Heat issues: Intel P4 3.2GHz 540 (LGA775) & ASUS P5GDC-V Deluxe

[lobsterboy]

I've been running with my new machine for 2 weeks now:

Intel P4 3.2GHz 540
ASUS P5GDC-V Deluxe
512MB DDR 400

And I noticed it was getting pretty hot on me. Hunting around, I came across this thread, and I was hoping for some opinions on whether or not I might be looking at the same problem:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?p=881141

The machine has always had a bit of a "hot plastic" smell, which I was hoping would go away. I ran it with a pretty heavy load for the first time today (CPU running at about 55% for 3hrs), and noticed that it was heating up. Installed ASUS Probe to check the temp, and found I was running between 45-49c idle, and at 74-76c with the load (Intel's site lists the max for the 540 cpu at 67c).

So I've got 2 questions:

-Does it sound like this improperly seated HSF is likely my problem (I'm no hardware expert, and can't see the back of the motherboard where the clips would be without removing it)? If this is the problem, I'm probably going to take the machine back to the shop to have it checked out instead of pulling out the mobo myself...I'm ok with throwing in RAM & even CD drives, but this sounds like an outside job.

-How much damage have I possibly caused the processor running it at 7-9 degrees over the max for 3 hours? (There's a possibility it was running at a higher temperature...I got the 76c reading re-testing with the same load a few hours later, and obviously didn't let it run for another 3 hours.) And is there any way to test the damage, or is it likely a life-span shortening type of damage? If damage is likely, and if I have to take it into the shop, maybe I should be asking for a new processor?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated...

(& thanks to Cricket for suggesting I start this on a new thread)

[HAL9000]

The idle temp sounds good, so I would think the HS is seated properly. Sounds more like you're not getting enough air through the case. Intel recommends a case with a side inlet and cone over the CPU to pull in cool air from outside the case instead of using heated air inside the case.

[lobsterboy]

Thanks Hal9000,

I've seen references to the case with the cone...but really I'd rather not go through the hassle of putting everything into a new case.

If I decide to throw in an intake fan & an exhaust fan, any recommendations on type/brand/what to look for? And is this the type of installation that an amateur should be able to pull off without messing things up royally?

Also, sorry to sound paranoid, but any thoughts on how much damage I might have done to the processor already?

[HAL9000]

No damage to the processor. Intel processors are thermally protected and if they get to a danger zone, will throttle back to cool themselves off.

If you're going to try and just add some fans, just set it up so that you have more exhaust than intake, preferably intakes on front lower, exhaust on upper rear of the case.

[Cricket]

Installing case fans if pretty easy to do...they either go into fan holders or you just screw them onto the chassis with 4 screws. As far as brands go, just get the right size ball bearing fans instead of sleeve bearing and you should be good to go. If you want brand recommendations, Sunon, TopMotor, Vantec, Panaflo, YST, Thermaltake, Pabst, NMB, ADDA, and Antec all make good quality ball bearing fans. I use Panaflo L1As in my own computers, but these are low RPM quiet fans and you may want to get fans that move more air. The regular Sunon fans are good...they'll run for years.

As far as your CPU goes, P4s automatically slow themselves down to reduce heat to prevent damage. The ASUS Probe is more likely giving you inaccurate temp measurements (been known to happen in the past). You should double check the temps in the BIOS.

Cricket

[lobsterboy]

OK, I've had a bit of a look, and there are no chassis fans at all at the moment. Which leads me to wonder why the guy that put together the system didn't try to upsell me on a fan or two...

So some fans are definitely in order. Or should I just bite the bullet and get one of Intel's "Thermally Advantaged Chassis"? I'd love to hear from anyone running the 540 processor in a standard case (likely with fans).

I've also checked the temps in the BIOS, at Cricket's suggestion -- and found some strange results. Idling on the BIOS screen, my cpu temp was hovering between 65-67c! When I booted into WinXP, the temp started out at 60c and gradually cooled to the 46-48c I've been idling at in Windows.

So I booted into Windows with the side off my case, and was running a cool 36c idle. And then I booted into the BIOS again, and watched the temp start at 52c and climb up to 60.5c.

While in the BIOS, I noticed that the setting for the "cpu target temperature" was at 66c -- which seems odd, since the max is supposed to be 67c. I tried to determine what setting this should be at, but Intel's documentation makes no sense to me really, so I dropped it to 57c. I'm now running at 45c as I type this, and haven't gone back into the BIOS to check what happens in there.

So now I've got some new questions:

-anyone think setting the "cpu target temperature" in the BIOS at 57c is a bad idea? The only thing that I can think that it would effect would be the cpu fan speed, and it's pretty quiet right now. Should I set it as low as possible?

-any ideas why the BIOS would heat up the cpu so much?

-any reason I should not bother with fans & just go straight to the cone-over-the-cpu case?

-as for fans: my power supply doesn't have an intake fan, and isn't using the connector on the mobo. Should I get 3 fans: 2 for the back (exhaust) and one for the front (intake)? Anyone else have other config ideas?

[joe_chonk]

I have that same motherboard and have wonder the same thing for a while about the CPU target temperature. It seems like it wouldn't hurt anything except speed up the fan like you said; however, it must be set high for some reason...