius. I've gotten one thermal warning causing a shut down. I've let it run for about 5 minutes at this temperature once while looking through the BIOS.

The board is an intel D955Xbk Socket 775 board. The processor is an Intel Pentium 4 650 3.4 GHZ with Hyper Threading.

I have installed the standard heat sink, which clips into MoBo, but the instructions say I should hear a click sound when pushing the heatsink in. I hear it on the first and maybe second pin, but not the third and the fourth. It seems like its snug, but it is running hot, so I don't know. When I push on it really hard the MoBo flexes a little and I just don't want to break it. Should I be concerned about breaking the heatsink, the processor, or the motherboard by pushing to hard? Also, I've taken the heatsink on and off about 4 times, and I think the thermal tape that came on the heatsink is getting a little ragged. Is this a concern? Also, should I be worried that I may already have damaged the MoBo or processor? What should I do?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bernie

[TJohn]

I've just built my first machine with the same processor and the heat sink was most definitely the hardest thing to install. It took 3 times to get it right! You have to get it to click in on all 4 sides. The first and second time I tried I did it one side at a time... this is NOT good! You need to make sure the pins are in the correct position first and then push 2 at a time (not on the same side). Take your time, it is very tricky but you'll get it and don't worry about messing up the thermal compound, mine is running great after 3 retries.

[Spearball]

Just adding that if this is your first time installing a cpu and you still have trouble and are scared to damage it, just let someone do it for you. Thats what i did with my first build. Then i learned to install heatsinks correctly. Its second nature now.

[Cricket]

I install the LGA775 heatsink with the motherboard out of the case so I can visually check that the pins are actually locking properly once they are through the mounting holes. Then I install the motherboard in the case. Haven't had any problems with LGA775 processors overheating using this method.

Cricket

[Eriol]

I just finished my first build and I couldnt believe how hard the heatsink was to clamp down. It definitly is harder than you would think

[not important]

Here is a link to a P4 CPU install guide. It displays the correct orientation for the locking pins. P4 Install

[A-TECH]

Not the same, but I just recently installed my AMD and heatsink, 939 socket. I thought I'd break the thing, it was hard to push that lever down. I think once I got it right, it went down ok, but it was still hard, and I was worried about breaking it. Pissed me off, frankly. This is my first build, too.

I work on $100k automobiles, but it seems everything has the potential to be a pain in the rear.

[BernicusMaximus]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the links to photos, the commiseration, and the ideas. I used installation photos from the hardwarezone link, and then took Cricket's advice, unplugged everything, and pulled out the whole mobo to seat the heatsink. I was able to check the pins to make sure make sure they were in the proper position. Man were those suckers tough to get in. I practically had to do a thumb stand on the damned things.

It is has posted and has been sitting in the bios for about 6 or 7 minutes, and was at 52 C after the POST, and is now sitting at 56 C. This is much better than the 92 C it was running at, but it is a little worrisome because the case is totally open right now, so it is getting a lot of airflow and the processor is technically seeing about as little action as it ever will.

The maximum operation temperature of this thing is supposed to be 70 C, and I know these things run hot, but is that a normal idle temp with the case open?

Any further advice is appreicated.

Thanks,

Bernie

[rsinfo]

Intel run hot - that's undeniable. But when you load Windows XP/Linux, they have built in programs to stop CPU when nothing is being done (System Idle Process in Win XP), so your CPU temp. should not go above 60 C in average conditions. Only if you play games, you should be worried even then 70C is ok.

[TJohn]

My P4 640 idles at 32C, and I've never seen it go above 37C

[glc]

If the heatsink has been on and off a couple times, the thermal compound is probably disturbed by now. 56c at idle is higher than I like to see.

[jayb1234]

Intel replacement thermal pads.

[hux38]

Ambient air temps make a big difference too. I have a P4 3.0 ghz processor and it usually idles around 45c, on an especially cold day however I get temps closer to 40, sometimes in the 30s if I am lucky!